'We work as one': How Dubai warehouse is run by people of determination

Khaleej Times

06-08-2025

In a corner of Dubai's sprawling logistics zone, a group of young men and women work in near silence — not out of discipline, but circumstance. At a Chalhoub Group warehouse in Jafza, the quiet hum of productivity is punctuated only by the soft rustle of plastic packaging and the click of stickers being applied — 'tchik tchik' — as a team of People of Determination (PoD), most of them deaf, meticulously label multi-use concealers. This is not a typical warehouse. This is inclusion in action.
The 11-member team is part of the Chalhoub Group's collaboration with 'I Am Inclusive', a UAE-born employment platform dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities. The initiative places PoDs in meaningful, long-term roles across the private sector — and this warehouse is one of its standout success stories. 'We recognised the need for expert guidance to ensure a structured, dignified, and scalable approach to employing People of Determination,' said Damian Brown, VP of Talent Acquisition at Chalhoub Group. 'This collaboration ensures we're not just compliant, but setting a benchmark for inclusive hiring in the region.'
The group's Jafza distribution centre currently employs more than 20 PoDs in roles ranging from labelling and sorting to inventory support. 'Since their integration, overall warehouse productivity has increased and performance levels are at their highest,' Damian added. 'The presence of PoD has strengthened accountability, focus, and cohesion within the wider team.'
From Ajman and Manila to Dubai
Among those hard at work is Omar Alkaabi, a 23-year-old Emirati from Ajman. He wakes before dawn, prays Fajr, and drives himself an hour each way to work. 'I love the team here,' he signed, smiling. 'There are so many nationalities, and we all work as one. There is no discrimination.' Omar applies barcodes to boxes, checks the scan, and ensures items are logged correctly into the system. 'Everything must be transferred to the distribution centre and uploaded to the server,' he explained. 'I studied in a public high school, and even though I'm deaf, I was completely independent — I didn't need a shadow teacher.'
He described his school years as challenging, having studied in mainstream classrooms where he had to rely on reading from the board and asking for help when needed. 'I put in more effort than others, but I succeeded,' he said. 'And now I just want to help others too.'
From the Philippines, 34-year-old Lucyl Bianchi Misolas — known as Bia — also found her opportunity through 'I Am Inclusive' after nearly a year of job searching in the UAE. 'Through my deaf friends, I was connected with 'I Am Inclusive' and finally got this role,' she said. 'Shalhoub has given us that support to find success.' Bia previously worked in warehouse roles in the Philippines, and now applies her experience in labelling and packaging. 'It was a slow start, getting acquainted to the process, but we've established a good rhythm now,' she said.
Born into a third-generation deaf family, Bia studied at a deaf college in the Philippines. Her goal now is to develop more professional skills and help others in the community grow. 'We don't want to stay in one place,' she said. 'We want to collaborate and improve together.'
Sign language, inclusion, and shared culture
One of the team's non-deaf colleagues, Saeed Al Obeidli, taught himself sign language on YouTube to communicate with his deaf teammate, Ahmed Al Dhufri. 'Omar also taught me a bit,' he said. 'I started learning last December, during the National Day holiday.'
Their efforts to build a shared language are echoed across the warehouse floor. After lunch, the team laughed as they assigned sign names to visitors — a kind of social signature. One was given a gesture highlighting her eyeliner, another a folded-arms motion to mimic a supervisor's stance.
To ensure an enabling environment, the warehouse has been adapted with accessible layouts, visual instructions, and quiet areas. Each PoD employee is paired with a trained buddy. 'We also trained managers on communication styles, neurodiversity awareness, and inclusive leadership,' said Damian. 'The feedback has been extremely encouraging,' he added. 'Team members described the experience as personally fulfilling and professionally enriching.'
Building a culture of belonging
Sign language interpreter Husam Eideh said one of the reasons this warehouse functions so smoothly is because it has built a shared culture, not just adapted for deaf employees but shaped around their strengths. 'In many places I've visited, deaf workers were isolated or unsupported. But here, they are a team — everyone is happy to be at work,' he said. 'It's like a school for society.'
Both Omar and Bia speak of their workplace with pride — and see it as just the beginning. Bia hopes for more collaboration with Emirati and Indian organisations, while Omar dreams of returning to football, a passion he's pursued since childhood despite challenges. 'I played in a police championship recently and hope to join the Al Ain team again,' Omar said. 'It's all about personal skills.'
Expansion plans
Chalhoub Group says the success of the Jafza pilot has laid the foundation to expand the inclusion model into retail and corporate roles. 'The vision is to build a truly inclusive organisation where PoD are represented across our entire business ecosystem,' Damian said. 'With the right mindset and partnerships, we're confident this approach can scale and positively transform how we work.'