Dubai, UAE, May 27, 2008 - A delegation of Dubai Government’s Human Resources committee has concluded its visit to Japan during which its members had the opportunity to learn about HR in several world-famous Japanese establishments, both private and public.
The trip was organized to show Committee members examples of international best practice in managing and developing human resources.
Committee chairman Dr Abdulla Al Karam praised the expertise that the Japanese system has put in place in the field of managing and developing HR in the private and public sectors, which could prove valuable for enhancing the performance and skills of the employees of the Government of Dubai
Dr Abdulla said, “The visit was a success on all levels. We have a great opportunity to benefit from the experience of some Japanese institutions. We will use and develop some of their techniques to match the needs and culture of Dubai.”
He went on, “The main two interests of the Government sector are first, how to change the work culture to deal with the demands of the job to the standards required, and second, the skills needed to get the job done.
“Therefore, Dubai Government is aiming to develop those two interests in a way that would increase the productivity of Government establishments, and improve job development with regard to the skills and way of thinking of the workforce.”
Regarding the plans and initiatives that the Government of Dubai is aiming to put in place, Dr Abdulla said, “Our observations of this visit will be discussed in the next meeting of the HR committee, during which some recommendations will be made and sent to the Executive Council for it to study, and approve if appropriate.”
Nasir al Hamli, the HR committee co-ordinator, said that one of the strengths of the Japanese is their great passion for work, and their loyalty to their jobs and company regardless of the nature of their work.
He said, “Values and work ethics are what motivate Japanese workers the most. It is not their job title or salary or anything else. We should hold on to such virtues since they are deeply entrenched in our religion, which encourages us to work hard and excel in what we do.”
Al Hamli added, “Undoubtedly ethics plays a major role in shaping the institutional culture and developing it. It also has a great influence on the performance of the individual, which is one of the objectives in Dubai Government’s plan to develop human resources.
“The Government seeks to make work a part of the thinking and being of each employee, so that people really want to work and be a productive person in society, not just for materialistic rewards.”
He pointed out that there are many plans and initiatives that the Government of Dubai will execute to raise awareness among its employees, educate them about work values and ethics, and strengthen the desire to do well within each one of them.
This, it is hoped, will improve performance and productivity, enhance the skills of employees, and introduce modern and creative techniques.
This is in line with the vision and directives of HH Sheikh Mohammad, which he outlined by saying that a Government job is not just for income, it is first and foremost for productivity, and that Governmental offices are not places for lazy routine, but places of creativity
The delegation met representatives of Japanese firms including Toshiba, Mitsubishi, and Honda, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its training institute. They saw state-of-the-art systems used in HR management, and were told about the best ways of developing human capabilities.
The delegation thanked HE Saeed al Nuwais, the UAE Ambassador to Japan, for his support and efforts in achieving the objectives of this visit.
HE Al Nuwais hosted the delegation and discussed with them some of the important aspects of their visit. He wished the delegation success with their mission, and offered to extend his support to delegates after they returned home to the UAE.
The delegation included Dr Abdulla al Karam and nine members representing several Governmental bodies - Nasir al Hamli, Dr Ahmad Wareyah, Amal bin Oudai, Mona bu Humaid, Sultan al Aakraf, Obaid Qasim Obaid, Jamal Naji, Khalid al Doubi, and Abdullah Abdul Rahman .