The UAE Governments Federal Authority for Human Resources (FAHR) today announced a partnership with LinkedIn, the worlds largest professional network on the Internet. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two entities was signed by HE Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Director General of FAHR, and Ali Matar, Head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions, MENA.

Under the scope of this agreement, FAHR will work with LinkedIn to bring 90,000 Federal Government employees on the professional network and help them to create their online professional profiles. The Federal Government is aiming to use the insights that LinkedIn is able to provide about the skills and abilities of the employees in UAE government departments to build a unique Online Government Skills Bank.

In his speech, HE Dr. Al Awar underlined the importance of this partnership , as it will provide them with unique insights into the government talent LinkedIns data can for example help them determine those areas in which talent is most and least plentiful and where there may be skills gaps. Its the first partnership of its kind between a government and LinkedIn in the region.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, HE Dr. Al Awar said: This project will prove to be a vital source of reference and research for us, with LinkedIns data insights acting as a compass on future trends within the labour market. It will allow us to develop systemised programmes to account for skills trends, and to develop, either through education or training, those talents that are in deficit in our workforce. In addition, we also consider this project as a way to motivate our employees to improve their existing capabilities and gain more skills particularly around leadership to create a more diverse, highly-capable working community, while achieving each government entities goals for their human resources.

We consider this initiative to be a significant turning point in the UAE governments HR systems, leading to more creative and innovative ways of approaching work and life. We see this as a way to enhance the UAEs leadership position, by bolstering global competitiveness in the field of government and leadership efficiency. With its extensive experience and proven leadership in the field, LinkedIn is the ideal partner for this initiative, he added.

Ali Matar, Head of Talent Solutions, LinkedIn MENA, said: The UAE Government is leading the way in the region in adopting digital engagement models with their stakeholders. We are proud of the opportunity to work with them to support their digitalisation efforts. With the Federal Authority for Human Resources now bringing more than 90,000 UAE federal government employees online onto LinkedIn, we believe that our platform will drive relevance to the members in newer ways, and directly complement the efforts of the Authority. We will also work closely with the Authority to ensure that all the new members are empowered with the information they need to make the most of their LinkedIn presence.

Since the recent launch of the Arabic version of LinkedIn, we have seen increased sign-up from the millions of Arabic-speaking professionals around the globe, and we believe it will open up important opportunities to connect to people, knowledge and jobs around the world, Matar added.

Amna Suwaidi, Director of Human Resources Planning, Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, delivered a presentation during the event that touched upon the most prominent features of the project.

During his presentation, Ibrahim Fikri, Director of Project Management and Programmes, FAHR, highlighted the importance of the projects forum as a source for generating articles detailing the best practices in human resources from the UAE and beyond.