The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) has won the Gold Award at the 2026 Stevie Awards for the Middle East and North Africa under the category “Award for Innovation in Inclusive Workplace Practices – Government”, in recognition of its pioneering efforts in developing a future-ready workplace ecosystem that enhances employee experience, supports talent attraction and empowerment, and promotes the principles of inclusion, innovation, and institutional sustainability.
This achievement reflects GDRFA Dubai’s commitment to investing in people as the main driver of institutional excellence, through the implementation of the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) initiative. The initiative represents an integrated model for building an attractive and empowering work environment that strengthens employee engagement, enhances workplace happiness, and develops future-ready capabilities among its workforce.
Major General Awad Mohammed Al Awaim, Assistant Director General of the Human Resources and Finance Sector at GDRFA Dubai, affirmed that this global recognition reflects the Directorate’s vision to build a human capital ecosystem founded on innovation, empowerment, and quality of work life. He highlighted that investing in people has always been at the heart of GDRFA Dubai’s journey of development and excellence, in line with the Government of Dubai’s vision to build more agile and future-ready government entities.
He added that GDRFA Dubai has developed an integrated ecosystem to strengthen its Employer Branding, based on understanding employees’ aspirations and creating more impactful workplace experiences through key pillars including professional development, empowerment, employee wellbeing, work-life balance, and fostering a positive organizational culture — all contributing to attracting and retaining talented professionals.
He further noted that winning this award demonstrates GDRFA Dubai’s ability to transform modern talent management concepts into measurable institutional practices driven by data, analytics, and innovation, contributing to enhanced productivity, employee engagement, and sustainable institutional performance.
The Employee Value Proposition initiative serves as one of the key pillars supporting GDRFA Dubai’s talent management strategy, aiming to deliver a comprehensive employee experience that combines professional growth, motivation, and a positive workplace environment, further positioning the Directorate as a preferred destination for talent.
This achievement reinforces GDRFA Dubai’s leading position in developing future-oriented, human-centric government workplaces, while establishing an institutional model built on innovation and excellence, supporting Dubai’s vision to enhance global competitiveness and achieve leadership in human capital management.
