Sharjah’s government plans to conduct field surveys on labour housing to get a clear picture about the current status of existing facilities and services available to workers in the emirate.
The survey will also allow the government and authorities to predict future needs, a report from state news agency WAM said. This is the first survey of its kind in the UAE, and it will provide clear and comprehensive data to allow for the creation of an integrated database, the report said.
The database will include locations, measurements and standards, as stipulated in the emirate’s laws and regulations.
An agreement between the Sharjah Labour Standards Development Authority (SLSDA) and Gistec, the geographic information systems (GIS) provider, was signed in this regard.
“We always seek to enhance the work environment in Sharjah through the provision of support to employees to encourage them to do their work under conditions conforming with the highest international work standards concurrently enabling them to work with higher efficiency to ensure effective contribution in the economic developmental path of the emirate and the UAE in general,” said Salem Yousef Al Qaseer, chairman of SLSDA.
Under the agreement, Gistec will provide SLSDA with the ArcGIS platform, which will allow it to develop apps, training and GIS on the internet and mobile apps. It will use the latest technology to obtain fast and accurate surveys, as well as to document all labour camps in Sharjah.