Sierra Leone and UAE agree joint skills-training initiative

On the fringes of the World Governments Summit in Dubai in February 2026, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swaray, the Minister of Employment, Labour, and Social Security for Sierra Leone, had high-level talks with His Excellency Dr Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al Awar, the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization for the United Arab Emirates. The meeting resulted in a specific follow-up commitment on job creation and skill development for Sierra Leoneans, as well as a reaffirmation of the two nations’ bilateral cooperation on labour issues.
In addition to thanking the United Arab Emirates for its years of support in a variety of sectors, Minister Swaray emphasised the significance of bolstering labour cooperation in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding that the two nations signed in 2021, which establishes a framework for labour migration cooperation. In implementing President Dr Julius Maada Bio’s ambitious employment agenda, Sierra Leone is keen to learn from the Emirati experience, he said, praising the UAE’s recent labour reforms.
“His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has a very ambitious plan to supply our young, labour-ready citizens with jobs.” The problem of unemployment is something we wish to address. We acknowledge that a significant problem is the lack of middle-level personnel. A population is prepared to learn when they are prepared to work. To further give our people the skills they need to compete in this dynamic workplace, we would value collaboration in technical and vocational training as well as other areas, Minister Swaray stated.
Dr Al Awar praised Sierra Leone’s initiatives to increase job opportunities and make investments in its people’s well-being. He emphasised the UAE’s booming private sector, recent labour protection and skill-upgrading reforms, and possible collaboration areas that fit market demand and expansion opportunities.
Following their talks, the two ministers decided to form a joint technical working group tasked with creating and carrying out a training program for skill development aimed at the Sierra Leonean labour force. Addressing skills gaps, increasing employability, and establishing avenues for Sierra Leoneans to compete in regional and global labour markets are the goals of the initiative.
Minister Swaray also participated in the Future of Work Forum earlier in the summit, where international labour leaders discussed how employment is changing and what policies are required to get workers ready for economic and technological change. The meeting in Dubai reaffirms both nations’ resolve to strengthen their collaboration on job creation, training, and labour mobility.