At the meeting, the two Ministers informed each other about the updated situation in the fields of mutual attention.

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung discussed the recent situation of Vietnam's labour market, especially the needs of domestic workers and others such as Japan, Korea, Germany, Australia, etc., along with the potential and outstanding advantages of Vietnamese labour and the requirements on salary and working conditions that businesses need to meet.

Illustrative image (MOLISA)

The two Ministers also objectively recognized and assessed the achievements and limitations in labour cooperation between the two countries in the past time, in which the number of Vietnamese workers going to work in the UAE has not yet met the desired needs and potentials of the two countries.

Although in recent years, an average of about 150,000 Vietnamese workers have gone to work abroad in various markets each year, the number of workers going to work in the UAE is still modest, although the UAE has a need to receive a large number of foreign workers.

Minister Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al-Awar welcomed and highly agreed with the contents suggested by Minister Dao Ngoc Dung.

He affirmed that the UAE side is ready to listen and make the greatest efforts in reviewing and adjusting regulations, and policies on receiving, managing, and using labour as well as salary and benefits regimes to effectively attract Vietnamese workers to work in the UAE.

On that basis, the two sides discussed and proposed specific solutions to continue promoting the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the field of human resources signed between the two Ministries in December 2023.

The two sides agreed to promote cooperation in labour and employment in the coming time, commensurate with the level of multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and the UAE.

Previously, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 
 The two leaders agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive partnership, opening great prospects for cooperation between the two countries in all fields. This is the result of the good friendship and cooperation that generations of leaders and people of the two countries have worked hard to cultivate over the past three decades in the spirit of goodwill, equality, and mutual respect.

Another highlight is that after the talks between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the two leaders also witnessed the signing of the CEPA between Vietnam and the UAE. This is the first Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and an Arab country, and it also marks the FTA with the fastest negotiation time in Vietnam to date, demonstrating the strong determination of the governments, ministries and sectors of the two countries to create a breakthrough in the economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, opening a major and historic path for Vietnam to penetrate deeper into the Middle Eastern market.

This is also a strong affirmation that, in the new era — the era of the Vietnamese people's rise — the Middle East and the UAE have a very important position in Vietnam's foreign policy. Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien assessed that the CEPA not only creates a breakthrough in the economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and the UAE, but is also a driving force to attract strong investment from the UAE to Vietnam in areas such as energy, industry, high technology, and supply chain development.

To realise the comprehensive partnership, the prime minister proposed that Vietnam and the UAE strengthen cooperation with 6 major priorities: continuing to maintain, consolidate and foster political trust, especially high-level delegation exchanges; making economic, trade and investment cooperation an important pillar of the bilateral relationship; enhancing cooperation in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation and green transformation; further strengthening cooperation in education and training, people-to-people exchange, tourism and cultural cooperation between the two countries; promoting multilateral cooperation, uphold international law, persistently promote dialogue, build trust, enhance solidarity and understanding among peoples; and contributing more actively and proactively with the international community to address global challenges.

Through this visit, Vietnam has learned more experience and further strengthened its determination to accelerate the digital transformation, green transformation, clean energy, innovation, circular economy, and enter emerging industries and fields, because although it is among the world's leading oil-rich countries, the UAE has determined not to "depend" on this traditional fossil energy source.
The official visit to the UAE by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his wife, and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation was a great success, marking a historic milestone and opening an important new chapter in the cooperative relationship between the two countries. The UAE is a nation that has made the impossible