The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai has earned a Gold Stevie Award at the 2024 Stevie Awards for Great Employers, held in New York City — placing the UAE government agency among the world's top-recognised organisations for HR innovation.
GDRFA Dubai Recognised for HR Innovation at 2024 Stevie Awards
GDRFA Dubai received the Gold Category award for Innovation in Human Resources Management, Planning & Practice at the 9th annual Stevie Awards for Great Employers. The honour recognises the directorate's groundbreaking 'Organisational Development and Talent Planning System', which the judging panel singled out as a model for applying modern scientific methodologies in talent management and institutional development.
The Stevie Awards for Great Employers, staged annually in New York, are widely regarded as among the most prestigious benchmarks for excellence in human resources and workforce management worldwide.
Organisational Development and Talent Planning System
At the core of GDRFA's award-winning approach is an integrated framework that merges organisational competence with Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP). The system is built on principles of interdependence, integration, future foresight, analysis, innovative business models, and competitive positioning — all grounded in scientific disciplines.
The project is designed to deliver organisational agility: the ability to quickly adapt structures, capabilities, and talent pipelines in response to evolving institutional demands and national priorities.
Leadership Commits to National Talent Development
Major Brigadier Awad Al Awaim, Assistant General Director of Human Resources and Finance at GDRFA Dubai, highlighted the directorate's commitment to building an innovative work environment. He stated that GDRFA has integrated modern scientific principles into its institutional framework to "encourage innovation, and to produce national human capacities" — an effort that has earned the organisation international recognition in talent management and organisational flexibility.
Al Awaim credited the strategy with developing a substantial pool of national talents and competencies across the directorate.
Award Accepted in New York
The Gold Stevie was formally accepted during a ceremony in New York City attended by top executives and leaders from globally distinguished organisations in human resources management.
Representing GDRFA Dubai were Aisha Saeed Al Mazrouei, Head of the Career Needs and Emiratization Department, and Maryam Mohammed Al Badawi, Head of the Organisational Structures Department — two of the key figures behind the award-winning talent planning initiative.
GDRFA Dubai's Growing International Profile
The 2024 Gold Stevie adds to a strong track record of international recognition for GDRFA Dubai, which oversees residency, entry, and foreigners affairs across the emirate. The directorate has consistently positioned itself as a pioneer in government HR practices, using data-driven workforce planning and Emiratisation-focused talent development to set benchmarks for public-sector agencies across the UAE.
The award affirms that GDRFA's approach to organisational development is not only effective domestically — it is world-class.
