Dubai: Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) today announced that Emirates Airline, Amazon, Careem, and GEMS Education have joined forces under the Gig Economy Sandbox initiative to help develop regulations that enable the development of the gig economy. The announcement was made during an event in Emirates Towers, attended by Sandbox Dubai partners and officials from local regulatory bodies and government entities.
According to Emirates News Agency, Sandbox Dubai is an innovative platform dedicated to enhancing Dubai’s legislative and regulatory environment in line with future needs. Under the platform, government and private sector entities collaborate to create regulation and legislation that helps businesses to leverage new trends and technologies.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Future Foundation, recently approved the Sandbox Dubai initiative as part of Dubai Economic Agen
da (D33). There are two sandboxes under the initiative – the Gig Economy Sandbox and the PropTech Sandbox.
Khalifa AlQama, Executive Director of Sandbox Dubai, emphasised the essential role of private sector partners in developing regulations, testing ideas and piloting projects to make Dubai the most future-ready city. AlQama said, ‘Sandbox Dubai team will work in collaboration with public and private sector partners to explore future opportunities and establish an ecosystem that gives everyone a chance to contribute to shaping the future of Dubai’s key sectors.’
Oliver Grohmann, Executive Vice President Human Resources for Emirates Group, expressed enthusiasm in supporting the Gig Economy Sandbox as a key initiative aligned with D33 objectives to advance new sectors and develop a future-ready knowledge-based economy. He highlighted the potential of the initiative in promoting innovation, boosting capacity, and broadening the talent pool in Dubai.
Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President of Amazon Middle East, A
frica, and Trkiye, noted the partnership with Dubai Future Foundation on the Sandbox Dubai Initiative as an opportunity to shape flexible working models and boost Dubai’s digital economy. He emphasized leveraging Amazon’s global expertise and technology to pilot programs that create new opportunities for talent and drive innovative solutions.
Andro Valdes, VP Operations at Careem Technologies, highlighted the initiative’s role in accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies by connecting public and private sectors. He emphasized the gig economy’s importance in enhancing efficiency and creating flexible earning opportunities.
Dino Varkey, Group Chief Executive Officer, GEMS Education, expressed delight in partnering with Dubai Future Foundation on the sandbox initiative, highlighting Dubai’s forward-thinking approach to public-private sector collaboration.
Gig Economy Sandbox aims to develop regulations to meet the needs of sectors that often require seasonal workers, including retail, hospitality, to
urism, aviation, education, transport, and logistics. It aims to boost the competitiveness and future-readiness of Dubai’s labour market, contributing to sustainable economic growth in Dubai and the UAE, while promoting greater flexibility for workers.
