A gathering of chambers of commerce from around the world that was due to take place in Dubai next February has been postponed until November 2021 to coincide with the new dates for Expo 2020.
The 12th World Chambers Congress, organised jointly by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the International Chamber of Commerce's (ICC) World Chambers Federation, will now take place from November 23-25 next year. The event is expected to attract representatives from 12,000 chambers of commerce from 100 countries.
The postponement is due to a number of factors including the business challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and the rescheduling of Expo 2020, which will now begin in October 2021, said Hamad Buamim, the president and chief executive of Dubai Chamber and current chairman of the World Chambers Federation.
He said by hosting the biennial congress, at the same time as World Expo, it would provide a platform to showcase and learn about innovative products and services, as well as networking and collaboration opportunities.
"The theme of WCC 2021 — Generation Next: Chambers 4.0 — is now more relevant than ever before, as chambers around the world realise the need to adapt to a fast-changing business landscape and leverage Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to better serve their members," Mr Buamim said.
Many of the world's biggest business events, including the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the annual MIPIM property fair and the Hannover Messe trade fair, have either been postponed or cancelled this year as a result of the pandemic.
The ICC was founded in 1919 and is the world's largest business organisation, whose chambers represent 45 million companies.
The%20Specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELamborghini%20LM002%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205.2-litre%20V12%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20450hp%20at%206%2C800rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E500Nm%20at%204%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFive-speed%20manual%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100kph%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%209%20seconds%20(approx)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210kph%20(approx)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYears%20built%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201986-93%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20vehicles%20built%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20328%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EValue%20today%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24300%2C000%2B%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
