EU delegation visits Saadiyat construction workers’ accommodation

Workers have lunch during their mid-shift break at Saadiyat Accommodation Village in Abu Dhabi. Christopher Pike / The National

ABU DHABI // A delegation from the European Union on Tuesday toured Saadiyat Accommodation Village with representatives from the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC).

The “village” houses construction workers employed on TDIC projects, including the museums in Saadiyat cultural district.

The representatives from the EU were in Abu Dhabi for the fourth meeting of the UAE-EU Human Rights Working Group. The TDIC said the EU delegates expressed positive feedback about the quality of life and facilities available at the accommodation village.

The company said that the delegation was able to learn more about the daily life of workers at the accommodation village as well as the various recreational activities they have access to, which include regularly scheduled entertainment events, sporting tournaments and movie nights.

Ali Yousef Al Hammadi, the chief executive of TDIC, said: “We are proud of all that we have achieved to date in regards to the welfare of our workers on Saadiyat.

“This visit was an opportunity for the distinguished delegation to see first hand the guidelines TDIC has put into place to ensure the workers’ well-being, and learn more about the facilities and services available to them.

“TDIC takes the welfare of our workers seriously, and is seeking to continuously enhance the current guidelines according to standards set by international best practices in the industry.”

The delegation also visited facilities for residents, including gyms, indoor and outdoor sporting areas, free videoconferencing facilities to call their families, multilingual libraries, access to medical care on site and a foreign-exchange facility to send funds back home.