Embassy officials tour workers village for Louvre Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI // A delegation of ambassadors and diplomats was on Monday given a tour of the under-construction Louvre Abu Dhabi museum by officials from the Tourism Development and Investment Company.

The group visited the construction site on Saadiyat Island, getting an opportunity to view working conditions of the project’s workers.

They also stopped at the Saadiyat Accommodation Village, the residential facility where the workers employed on TDIC projects live.

Ambassadors from the UK, US, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Holland, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Pakistan and India, and senior diplomats from the Irish, Canadian and Australian embassies took part in the tour.

The tour was followed by a meeting with Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, who discussed TDIC’s efforts in improving worker welfare.

Dr Gargash told the ambassadors that TDIC had established a benchmark in the construction industry for worker’s welfare in the region.

“We pride ourselves in the level of progress and regulations that have been put in place by TDIC to ensure that construction workers on Saadiyat’s world-class projects are working and living in best standards and are always treated fairly,” he said.

“Undoubtedly, there are challenges in the industry, but they’re challenges that we are constantly working with the various parties in charge to overcome.”

Ali Majed Al Mansoori, TDIC’s chairman of the board, said the ambassadors gave positive feedback at the end of the tour.

“India is a major source of labour for the UAE and a large number come from India, so it’s good to have an opportunity to see the conditions in which they work and live,” said TP Seetharam, Indian ambassador to the UAE.

British ambassador Philip Parham said: “The amount that has been done to try to improve the conditions for the construction workers is impressive.”