MAPUTO – Abdul Razak Amuza Esmail, the Secretary of State for Gender and Social Action, met with representatives from Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and the Abu Dhabi-based recruitment agency Axis Human Resources Solutions L.L.C. on Monday to coordinate the recruitment of Mozambican workers for positions in the United Arab Emirates.
The initiative focuses on the placement of 300 former employees of the Mozal aluminium smelter into specialized roles within the UAE’s industrial sector. This move is part of a broader strategy by the Mozambican government to ensure safe, regular, and orderly labor mobility for its citizens working abroad, at a time when Mozal has suspended operations and thrown hundreds of skilled workers into uncertainty.
The discussions centered on strengthening the cooperation between the government and international recruitment partners to prevent irregular migration and ensure that labor exports meet international safety and professional standards. Officials also framed the program as a way to preserve hard-won industrial skills within the aluminium value chain rather than losing them to the informal economy or unemployment.
Industrial Recruitment and Technical Specializations
The recruitment process is specifically targeting skilled technicians previously employed at Mozal, one of Mozambique’s largest industrial investments and a key exporter before entering a care-and-maintenance regime. The partnership involves Axis Human Resources Solutions L.L.C. and the private employment agency CBE (Agência Privada de Emprego CBE), operating under Mozambique’s regulated private employment regime.
The 300 positions available in the UAE are concentrated in high-skill technical areas essential for aluminium production and plant maintenance. These include:
- Field operations
- Electrical maintenance
- Instrumentation
- Utilities management
- Mechanical maintenance
The focus on these specific roles aligns with the operational needs of Emirates Global Aluminium, one of the world’s largest aluminium producers, which requires a workforce capable of maintaining complex smelter infrastructure. For Maputo, the scheme offers a bridge for highly trained workers whose skills were developed at Mozal with significant public and private investment.
Labor Mobility, Protections and Regulatory Frameworks
During the meeting, Esmail reaffirmed the government’s commitment to regulating the movement of workers to avoid the risks associated with undocumented labor. By partnering with established entities like EGA and Axis Human Resources, the ministry seeks to formalize the pipeline between Mozambican technical talent and Gulf State industrial demand, in line with the principles of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
The government’s objective is to establish a framework where labor migration is handled through recognized agencies, ensuring that contracts are transparent and that workers’ rights are protected under the laws of both Mozambique and the UAE. According to officials, this includes vetting employment terms, social protection coverage and dispute-resolution mechanisms before departure, and coordinating with Mozambique’s diplomatic missions for consular follow-up once workers are in the Gulf.
The cooperation with the private agency CBE serves as a local intermediary to streamline the verification of qualifications and the administrative processing of candidates. CBE and Axis are working with Mozambican authorities to match former Mozal employees’ technical profiles to the job descriptions provided by EGA and to ensure compliance with national labor-export oversight, including registration with the competent migration and employment services.
The recruitment process is currently at the candidate selection stage, following what officials describe as a competitive screening of former Mozal staff. If successful, the program is expected to serve as a pilot for future government-to-industry labor mobility partnerships involving other affected industrial workforces.
