26th January 2026
Sharjah Department of Economic Development announced as First Certified PeopleFirst™ Organisation in the United Arab Emirates
Dubai, UAE – January 26, 2026: A new standard for workplace culture has officially arrived in the United Arab Emirates with the Sharjah Department of Economic Development becoming the first Certified PeopleFirst™ organisation in that market.
Sharjah Department of Economic Development have officially received Gold level of Certification. Setting a high bar for other organisations in the UAE and wider GCC market to emulate or exceed.
The certification, developed by The Inspiring Workplaces Group, recognises organisations that are building modern, intrinsically driven workplace cultures. Based not on perks or pay alone but on the level of employee belief and belonging the leadership are creating.
Certified PeopleFirst™ is grounded in employee insight and focuses on the intrinsic drivers proven to fuel long-term business performance, engagement and resilience: Belief, Belonging and Future Confidence.
A Shift Away from Legacy Culture Measurement
For decades, workplace culture has been assessed through extrinsic markers: compensation; benefits and surface-level perks. Often reinforced by costly, legacy certification models.
Certified PeopleFirst™ reflects a shift away from that outdated approach. Instead of asking what organisations offer, it listens to employees to understand what they experience and how it makes them feel.
This gives organisations something far more meaningful to stand behind: evidence of a culture people believe in, want to belong to and their trust for the future.
Matt Manners, Founder & CEO of The Inspiring Workplaces Group, said: “Congratulations to Sharjah Department of Economic Development for making history as the first Certified PeopleFirst™ organisation in the UAE. They join a rapidly growing number of organisations around the world in which their certification reflects a culture built on belief, belonging and future confidence. The intrinsic drivers that truly define what it means to be PeopleFirst today.
“We developed Certified PeopleFirst™ by analysing thousands of Inspiring Workplaces Award entries from organisations around the world over the past decade. That insight allowed us to create a forward-thinking, evidence-led approach that helps organisations and their people thrive right now. Not based on outdated models but on what employees actually experience.”
What Certified PeopleFirst Certification Signals in the UAE and around the world
For organisations in the GCC, achieving Certified PeopleFirst™ status signals:
- A commitment to modern, PeopleFirst leadership
- A culture built on trust, shared purpose and a strong sense of belief and belonging
- Clear differentiation in a competitive talent market
- Credibility with candidates, customers and investors alike.
As organisations globally reassess how they attract, retain and motivate talent, Certified PeopleFirst™ provides a clear, credible benchmark for what “great” really looks like today.
Start your organisation’s Certified PeopleFirst™journey here.
About Certified PeopleFirst™
Certified PeopleFirst™ is an independent culture certification powered by employee insight.
It measures what truly drives engagement and business performance in modern organisations and gives leaders a globally recognised mark to prove it. It also highlights where an organisation is strong and prioritises where it needs to focus action to drive improvement on its PeopleFirst journey.
Unlike legacy models, it is:
- Evidence-led
- Intrinsically focused
- Simple to run
- Designed for modern organisations
- Prioritise future leadership action.
Deadline for 2026 Inspiring Workplaces Awards – Feb 25, 206
For organisations that prefer to showcase their culture through storytelling, entries for the Inspiring Workplaces Awards, a decade-old, global programme celebrating PeopleFirst cultures are open until Feb 25, 2026.
About The Inspiring Workplaces Group
Inspiring Workplaces is a global organisation on a mission to help businesses build, prove, and celebrate truly PeopleFirst cultures. Believing that the greatest force in business is people, Inspiring Workplaces champions cultures where belief, belonging and confidence in the future empower individuals to thrive.
Through its core programs: The Inspiring Workplaces Awards, Certified PeopleFirst™ and the free Inspiring Workplaces Community — the organisation celebrates, certifies and connects leaders committed to creating environments where people feel seen, valued, and prepared for the future of work.
In a world where workplaces shape lives, Inspiring Workplaces exists to spotlight those who put their people first and lead with purpose, because inspiring cultures don’t just transform business, they change the world.
Learn more at: www.inspiring-workplaces.com
About Sharjah Department of Economic Development
The Sharjah Department of Economic Development (SEDD) is the government body responsible for fostering and regulating Sharjah’s economy, established to create a dynamic investment environment by supporting entrepreneurs, developing key sectors like manufacturing, innovation, tourism, and logistics, and promoting diversification away from oil through initiatives, services, and strategic partnerships. It provides essential services for business setup, offers support for SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises), and works to enhance Sharjah’s economic competitiveness in the UAE and globally.
