Guggenheim Supports Appointment of Independent Monitor on Saadiyat Island

"The leadership of the Board of Trustees of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is pleased to support the appointment by the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as an independent monitor, which is an essential component of safeguarding workers' rights and ensuring that the contractors and sub-contractors working on the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi construction site comply with UAE labor laws and TDIC's Employment Practices Policy.

To date, the Foundation has worked closely with TDIC to make demonstrable advances through the issuance last September of our Joint Statement on Workers' Rights, which sets out the substantial rights that will be afforded to workers on the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi construction site in many important areas, including timely, electronic payment of wages, accommodation conditions, working hours, withholding personal documents, recruitment fees, contracts of employment, workplace standards, and the ability to report grievances. We expect further progress will be made with the selection of PwC and the implementation of this independent monitoring program, which we have been assured, will be structured in accordance with best practices and which will include public reporting of findings.

We look forward to a continuing dialogue with TDIC and recognize that these issues are complex. We remain committed to the workers on the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi construction site, to maintaining the integrity of our joint project with TDIC and to establishing a truly international museum that will reflect and celebrate the cultures of the Middle East while fostering an atmosphere of open, intellectual exchange."

Statement issued by
William Mack, Chairman
Jennifer Blei Stockman, President
Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation