Hiring Emiratis will help boost the private sector

With the UAE’s diversification process in full swing, the country is witnessing a rapid phase of growth. Traditional sectors like oil will no more be drivers and fewer jobs will be created. In this scenario, the government’s plan to boost the Emirati workforce in the private companies is a well thought out strategy. Creating a system for the recruitment of more UAE nationals is important, and this is just what the Ministry of Labour has embarked upon. A database has been launched and the ministry has set targets for the next 75 days where 1,000 nationals are to be placed in insurance and banking. But what’s significant about the latest strategy is that the government is not just keen about nationals finding jobs in the private sector, it will also train them and create conditions in workplaces that make it easier for them to make the move. The figure is 3,000 jobs in private companies in two years. Rather modest by any standards, but companies hiring Emiratis will be given incentives. So what’s stopping hiring of locals in private firms? It’s mainly an issue of mindsets. Another impediment is salary.

Nationals prefer jobs in the public sector because they feel a sense of patriotism. Salaries are competitive and jobs are ‘secure’. If one factors in timings, government jobs are comfortable, allowing work-life balance. Private companies feel they cannot afford Emiratis and choose not to give them senior management positions. That is slowly changing, but not fast enough. With the education system producing many Emiratis who are ready and willing to join private firms with government support, private firms appear unprepared, or are unsure how to make the adjustment. Innovation in an era of competition can be challenging, but many youth among Emiratis have a wider worldview, are well-travelled, highly-skilled and can fit into any work environment. Companies, however, have been slow to grasp this change in education and what’s happening in Emirati society where women and young people are making their mark. In Dubai for instance, life goes on 24/7; it’s non-stop, digital and dynamic. The digital economy deserves digital natives in the true sense. The UAE’s private firms now don’t have to look far to attract the right talent when Emiratis are up to the task.