Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has emerged as the top company that students in the UAE would like to work for after completing their studies, a report says.
Adnoc garnered the most interest from UAE nationals and foreigners, and students studying business, engineering and information technology, according to the report by Universum, a consultancy that helps companies with branding.
Emirates Airlines and Mubadala, an investment company of the Abu Dhabi Government, are respectively the second and third most popular firms for UAE nationals studying business. Indeed, the top seven companies chosen by these students are government-owned.
In the private sector, the top firms for Emirati business students are Google, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Microsoft, which respectively placed eighth, ninth and 10th.
The students cited greater job security, good working conditions, cultural fit and the presence of other Emiratis as the reasons for their preference for government jobs.
“The family’s view is important for the students and largely determined by the company’s public image, as well as information received from people they know inside the company,” said Fredrik Said, Universum’s business development manager for the Middle East. “It’s also essential to win the hearts and minds of the families.”
Overall, 33 per cent of UAE nationals surveyed said they wanted to work for the government after graduation, compared with 11 per cent of foreign students. Of the latter group, 53 per cent said they wanted to work for an international company or organisation. Only 16 per cent of Emiratis said the same.
The prospect of being entrepreneurs did not hold much appeal, with only 8 per cent of UAE nationals and 5 per cent of foreigners saying they wanted to set up their own businesses.
Perhaps the most striking difference between Emirati and foreign students was the gap in salary expectations.
UAE nationals expected an average monthly salary of €5,667 (Dh 28,415), while foreigners expected just €2,824.
The survey involved 2,479 foreigners and 503 UAE nationals from 14 universities and colleges across the country.
A decent work-life balance was among the top three career priorities for Emirati and foreign students, with 49 per cent of UAE nationals and 44 per cent of foreigners saying that was the case for them.
For UAE nationals, 42 per cent said becoming a leader and manager was important to them, while 38 per cent said job security was a major priority.
For foreigners, 45 per cent wanted job stability and 38 per cent wanted managerial responsibilities.
Independence and autonomy emerged as low priorities, with only 17 per cent of UAE nationals and 14 per cent of foreigners saying they were important.
lgutcher@thenational.ae
