Private sector needs to adopt a more sustainable approach to hiring Gulf nationals, says new study



Regional organisations con­sider job-market nationalisation a liability that encourages some to undertake illegal practices to meet quotas, says a new report.

The study from the management consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton says the “plug-and-play” model of recruiting expat­riates to sustain the private sector is no longer viable.

“It has resulted in organisations treating the hiring of nationals as a necessary and costly burden with very limited benefits,” it says.

Budgetary surpluses are turning into deficits across the region as governments seek to accelerate plans to reduce their reliance on hydrocarbons and provide jobs that help to diversify economies.

Boosting private-sector employment of national citizens is particularly pressing in the UAE and Qatar, which have the highest proportion of expats working in the private sector.

The GCC private sector is expected to create 600,000 new jobs for nationals by 2019, according to the IMF.

But that would absorb just half of the 1.2 million nationals projected to be in the workforce at the time.

Efforts to boost the participation of nationals in the private sector date back to the 1980s, but labour nationalisation has been “modest at best”, says the report, Improving Labour Nationalisation in the Private Sector.

A focus on quotas and exclusions has led the private sector to consider such efforts to be an unwelcome cost, say Fuad Abdelhadi and Rasheed Eltayeb, the report’s authors.

They say that reserving job categories for nationals, restricting companies that do not comply with quotas and the enforcement of salary premiums are in conflict with private-sector needs.

Some corporations have effectively incorporated nationals, including Saudi Aramco, Sabic, Emirates, HSBC and DHL, says Booz.

The consultancy calls for a strategic human resources plan that starts with ensuring the skill sets needed by companies are available within the national labour market through collaborating with colleges.

Compensation should be linked to performance with the same standards applied to all employees.

Policymakers must change how they measure nationalisation in order to tackle tokenistic compliance, said Radhika Punshi, a director at human resources consultancy The Talent Enterprise.

“If policymakers continue to focus on a simple numerical approach … companies will make sure they have the right percentage,” she said. But if they look to complex metrics – nationals in senior management positions, female nationals hired, or retention rates – nationalisation may have better results.

“There are pockets of employers who are making genuine efforts,” Ms Punshi said. But many expat managers remain uncomfortable with diversity, she said. “There’s an us-versus-them dynamic between expats and nationals. Although many workplaces are very diverse, they are not very inclusive.”

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Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

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Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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Assists: 31
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Need to know

The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours. 

The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.

When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend  are  January-February and September-October.  Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.

Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.

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Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

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MATCH INFO

Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)

TV: Abu Dhabi Sports