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.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Winners
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
UPI facts
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
AGUERO'S PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD
Apps: 186
Goals: 127
Assists: 31
Wins: 117
Losses: 33
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.
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
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The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports