New data provide new opportunities for a solution. As The National reports today, a survey released last week by the UAE University's business and economics faculty sheds valuable light on the national priority of Emiratisation.
Not surprisingly, Emirati students' views of state employment has a strong impact on their willingness to work in the private sector. But the study, funded by the Emirates Foundation, further explored the career attitudes of 2,267 students in six higher education institutions.
The study concluded that self-confidence was not a major factor in whether or not Emirati students preferred government jobs. Getting more Emiratis into private sector jobs may simply depend on their knowledge about the opportunities that are available to them. Many don't even think of private sector work as a possibility.
The survey also found that the poorly regulated labour market drives Emiratis away. Companies often blame high salary expectations, poor qualifications or an unwillingness to work long hours on why Emiratisation is struggling. Clearly there is another side to the equation.
As The National highlighted in a survey of UAE firms in August, efforts to get more nationals into the private sector are hampered because of a mismatch in expectations between expatriate managers and Emirati workers. But the truth is, that mismatch has to be bridged: Emiratisation is a key component of the UAE's future towards a knowledge economy that is not so reliant on a transient workforce.
The recent survey came in the same week that the Ministry of Labour amended legal requirements for hiring Emiratis, saying that at least 15 per cent of jobs should be reserved for nationals across the private sector. In reality, this is a long-term goal that will be implemented imperfectly at first. The laws, which are supposed to come into effect next month, have to be buttressed by a career strategy that better, more comprehensively showcases workforce opportunities.
Although the education system as a whole is still inadequate to train the skills required for a knowledge economy, the findings point to some hope. Career advice on private sector opportunities can bridge the gap between private and state employment.
At present, many Emiratis may feel more able to contribute to national development by working in the public sector. But now young citizens should know that they can serve the country, and themselves, in the office as well as the majlis.
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A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.