Private-sector companies have been urged to develop long-term strategies to attract and retain top local talent and guard against seeking to merely “fulfil a quota” to hit strict Emiratisation targets.
A leading recruiter said it was vital employers established clear career paths for citizens to successfully integrate them into a sector primarily occupied by expatriate staff.
The UAE has embarked on a major push in recent years to encourage more Emiratis to join the private sector, which remains a driving force behind the nation's economic development.
The Nafis programme was introduced in September 2021 with a mission to ensure 10 per cent of all skilled jobs in private companies are taken up by citizens by the end of 2026.
Businesses with 50 or more employees were mandated to have 5 per cent of skilled roles filled by Emiratis by June 30, with fines imposed from July 1 for those who fail to do so.
“To truly embrace Emiratisation, we encourage private employers to have a strategic approach to Emiratisation which goes beyond deadlines and regulations,” said Christopher Cornwall, chief executive and managing partner of Dubai-based Mark Williams Recruitment Agency, a specialist in Emiratisation.
“The focus should ideally revolve around strategies to develop and retain talent, rather than just hiring to fulfil a quota.
“Incorporating clear career paths, mentorship programmes and fostering a culture that embraces Emirati values are crucial to better facilitate successful Emiratisation programmes.”
Planning for the future
Mr Cornwall said private-sector companies were now hiring citizens in senior positions who were able to mentor fellow Emiratis joining in entry-level positions, a move which has proven successful.
He said Emiratis – who have typically chosen to work in the public sector – have proven their ability to succeed when given an opportunity in private companies.
“From our experience, we have witnessed Emirati employees thrive and succeed across corporate head office functions such as HR, marketing, technology, finance and operations.” he said.
“Over the past few years, we have started to see a development of Emirati talent in technical areas like data science, machine learning, investments, engineering and sustainability.
“It is important the private sector is aware of job families in which UAE national talent have succeeded and are capable to steer their organisation towards growth.”
Overcoming challenges
Alia Al Nuaimi, a human resources co-ordinator for Dubai Refreshment, a bottling and distribution company for Pepsi, said larger companies can face difficulties in reaching Emiratisation targets.
“Being an Emiratisation specialist who is responsible for all Emiratisation processes from start to end of service is not an easy thing. Reaching the target is more challenging and there are several aspects that prevent us from reaching it” said Ms Al Nuaimi.
She explained how high staff turnover can prove an issue when meeting the Emiratisation goals, which will increase by 1 per cent every six months until the end of 2026.
Dalia Benhida, an HR and Emiratisation manager at Jumeirah English Speaking School, a private school in Dubai, said it was important to have more Emiratis working in education to help instil local values.
“We are seeing more and more qualified Emiratis within the private sector as a direct result of the numerous government initiatives. These include access to higher-quality educational programmes, training and internship initiatives, and language training,” she said.
“Having Emiratis as a part of the education process and present in the delivery of the curriculum permits children to directly engage with and immerse themselves in the local culture.”
Public-sector roles have been typically higher paid than those in the private sector, leading the government to offer incentives to encourage more Emiratis to make the switch.
Emiratis who work in the private sector are eligible to receive a Dh7,000 ($1,905) monthly salary top-up, as per rules announced by government leaders in November 2022.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said in May the number of Emiratis working in the private sector had exceeded 100,000 for the first time.
Emirati jobseekers told The National they were happy to explore opportunities in both sectors, with career development their priority.
Career growth is key
Abdullah Aljunaibi, a Zayed University graduate, is eager to cut his teeth in the private sector but said getting a foot in the door can be tough.
He told of being among 60 people applying for one role who went through a series of interviews and tests, only for none of the candidates to be hired.
“I really don't mind working in the public or private sector but I've had a few experiences in the private sector, especially in interviews,” he said.
“I'd pass interviews and then get called to do an assessment and there were instances where I got called to do the same assessment twice.”
Another Emirati hopeful, who asked not to be named, said he felt isolated at the private company he worked for as most colleagues were of the same nationality and spoke neither Arabic or English.
He said a lack of Emiratis in senior and manager positions when he began to work in the private sector was discouraging.
But he remains keen to find the right role within the sector, having undertaken a master's degree in cyber security to boost his employability.
Amna Almheiri worked for four years at an insurance service provider and would be happy to return to a private company.
“I'd still prefer to work in the private sector, especially in a big international company, over the public sector.
“At this stage, I still feel like there is a lot I could learn and I know that I could learn more in the private sector.
“I see that the Emiratis who work in the big private companies before they join the public sector become truly qualified.”
Emiratisation drive – in pictures
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
%3Cp%3EFirst%20ODI%20-%20Sunday%2C%20June%204%20%0D%3Cbr%3ESecond%20ODI%20-%20Tuesday%2C%20June%206%20%0D%3Cbr%3EThird%20ODI%20-%20Friday%2C%20June%209%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMatches%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Stadium.%20All%20games%20start%20at%204.30pm%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMuhammad%20Waseem%20(captain)%2C%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20Adithya%20Shetty%2C%20Ali%20Naseer%2C%20Ansh%20Tandon%2C%20Aryansh%20Sharma%2C%20Asif%20Khan%2C%20Basil%20Hameed%2C%20Ethan%20D%E2%80%99Souza%2C%20Fahad%20Nawaz%2C%20Jonathan%20Figy%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Lovepreet%20Singh%2C%20Matiullah%2C%20Mohammed%20Faraazuddin%2C%20Muhammad%20Jawadullah%2C%20Rameez%20Shahzad%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Sanchit%20Sharma%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%203-litre%20V6%20turbo%20(standard%20model%2C%20E-hybrid)%3B%204-litre%20V8%20biturbo%20(S)%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20350hp%20(standard)%3B%20463hp%20(E-hybrid)%3B%20467hp%20(S)%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20500Nm%20(standard)%3B%20650Nm%20(E-hybrid)%3B%20600Nm%20(S)%0D%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh368%2C500%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- Margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars
- Energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- Infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes
- Many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
