More than 2,000 Emiratis joined the UAE's private sector in the first three months of a major government recruitment drive.
The UAE set out plans in September to ensure 10 per cent of the private-sector workforce were citizens in the next five years.
A series of initiatives were launched to increase the number of Emirati private-sector workers by 75,000, by 2026, as part of the Nafis programme.
These included paid training programmes, subsidies for Emiratis working in the private sector and support for local entrepreneurs looking to leave the public sector and start up their own companies.
The Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council was established as part of the ambitious strategy.
On Tuesday, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, chaired the first meeting of the council to review its progress and approve a raft of new programmes.
He highlighted the key role played by the body in supporting the Emiratisation campaign and investing in local talent.
The meeting heard 2,360 Emiratis had been employed by private companies in the first 90 days of the scheme.
The council approved a second package of initiatives, including a training scheme for nurses, a number of training courses to boost the expertise of Emirati graduates in several sectors and a career counselling programme.
More than 330 meetings have been held with representatives of federal and local authorities and private-sector representatives, to identify the private sector's demand for highly-skilled employees, said Ghannam Al Mazrouei, Secretary General of the council.
The meeting was attended by Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister of Education; Hessa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development; Abdulla bin Touq, Minister of Economy; Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation; Ahmad Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs; Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs; Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences; Jassem Al Zaabi, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance, and Ghannam Al Mazrouei, Secretary General of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, as well as the council’s members.
Private firms embrace strategy
Following the launch of the Nafis programme, retail giant Majid Al Futtaim announced it would hire 3,000 Emiratis.
The company said 3 per cent of the 13,700 people it employs in the UAE are Emiratis, which it intends to boost significantly.
“We have a collective sense of responsibility to support and upskill the talented and ambitious national workforce that exists in the UAE,” said chief executive Alain Bejjani.
There have been commendable efforts over the years to create more opportunities for Emiratis within the public and private sectors.
In October, a private sector engineering company pledged to bring 500 Emiratis into the oil and gas sector in support of the campaign.
AlMansoori Specialised Engineering said it would train promising Emirati graduates to work within the company in areas such as engineering, operations and health and safety.
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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