The government will ask companies to prioritise Emiratis over expats for jobs in about 2,000 companies as part of a drive to push more UAE nationals into the private sector.
The Ministry of Emiratisation and Human Resources has selected 400 job titles of positions that it wants to see Emiratis given the opportunity to fill, before an expat is brought in to take the role.
Officials said companies would not be compelled to take UAE nationals on - but give them an interview or opportunity they may not have otherwise been given.
The selected posts have a salary that exceeds Dh10,000, and are based on professions currently filled by UAE nationals.
The aim is to provide 15,000 job opportunities for Emiratis by the end of this year.
That would mark a significant rise on 2017, when the the ministry found jobs for 6,862 Emiratis in the private sector. That was up from 5,608 in 2016.
When one of the 2,000 companies seeks to recruit an expat for a position, the ministry will scan the market for a suitable Emirati.
If none is found, the company can go ahead and recruit the expat.
If a potential Emirati recruit is found, the company has to interview them and will be encouraged to prioritise them - if they are fit for the job.
“At the end of the day, the ministry will not force the company to recruit the Emirati, only to prioritise them,” said Minister Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, who was newly appointed in October.
And if the company sees the Emirati candidate as unfit, they should justify the reasons to the ministry.
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“We will receive their feedback, and train the Emirati to become qualified, of course they can go ahead in the mean time and recruit someone to fill the post - we won’t keep the post on hold," he said.
He did not provide examples of the selected companies, but described them as important players in the UAE’s economic supply chain, and that provide job security and have a large number of employees.
The nationwide drive is similar to the role played by Abu Dhabi's Tawteen Council, which was phased out in 2015 and made part of the Human Resources Authority.
The minister said the drive will not leave expats who were originally selected for the job in limbo.
“This procedure will take place from the start, before the company applies for the work visa. They will apply for the work contract, and no one will leave his job or enter the country before having a contract ready," Mr Al Hamli said.
Once companies get used to the concept, he hopes they will start to scan the market from themselves for Emiratis first.
“We are now in a transition period, so in this phase the companies will be shuffling their priorities," he said.
Members of the Federal National Council have repeatedly asked the government to do more to boost employment levels, claiming too many graduates in particular are unable to find good jobs.
“The goal is to speed up Emiratisation in the private sector and give a chance to UAE nationals to be interviewed.”
Nevertheless, Emiratisation is moving at a slow pace and the ministry had to take initiatives to speed it up, he said.
“Emiratisation is a joint responsibility and will be achieved by building partnerships; the government will synchronise with the private sector," the minister said.
At present, there are 4,155 Emirati candidates registered in the ministry’s database, which companies can already search for by qualification and job area.
As an incentive for companies who cooperate with the scheme, they will be given discounts on government fees relating to their business.
In addition, the ministry will also offer to set “satellite offices” for companies in rural areas, to boost employment there.
The first office was set in Khor Fakkan for Emirates National Bank of Dubai, which has so far recruited ten Emiratis.
By the end of 2018, 1,500 such offices will open based on companies’ requests in Ras Al Khaiman, Fujairah and Khor Fakkan.
“And in the coming years, similar offices will open in Mussafah, Bida’ Zayed, Al Ain, Al Dhaid, Ajman and Um Al Quwain," the minister added.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Kill
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5
Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
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Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez
Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
Company profile
Name: Elggo
Started: August 2022
Founders: Luma Makari and Mirna Mneimneh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Education technology / health technology
Size: Four employees
Investment stage: Pre-seed
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday, February 8 v Kenya; Friday, February 9 v Canada; Sunday, February 11 v Nepal; Monday, February 12 v Oman; Wednesday, February 14 v Namibia; Thursday, February 15 final
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
Quick facts
- Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) offers free guided tours of art in the metro and at the stations
- The tours are free of charge; all you need is a valid SL ticket, for which a single journey (valid for 75 minutes) costs 39 Swedish krone ($3.75)
- Travel cards for unlimited journeys are priced at 165 Swedish krone for 24 hours
- Avoid rush hour – between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm – to explore the artwork at leisure
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Results
1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Fenix - 3:45:47
2. David Dekker (NED) Jumbo-Visma - same time
3. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
4. Emils Liepins (LAT) Trek-Segafredo
5. Elia Viviani (ITA) Cofidis
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLO UAE Team Emirates
7. Anthony Roux (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
8. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:00:03
9. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep
10. Fausto Masnada (ITA) Deceuninck-QuickStep
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
