ABU DHABI // Bu Mohammed often wonders why thousands of expatriates are hired for jobs that UAE nationals can perform, and need, to support themselves and their families.
He said a majority of Emiratis he knows cannot find work.
“You go to all these different companies and you see all these expats and at the same time Emiratis can’t find jobs. Why not hire Emiratis? Are the jobs so complicated that you can’t hire an Emirati in a job like customer service?” he said.
“Can’t an Emirati do that job instead of hiring an expat? It’s strange that we are so few in numbers yet we can’t find jobs.”
After working for the police for nine years, Mr Mohammed, 39, resigned in 2012 because of family problems.
Before resigning he sought advice from his superiors.
“I was told that at any time within two years, I could return to my job. I went back three months later and they refused to reinstate me.”
The Abu Dhabi father of six said he would do anything to earn.
“I’ll take any job for whatever pay so long as I can support my children. I’ll work anything.”
Mr Mohammed has a high-school diploma and an international computer driving licence, a computer literacy certificate.
“I don’t know why I can’t find a job,” he said.
“I can see from my friends that it’s all about wasta. A friend of mine who only studied till seventh grade got a job that I had applied for a week before.”
salnuwais@thenational.ae
