DUBAI // Being able to speak a second language is an essential skill in the present competitive jobs market, recruiters have said.
Talal Abdulrahman, National Bank of Abu Dhabi’s group head of talent acquisition, said speaking English, French, German or Spanish, besides Arabic, was a distinct advantage in finding job.
“NBAD’s human resources are a natural reflection of the UAE’s global integrated economic environment,” he said yesterday at this year’s Careers UAE job fair. “Of our 7,600 employees, 33 per cent are Emirati, along with over 80 other nationalities, all working together to expand the bank’s local and international reach,” he said.
“Language skills are, therefore, among our most important recruitment criteria.”
Also looking for multilingual candidates are companies in the logistics and aviation industries.
Mohammed A Ahli, director general of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and executive director of Dubai Air Navigation Services, said the ability to communicate in a foreign language, particularly English, was a skill they looked for in candidates.
“Emirati youth are well known for their exceptional bilingual skills, which can enable them to pursue careers in multinational entities and on a global scale,” he said.
Thousands of Emiratis attended the event at the World Trade Centre, where more than 110 public and private sector companies were taking part in the three-day recruitment and training exhibition, now in its 16th edition.
Sama Al Sadi, 22, said that she was looking for a job that suited her interests.
“I worked with Jumeirah Group for two and half years but currently I am unemployed,” she said.
“Although I don’t necessarily want to continue in hospitality, I would like to stay in the field of learning and development.”
Ms Al Sadi said that Careers UAE was a good way for Emiratis to find out what jobs are out there.
“There are always some obstacles when trying to find a job but I would not say it’s very difficult. You just have to try hard,” she said.
However, Mariam S, 23, said she’s been looking for employment for some time.
“I finished high school and was going to university but there were certain circumstances that forced me to quit and try to find a job,” she said, adding that she had been struggling for some time to find a role that suits her.
“I was excited to come out here today and see what is being offered, because the reality is that jobs are not miraculously made available to us, which is what many may think.”
Mohamad Jawad, 22, said he too had been struggling to find a job.
“The problem is that they tell you to apply online, and you do that, but no one ever gets back to you,” he said. “Last year, I applied to one of the bank companies here and worked with them for around eight months, but that didn’t really work out.”
Mr Jawad, who is currently unemployed, said that he applied to more than 10 companies at Careers UAE and hoped he would hear back from them.
Some applicants, however, were hired on the spot.
Aida Hamza, senior vice president — business support for Dubai Parks and Resorts, said the company had nearly 4,000 vacancies, of which 1,000 were for Emiratis.
“We are taking in applications and interviewing people right away in available rooms,” she said.
If they are qualified and everything goes well, they are given a contract and hired on the spot. Emiratisation and developing national talent is a fundamental pillar in the company’s agenda.”
The Emirates National Oil Company was at the fair with the aim of recruiting 120 Emiratis.
“We are very proud to have reached a 35 per cent Emiratisation rate at Enoc,” said Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Enoc’s group chief executive. “We are strongly committed to attracting and retaining national as well as expatriate talent, and we have launched a five-year strategic plan to achieve 50 per cent Emiratisation by 2021.”
Careers UAE ends on Wednesday.
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
