Member is tops in raising concerns at FNC

Mosabeh Al Ketbi has been a leader in the Emiratisation debate in the council.

ABU DHABI // Seeing Mosabeh Al Ketbi’s hand raised to be granted the floor to speak is a common scene at the Federal National Council.

Since the council convened three years ago, Mr Al Ketbi has been neck and neck with only a few other council members in the number of concerns raised to the Government, ranging from Emiratisation and education to judicial proceedings and women’s rights issues, making him one of the most vocal members.

Leading a debate on Emiratisation, Mr Al Ketbi came up with a long-term plan to reduce the country’s high unemployment rate. He believes Emiratising all government-sector jobs, subsidising private-sector jobs for citizens and helping working women will solve the problem.

As a result of his strong street presence, he has brought in questions passed on to him from the public, summoning among the highest number of ministers.

His work has paid off.

These include the formation of a new court of reconciliation in Al Dhaid, Sharjah, the set-up of an Emirates ID computer database to ensure Emiratis are no longer held at the airport mistakenly because of name similarities, and faster court proceedings.

He has also called for better checks on domestic workers to ensure they were not banned in other countries before coming to the UAE.

Most recently, he has called on the Minister of State for Financial Affairs to increase the child allowance for fathers from Dh600 to Dh1,000 for each child.

On the council, Mr Al Ketbi is a member of the legal and legislative affairs committee and the Complaints and Appeals Committee.