DUBAI // More Emiratis should take jobs as carpenters, masons or mechanics so they can learn the skills they need to eventually start their own businesses, says Essa Al Mulla.
Mr Al Mulla, the executive director of the Emirates Nationals Development Programme (ENDP), said: "I want to see UAE nationals work in these very simple jobs, but not just to be a mason, a carpenter or a mechanic forever.
"I want them to start learning the skills, improve them, and then become entrepreneurs.
"They will establish their own businesses - the carpenter will have a carpentry workshop in the future, the mason will have a construction company and the mechanic will have a car workshop. This happens at the moment, but not at the level we are looking for."
The idea was welcomed by Mey Alleem, a 25-year-old Emirati from Sharjah, who studied mechanical engineering before taking a job in the field.
"This is right," she said. "I want to get more experience and maybe I'll start my own business, maybe I'll widen my horizons. I'm learning from people and learning from my position, but later I could do something on my own."
The ENDP, the organisation Mr Al Mulla heads, was set up in 2005 to place Emiratis in private sector jobs and to reduce unemployment among locals.
It operates in all the Emirates but has a particular focus on Dubai.
Mr Al Mulla said there was a growing need to find private sector jobs for Emiratis because the Government had started to reduce its manpower.
"From 2010 Dubai started reducing employment within the Government. They said, 'We have 50,000 or 60,000 employees, but the actual work requires just 45,000.'
"This extra number required a lot of people to think about how they could bring it down.
"It needs a reduction of 7 per cent on a yearly basis, that's been going on since 2010, and the aim is to get down to 45,000."
In 2009 the ENDP launched a black list of Emiratis who it felt were not serious about wanting a job. The most recent figures show that this number has risen from 500 then to more than 800.
Candidates are given a number of chances but are blacklisted if they fail to turn up for interviews, turn down a job offer without giving a good reason, or continually change the sector they say they are willing to work in. Those blacklisted receive no help from the programme for six months.
"The blacklist is very good for us, it sends a very clear message to everyone," said Mr Al Mulla. "To the private sector we are saying we are taking action against those who are not serious.
"If we divide the 800 into the 30,000 who are registered in our database, it only represents two per cent of the total.
"Some of those listed say, 'You are not giving us a chance to get a job, so we're telling you we'll get jobs'. And they have, so we're happy."
csimpson@thenational.ae
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
