Firms speed up hiring, training of Emiratis; target being doubled to four per cent for private sector by the end of 2023

The Ministry made it mandatory for companies with more than 50 employees to increase their Emiratisation quota to two per cent for skilled jobs by the end of 2022. UAE companies, therefore, have expedited the process of hiring Emiratis in order to meet the Emiratisation target announced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). The target has been doubled to four per cent for the private sector by the end of 2023. Firms failing to hire the required number of Emiratis will have to pay a fine of Dh6,000 per month. Both public and private sector entities have boosted their Emiratisation drives in order to avoid fines and penalties.

MoHRE has begun imposing fines on companies for not meeting Emiratisation targets, starting January 1, 2023. The new Emirati workers have been assigned roles in customer service, academic affairs, student admissions, laboratory and strategic management departments. The healthcare firm said applications are further open to Emiratis with relevant experience who are seeking a role in the health, wellness and medical education sectors. Recruitment firms say that the demand and salaries of young Emiratis have exponentially grown, as a result of the strong push for Emiratisation,

Emirates Global Aluminium on Monday said it recruited more than 220 UAE nationals in 2022, including 100 women, with an average age of 23 years. It ended 2022 with an Emiratisation rate of 42 per cent. Almost 1,200 UAE nationals work at EGA, and over 700 of them are under the age of 35.

The aluminium giant said roughly 146 of the 2022 recruits joined its national training programmes, which prepare high school leavers for technical positions in the company’s industrial facilities and administration. EGA also recruited 43 graduate trainees during the year.

While it recruits mid-career experts, the company focuses on attracting and developing young people who are starting their careers as talent for the future.

Emirates Global aims to create 500 additional opportunities for UAE nationals by 2026, taking the Emiratisation level to 45 per cent.

“We will continue focusing on Emiratisation to secure the strong talent we need for our future and to create opportunities for young UAE nationals in our country’s industrial sector. We are particularly focused on recruiting and developing women, as diverse organisations perform better,” said Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO, Emirates Global Aluminium.

Dubai’s largest bank Emirates NBD said it is significantly investing in upskilling, re-skilling and developing Emiratis through globally-recognised training and development programmes around the world. The bank is currently recruiting Emiratis for digital and advanced analytics roles.

Currently, around 70 per cent of the bank’s senior management consists of Emiratis.