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Jobs in UAE: Meet the Emirati who hired 26 nationals in just 2 months

As the government expedites Emiratisation in the private sector, some companies have hired managers to attract local talent

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Ahmed Hasan, Emiratisation Manager, Dulsco, at his office in Dubai. Photo: M. Sajjad
by

Waheed Abbas

Published: Tue 8 Aug 2023, 12:11 PM

Last updated: Tue 8 Aug 2023, 10:51 PM

The UAE government is aggressively pursuing Emiratisation to create more opportunities in the private sector. One UAE national, Ahmed Hasan, is championing the Emiratisation agenda in the private sector.

He joined workforce solutions providing firm Dulsco as part of the Emiratisation agenda on May 1, 2023, as Emiratisation Manager, taking the leadership role of identifying, hiring, and nurturing the local talent. Within two months, Hasan successfully hired 26 UAE nationals, taking the number of Emirati team members at Dulsco to 86.

As the government expedites Emiratisation in the private sector, some companies have hired full-time Emiratisation managers to attract local talent.

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Taking a challenge early on

The 33-year-old started his career early. While studying human resources at Higher Colleges of Technology, he worked at Ras Al Khaimah Economic Department, Dubai Islamic Bank and Global Aerospace Logistics, getting hands-on experience in practical life.

Then he joined Sheikh Khalifa Speciality Hospital, engaged in learning and developing HR skills for seven years before he joined Dulsco as Emiratisation Manager.

Being part of the Emirati community, Hasan was very closely listening to the views and challenges of young jobseekers. "When I went for the interview at Dulsco and the project they proposed to me, I thought it matched the government's target. Based on my experience and having the privilege of being part of the Emirati society, I believed that I could play a big role, and this drove me to accept the Emiratisation Manager position," said Hasan.

Dubai-based Dulsco Group has also announced the upcoming second intake of its Graduate Training Programme, reinforcing its commitment to Emiratisation and providing a pathway to permanent, non-traditional private-sector employment for Emirati graduates.

Launched in January 2023, the 12-month programme offers a blend of classroom learning and on-the-job training, ensuring successful participants emerge well-prepared to take on full-time roles.

Challenging role

The Dulsco manager finds the role of Emiratisation Manager quite challenging. “For public sector recruiters, it is easy because whatever the role they advertise, they get the right candidates. It is a challenge for us because now the government is pushing private sector companies to hire Emiratis. And the private sector is aggressively competing for talent; hence, it’s a challenge to get the right candidates for the roles,” said Hasan.

He also pointed out that the private sector is not attractive to Emiratis in general, and youth still look for the public sector as they still believe that jobs in the public sector are more secure and salaries are better.

“My competitors are now both public and private sectors. The competition is harsh.”

Hasan credited Nafis – human capital pool for the private sector – and Dubai Government Human Resources Department for providing a rich pool to source local talent.

Preference for Emiratis

Dulsco has two targets to employ locals – one set by the government and the other by the company itself.

According to Hasan, “Target set by the government is nine, and the number will keep changing as per the skilled workers. For Dulsco itself, right now, the policy is to offer all vacant positions to Emiratis. I have 22 vacancies in different roles such as chemical engineering, graphic designing, sustainability, aviation management and workshop and the priority will be given to Emiratis."

He advised young national jobseekers to start working immediately in the private sector because opportunities are much more than in the private sector, which has reached saturation point.

“Private sector will treat you like everyone else. It will get the best out of you. Therefore, I invite them to enter the private sector and work as hard as you can because the private sector will repay them back and as soon as possible,” he said to young national cadres.

‘See the real life’

He pointed out that ever since the government launched the Emiratisation initiative, it has taken a lot of measures to prepare a good environment for Emiratis by aligning laws related to holidays and salaries.

He asked companies to promote themselves among Emiratis and provide them with the best career growth opportunities which will help them attract more Emiratis.

“The younger generation is open to the whole world. For some of them, it’s not about money, but learning new skills and self-development. Plus, there are plenty of options for Emiratis also in the private sector. So be brave, enter the private sector, grab the opportunity and see how real life is,” he concluded.

Emiratisation drive

In June, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) expanded the Emiratisation targets to include firms with 20 to 49 employees, while previously, only private sector companies with 50 employees or more were required to meet the nationalisation programme. The number of UAE nationals working in the private sector has reached around 79,000, almost three-fold from 29,810 in 2021.

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Waheed Abbas

Published: Tue 8 Aug 2023, 12:11 PM

Last updated: Tue 8 Aug 2023, 10:51 PM

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