UAE: Hire us for our skills, not as last-minute resort to avoid fines, say Emirati job-seekers

UAE nationals are speaking out against private sector companies that recently went into hiring overdrive to recruit Emiratis only to meet the deadline and quota for Emiratisation.

Some companies have been seeking Emiratis on job platforms, such as LinkedIn, primarily based on nationality, without considering their skills and qualifications. Emiratis underline their skills should be the primary reason companies hire them.

Maryam Hamad, a freelance artist, is searching for a job she specialises in: Arts. She received many interview requests from employers trying to convince her for roles that did not match her skills. She said some of them called many times and even offered higher salaries. "It's not about the money; I love art because it is a hobby, and hopefully, I can find a job that I am passionate about."

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The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) had set June 30 as the deadline for private sector companies to achieve nationalisation targets for the first half of 2024 — which is to add one per cent more Emiratis to their workforce.

As reported by Khaleej Times earlier, in the weeks leading up to the deadline, job-seekers were inundated with calls from companies to sign job contracts, even if the roles didn’t necessarily match their skills or experience.

Emirati job-seekers pointed out that the ministry gave sufficient time to private firms to hire locals. Some said they even received job contracts without formal interviews.

Maryam H, an engineering graduate, was hired by a holding company with many subsidiaries. Although she wanted to work for a company that aligned with her qualifications, the recruiters placed her in one that was unrelated to her major. Maryam has now requested that she be transferred to an engineering company under the corporation.

The job search

Hajar Hassan, a media and communication graduate from Zayed University, expressed her gratitude for the Emiratisation programme. "I believe the private sector is filled with opportunities to build a career and develop skills.”

However, her job search journey as a fresh graduate was difficult as many media companies required experience.

She said this past April, she started getting offers from companies she did not even apply to. "I had between two to three interviews daily, but nothing was related to my skills. They all were looking for someone who spoke English.”

Having received numerous similar offers, she finally accepted the job with the highest salary. Fortunately, before she completed the joining formalities, she received an offer that matched her qualifications. "My prayers were answered, and I believe that this job is a result of my hard work in searching for a suitable role and handling the massive volume of interview calls I received daily.”

Another Emirati, Sabta Mubarak has eight years of experience in data entry. She left her previous job due to a health issue.

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