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40,000 Emiratis looking for jobs: FNC member

Abu Dhabi - The phenomenon of manipulating the Emiratisation scheme reduces the opportunities for fresh university graduates looking for jobs.

Unemployment rate among Emiratis has reached about 13 per cent as 40,000 youths out of 300,000 Emiratis eligible to work in the country are job seekers, said a member of the Federal National Council (FNC).
Hamad Al Rahoomi, first deputy speaker of the FNC, said the problem of unemployment is still high among the UAE nationals as some companies were not recruiting them for the various jobs. "Some public and private firms were hindering the Emiratisation scheme by avoiding the provision of more Emiratis with the right work opportunities," said Al Rahoomi.
"There is a problem of some institutions manipulating the Emiratisation scheme, which mandates the inclusion of a certain percantage of Emiratis in the job sector. Recruitment consultants and human resources experts have revealed that some firms were manipulating the Emiratisation programme by ending the services of their expat employees and replacing them with outsourced workers through external contracts sponsored by other companies, instead of recruiting new Emiratis in the jobs to raise the required Emiratisation percantage."
The UAE law imposes on private sector employers a quota system, whereby every company with more than 100 employees is obliged to recruit (and retain on the payroll) the stipulated number of UAE nationals to ensure the minimum percentage of participation of Emiratis in the workforce. Companies with lower grading are required to file mandatory financial guarantees, the amount of which will depend on the category of the employer.
Al Rahoomi said the phenomenon of employers, whether government or private, raising their Emiratisation rates by reducing expat employees and outsourcing workers instead of recruiting more Emiratis was an obstacle to the process.
"This phenomenon of manipulating the Emiratisation scheme reduces the opportunities for fresh university graduates looking for jobs as government makes tremendous efforts to create job opportunities for the citizens," said Al Rahoomi adding he had previously raised the issue to the FNC but the problem has not been addressed by authorities concerned.
Issa Al Mulla, chairman of the National Cadres Committee in the Emirates Programme for the Development of National Cadres, said the implementation of the law regulating the recruitment process through external contracts is sometimes a necessity, especially if there is proper planning and anticipation of the future workforce in line with the priorities of the government agenda.
"Outsourcing workers through external contracts is sometimes important in developing a work mechanism, especially by hiring skilled and experienced expat workers and making Emiratis work with them in the same job and field of specialisation so they can liase with them and benefit from their professional expertise."
ismail@khaleejtimes.com