Emiratis welcome move to protect their jobs

Dubai: Emirati job seekers and recent graduates reacted positively to a new law regulating the firing of UAE nationals, saying the country's demographic makeup required policies to safeguard Emirati interests.

Ali Al Hashemi, a 22-year-old Emirati job seeker who studied electromechanical engineering, said the decision was good because it promoted the interests of Emiratis as they are a minority in the UAE.

"It's important to have such laws because we are a minority in our own country. Having such policies will give Emiratis more faith in the private sector," he said, adding that despite the demographic makeup of the UAE he does not think Emiratis are discriminated in the job market.

A number of Emiratis were made redundant earlier this month from a private sector company, which prompted the ruling that banned their dismissal. Some of those who were let go of had claimed that the decision stemmed from discriminatory practices against Emiratis in the workplace.

Adel Al Suwaidi said the decision to ban sacking of Emiratis was legitimate because the number of Emiratis working in the private sector was small "so their salaries can't be a burden on companies in the private sector".

"I know this from experience. I once got an offer that was much less than my expectations. Every time I have applied in the private sector I've been rejected under the pretext that I don't have experience, while foreigners in the same situation have got the job," he said.

Khalil Al Abdooli, 26, a government employee in Dubai said the law was necessary, but should not be construed by nationals as an absolute guarantor of jobs.

"If you can't get a job in your own country, where will you get it?" he questioned, saying the "high rate of unemployment" in the country was cause for concern.

Al Abdooli said such laws were "unfortunately needed" because of the perception among the Emirati workforce that employers differentiate between expatriates and nationals, favouring the former. "Before, many would dismiss claims of differentiation and discrimination, but now it's clear," he said, citing what he said were the better salary and benefits packages that expatriates were offered.

"It's good to have an expatriate population because we can learn from them, but there are qualified nationals too," he said.