Abu Dhabi: Members of the Federal National Council (FNC) will ask the government today to create more jobs for unemployed Emiratis, especially university graduates.

Saeed Nasser Al Khatheri, a representative from Ras Al Khaimah, will question Humaid Mohammad Al Qutami, Minister of Education and chairman of the Federal Human Resource Authority, about what the authority is doing to keep pace with the high job demand.

He asked how a country like the UAE with an economy creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and citizens accounting only for less than 15 per cent of the population, has an unemployment problem.

"Employment is a national responsibility to achieve the aspirations of the people of the UAE and ensuring their welfare and decent living," Al Khatheri said.

There are 35,000 unemployed Emiratis in the UAE, and only seven per cent of citizens work in the private sector, according to statistics from the Ministry of Economy.

Effective contribution

Official estimates put the number of Emirati jobseekers at between 12,000 and 13,000 annually in Abu Dhabi alone, with the emirate expecting to create more than 600,000 new jobs over the next decade.

As he opened the Tawdheef Recruitment Fair last month, Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said emiratisation remained a key priority to be tackled by the government to give adequate opportunity to the people of the UAE to prove their merit in various fields of work and contribute effectively to the development of the country.

The UAE is investing heavily in education, leadership training and entrepreneurial programmes to prepare more Emiratis to join the workforce, which is also aimed at helping address the prevailing imbalance where Emiratis currently occupy less than 2 per cent of the 2.2 million jobs in the private sector.

Robust funds

Al Khatheri said the UAE has robust funds allocation for the education sector in the 2012 federal budget, stressing the need to focus on higher education so as to equip Emirati graduates to take up jobs in the private sector.

Al Khatheri argued there is a need to ensure Emirati graduates are given clear guidance on how to choose the right jobs that suit their skills. "We also need to constantly look at the changing job market demands and equip our youth accordingly," he said.

Continuing the thrust on improving the educational and career-oriented programmes for young citizens, the UAE has allocated Dh8.2 billion for education, a major chunk of the Dh41.8 billion federal budget for 2012.

A total of Dh4.7 billion will be used to carry out developmental projects, while Dh3.5 billion was allocated to the development of higher education, scientific research and scholarships for UAE nationals, in addition to boosting Emiratisation.

Emirati teachers

The House will also hear the Minister of Education's answer to two more questions on the reasons for the shortage in Emirati teachers in public schools and the likelihood of implementing summer and winter schedules of classes in schools to help pupils cope with the scorching heat of summer in the UAE.

Marwan Ahmad Bin Ghalita, a representative from Dubai, will seek clarifications on the Ministry of Culture's plan to boost cultural activities.

Another question will be posed to acting Minister of Health, Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais about the new Masafi hospital.

The minister will also answer a question on how the recent increment to doctors' salaries was implemented.

The council will also hear answers of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Public Works, on increasing the loans offered by the Zayed Housing Programme and the extension of time of repayment.

Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, will also answer a question on pensions and the retirement age.