Abu Dhabi: The private sector has to shoulder its social responsibility by hiring Emiratis in order to decrease the unemployment rate to proactively boost the levels of UAE nationals in the workplace, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said on Thursday at the Honouring Ceremony of the Absher Initiative, which was officially launched in Abu Dhabi.
“I would like to thank those strategic partners and those who contributed to the Absher Initiative to hire Emiratis in the private sector. I highly appreciate my brother, His Highness the President Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his strenuous efforts to serve the nation and the people,” Shaikh Mohammad told the audience at the Emirates Palace on the official launch of Shaikh Khalifa’s Absher initiative to hire young Emiratis in the private sector.
He also thanked the private sector for taking part in the initiative and extending a hand to the government to hire young Emiratis.
“I highly appreciate the President for his words: First: Emiratis, Second: Emiratis, Third: Emiratis. Hiring Emiratis is a priority for us and we are fully supporting this initiative which is for the sake of the country and the people,” continued Shaikh Mohammad.
“I also thank the private-sector companies which participated in this initiative and which contributed to the development of our country and its economy,” said Shaikh Mohammad, calling on the other companies in the private sector to join the initiative to provide jobs for Emiratis,” he reiterated.
For his part, Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, said the private sector provides many jobs “and we would like to see its contribution to solving the unemployment problem amongst Emiratis to match their contribution in the country’s Gross Domestic Product [GDP].”
“This is a great initiative by His Highness Shaikh Khalifa. The Absher Initiative aims to provide suitable jobs for the Emiratis and to secure them a decent life,” said Shaikh Mansour.
He said that the private sector plays an important role in the country’s economy; yet, it has also to play a role in employment market.
“The UAE private sector provides five million jobs. Therefore, the private sector companies have the ability to grow and to secure decent jobs for unemployed Emiratis,” stressed Shaikh Mansour, commending the recent cabinet resolution to consider 2013 as “a year of Tawteen: Emiratisation”.
“The initiative is in line with the UAE Vision for 2012 to develop human capital and to provide a decent life for Emiratis. The initiative is based on four main pillars: creating jobs, training and rehabilitating Emirati workforce, hiring them at the private sector and developing the role of the private sector in the country,” said Shaikh Mansour.
“We have secured 1,186 jobs for Emirati jobseekers so far since May, 2012, and we are targeting to hire 20,000 Emiratis within five years in the private sector,” explained Shaikh Mansour.
Forty eight government entities and private sector companies were honoured at the launch of the initiative.
