A trained workforce of productive Emiratis taking part in the global economy is the single, most-important national priority for the UAE. With such people in place, the country will be able to go on and meet all other national objectives, but without people who are able to deliver, these dreams will crumble to dust. This is why the various Emiratisation programmes are so important, and why everyone in the UAE needs to be aware of the national importance of these efforts.
There is a huge gap in the employment patterns as nearly all Emiratis work either in the government (over 90 per cent) or large private sector firms (under 10 per cent), and very few indeed in the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is a situation that has to be addressed if the government hopes to avoid large-scale unemployment of nationals in the future.
The Human Resource Authority organised a useful conference on how to deal with the challenges facing Emiratisation and how to use the Khalifa Fund to the best advantage. It is certainly vital that nationals get good training and prepare for the workplace to the best of their ability. It may also be useful for the government to bridge the salary gap between national expectations and expatriate reality, but that is not a long-term answer.
Eventually, the small firms in the private sector are where the most jobs will be found, but employers will have to learn how to nurture their Emirati graduate recruits, and mentor them to the best effect.
The government would do well to look into setting up a ‘train the trainer' course on how small entrepreneurial firms can bite the bullet and start hiring nationals effectively, which is not happening at present.
