The dirham stops with Emiratis

The Cabinet's decision to establish an Emiratisation council is yet another indication of how sincere the government is about developing its national workforce. The council's task is to get more Emiratis into the private workplace and to develop their abilities so that they are more competitive. In formulating plans to accomplish these goals, I hope the council will focus its efforts on addressing some of the root issues that have contributed to the current status quo.

Most human resources managers and directors in the private sector that I have worked with tend to view Emiratisation as the dreaded 'E' word. Having both federal (Tanmia) and local government (Emirates National Development Programme) guidelines on the matter seems to confuse the process further. Added to that, the recently publicised court case against an Emirati-owned private-sector company, which led to a ruling that it is illegal to arbitrarily dismiss Emiratis, has led many to adopt an attitude of 'why should we sort out something you can't even sort out yourselves?' That being said, it is important for companies in the private sector, both local and foreign owned, to realise that distancing themselves from Emiratisation - despite its many teething problems - will ultimately be to their own long-term financial detriment.

The business contacts Emiratis hold are vital for private sector-business development plans. In an evolving global capitalist system that is seeing increased government involvement, having active Emiratis onboard moves a company a step closer to acquiring massive government contracts. Other bottom-line benefits the private sector can gain from employing Emiratis include cost savings. With no visa or relocation packages involved in taking them on, a substantial amount of time and money can be reinvested elsewhere. In addition to that, the intimate wealth of knowledge Emiratis carry about the region's cultural and political sensitivities will definitely benefit the companies employing them.

It has often been said that the private sector needs to be far more proactive in the Emiratisation process and not wait for quotas to be enforced upon them. In doing so, they can mould the process to suit their industrial needs. Learning from Emiratisation success stories such as those found at HSBC and the Dubai Financial Services Authority will save them a lot of time trying to reinvent the wheel. The private sector also needs to come to the realisation that a negative stance on Emiratisation prevents companies from harnessing the most efficient and profitable asset available to them. Any success they've enjoyed so far is minuscule compared to what they could gain with the active support of an inspired Emirati workforce.

From the Emirati side, self-realisation is required because, at the end of the day, it is not the government or the private sector that is responsible for our development but ourselves. The dirham truly stops with us.

We have to stop thinking of a job as a national right and start treating it as chance to personally express ourselves by doing something we enjoy in an environment that provides growth opportunities second to none. The comfortable post-oil life we've enjoyed has pretty much eroded the hard-earned life lessons that forged the noble characters of our ancestors, who were never shy of putting in a hard day's work. We've become disconnected from the many harsh realities of life, and in the process have denied ourselves the benefits of overcoming them. This has resulted in many of us believing that we are somehow exempt from the basic requirements necessary for self-development. Many of us walk around with our spotless kanduras and immaculate abayas expecting to be placed in top managerial positions, earning higher salaries than our more qualified and experienced colleagues. We somehow want to celebrate the joys of running across the finish line without first completing the painful, yet personally enriching task of running the marathon.

The challenges awaiting us in the private sector are the exact same as those faced by any other nationality. We need to climb the corporate ladder by earning our stripes and putting in the hours that produce the results that no business owner can or will want to deny. Such respect however, can never be given through quota systems or any amount of subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) positive discrimination. This can only be earned the hard way. To earn this kind of respect in the private sector we need to start rolling up our sleeves, getting our hands dirty and our kanduras and abayas well and truly creased while doing something we truly love.

Wael Al Sayegh is the Emirati director of ALGHAF HRC, the cultural consultants, a member of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders.

Dear Wael, Thank you for the excellent article. Spot on on all the points mentionned. With more young people like you, UAE does not need to put quotas.Good luck to UAE Gvt in changing young people behaviour
Benoit
Hannover,Germany
Posted: June 06, 2009, 10:00