'There is a dire need' to work on emiratisation

Dubai: A major player in the area of youth and sports who has chosen to run for the Federal National Council (FNC) elections said his mandate was to further activate the role and responsibilities of the FNC.

Sultan Saqr Al Suwaidi, former Secretary-General of the UAE General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare, who has registered for the Federal National Council (FNC) feels that one way of activating the responsibility of the FNC is to inject it with greater power to enable it to become more capable of addressing issues relating to UAE nationals.

"In my opinion the FNC must tackle genuine issues that members of society encounter in their daily lives and endeavour to solve their problems," Al Suwaidi said.

Al Suwaidi, who has been an active figure in dealing with youth issues, asserted that because he has spent most of his life close to youngsters he has noticed that one of their major problems is that of unemployment.

He says they have difficulty finding proper job opportunities and training and that this is needed to reduce the reliance on the expatriate workforce in different fields.

"There is a dire need to work on the emiratisation of the national economy. This issue must be given more attention on the part of the FNC," Al Suwaidi said.

Al Suwaidi urged the government to work on increasing the number of UAE nationals employed in the private sector, such as in banks and insurance companies.

"UAE young nationals must be given more opportunities to prove themselves," he said.

The general climate of freedom in the commercial business could easily contribute towards solving the unemployment problem among nationals, he said.

However, Al Suwaidi said that this required specialist training for nationals prior to their joining the work force.

He added that the FNC was a door through which the UAE government should urge its citizens to become a dedicated and qualified work force and serve the interest of their country to their best ability.

"Joining the FNC is a national duty and not a privilege. All visions that are of national interest must be addressed and discussed thoroughly," he said.