Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that Keolis MHI, the company responsible for operating and maintaining Dubai Metro as well as the operation of Dubai Tram, has succeeded in hiring 212 Emiratis.
The move has pushed the Emiratisation rate at 12 per cent of its total employees, keeping in line with the latest decree that requires private sector employers across the UAE to ensure 10 per cent of their workforce are UAE Nationals in the next five years.
RTA said: “Keolis MHI exceeded the target during the first six months of operations only with an even split of 50 per cent men to 50 per cent women, confirming its commitment to RTA’s Emiratisation plan, and providing opportunities for Emirati competencies in various fields of work”.
Key leadership positions
RTA added: “Emiratis hold 25 key leadership positions in the company, across several departments, including: human resources, stakeholder relations and the marketing and communication. Additionally, vital operational roles that range from operational control centre, revenue protection, passenger services, learning & development and engineering & maintenance departments, and this number constitutes to 23 per cent of the company’s leadership positions.”
Abdulmuhsen Ibrahim Kalbat, CEO of Rail Agency at RTA said: “We in RTA believe in the importance of investing in people, specifically UAE nationals which represent the cornerstone of the UAE, and we are committed to fast track the Emiratisation policy and employ young talents and graduates, and in cooperation with our strategic partners, which extend the authority’s Emiratisation plan for the Dubai metro in partnership with Keolis MHI. We are confident in the ability and efficiency of national talents, and we are working to increase it over the next five years.”
He added: “Young Emiratis are a vital role in achieving and being part of the modern urban development of the UAE, as they have proven their strong presence in supporting the journey of success achieved by the Dubai Metro and Tram and the RTA in general over the past years. We are confident in the sustainability of these achievements with a strong presence of qualified UAE nationals.”
Core of organisation
Wallace Weatherill, managing director at Keolis MHI, said: “Training and developing Emirati employees is at the core of our organisation and our employee development program, which focus on technical training to help young Emiratis hone their professional skills. We are particularly keen on developing and graduating technicians in the field of engineering and maintenance who are vital to our success, as their efforts are necessary to maintain operational excellence and development of our services.”
He continued: We have implemented technical vocational training programmes for UAE nationals. Participants undergo training in all engineering and maintenance departments of the business in order to enhance their career paths, covering several areas including automatic train control systems, automated tariff collection, power supply systems, and infrastructure. The program provides trainees with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills toward a promotion as a “Team Leader” position within two years of employment, which in turn provides opportunities for “on-the-job training” with a clear development plan and mentoring program from senior engineers.”
