UAE targets 24,000 jobs in private sector for Emiratis

Abdul Rahman Saeed, Staff Reporter

Ghannam Butti Al Mazrouei, Secretary-General of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, revealed that the number of citizens who will be employed in the private sector will exceed expectations in 2023, as the council aims to provide between 22,000 and 24,000 jobs for UAE nationals in the private sector, instead of 15,000 jobs, according to the Nafis programme.

Nafis was launched in September 2021, with the aim of employing 75,000 citizens over a period of 5 years, i.e. an employment rate of 15,000 each year. He explained that the jobs that will be available to citizens in the private sector during the next year come in light of the decision to obligate the private sector with a nationalisation target rate of 2% annually for the employment of citizens, and there will be contributions to the Nafis Fund designated to finance programmes and initiatives to empower and employ citizens in the private sector.

He said, “We are currently focusing on changing the concepts, culture, and outlook of citizens and companies regarding work in the private sector. We also focus on comprehensive development in all strategic sectors, including industry, healthcare, tourism, and investment, in addition to comprehensive development that brings jobs, building societies gradually. We need training and rehabilitation.”

Consideration and wisdom: He explained that despite the positive impact of the Nafis programme since its launch in 2021, there were a set of challenges, but they were monitored during the past 12 months, “as we have indicators for the programmes and the extent of their impact on the private sector.”

He said the reactions of workers and strategic partners were taken into account. Under the directives of the wise leadership, the improvements were made. He added, “We hope that the recent updates launched by the Nafis programme will encourage the largest number of citizens to engage in the experience of working in the private sector, to use the benefits provided by the programme, as our main goal is to provide job opportunities, meet the aspirations of young people, achieve their ambitions, and enhance their contribution in advancing the pace of development.”

He added, “We tend to achieve sustainable economic development through their work in the private sector, which is the main element for advancing the economy and the main engine in economic development in the UAE.”

He pointed out that the employer must display the job vacancies available to him through the Nafis platform, and there is a full team working on the platform to help companies that are looking for some of the skills available in citizens. In the event that the citizen needs training, “we have training programmes, and if he needs experience we have a dedicated programme for that, as we work to help companies achieve the Emiratisation goal.

The platform has contacts with various private sector companies through pension funds, the Wage Protection Fund, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.”

Al Mazrouei mentioned during one of his radio interviews that all private sector companies have welcomed the decision to achieve Emiratisation goals, as “we are working to reduce the financial burden on those companies in terms of qualification and training, and also reduce the burden in terms of supporting salaries for citizens in the private sector.”

He said that all officials in the governmental, semi-governmental and private sectors must unite to support Emiratisation, adding that details were being worked out to tackle difficulties in the private sector, so that it becomes an environment that attracts the highest skills and competence in the private sector. He said that the Nafis platform does not accept offering any job with a monthly salary of less than Dhs4,000, in addition to the financial support that the citizen will receive from the platform according to the category.

There are periodic inspection visits and constant communication with employers and the concerned authorities, and in the event of monitoring violations, the necessary measures are taken.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has issued the Ministerial Resolution No.663 of 2022 regarding compliance with Emiratisation regulations in the private sector.

The resolution stipulates controls for compliance with the Emiratisation systems, job advertisements, and employer obligations when hiring a UAE national, and in return, enabling the national to perform his/her work and obligations.

MoHRE said in a statement on Sunday: “Expanding Emiratisation in the country requires regulating all aspects and components. We are keen to specify the duties and obligations of all parties, set laws to regulate recently observed violations through intensifying inspection visits, define necessary measures and ensure that all parties follow them.”