A survey on Emiratisation has revealed a quarter of senior executives believe government-backed training would boost Emirati private-sector participation.
The survey, published by Emerging Markets Intelligence & Research (Emir) in association with the Dubai Economic Council (DEC), also showed that only 6 per cent of senior executives thought wage subsidies were necessary. Most – 93 per cent – said they were interested in discussing the issue further with the Government.
Speaking at the Burj Al Arab, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, the Minister for Culture, Youth and Community Development, said: “The UAE supports the success of the private sector, and it is only reasonable that the private sector should support the success of the youth of the country.”
Emiratisation is at the top the DEC’s agenda for this year, according to Hani Al Hamli, the secretary general of the DEC. “The anonymous e-poll … is a good instrument to build a picture of what the Emiratisation issue means to multinational companies in the UAE.”
Trevor McFarlane, the founder of Emir, said clients were glad they were asked to express their opinions on Emiratisation policy. “Many of our clients told me they now plan to re-examine their Emiratisation strategy after attending the briefing,” he said.
Less than 2 per cent of the country’s 2.2 million private sector jobs are occupied by Emiratis, according to TCO Management Consulting research. Common reasons cited for this vary widely, from the attractive security of public sector jobs to perceived private sector reluctance to hire and develop Emiratis. There are also cultural obstacles, such as families not wanting daughters to commute or live away from the family.
The Emir survey was part of an ongoing study on Emiratisation, with the next briefing taking place on September 30.
[ halbustani@thenational.ae ]
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