There is more to recruitment than just getting as many bodies through the door as possible (Emiratis urged to get technical training to fill job shortages, February 1). The country may need more technically skilled Emiratis, but those Emiratis need more than just proper training.
A lot of Emiratis who come from different technical backgrounds choose to move to a more administrative position early or mid-way through their careers.
In order to properly increase the number of technically trained Emiratis, there have to be proper guidelines for mentoring and career development. Not only must they be trained properly, but they must also be shown their career paths should they choose to remain within their respective fields.
Companies should be held accountable for employee turnover within these fields, and must prove that they have done all they could to properly guide their employees throughout the period which they have spent there.
Obviously this is a long and detailed process, and will not happen overnight. But, if there is oversight and support from the Government, as well as the organizations themselves, it can be done. Ahmed Al Hashemi, Abu Dhabi
Service fee issue is more complex
After reading the article JLT residents fear services will be disconnected (January 30) I was a bit disappointed to see what appears to be a simple filler story not about Jumeirah Lakes Towers specifically.
First, a few times the word "tenant" was used erroneously. It should have been "owner" or "resident". Second, the article muddles the underlying issues. It's fine to report residents of individual buildings fear disconnection from services based on a lack of service charge collection. However, I can assure you that is not a JLT-specific concern.
As a resident of the development myself, I believe the largest communal concern for JLT right now is the traffic situation which has persisted for three years.
Often, discussion on property matters in Dubai is reduced to mind-numbing simplicity: developers or service providers equals "bad", consumer and residents equals "good". There might be a lot of truth to that, but there are a lot of issues that are not being reported.
Most importantly, the focus on service charges is a bit overblown as opposed to final legal formation of owners associations as per Dubai law.
Adnan Khan, Dubai
Gulf can help asylum seekers
Do GCC countries offer protection to asylum seekers? Reading His chance of asylum in Israel? 1 in 15,000? (February 1) got me wondering. Maybe Gulf countries could help Yemenis and Syrians, among others, in ways similar to the way they are aided by western countries.
Name withheld by request
Penguins at the mall is wrong
I was pretty shocked and upset to read that Ski Dubai had brought penguins to its establishment (Penguins go on show at Ski Dubai, February 1). Why does Ski Dubai need to bring penguins to a giant freezer in the middle of the desert?
They pretend it is for conservation but it is all about money and marketing. If they really care about endangered species why not make a donation to protect penguins in their natural habitat?
Or why not give money to build a new zoo in Dubai to replace the one where dozens of animals are suffering from the lack of space and heat in the summer?
Once again, people are using environmental concerns to justify their commercial actions.
Sebastien, France
Prison for boy is overly harsh
Is it really worth ruining his life over a kiss? (Boy, 15, who kissed girlfriends detained for up to three years, January 30). Why can't he just be turned over to his parents for discipline?
Peter Jenkins, Dubai
Scrap thieves part of bigger problem
Your unbelievably odd but true new story (If it isn't nailed down, Czech metal thieves will have it, February 1) explains why and how metals such as copper, aluminium, brass and bronze have become such valuable commodities.
Once, the Czech Republic was a stable and prosperous market economy, but as your story suggest, this is changing. In a country with many people who are poor and unemployed, it is an undeniably sad fact that even scrap metals will be stolen and sold accordingly.
Ali Sedat Budak, Abu Dhabi
