UAE: 79,000 Emiratis working in private sector, Emiratis at record high – News

More than 50,000 Emiratis have joined the private sector since the launch of the Nafis program in September 2021, says an expert

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) revealed on Sunday that some 79,000 UAE nationals work in the private sector and that the deadline for firms with 50 or more employees to achieve a 1 per cent increase in the Emiratization of skilled jobs has passed.

MoHRE said the figures reflect the highest ever Emiratisation rate in the UAE private sector, a 57 per cent increase compared to the end-2022 figure, when there were 50,228 UAE nationals in the private sector.

Nearly 17,000 private businesses employed Emirati citizens as of 7 July, the last day for businesses to achieve their semi-annual Emiratisation target.

Abdurrahman Al Awal, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization, said: “The significant increase in the number of UAE citizens employed by the private sector reflects the effectiveness of the Emiratisation policy that has been implemented semi-annually starting this year.”

“These efforts have accelerated progress towards the goal of Emiratization and ensured continued recruitment throughout the year, in line with the directives of the UAE leadership and under the leadership of the UAE Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Minister of the Presidential Court, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UAE Talent Competitiveness Council under the supervision of His Highness Nahyan.”

He added: “This growth demonstrates that the private sector is aware and committed to fulfilling its responsibilities as the UAE Government’s partner in the Emiratization process, guided by the vision to strengthen the UAE’s human development system.

“Our aim is to enable Emiratis to flourish and become more competitive in the private sector, and enable them to actively participate in the country’s economy and overall development, of which the private sector plays a key and driving role.”

Al Awar expressed his confidence in the private sector’s “continued ability to achieve the desired Emiratization goals, especially with the support provided by the Ministry and the Nafis scheme to enable companies to meet their obligations.”

H.E. Aisha Belharfia, Acting Undersecretary for Emiratization and Assistant Undersecretary for Labour, Ministry of Health, said: “The Ministry is committed to actively participating in Emiratisation programs and projects through the Tawteen Partners Club. The company offers benefits and continues to offer members discounts of up to 80% on service fees.”

She added: “The ministry works with partners to adopt comprehensive legislation and initiatives to realize its vision of getting Emirati talent into the workforce and attracting qualified professionals from around the world.”

Ghannam Al Mazrouei, Secretary-General of the UAE Talent Competitiveness Council, said that since the launch of the Nafis program in September 2021, more than 50,000 Emiratis have joined the private sector.

“The overall growth in the number of UAE citizens in the private sector reflects the success of the Nafis programme, which works with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation to implement programs and projects aimed at providing qualified Emirati talent with the right tools and services, support, and enabling companies to Deliver on its Emiratisisation commitment,” he noted.

The Emiratisization target for the second half of 2023 calls for a further 1% increase in the number of Emirati citizens working in technology jobs among employees of private companies with 50 or more employees, implying an overall increase of 2% by 2023. end of the year.