What proactive approach are
you taking?
We are working on strengthening our
ties with universities and colleges in
the UAE to promote the Al Habtoor
Group among the graduates of these
institutes.
We are also strengthening our ties with
the technical schools and institutes in
the UAE targeting candidates for the
technical entry level jobs.
What are the benefits of the
government’s
Emiratisation
programme?
To give options to job seeks and reduce
unemployment among Emiratis.
What are the main challenges
for the private sector in
increasing the number of UAE
nationals in their workforce?
There are some challenges competing
with government and semi-government
organisation. Mind you, the Emiratis
working in these organisations on
Federal level make up less than (30%)
of the total workforce, so they will be
first choice for the Emiratis.
The organisational environment needs
to be improved to fit Emiratis by
increasing employee awareness.
Training and development needs to
be introduced for all employees –
especially Emiratis.
Joanna Andrews caught up with Nasser Al Ali, Director, HR & Emiratisation to find out what
the Al Habtoor Group is doing to entice Emiratis to the company.
Nasser Al Ali
Director, HR & Emiratisation
Is the programme part of an
effort to become less reliant on
foreigners in the country?
No, simply because the demography is
not there, i.e. the local population can’t
meet the demand of the industries, not
even in 50 years time.
The programme is a national
priority for 2013. How important
is it for the national economy?
It is very important due to the fact that
it will minimize the expenditure on things
like social aid, unemployment aid etc.
and maybe redirect these funds towards
more useful matters.
Why have the majority of
Emirati job-seekers avoided
the private sector in the past?
This is due to a lack of a holistic vision in
the sense that it addresses the various
aspects associated such as the legal
framework, training and development,
employment terms, etc.
What efforts are you doing to
entice Emirati graduates to the
Group?
We are promoting the project among the
Group’s business units to ensure that
they are partners in it. We are devising a
pay scale specifically to attract Emiratis.
We are promoting the Al Habtoor
Group as an employer of choice among
universities and colleges.
Interview
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