Oil sector leads with 18% UAE national workforce

Abu Dhabi’s oil sector leads in emiratisation, with UAE nationals comprising 18 per cent of its staff, while the travel and tourism sector comes at the lowest level with an emiritisation rate of only one per cent, according to the Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council (ADTC).

Speaking at the Emiratisation Employers Forum 2010 in Abu Dhabi yesterday, Dr Munib Kathem, ADTC’s Executive Director, said the council will set up a joint committee with government bodies and representatives from the private sector in Abu Dhabi to facilitate employment of UAE nationals in the emirate.

“The committee will specialise in searching for job opportunities for UAE nationals and training them for the job market, especially in the private sector. In addition, it will study the entire labour market in both the government and private sectors and co-ordinate with the Abu Dhabi Education Council to ensure that university and college graduates meet the needs of the labour market,” said Kathem.

Abdullah Al Darmaki, General Manager of ADTC, said: “The Abu Dhabi Government has no intention to force the private sector to employ UAE nationals. The emirate has succeeded in raising the Emiratisation rate in the banking sector to 30 per cent.

“There are also efforts to raise the emiratisation rate in certain other sectors, such as industry, petrochemicals and telecommunication. I think we will succeed in this regard and the government has no worries about the low rate of emiratisation in certain sectors, said Al Darmaki.

“Abu Dhabi is rich with job opportunities and we aim to create suitable opportunities for UAE nationals. The emirate will create two million new jobs over the next 20 years and 13,000 new UAE national graduates will apply for jobs every year.” Al Darmaki said UAE nationals comprised only 23 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s population and the ADTC targets to build a strong partnership with the private sector to employ the biggest possible number of locals.

“We have incentives for companies that show co-operation with us in the employment of UAE nationals, including the honouring of the leaders of these companies in a big ceremony. We realise there are obstacles, but we are trying to solve them,” he added.

The ADTC’s database shows the government sector employs 80 per cent of the UAE national workforce in Abu Dhabi, with the private sector making up the rest. The unemployment rate in Abu Dhabi is 10 per cent at present and the government plans to reduce it to below five per cent over the next few years.

The number of Emiratis seeking jobs has reached 10,000. Some 30 per cent of the figure has elementary school certificates or less and 80 per cent do not hold a university degree.

Women make up almost 80 per cent of the number.

 

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