• Home

DNRD restricts PR jobs only to locals

Brigadier Saeed Mattar bin Bleilah, Director of DNRD, said that expatriate PROs currently dealing with the department would be allowed to continue their work as long as they are employed with their present companies, but if and when they change sponsors they would not be issued PRO cards at the DNRD.

“This job is now completely reserved for UAE nationals for various reasons. For one, it is a very sensitive job given the nature of the department as a government body. The PROs are in direct contact with the immigration officers and a UAE national PRO would be more concerned about the interests of the country since we have noticed so many malpractices by expatriate PROs who have exploited their positions for their own benefits,” Brig. Mattar bin Bleilah said without elaborating on the nature of the malpractices.

Another reason for restricting the job to UAE nationals was the fact that it was a job that does not require high educational qualification or experience.

“There are a large number of unqualified UAE nationals looking for employment opportunities. A PRO job is a simple job that can be performed by any local, be it man or woman, with the minimal educational degree.

“It can also provide retired UAE nationals with the chance to earn a livelihood,” he said, stressing that it was a national duty to give priority to UAE nationals to fill in such positions.

Brig. Mattar bin Bleilah said that the department would open its doors to UAE national women who outnumbered men in the list of job-seekers to work as PROs with the department.

“UAE national women are welcome to work with us as PROs,” he said, adding that UAE nationals already working in public relations had proved their efficiency.

The DNRD had recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Human Resources Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia) under which the department would provide employment to UAE national job seekers.

• UAE