Thousands of Emirati job-seekers flock to career fair

160 companies at fair organised for UAE nationals

A career fair brought together thousands of Emirati job seekers and recruiters on its first day. Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, officially opened Careers UAE 2014 on Tuesday, which saw the participation of over 160 companies.

Thousands of Emirati job aspirants flocked to the Dubai World Trade Centre to meet potential employers at Careers UAE 2014, a job fair organised for Emiratis, which began on Tuesday. The fair saw the participation of over 160 companies. — KT photo by Rahul Gajjar

One recruiter noted the increasing role of Emirati women in corporate roles. “There is a big interest from Emirati women and it is really uplifting to see their commitment ... We expect to see more of these women contribute in nation-building projects,” said Fahad Al Qahtani, director of External Affairs and Communications at the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec). Enec currently has more than 1,000 employees and 67 per cent of the workforce comprises of Emiratis.

“We have a manpower plan for the next seven years and the best engineers are enlisted to undergo training in South Korea and work at nuclear plants there. Some of them even go to the US, the UK and France for training.”

Talent development programmes and collaborations with schools and universities have benefited achievers in schools and universities.

Abdul Aziz Al Ali, executive vice-president of Human Resources at Emirates, explained the philosophy behind youth development and training initiatives.

“Emirates is a very strong brand and we receive heaps of applications every year. We have started programmes to identify top performing students from schools and then provide them with higher education for four and a half years.”

For job seekers attending the fair, it was an opportunity to meet company representatives and learn from them.

Hanan Jawad Ahmed, an Emirati pilot working with Emirates, explained: “Initially my father was hesitant at my career choice of becoming a pilot because, as a woman, it is difficult to be away from your family. However, I always enjoyed travelling. Since becoming a pilot more than a year ago, I have become an inspiration for other girls in my family,” she said.

Careers UAE will be held in Halls 1-4 at Dubai World Trade Centre and is open from 10am to 6pm, and is open exclusively for females from 10am to 2pm on 23 April.

muaz@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE