Boosting local talent
Leading the way in Emiratisation, Maryam Buti Almheiri, CEO of Meethaq Employment Agency, explains why it is the right option for the economy and the nation
Building a competitive knowledge economy is one of the six pillars of the National Agenda. The UAE aims to achieve this by unlocking the potential of citizens and enabling them to be a driving force in the UAE's economic development. Emiratisation is one of the UAE Vision 2021's main performance indicators. Maryam Buti Almheiri, the CEO of Meethaq Employment Agency, explains why it is so important. "Emiratisation is crucial to the development of the nation and its economy, and the UAE government is keen to use it as a guiding concept for all progressive and distinctive initiatives," Almheiri said.
Emiratisation, in her opinion, is the best course of action for reducing unemployment, providing a more productive and effective generation, and increasing employment opportunities for new graduates. "Emiratisation will serve to motivate the coming generation about the need for lifelong learning. Not only that, but it will also inspire UAE citizens to compete and give it their all."
Almheiri describes Emiratisation as the right thing for the UAE economy to help identify a more useful Emirati cadre to serve the country and the economy. According to Almheiri, Emiratisation will be crucial in identifying skills and leadership qualities. "This government programme will advance the public interest since the Emirati cadre has already shown its worth in carrying out the wise and global leadership's future vision as well as local and international accomplishments."
In the UAE, around 89 per cent of the population is made up of expats. Despite this, there is a comparatively high unemployment rate amongst the UAE nationals, and nationals make up only nine per cent of employees in the public sector and one per cent of employees in the private sector. Identifying the barriers to Emiratisation Almheiri pointed towards the lack of leadership positions in the UAE as one of the major obstacles. "One barrier is the disparity in advantages between the private sector and the government sector, which makes Emiratis distrustful of employment in the private sector. In general, raise the standards and expectations for Emirati workers starting their careers. On the other hand, the high cost of hiring an Emirati employee for private enterprises may be a barrier to the application of Emiratisation in the local market (a share commensurate with the pension authority) before introduction of Nafis programme. Another issue is that foreign businesses with offices in the UAE, hire specialised workers, leading to the incapacity of Emirati workers to perform temporary employment under short-term agreements like projects."
Without fail, Meethaq Employment Agency is paving the road for the implementation of new Emiratisation regulations. When discussing the company's activities, Almheiri said that the agency outlines strategic choices to support the UAE Emiratisation law and allow Emiratis to function effectively. "We are launching training programmes for Emiratis, targeting them for positions in the private sector, and we have developed an online platform with an indicator to track the number of Emirati job searchers."
Meethaq is working continuously to accomplish the new Emiratisation laws to support and increase Emirati talent in the private sector. "Meethaq started applying Emiratisation in its management first, which today is managed entirely by Emirati cadres. When Resolution No. 279 was issued in 2022 to Emiratise at a rate of two per cent per year in the private sector, this was not new to our policy. One of Meethaq's strategies since the beginning was to apply Emiratisation in international foreign companies and local companies."
The corporation is now implementing the new regulations by using funding from the UAE Nafis programme and promising to apply the decision to its contractual partners.
Meethaq Employment Agency was founded in 2013 and is part of the Al Ghandi Group. The agency was created with trust as its guiding concept that guarantees a seamless connection between its corporate partners and their personnel.