It is the responsibility of private sector companies to train and create the right environment for Emiratis, according to a senior official on Monday.

“It is the employer’s responsibility to train the Emiratis. It is part of a partnership between the government and private sector. We have invested in learning, education, regulations and subsidisation of Emiratis. There are things that the private sector has to take part in to achieve the Emiratisation target, which is manageable,” stated Ahmad Yousuf Al Nasser, assistant undersecretary of National Human Resources Development at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), to Khaleej Times.

Al Nasser was speaking at the launch event of the 'Making Emiratisation a Success Guide for 2024', a collaboration between MoHRE and the staffing and HR solutions firm TASC.

All firms in the UAE with at least 50 skilled employees must increase the percentage of the Emirati workforce by 2% annually, to reach a minimum of 10% by 2026, Zawya reports.

Additionally, businesses also need to reach 1% Emiratisation after every six months.

“We acknowledge that some companies face challenges in meeting their Emiratisation targets as training and retaining top talent requires a strategic plan and consistent efforts. However, the government remains firmly committed to supporting the private sector. Emiratisation is not just a government initiative, it is a national obligation and a shared responsibility for all,” Al Nasser said during the launch of the report.

Moreover, Al Nasser highlighted that some of the challenges shared by firms with MoHRE included the observation that Emirati graduates often did not meet the job requirements or the needs of the labour market. 

“We keep saying that it is the private sector’s role to nurture the Emirati from the early days once they join the firm. It is the private sector’s role to participate in this initiative, the same way they do it for non-Emiratis. Give them some time to enhance and develop their skills. That is what we always keep asking Emiratis as well.”

He added that creating the right environment is crucial for all employees, including Emiratis, to flourish.

“So we count on each company to build internal policy, procedure, environment, career pathing, job opportunities, job flexibility, attraction, activities. They are the responsibilities of a company. We are leaving this for the private sector firms to build their internal environment. The better internal environment policies and procedures are, the better place for any employee to remain in that.”

Al Nasser continued: “There are plenty of talented Emiratis. Finance is the top sector that is absorbing Emiratis, but now construction and retail are also absorbing them in a large number. We are focusing on education and healthcare as those two sectors are considered priorities for the government.”