Talented Emiratis do not need special treatment

New legislation is needed to ensure UAE nationals are better represented in the country’s workforce, says Emirates Business. It says expats currently staff 99 per cent of jobs in the private sector and 91 per cent of government jobs, and, despite the economy going gangbusters, somehow this is a Bad Thing.

Jassim Ahmed Al Ali of Dubai Municipality predicts that by 2009, UAE nationals will account for less than eight per cent of the workforce, and less than four per cent by 2020. The situation is not helped by 10 per cent of employed nationals resigning each year claiming “problems in the workplace”.

What problems? And does it matter if workers resign? Plenty of non-Emiratis change jobs after a year.

Kipp finds it hard to fathom what is stopping Emiratis joining the workforce. Low pay? Tough. Who doesn’t think they should be paid more? Lack of career progression? Get over it. Knuckle down, impress the boss and see what happens.

The drip, drip, drip of stories bemoaning the lack of Emiratis in the workplace is not helpful. The more business hears that Emiratis should be made special cases, the more it sounds as if they are unemployable. All that should matter is that new recruits are an asset to the company. If an Emirati job applicant ticks all the boxes, why wouldn’t an employer go with them?

Kipp is positive there are skilled, motivated Emiratis who would be an asset to any business. Giving them special treatment threatens to turn them into charity cases.