With the total number of U.A.E. citizens estimated at less than 15 percent of Dubai’s current population of 1.4 million, the small emirate’s human resources departments have not been overburdened in the quest to integrate the local people into the country’s workforce in recent years.

Since the implementation of the U.A.E.’s Emiratisation initiative in 1998, there has been a steady increase in the employment of skilled citizens in the banking, insurance and trade sectors. However, a large number of citizens, estimated as high as 36,000 in 2006, of whom most are females under the age of 24, remain unemployed. A number of new graduates also are included in this segment.
But the drive towards ‘Emiratisation’ is about to receive its biggest boost yet, as the brand new ‘City within a City’ – namely Dubai World Central (DWC) is to become one of the United Arab Emirate’s biggest professional integration projects to date.

Plans have already been initiated by the aviation and logistics-based community to employ more than 600 citizens within the next two years, thus making it one of the country’s foremost employers of citizens.

The strategy, which was unveiled at the seventh edition of Careers U.A.E. annual fair, is, according to its supporters, “a highly Emirate-intensive human resource strategy aimed at shaping the future of the company’s workforce locally and globally.”

The move is also in synergy with the U.A.E. government’s initiatives and Dubai’s Strategy 2015 – as announced in January 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai.

“We want to bridge the gap between expatriates and citizens by creating a healthy and inspiring working environment,” said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman, Dubai Aviation Corporation – Dubai World Central.

“A number of new graduates are seeking employment in both public and private sectors, and at DWC we will offer opportunities to all citizens through our Emiratisation initiatives. We have a social obligation in an increasingly competitive sector, and changing skill-sets and human resources are now in high demand.

“Dubai World Central’s Human Resources Strategy aims to build leaders for tomorrow by attracting and retaining skilled employees,” continued Sheikh Ahmed.

“Areas that fall under DWC’s HR responsibility include recruitment and retention, Emiratisation, training and development, culture and diversity, as well as performance appraisals and CSR initiatives.”

He added that under the HR strategy, a major part of the new work force will include new graduates seeking employment in the diversified and challenging government or private sectors with internationally recognized human resources programs.