The head of the Emirates Nationals Development Programme (ENDP) has warned that the global financial crisis should not be used as an excuse to halt the recruitment of nationals.
Speaking to eFinancialCareers Ahmad Humaid Al Tayer, chairman of ENDP, argued it cannot be "logical that the private sector can accommodate thousands of the expatriate workforce and... not [be] able to provide jobs for Emiratis."
The ENDP argue that so long as there are expatriates still employed in the UAE, there can be no reason for international and local companies to fail in their commitments to the local population.
Yet increasingly that is what is happening according to Richard Lett, head of banking at recruiters RP International. Lett argues that as a result of the global financial crisis, financial institutions are focusing on picking up international talent that has, until now, been out of reach.
"Firms are being offered an embarrassment of riches in terms of international banking talent. While, they obviously need to fulfil government quotas of UAE nationals, it’s no longer top of the agenda."
Some banks in the region are still meeting their commitments according to the eFinancialCareers report. Dubai Bank is aiming for 30% Emiratisation, Abu Dhabi Investment Company has started a hiring spree of Emirati graduates; Dhabi Islamic Bank has taken on 150 locals this year while HSBC’s Middle East CEO Youssef Nasr says: “Our goal is to achieve above and beyond the government's Emiratisation targets.”