Emiratisation has helped to drive the UAE’s development since the country’s birth. It is a powerful means of cultivating and supporting local talent through training and employment opportunities.
But far more than employee quotas are required to harness the talents and skills of Emiratis to their fullest potential. At Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the company I work for, Emiratis are given the opportunity to contribute to the growth of a burgeoning home-grown industrial sector.
EGA has made the UAE the fourth largest aluminium producing country in the world. It has achieved this through relying on Emirati talent who have pushed forward innovation to ensure our competitiveness on the world stage.
Over the years, the company has been an engine of the economy, producing many industrial leaders who now hold senior positions with major UAE businesses. Today, we see it as a central part of our mission to cultivate the next generation of Emirati leadership.
This goes far beyond the managers in head office and includes scientists and engineers, architects and technicians, all of whom are helping build the country’s industrial base.
The current proportion of UAE nationals among positions identified as target roles in the UAE’s Emiratisation strategy is 31 per cent. EGA aims to reach 42 per cent within five years.
To see how these opportunities were created, a compelling example is given by looking at the career trajectory of a group of young Emiratis who began their careers as graduate trainees almost 40 years ago, in 1979.
Back then, young men like Abdulla Kalban, Yousuf Bastaki and Walid Al Attar joined the company and were intent on putting their hard-earned engineering degrees to use by helping to build a new UAE industrial sector. This first generation of engineers and scientists now leads the company.
EGA invests five times the world average on training and development. It also invests in talent development through scholarships for students and existing employees. The company currently has 94 Emirati graduate trainees, and has provided scholarships for 269 Emiratis since it was founded.
These opportunities are open to women just as much as men. Examples of female success stories can be found across the company, whether through Inaam Al Marzouqi, a lead engineer in the projects division, Ohood Al Hashemi, an architect designing our new global headquarters in Al Taweelah, or Amal Aljasmi, a lead engineer who helped to develop the company’s proprietary smelting technology. These women have progressed to become specialists in their fields.
Ahmed Al Shamsi is Executive Vice President - Human Capital at Emirates Global Aluminium