Sharjah Ruler announces plan to find jobs for children of 4,000 retirees

Sharjah ruler said graduates will help support their retired parents

Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi , Ruler of Sharjah, announced plans to find work for thousands of children of retired citizens. Leslie Pableo for the National

The Ruler of Sharjah has announced plans to employ university-educated children of thousands of recently retired Emiratis.

Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi said the government required a 'different method' to support many of its citizens in their post-work years.

Speaking on Sharjah Radio, Sheikh Dr Sultan said providing employment for qualified sons and daughters of retirees was another way of offering assistance, rather than directly investing Dh250 million of the emirate's budget.

“We have listed the number of 4,000 retirees, men and women, and adding them to the emirate’s budget would require Dh250m annually. Therefore we have a different method,” Sheikh Dr Sultan said during the broadcast.

“We will expedite this by employing their children who will support their parents.”

Sheikh Dr Sultan said it was an issue that needed to be addressed immediately.

Earlier this year, the Sharjah Ruler raised the minimum wage for citizens in the emirate to Dh25,000 from Dh17,500.

The pay increase followed a study by the Sharjah government and the Department of Social Services that assessed living standards.

Sheikh Dr Sultan said during the radio interview that retirees from federal bodies would be given financial parity with those employed by the Sharjah government.

“We have retirees from federal entities in the emirate and those I have told that the difference in their salaries will be deposited to their bank accounts by us so that they are equal to Sharjah government employees,” said the Sharjah ruler.

In December, Sharjah approved a Dh33.6 billion budget for 2021 – a 12 per cent increase on last year – to fund measures to support economic and social development.

Last year, the emirate introduced a Dh1bn economic stimulus package in response to the challenges caused by Covid-19.

The package included waiving, reducing or cancelling some government fees and charges.