Adnoc signs deal to hire 5,000 Emiratis by 2027

Company agrees to accelerate recruitment of UAE citizens through programmes and incentives offered by Nafis

The Adnoc stand at the Make It in the Emirates Forum in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has signed an agreement to create 5,000 new jobs for Emiratis by 2027, it was announced on Thursday.

The deal, completed with the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis), aims to accelerate recruitment in the private sector, state news agency Wam reported.

Adnoc agreed to increase efforts being made by companies in its supply chain and to encourage them to use the programmes and incentives offered by Nafis for hiring talent.

The agreement was signed by Secretary General of Nafis Ghannam Al Mazrouei and Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and managing director and group chief executive of Adnoc.

The announcement was made at the Make it in the Emirates Forum, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology in Abu Dhabi.

“Nurturing and empowering talent is a top priority for Adnoc and we are very pleased to once again partner with Nafis to create an additional 5,000 skilled jobs for UAE nationals in advanced sectors such as nanotechnology, manufacturing and machine learning,” said Dr Al Jaber in a press release.

“Today, thousands of UAE nationals are playing key roles across Adnoc's supply chain and helping to ensure we remain a reliable supplier of lower-carbon energy to the world.”

Adnoc has hosted six private sector career weeks in the past year to match local talent with employment opportunities offered by its registered partners and suppliers in the private sector.

The company has also agreed to provide training opportunities for 1,000 graduates in private companies operating in Adnoc's supply chain through Nafis's Apprenticeship Programme.

The programme is based on co-operation between the federal government, local authorities and the private sector.

“The agreement will also strengthen co-operation frameworks in order to achieve the strategic goals of increasing the rate of Emiratisation in the private sector and empowering our local talent in the labour market,” said Mr Al Mazrouei.

The move comes after UAE authorities reminded businesses that June 30 was the next deadline for private sector companies with 50 employees or more to hit their next six-month Emiratisation target.

Last year, employers were directed to ensure 2 per cent of roles were taken up by Emiratis by the end of 2022, and then increased the proportion of Emiratis in the workforce by 1 per cent every six months.

This year, 3 per cent of skilled jobs must be occupied by Emiratis by July 1 and 4 per cent by the end of the year.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation also reminded companies that they faced half-yearly fines of Dh42,000 ($11,435) for every Emirati not hired.

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