National service will benefit employers

Recruits will come back to their jobs "refreshed" having completed their national service, said the director general of the Zayed Foundation.

ABU DHABI // National service can only enhance Emiratisation, said one of the speakers at the 6th Annual Emiratisation Forum.

Ahmed Al Dhaheri, director general of Zayed Foundation, was speaking of the ways mandatory military service would benefit companies and their Emirati workforce.

“The gains far outweigh the cost for organisations,” he said.

Mr Al Dhaheri said the quality of Emiratis entering the workforce would undoubtedly increase.

“With military service, more students are encouraged to graduate high school due to the reduced length of service,” he said.

This would lead to a more educated pool of job-seekers, Mr Al Dahairi said.

For those already in the workforce, it would be a refreshing break.

“One manager told me they were happy to send the employees that they were having trouble with so they would come back refreshed,” Mr Al Dhaheri said.

He said regardless of whether they were recent high school graduates or already working, all recruits would greatly benefit from the service.

“It puts everyone on the same level, wearing the same uniform, having the same routine,” Mr Al Dhaheri said.

“This way they can interact with those they might not have before and learn more than they would have had they not served.”

Those who served the nine months would come out with a better understanding of who they were and what they wanted to do, said Mr Al Dhaheri.

“The service is not only about military training, but will help train recruits in their specialisations,” he said. “This will bring them back more skilled then before they entered.”

Mr Al Dhaheri said the discipline attained through national service would be a welcome result for all companies.