66,000 Emiratis employed in private sector until now
Emiratisation in the private sector will continue after 2026; ministry closes 84 recruitment offices for practising unlicensed activities; 81% of labour complaints are settled amicably.
Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, said that the total number of Emiratis working in the private sector reached more than 66,000 citizens by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
The Emiratis were employed in 16,000 companies in the private sector.
Al Awar stated during the session of the Federal National Council (FNC) that the current year witnessed the joining of more than 10,500 citizens, male and female, to work in the private sector, at a time when the number of new companies that employed citizens of the country during the current year reached more than 2,000 companies, with a growth rate of 13%.
The percentage of citizens working in the private sector saw a rise.
According to the most prominent economic sectors out of the total number of Emiratis in the private sector until the end of the first quarter 2023: 14% work in the construction sector.
13% in trade and repair services.
10% in manufacturing industries.
10% in business services.
Al Awar touched on the results of the labour market management in the country during the first quarter of the year 2023, which witnessed an increase in the growth of the number of establishments registered in the ministry to 4%.
The growth of the number of small and medium enterprises registered with the ministry reached 3.9%, and the growth of the number of workers registered in the ministry by 4%, and the growth in the number of registered skilled workers by 3.3%.
Al Awar affirmed that the pace of Emiratisation in the private sector will continue ater 2026 at the same level, pointing to the unlimited support of the wise leadership in Emiratisation programmes in the private sector.
The minister said in response to the intervention of Obaid Al-ghoul Al-salami, a member of the Federal National Council, about what, ater a year of appointing citizens in the private sector, what will the salary determined by Nafis stop?
The subject of Emiratisation in the private sector is a package of integrated policies, and there is always a re-examination of the Emiratisation mechanisms.
The minister stated that companies that do not comply with the Emiratisation percentage will continue to pay the fines established ater 2026, which are Dhs10,000 per month for each citizen who is not appointed in the event that the required Emiratisation percentage is not reached.
He said that the wages of citizens in the private sector are monitored through the wage protection system, pointing out that more than 72,000 inspection visits were carried out during the first quarter of 2023, and 430 suspected cases of fictitious setlement were confirmed, and then a number of violating companies were transferred to the competent authorities.
The minister said there is unlimited support from the wise leadership for immediate intervention to confront any practices related to circumvention of resetlement.
In response to a parliamentary question by Ahmed Al Shehhi, a member of the Federal National Council, about the recruitment of domestic helpers on tourist visas, Al Awar said that the ministry carried out 270,000 inspection campaigns on centres of the provision and recruitment of domestic workers.
He added that MOHRE had closed 84 recruitment offices for practising unlicensed activities, indicating that the ministry is cooperating with the competent and local authorities in regulating the work of domestic labour recruitment offices in the country.
The minister pointed out that the ministry received 2,449 labour complaints, and rulings were issued in favor of the employers in 1,500 of them, at a rate of 60% of the total cases, and the rest of the cases have not been decided because they are now in court.
Al Awar confirmed that 81% of complaints that reach the Ministry, whether from employers or workers, were setled amicably.
Al Awar said that any labour complaint is considered within a period not exceeding 14 days, which is one of the best international rates.
The Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation indicated that there was a decrease in the rate of collective labour complaints by 88% during the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period of 2022, considering this a positive indicator of work stability.