Abu Dhabi, UAE: The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI), in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (NAFIS), and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) organised a second session for raising awareness about the incentives of the Emirati competitiveness program NAFIS. The session also highlighted the Cabinet’s decision for increasing Emiratisation in the private sector and the importance of the Emiratis’ contribution to the UAE’s growth.

The session, which was held at the Chamber's headquarters in Abu Dhabi, was attended by His Excellency Rashid Abdulkarim Al Blooshi, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, and Her Excellency Farida Al Ali, Assistant Undersecretary for National Human Resources Employment at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The session included representatives of NAFIS Council and the private sector, as well as entrepreneurs from various sectors in the UAE.

The session covered key topics, including an overview of the recent government decision on increasing Emiratisation in the private sector, as well as NAFIS program’s incentives to support the government’s decision. This contributes to achieving the UAE’s vision of strengthening the role of the national human resources and their contribution to the country’s economic development.

His Excellency Mohamed Helal Al Muhairi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between various government, federal, and local entities to accelerate the enrolment of national talents in the private sector, as they play a key role in supporting the country’s economic development. His Excellency praised the UAE’s efforts in increasing the rate of Emiratisation in the private sector and encouraging companies to adopt strategies for providing national talents with competitive career paths that enable them to fulfil their ambitions and achieve great successes.

His Excellency Rashid Abdulkarim Al Blooshi, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, said: “Our participation in this session confirms our commitment to supporting strategic partnerships to strengthen Emiratisation in the private sector. Emiratis serve as a key partner to support the country’s economic and social development, and thus we are keen to continue our efforts to provide a proper business environment which offers a wide range of opportunities for active contributors to the sector.”

“As part of its initiatives to promote Emiratisation, the UAE government has allocated AED 24 billion to support the enrolment of 75,000 Emirati nationals in the private sector, and the Talent Competitiveness Council recently launched 11 initiatives to increase Emiratisation. In addition, the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy, which was launched at the end of June, aims to provide 13,600 specialised jobs that target Emirati technical human resources. We will continue to cooperate with various institutions to achieve the objectives of these strategic initiatives,” His Excellency Al Blooshi added.

Her Excellency Farida Al Ali, Assistant Undersecretary for National Human Resources Employment at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, affirmed the importance of cooperation between federal and local government agencies and relevant private sector institutions to enable Emirati human resources to take part in the private sector, in support of the government’s efforts and policies. This would enhance the Emirati nationals’ participation of in vital economic sectors, which contribute to promoting the sustainable development of the national economy.

Her Excellency said: “NAFIS Program and the decision to increase Emiratisation in the private sector are among the most important efforts made to support the country’s Emiratisation initiative. To increase Emiratisation in the private sector, it is important to raise awareness among the owners of private companies and their representatives about the requirements of the NAFIS Program and the initiative on increasing Emiratisation in the private sector, as well as identify the two initiatives’ opportunities and benefits.” Her Excellency highlighted the importance of increasing the number of Emirati nationals working in skilled jobs by 2% annually, as well as including the company’s Emiratisation targets and planned vacancies on the NAFIS platform, and starting to take the necessary measures to appoint Emirati nationals.

As part of the session, Amna Al Suwaidi gave a presentation on NAFIS program, the opportunities and advantages it provides, and its benefits for the private sector.

Ahmed Al Janahi from Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, gave a detailed presentation about the recent government decision on increasing Emiratisation in the private sector. Al Janahi discussed the benefits and incentives provided by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation to support Emiratisation, as well as the guidelines those private companies should follow to benefit from these incentives.