By Mohammed Kazim (@MAKazim)
If you are a UAE national or an expatriate resident of the UAE, you must be very familiar with the term Emiratization, a topic that has received a great deal of positive hype in the media ever since its inception. Never specifically defined, Emiratization is generally any initiative by organizations (both public and private) to employ, develop, and retain Emirati employees.
Over the years, Emiratization has manifested itself in companies in the form of diploma programs, intensive classrooms, and on-the-job training for the “fresh-graduate” employees that are “fit” to be placed in the work field. In addition, some Emiratization programs have also secured entry-level positions for Emiratis giving them exclusivity and priority over non-nationals.
So you must be thinking, why does the title here say “detrimental”? Although Emiratization may have been very helpful to some fresh graduates and new employees, it has had the opposite effect on young Emirati professionals and middle managers, specifically those who have undergone the highest standards of education as well as gained foreign and local experiences. Below are some of my observations with regards to this matter.
First, for organizations to establish these development programs, enormous efforts and significant monetary investments had to be made. Some of these efforts include making the commercial case, developing processes, allocating space, and much more. As a result, like any private educational institution, a minimum number of Emirati enrollees has to be met to prove the success of these programs. Keep in mind that in most cases, the same people who devise these programs are the people who hire Emiratis. Therefore, many talented and experienced Emiratis, who are qualified to join at more senior levels, get placed in entry-level positions.
Second, having exclusivity of entry-level positions for Emiratis causes Emiratis to remain in their positions for longer periods of time without any clear progression. This is mainly due to the fact that higher employee positions are filled with expatriates to introduce diversity and experience into the team. In many cases, these expatriates are less qualified and less experienced! Then why does this happen? With a high paced work environment and a shortage of skilled employees in the region, it is incumbent to hire an expatriate workforce. However, due to Emiratization, the organization has no choice but to employ them at higher levels, which sometimes comes at the expense of qualified and experienced Emiratis.
Third, I believe that all of the above causes Emiratis in organizations to be viewed as “special” cases that require “special” attention. The entire nature of the programs creates a perception that Emiratis are not qualified and cannot be trusted with real tasks. Qualified and talented Emiratis are then given trivial administrative tasks and deprived from responsibility they deserve in building their own nation. This in turn can lead to severe demotivation and as a result a lack of performance from Emirati employees.
Last but not least, I believe that with the current educational infrastructure and foreign exposure of Emiratis, Emiratization programs should cease to exist in their present nature and Emiratis should be given the opportunity to compete side by side with expatriate talent. However, Emiratization can take an alternate form. For example, Emiratis who feel they require enrolling in training programs should have the option to do so in the areas of their choice.
In summary, although I may have used extreme examples and generalizations to prove some points, I believe that Emiratization has proven to be detrimental for young, qualified, and talented Emiratis. Not only has it slowed their career progression through lengthy training programs and grounding in entry level positions but also it has led to severe demotivation. I believe this can be reversed by allowing Emiratis to compete with expatriates equally and giving them the option to enroll in development/training programs should they deem it necessary. This would not only save organizations millions of Dirhams annually but also create a more competitive, collaborative, and productive workforce.
May 2011’s issue:
Here We Start – Archive80 Report – Community Talk – Food for Thought
Just Another Undergrad – Living Through The Eyes of Art
Scenes From Life – To The Point – Words, Observations, and Ramblings
Sign up to Sail Newsletter
Never miss another article!
Thank you for subscribing.
Something went wrong.
Thank you for a well-written piece on a notable dilemma.
I used to manage a graduate training program driven by Emiratization. Trainees were promised mid-management roles+promotions after completion. Instead they were put in the lowest jobs in the department with half the agreed promotion percentage, disregarding their hard work and late hours. Of course, those were top-notch graduates from the best universities too.
Regrettably, that's Emiratisation.
Great article my brother … important points raised and need to be at the focus of any emiratization programs going forward … inshAllah we get to the whats critical when it comes to any nationalization program getting the right people in the right jobs and allowing them to shine.
Excellent and clear points which are, unfortunately, true. Having worked at a large property development company as a training manager. I experienced the hype,put the training in place for these young emiratis, and then after they were placed in some menial position, were promised that they would be in the management track in a year. Nothing was done during that year that truly helped them learn much about the corporate world and many left or are still in the same position.
Thank you for sharing this article.
Kathy Mellish
I think also the group influence matters. In my previous organization, we had these really smart Emirati women who I had to good fortune to work with. But perception matters, and like all baggage we carry, perception is influenced by the group phenomenon. One of the influences was the fact that we did have other Emiratis, who were in positions not fitting to them and were floundering and were shown as being non-performers. And my colleagues were tarred with the same brush. It was so disappointing for them that they had to leave and are doing extremely well at their current positions.
An other point to consider is that some organizations just enforce the minimum quota and so Emiratis are forced to compete within those numbers, sometimes ending up doing work that they are not really interested in.
regards,
G V
Very well said, Mohammad.
"The entire nature of the programs creates a perception that Emiratis are not qualified and cannot be trusted with real tasks. Qualified and talented Emiratis are then given trivial administrative tasks and deprived from responsibility they deserve in building their own nation."
Indeed, and as you stated we have to start early; as in, we should re-engineer the undergraduate programs in the universities (maybe even schools) in a way that the students are prepared for their professional career. As an example, the major difference between medicine programs in UAE and in Australia is that the latter focuses on communication skills earlier (first week vs third year). Having said that, our education system is not as bad as it might sound compared to numerous other countries including US.
A perception that needs modification.
And I totally agree with giving a choice of training courses/programs within the companies for whoever wants to develop their skills.
i'm tempted to smile – because i completely understand where you come from.
Kazim, you’ve touched upon what I call the nucleus office for future companies led by Emartis – or so I’d like to continue to believe.
I see your disappointment with the current state of Emiratizaiton initiatives, had it be led by pragmatic approach, focused on delivery and growth, I’m sure that would have justified the necessity for such expenses, and would have yielded a brighter opinion from the educated minds that you resemble.
The UAE is a very young country compared to the well established cities in the world. We’ve crossed a very exhaustive, full of hope and faith journey, and guess what, we still have to make the extra step. At its initiation, there was one vision, one goal, and 7 team members. It was easy back then to foster a sense of alignment and transparency. Today we are still heading towards the same vision, somewhat more refined goals, nonetheless, we are supported by nearly one million emarati team members. Not having the nucleus office will be like being in the middle of the sea, with a big boat fitting one million sailors all rowing in different directions… in a dark night with no moon and no stars~
Thank you for the article =)