UAE unemployment among locals at highest level

OUT OF WORK: More UAE nationals are out of work now than at any time in the country's 38-year history.

Unemployment among UAE nationals is at its highest level since the country was founded 38 years ago, with more than 40,000 emiratis out of work.

Abdullah Al Awadi, a consultant at the National Human Resources Development and Recruitment Authority (Tanmia), said the UAE was suffering an “unemployment crisis”, which will continue to rise unless action is taken.

He blamed the local unemployment rate on an influx of expatriate labour and the failure of plans to create more jobs for locals, reported Emirates Business.

"The UAE society, like other Gulf societies is suffering from an unemployment crisis that is moving in an upward line," he said in an article published by the Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research.

The report showed the unemployment rate among UAE nationals peaked at 13 percent at the end of 2008. The same rate for expatriates was just 2.6 percent.

Awadi told the paper that despite numerous efforts by the UAE government to tackle the unemployment problem they had little effect.

He said: "This problem has started to convince us that there is a sort of imbalance or a legal gap… it could also be a lack of coordination among those institutions.”

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READERS' COMMENTS

Unemployment, UAE Locals, UAE Goverment
Posted by Anna L R, London, UK on Saturday 4 July 2009 at 20:58 UAE time


The reason you locals are often without work more that expatriates etc is because your goverment pple are dependant of western forces in their business deals. So pple in gov travel often to make these deals with west and by treating expats kindly they keeping west sweet...
But dont wory...
Economic situation is such that oil will be main energy of the future and none of western countries have it.
So soon, UAE and whole Middle ast will be masters Of The Universe...
Be patient...this day is closer that you think!

German employee in Dubai
Posted by Liena, Dubai, UAE on Tuesday 23 June 2009 at 10:39 UAE time

I totally agree something have to change very quickly. If I was a UAE National I would be also unemployed because it is very difficult to work in an environment where you can see unfair games. For example a UAE National with Master Degree form England working for 7 years in the same company gets less salary then an Indian without any degree or only high school. And if it comes to promotions then either they take someone who is a friend or a family member with only high school degree or without degree and without any experience or they take an expat. How you can stand this every morning. You are a UAE National working 12 hour shifts with a master degree and getting only 15000 UAE Dirham a months which includes all allowance how you can feed a family with this. I think if you would know that every one in the company with a similar degree would own a similar salary I think then it would be easier to stand this every morning shift and night shifts but to know that some one with same degree (expats) or with high school or without degree (Indians & Nationals) are taken 30000 Dirham per Month and even more plus Housing of 150000 and even more plus children education plus big car (Range Rover etc…) plus plus plus plus please tell me if this is fair.
The funny thing is that a very known UAE National under Management of Expacts & Indians owns this big big Company. How this can happen that a UAE National is treating his own flesh and blood like this.

By the way in my home country Germany you can sue any company if they did not select you because of your Nationality, religion, you color of your face or even if they did not select you because you are a female. Only to ask the question in the interview if she is planning to get kids is not allowed and you have the right to sue them.

affirmitive action
Posted by AlKindy, Dubai, UAE on Monday 22 June 2009 at 09:54 UAE time


Finally! The unemployment rate among Emiraties is being noticed by the Government; this issue has to be addressed and solved on URGENT basis, and to a certain extent I will agree with the author and Al Awadi. It is far easier for expats to get jobs in this country than in their own countries whether its nationality base or language base. “Charity should start at home”

Stop blaming us migrants
Posted by Geriant, Dubai, UAE on Thursday 18 June 2009 at 12:44 UAE time


Of the supposed 40,000 unemployed how many are actually seeking employment? One suspects there are tens of thousands more who are unemployed but simply haven't tried to get a job, or won't take anything menial simply to get out of the house each day. Blaming this failing on expatriate workers is so venal it beggars belief. If every last one of us left it would be amusing to see who would grease the wheels of commerce, industry, and pour the lattes at Starbucks. Those machines splash something terrible, and coffee shows up on white cotton and causes stains.
Trying blaming a system in which to be indolent is glorious, with apologies to Deng.

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