UAE puts new limits on unskilled expat labour

Sunday, 8 May 2011 8:32 PM

The UAE government is to implement new limits on the importation of unskilled workers as part of a policy to balance the country's demographic structure. (Getty Images)

The UAE government is to implement new limits on the importation of unskilled workers as part of a policy to balance the country's demographic structure.

The Federal Cabinet on Sunday said the "uncontrolled import of unskilled labourers should be limited and replaced by recruitment from within the UAE".

The UAE will instead focus on bringing in highly skilled workers based on "accredited professional and educational certificates", state news agency WAM reported.

However, the cabinet's resolution said the chairman of the Federal Demographic Structure Council "may exempt from this resolution domestic helpers or any other categories he specifies".

In a bid to lessen the unskilled workers in the construction sector, the largest employer of this kind of manpower, the Cabinet instructed agencies to define a set of guidelines to improve productivity and limit the number of unskilled workers needed, WAM added.

The UAE's handling of its demographic structure is one of government's top priorities, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's ruler said at the Cabinet meeting.

Sheikh Mohammed, also vice president and prime minister of the UAE, said empowering the UAE citizen and making him the key engine of development was one of its main aims.

He said the government was drawing up policies whose in a bid to strike a "demographic balance in parallel with the comprehensive development that benefits UAE citizen in all emirates of the country".

He was speaking during a Federal Cabinet meeting which issued a resolution to set specific percentage targets of UAE citizens over the next 20 years, without elaborating on the details.

The Cabinet also ordered the setting up of a minimum required qualifications to occupy some jobs.

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Posted by: Hmmmmmm Wednesday, 11 May 2011 10:23 AM[UAE] - Dubai

There is a business practise here, to replace proper tools with cheap labour. Instead of one guy with a proper motor tool who can finish the job in a day you will have three unskilld guys sitting there for a week. Have seen it very often for may jobs.

Maybe it might be better to actually invest in the proper tools and skilled workers instead of just throwing numbers, with most primitive means at each job.

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Posted by: Jebel Ali Baba Tuesday, 10 May 2011 11:43 AM[UAE] - UAE

Once again ther is much discussion for nothing. There was always an up and down in the unskilled labour supply as their number is purely driven by demand. They cannot just come in this country and apply for a job. They never could. They have to join big groups of "labour groups" and stay mostly not longer than 2-3 years. Very few of these labours manage to qualify further and actually stay for longer than that.

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Posted by: charles Tuesday, 10 May 2011 11:40 AM[UAE] - uae

So the recruitment agencies will have to insist on a certain level of qualification for every worker that comes in for some jobs.
That means the required qualification will suddenly be held by everyone, whether by fair means or foul.
Will anyone attest these or just accept that they are valid?
If people with certain qualifications only will be taken, then the wage rate will have to increase or they won't come. Workers without the required qualification will not be allowed to come.
That will impact overall project costs and ultimately reduce the annual growth figures some are keen to quote. Positive and negative always go together.

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Posted by: His Excellency Dr Paul Tuesday, 10 May 2011 11:40 AM[UAE] - Dubai, UAE

Of course they are not planning to replace this unskilled labour with labour sourced locally. Nobody really expects to see locals out working on building sites do they?

It's just a precursor to releasing some more figures on population. Instead of a large decrease in such workers being put down to the collapse of numerous real estate projects it will instead all be part of a planned programme of changing the demographic balance.

According to official releases on UAE Interact, the population is 8.26 million now, but on another article "will rise to 6.1 million by 2020". The CIA factbook and World Bank estimate around 5 million at present.

It's very mixed up and at some point with such diverse figures, questions will start being asked about which reflect the reality.

Posted by: telcoguy Tuesday, 10 May 2011 8:42 PM[UAE] - UAE

this is a very interesting angle.

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Posted by: iceroad Monday, 9 May 2011 8:10 PM[UAE] - UAE

Why is the UAE responsible for the education of these men? Where are their states to take care of them?

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