First Gulf Bank PJSC, (FGB), the leading financial partner of choice in the UAE, is pioneering an initiative to enhance Emiratisation efforts in the banking sector, where it recently held a meeting with a number of prominent banks in the UAE. The session shed light on key Emiratisation challenges and opportunities and will be followed up by a series of meetings pertaining to this initiative.

The first meeting was led by Sara AlGhanem, UAE National Development Manager at First Gulf Bank and was attended by representatives from different national and International banks such as Emirates NBD, ADCB, NBAD and LIoyds Bank.

During the meeting, attendees each presented success and challenges pertaining to their respective Emiratisation programmes in addition to holding a brainstorming session on effective solutions to increase Emirati employment within the banking sector. It also set benchmarks and measures for employing UAE nationals in different positions and divisions.

The meeting focused on many points, including the need to enhance packages, retain the right people, provide mentors for new recruits, provide career advancement tools, conduct regular appraisals and the importance of acknowledging successes.

FGB has developed a number of activities to work on retaining higher rates of Emirati talents. FGB’s initiatives in this matter fall in line with its commitment to promote growth for the UAE’s economic sector and to its strategy of employing talented, motivated individuals.

“FGB is leading this initiative, where it will be organizing regular meetings with UAE national and international banks to set a platform for open, honest discussions regarding the attraction of more UAE nationals to the banking sector. These meetings fall in line with our overall people strategy, and aid in developing practical schemes to add more talented UAE nationals to our team,” Gareth Powell, Head of Human Resources at FGB, said.

Powell added: “We aim to continue to hold these meetings in order to follow up on our progress and to continue to receive feedback on new challenges and opportunities that arise with regards to enhancing Emiratisation efforts.”

FGB recently held a number of initiatives in support of Emiratisation goals, including partnering with the Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council to develop training programmes for young Emiratis.

• Achieved 41 per cent Emiratisation in 2009; 100 per cent Emiratisation at branch managers level
• Bank committed to supporting Government initiative by investing in talented UAE nationals in offering long-term career options

Dubai, March 30, 2010: In a move to support its 2010 expansion strategy to further strengthen its presence, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) announced today that it is aiming to achieve 45 per cent Emiratisation by December 2010. The announcement was made at the 10th Annual Dubai Career Fair, held between March 28-30, 2010 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Dubai.

DIB also participated at the recent Sharjah National Career Exhibition, where it received a staggering 1270 applications from UAE nationals eager to embark on a career at the Bank. As a response, the bank organised a two-day recruitment drive, having narrowed down the applicants to 70 talented individuals.

With its recent participation at the University of Dubai’s first career fair, together with the exhibition in Sharjah and the recently concluded Annual Dubai Career Fair, DIB expects to receive 500 CVs daily, which will further assist with its ambitious Emiratisation target. The bank has already achieved 100 per cent Emiratisation at branch managers level and 98 per cent Emiratisation at its Jawhara (ladies only banking) branches, with an impressive 41 per cent Emiratisation across its operations.

“At DIB, Emiratisation is an integral part of our expansion stategy, and has always been a serious commitment since its inception,” said Obaid Al Shamsi, Head of Human Resources at Dubai Islamic Bank.

“DIB believes in proactively contributing towards the social and economic development of UAE society and Nationals in particular. As such, we are actively participating in career drives that will encourage talented candidates to pursue a fruitful, long-term career at the bank. We have already achieved 41 per cent Emiratisation and we aim to reach higher by achieving 45 per cent by the end of the year.”

He added: “We seek to recruit the most qualified, skilled, competent and competitive UAE nationals that meet the job description and bank requirements, who will be able to lead the industry and be part of Dubai Islamic Bank’s vision,” he added. “At DIB, we firmly believe in investing in our staff, and we offer them an enriching experience tailored to their individual needs that further encourages them to pursue a long-term career at the bank.”

In accordance to its 2010 Emiratisation strategy, DIB has strongly contributed towards the economy buoyancy of the UAE by investing in and financing key projects and businesses that have created greater opportunities for UAE Nationals.

The bank has also established mentoring systems to guide the national employees in their career, offering them various opportunities for learning and self-development. Training programs such as Qiyadee, that equips participants with the skills to adopt middle management positions as well as student sponsorship programs that identify talented youths and groom them for key positions in the organisation, and more.

GETEX Dubai’s HRD & Training Forum to discuss critical issues in Middle East’s HR agenda

March 1, 2010

GETEX Dubai 2010, the Middle East and Asia’s leading education, training and professional development event, has revealed that issues concerning Emiratisation will be one of the biggest challenges of HR professionals at the start of the new decade as the UAE Government intensifies its efforts to integrate the increasing number of local graduates into the UAE workforce, particularly in the private sector. Up to 80 per cent of UAE nationals work in the public sector primarily because of more attractive salaries, more conducive working hours and job security, while GETEX Dubai also noted that unemployment among Emiratis currently stands at around 12 per cent according to figures from the International Council on Security and Development.

GETEX Dubai has pointed out the need for HR professionals to be fully aware of the issues, challenges and opportunities linked to the ongoing drive for nationalisation in the UAE, as part of the changing focus of HR departments from pure administrative and risk functions to a more strategic outlook. In this regard, GETEX Dubai has announced that Emiratisation will serve as one of the key topics to be discussed by leading industry professionals at the HRD & Training Forum, one of the segments of GETEX Dubai 2010, which will be held from April 14 to 17 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Forum will present an ideal platform for HRD and training service providers to showcase their services to conference delegates and speakers. The opening day of the Forum will focus on addressing issues in nationalisation and will feature regional case studies from leading companies and best practices from HR leaders who have successfully developed nationalisation programs, while government officials will be present to outline the initiatives and the business benefits for recruiting nationals in the private sector. Forum speakers and facilitators during the first-day discussions include senior officials of government agencies and directors of nationalisation programs from various private sector companies.

Innovative practices on global HRD, training best practices and other topical issues will be discussed during the second day of the Forum. Activities will particularly focus on the latest cost-effective initiatives that can be easily implemented in any organisation such as in-house coaching and performance metrics. Renowned HR specialists and consultants from the USA and the UAE have been enlisted to serve as keynote speakers and facilitators on day two of the Forum.

Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences & Exhibitions (IC&E), organisers of the event, said: “As new challenges continue to emerge, business organisations now aggressively optimise performance and productivity across all levels of the corporate hierarchy. HR departments, in particular, are now given greater responsibility to develop strategic HR programs and solutions that deliver concrete business value. Moreover, in light of the government’s growing focus on Emiratisation, HR has now become a crucial link in the process of integrating a growing number of UAE nationals into the job market, particularly in the private sector.”

“It is therefore critical for HR practitioners as well as corporate organisations to be fully aware of the new trends and best practices that are reshaping the local and regional HR landscape. The HRD & Training Forum of GETEX Dubai 2010 will provide the perfect platform for HR professionals, industry analysts and senior corporate executives to dissect the most important issues and establish new benchmarks in the HR industry,” added Godinho.

The high-profile speakers attending the HRD & Training Forum include Fatma Al Hashimi, Head of Employer Relations, Tanmia, who will discuss the topic “Evaluation Of The Latest Emiratisation Rules And Regulations And What This Means For Business”; Wissam Hachem, Head of Emiratisation & Corporate Development, Etihad Airways, who will present a case study on “Graduate Management Development Programme: Bringing A Continuous Flow Of Talented Emiratis Into Your Organisation”; Abdulrahman Saqr, Head of Emiratisation at Lloyds TSB, who will talk about “Developing HR Best Practices In Line With Cultural Awareness”; and Nigel Jeremy, Head of Learning and Organisation Development, Marks and Spencer, UK, who will feature a case study on “Developing a Successful Talent Management Strategy”.