Healthcare firms say that they are focused on hiring females in a bid to empower Emirati women by integrating them into the country’s seminal workforce. Several top healthcare companies in the UAE are hiring fresh Emirati graduates as they race to achieve their Emiratisation target under the Nafis programme. By now, all private sector companies in the UAE with 50 employees or more are required to have employed Emiratis in two per cent of their skilled roles.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announced recently that it has imposed fines on companies that have not met their targets for 2022. The ministry imposed “financial contributions” of Dh72,000 on companies for each Emirati not appointed during 2022. Khaleej Times spoke to a few fresh Emirati graduates who have joined some of the main players in the country’s healthcare sector. Maryam Al Hashmi, who has recently joined the customer service department at Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, has taken a break from her university education to get some hands-on professional experience before she returns to complete her degree again.
“I am very excited because it is my first job. I have taken a break from my university education and wish to return to it after a few years. My colleagues here have been very helpful. I am the first Emirati in the department. My job is to manage bookings of customers and registration of new patients and following them up for new appointments. I try to be friendly with the patients during my interaction and I love this job,” says Maryam. Athari Al Hosani, another new employee at Burjeel Medical City Abu Dhabi, who studied environmental health and safety in college, avers a job can be very different from what one has learnt in college.
She says, “I knew what I had to do and what I am responsible for but certainly handling patients is not always easy. The challenge sometimes is billing, especially when the customer doesn’t have any insurance. So, I have handled different types of customers already, some of whom may even appear to be irritated. Now, I have learnt to patiently deal with them.”
Companies focused on recruiting and developing women
Meanwhile, healthcare conglomerates in the country say that they welcome the UAE government’s vision for achieving the set goals of Emiratisation in the private sector and implementing the leadership’s directives. Their focus is geared more towards hiring females in a bid to empower Emirati women by integrating them in the country’s seminal workforce. Omran Alkhoori, Member, Board of Director, President, Business Development, Burjeel Holdings says, “Our country’s Nafis program encourages UAE nationals to enter the private sector while benefiting from the highest possible level of government empowerment and support. Aligned with the Nafis program, we proactively facilitate employment opportunities for UAE nationals and upskill the local talent pool to meet the sector’s requirements.
“We have enhanced the local hiring processes at entry and senior management levels and created Emirati training programmes. In 2022, we ensured the recruitment of 155 Emirati candidates, both fresh graduates and seasoned professionals, under the Nafis program. The new graduates have been hired from universities like Higher College of Technology, Abu Dhabi University, and Zayed University and work in diverse roles as administrative and allied health professionals. We are also actively recruiting UAE nationals for senior management roles to bring a greater depth of experience and perspective.”
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