Abu Dhabi's job move ‘historic'

A recent decision by the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to create jobs for more than 6,000 unemployed UAE citizens is a historic one and marks a milestone in the march of Emiratisation, a prominent Emirati writer says. In an opinion article published in the Al-Khaleej Arabic daily, Ibn Al Deira wrote the decision to employ 6,000 jobseekers in various local government departments in Abu Dhabi would substantially reduce the rate of unemployment in the emirate. The number of job seekers in the emirate is not a huge one as the figures showed those who had registered with the Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council are around 10,000. And now, with 6,000 among them to be absorbed, there remains only 4,000 unemployed men and women, said the writer. He also noted that what makes the decision so peculiar is the time-frame set for the implementation of the decision, as it made mandatory the entire number of jobseekers covered should have been appointed within three months. It also gave every jobseeker three options to choose from, providing more flexibility to relocate as well as for assessing seriousness. If a jobseeker declines to accept any of the three options offered, they will be told, ‘thanks' and the next jobseeker will replace them, said the article, adding the mechanism provides a good model to be followed at the level of all emirates. "The issue of the employment of citizens couldn't have been considered a marginal one," noted the writer and he hailed the decision which came at the right time. From / Gulf News