Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI288
2003-01-19 13:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

UAE'S NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AGENCY REGISTERS 7,000

Tags:  ECON ELAB KWMN SOCI TC 
pdf how-to read a cable
null
Diana T Fritz 06/05/2007 04:14:42 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
CONFIDENTIAL

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM January 19, 2003


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 288 - ROUTINE) 

TAGS: ECON, ELAB, SOCI 

Captions: None 

Subject: UAE'S NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AGENCY REGISTERS 7,000 
 JOBSEEKERS, ADDRESSES CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT 

Ref: None 
_________________________________________________________________
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 00288

SIPDIS
CXABU:
 ACTION: ECON 
 INFO: P/M AMB DCM POL 
Laser1:
 INFO: FCS 

DISSEMINATION: ECON
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: A/DCM:TWILLIAMS
DRAFTED: ECON:CMCRUMPLER
CLEARED: POL: MMENARD

VZCZCADI867
RR RUEHC RUEHZM
DE RUEHAD #0288 0191308
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 191308Z JAN 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7953
INFO RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000288 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPR

E.O. 12958: DECL 01/15/2013
TAGS: ECON ELAB KWMN SOCI TC
SUBJECT: UAE'S NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AGENCY REGISTERS 7,000
JOBSEEKERS, ADDRESSES CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT

REF: 02 ABU DHABI 6881

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000288

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPR

E.O. 12958: DECL 01/15/2013
TAGS: ECON ELAB KWMN SOCI TC
SUBJECT: UAE'S NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AGENCY REGISTERS 7,000
JOBSEEKERS, ADDRESSES CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT

REF: 02 ABU DHABI 6881


1. (U) Classified by A/DCM Thomas E. Williams for reasons 1.5 (b) and
(d).


2. (C) Summary and comment: The UAE Ministry of Labor established
Tanmia -- the UAE's national employment agency -- two years ago and
since then has registered more than 7,000 Emirati jobseekers, about
2,000 of whom are in Abu Dhabi emirate. Tanmia -- open only to UAE
nationals -- informs jobseekers of job vacancies, and provides
career advice and training. Ironically, Tanmia has more than 150,000
requests for UAE applicants from local employers (in both the public an
private sectors),but fresh graduates' unrealistic salary and work
expectations (see ref) and limited job opportunities for women, continu
to be major obstacles to employment for UAE nationals. End summary and
comment.

--------------
Changing Graduates' Expectations
--------------


3. (C) Director of Abu Dhabi's Tanmia Office, Jaber Al-Khemairi, told
Pol/Econoffs on January 15 that private companies and government
agencies alike prefer new job applicants with work experience, but most
of Tanmia's job seekers are recent graduates who are unwilling to fill
entry-level positions for which they are qualified. This is the major
reason why UAE graduates are unable to secure a job post-graduation. T
address this problem, Tanmia provides specified training that some
employers accept in lieu of work experience.


4. (C) Al-Khemairi cited a recent example of how Tanmia acts as a
facilitator between jobseekers and employers. ADWEA -- the
government-run local utility company -- wanted to hire a handful of
nationals with 5-10 years of Systems Administration experience to work
in its IT Department. Finding no nationals who fit the bill, ADWEA
agreed to hire six nationals who successfully completed specific
training to receive internationally recognized IT certifications.
Tanmia sponsored the training, selected the students, and ultimately,
ADWEA employed the students.


5. (C) Although Tanmia has made some progress in modifying graduates'
salary and work expectations, Al-Khemairi admitted that many jobseekers
expect to fill management positions following graduation. Additionally
a Tanmia survey revealed that more than 85 percent of secondary school
graduates still prefer to work in a government institution and apply fo
management positions, in large part because government pay (starting
salary) is an approximate 8,500 dirhams ($2,316) per month with benefit
such as housing, medical, and other allowances, compared to 6,500
dirhams ($1,771) starting salary in the private sector. Al-Khemairi
believes that salary is the main reason why UAE nationals in the privat
sector have declined from 2.8 percent to 1.3 percent in the last decade
despite limited government efforts to promote the hiring of nationals,
a.k.a. "Emiratization."

--------------
Women Jobseekers Especially Challenged
--------------


6. (C) According to Al-Khemairi, most of Tanmia's jobseekers are women
-- more than 70 percent -- and possess a high school or Bachelor's
degree. Al-Khemairi admits that there is still much to do to eliminate
gender bias in employment -- women make up only 11 percent of the publi
sector and 8 percent of the private sector workforce, according to
Tanmia statistics. Women are especially challenged in finding suitable
work -- most fill secretarial or clerical jobs, but are over-qualified
for such positions and many in these jobs have specialized, advanced
degrees.


7. (C) A Tanmia survey of 342 UAE working women revealed
dissatisfaction about their opportunities for promotion and the pay the
receive. According to the survey, UAE women working in the private
sector perceive they are disadvantaged in the workplace because their
expatriate colleagues do not work collaboratively with them for fear of
one day being replaced. More than half of the women surveyed answered
that they probably would not be working in their current organization
for more than five years.

Wahba