The UAE aims to create 30,000 private sector job opportunities for Emirati citizens in the current year, said Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

He made this statement today during a media briefing in Dubai, where he spoke about the Emiratisation results for 2018 and the ministry’s Emiratisation agenda for the current year, reported state news agency Wam.

Al Hamli said that 2019 will mark the beginning of the empowerment of citizens through four stages, which will include activating Article 14 related to regulating working relations and direct employment, applying the "National Policy for Employment," and developing Emiratisation systems while accelerating the Emiratisation of targeted economic sectors, which the ministry began adopting with its partners last year, providing 20,225 job opportunities and benefitting 11,700 citizens.

He explained that the previous year witnessed the first stage of a new methodology adopted by the ministry to accelerate Emiratisation, which created 15,000 jobs in targeted economic sectors.

Al Hamli added that last year’s initiatives achieved results that exceeded the ministry’s Emiratisation target, and the ministry, in cooperation with its partners, provided 20,225 job opportunities, a considerable increase from 2017, which saw the creation of 6,862 job opportunities. He also explained that around 8,650 UAE citizens benefitted from related training programmes while around 18,235 benefitted from the career guidance programmes organised by the ministry with its partners.

Al Hamli further added that the country’s future development up to 2031 will have a direct impact on the labour market, in light of the growing number of people in the workforce, which is expected to reach 610,000 in both the public and private sectors.

He also spoke about the "National Policy for Employment," which is a roadmap for the future labour market and for managing Emiratisation up to 2031, in line with the government’s future vision.

Al Hamli noted that the ministry has almost completed a policy related to self-employment, which is the fourth stage of its Emiratisation plan for the current year and will enable people to earn a monthly income through working independently.

The ministry is currently developing an electronic platform, which will connect those who are self-employed with relevant companies and organisations, and enable them to choose their appropriate work based on the ministry’s self-employment policy, he said in conclusion.