Etisalat Wins ‘Best Nationalisation Initiative’ Award In The GCC Private Sector

Etisalat has achieved yet another milestone with the latest recognition and award, ‘Best Nationalisation Initiative in the GCC’, among its regional peers in the private sector.

The award was announced at the 6  ^th  GCC Government Human Resources Summit & Awards 2018, organised recently by the UAE  Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation in Abu Dhabi, and attended by 350 renowned international experts from the global HR industry.

Etisalat won the prestigious award as the best company to implement nationalisation initiatives from among a shortlist of GCC-based high-profile private-sector companies. The award was announced during the GCC Government HR Summit as part of the 6  ^th  GCC HR Awards for government and private sectors.

The award was a recognition of Etisalat’s successful implementation of innovative policies and procedures in the employment of UAE nationals, and for incorporating the nationalisation plan into its core human capital strategy. It also launched customised programmes targeting UAE nationals such as the ‘Future Leaders Programme’ providing Emiratis a platform to become future leaders.

Younis Abdul Aziz Al Nimr, Chief Human Resources Officer, Etisalat said: “We in Etisalat are proud to have been recognised for the ‘ Best Nationalisation Initiative in the GCC’  and attain this outstanding achievement at such a prestigious event . This is mainly attributed to the empowerment of UAE nationals at Etisalat through a large number of employment initiatives, which increased the number of Emiratis by 48 percent across our offices in UAE. Nationalisation is part of our core belief and commitment as well as in line with the UAE leadership’s goal to increase the employment rate for UAE nationals in the public and private sector.

“At our core strategy we have continuously increased the involvement of Emiratis across the company’s divisions in the country. Etisalat has also actively participated in all ‘Emiratisation’ initiatives launched by the government such as the ‘Government Accelerator Programme’ which helped us surpass our ‘Emiratisation’ target in the first 100 days of 2018.”

Etisalat has actively participated in the ‘Absher’ initiative launched by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and met the required targets within the specified period. As part of the ‘Emiratisation’ drive, Etisalat also established call centres in Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Al Al Ain to employ UAE Nationals and meet Emiratisation targets in these areas.

Etisalat was involved in conducting 2,025 advanced and medium-level training courses training 6,400 Emirati men and women from January 2015 to December 2017.

Since the beginning of this year, more than 1,550 UAE nationals received training spanning 6,290 training days. The company has also increased its localisation rates to 48 percent in the last four years, with 74 percent occupying top management positions and 50 percent at mid-management level. UAE women nationals currently form 73 percent of the entire female workforce at Etisalat.

The ‘Future Leaders Programme’ was created in collaboration with top global research and academic institutions in which 400 nationals have completed the programme and 103 expected to graduate in the first quarter of 2019.