Du Opens a new Call Centre in Fujairah Staffed 100% by Emirati Nationals

DUBAI, UAE, February 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Du is known amongst HR Professionals nationwide to be leaders in Emiratisation, with innovative initiatives structured across the company for recruiting and training national employees.

Workforce localisation has long been a goal for the government in the UAE and across the Gulf region. This intent was reinforced by the Minister of Labour, HE Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash in April last year when stringent labour laws were passed requiring businesses to increase their intake of Emirati staff in skilled labour positions. Companies that fail to meet percentage quotas can be fined up to Dh20 000.

Du predicts that they will reach 28% Emiratisation by the end of this year, and aim to increase that figure to 38% by the end of 2015. Financial incentives and shorter working hours are some of the strategies companies across the UAE are using to lure national employees.  Fahad Al Hassawi, Head of human resources at Du has confirmed that local workers at the new call centre will be given an average premium of Dh4000 on top of wages earned by expats.

The service industry in particular will need to incentivise hard and challenge Emirati perceptions of the private sector to hire national staff, which traditionally has not been seen as a respectable line of work for nationals. Du have successfully attracted locals to different types of roles. "There are 60 Emiratis employed in various functions at the customer care centre," says Mr Al Hassawi.

Like most HR departments across the UAE, Du are looking at new ways of recruiting, training and developing nationals and improving their Emiratisation programme. They will be sharing their nationalisation strategies and success stories with HR professionals at 8^th Emiratisation Congress, taking place in Dubai on the 6-9^th of May 2012, in Dubai.

The event will be looking at how the most successful companies across the UAE have developed their nationalisation programmes to achieve a skilled, experienced and productive national workforce.

For more information about 8^th Emiratisation Congress please contact Jihan Mohammed, Marketing Manager, IQPC Middle East, email enquiry@iqpc.ae or call +971-4364-2975 or go to http://www.emiratisationuae.com