Challenges to the emiratisation process: Content analysis

After the discovery of oil in 1970s, the United Arab Emirates experienced explosive growth and was able to establish a strong economy in 30 years. Since then, the country has attracted foreign direct investment, and it has maintained its growth strategy by relying on foreign skilled labourers from around the world. Consequently, Emirati nationals were predominantly recruited to and preferred the public sector. Today, as government growth stagnates, the United Arab Emirates’ government is encouraging the private sector to recruit more Emirati nationals. This paper analyzes the current Emiratisation process by looking into the barriers to it via a content analysis of business-focused newspapers published in the country. Unlike previous research, this paper prioritizes the challenges in descending order: skill standards, salary and benefits, and business hours. These challenges have impeded the recruitment of Emirati nationals into the private sector.