Today's Edition
JESSI AMASON (ABU DHABI)
The second edition of the Industrialists Career Exhibition concluded this week, boasting an approximately 60% increase in job opportunities and around a 40% increase in turnout over the previous edition. Around 800 job opportunities were announced at the conclusion of the exhibition, including - for the first time - 150 jobs for Emirati people of determination.
Over 4,200 young Emiratis joined the second edition of the event, where they participated in over 10,000 immediate interviews with 83 companies in the national advanced industry and technology sector. This year’s exhibition aimed to offer more than 800 immediate-hire jobs and diverse training programmes.
The exhibition was hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) and Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis), and ADNOC from April 21-23.
The exhibition aimed to offer career opportunities and immediate interviews in the UAE’s fast-growing industry and advanced technology sector for local talent, as part of the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology under the National In-Country Value (ICV) Programme, according to Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the MoIAT.
Al Suwaidi added that the exhibition also promotes the “Make it in the Emirates” initiative, a comprehensive national programme launched by the MoIAT to attract investments and promote sustainable industrial developing, driving the sector’s growth.
The event supports the ministry’s objectives to increase the industrial sector’s competitiveness and encourage the sector’s growth within the country’s broader strategies for economic diversification and sustainable economic development.
“The ministry will continue to launch similar initiatives to enhance the participation of Emirati talent in industry and advanced technology, a key sector contributing to the UAE’s GDP, in line with its efforts to become a global hub for sustainable and advanced industries,” Al Suwaidi said.
In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) in March, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, revealed that the sector has contributed around Dh197 billion to the country’s GDP, an impressive jump of of 49% since the MoIAT was established less than four years ago.
The Minister attributed this notable performance to the MoIAT’s strategic objectives, highlighting the ICV Programme - under which the Industrialists Career Exhibition falls- as a direct contributor to the growth and competitiveness of the sector.
Ghannam Al Mazrouei, Secretary-General of Nafis, said that the results of this year’s edition of the exhibition demonstrate a positive trend, “not only in the number of jobs offered and secured by our youth”, but in the younger generation’s views on job fairs, and the immediate hiring and traineeship opportunities on offer.
The MoIAT launched the Industrialist Programme in 2023 to support the industrial sector’s development through training national talent and empowering them to secure job opportunities.
Over 3,000 young Emiratis participated in the first edition of the exhibition, which was held in October 2023. The first edition resulted in around 500 job opportunities for Emiratis in 73 companies.
