UAE: A senior banking executive stated on Wednesday, July 13, that flexible hours and remote working conditions would lure more young Emiratis to take part in the private sector.
The group chief operating officer (COO) with Emirates NBD, Abdulla Qassem, stated that one of the significant problems in enticing Emiratis from the public sector was the perception of longer working hours as well as inflexibility, but that scenario is changing.
The success of remote working has witnessed several firms persist in offering a hybrid working model, with staff in the office for some part of the week as well as working from home for the remainder.
Mr Qassem said that “I’d say the biggest challenge we have in luring Emiratis to work in the private sector is the long working hours.”
He further said that one thing the private sector has done well during recent months is in providing more flexibility to work remotely. That is making private firms more appealing.
Flexible working is known to be the primary factor in luring and retaining talent. In May, tech firm Cisco discovered that 61% of UAE professionals would be less possibly to find for a new job if they could divide their work between the office and home.
Qassem was talking on the sidelines of the launch of the National Digital Talent Programme at the Museum of the Future of Dubai.
The scheme strives to help Emirati interns during the following four years to be versed in future techniques to strengthen the UAE’s National Strategy for AI (artificial intelligence).
The objective of the project was to make a generation of Emiratis who are skilled in AI-related techniques.
The programme will see several Emirati students taking up paid internship positions with Emirates NBD and also working in the bank’s digital and IT departments.