Martin Croucher, Khaleej Times
Dubai — Amna Al Tayer is bucking the trend for young Emirati graduates. Instead of taking up a career in a government company, she prefers the challenges posed by the private sector.
For the last two months she has taken part in a training scheme organised by Hamptons, a property company, designed to promote Emiratization in the private sector.
“I think that the private sector provides challenges that you don’t find in the public sector,” she said.
She is one of a growing number of Emiratis who are swapping the stability and high salary of a government job for the excitement of private enterprise.
Since graduating from Dubai Women’s College, Amna has been enrolled in the Al Bedaya scheme at Hamptons, a vocational training programme for UAE nationals.
“According to recent reports, Emiratis make up only 4 per cent of the private sector workforce while they form 52 per cent of the public sector,” a spokesman for Hamptons International said.
“Al Bedaya has been specially launched to enhance awareness among UAE nationals on the opportunities offered by the private sector, and provide them hands-on knowledge and experience of working in a leading private sector organisation.”
Amna, who has been at Hamptons since June, is a part of a small team of Emirati graduates who are taking part in the program. She said that she has been given opportunities to work in marketing, finance, sales and other parts of the business.
“Every day when I come to the office, I am learning something new. I am certain that the skills I have learned will be useful in the future.”
She said that despite studying media at college, she was considering taking a career in real estate. “It’s totally different from what I studied, but it’s very interesting.”
In the next 10 to 15 years she hopes to see herself as a high-ranking executive in a leading organisation. “Definitely I want to work in the private sector,” she said.