Al-Futtaim Group Leads Family Business Council Gulf’s Inaugural Event On Emiratisation Best Practices

Al-Futtaim Group, the leading employer of choice for Emiratis in the private sector, hosted the Family Business Council Gulf’s inaugural event on Emiratisation best practices as it continues to empower UAE nationals through career development and upskilling initiatives under the pioneering SINYAR programme. The unprecedented initiative saw the UAE-born family business present successful strategies in attendance of senior representatives from the most established family-owned businesses in the UAE.

Launched by The Family Business Council Gulf, the leading private non-profit network for family businesses in the GCC in collaboration with Al-Futtaim Group, the eventwas the first in a series which aims to foster collaboration towards meeting the UAE’s Emiratisation goals. At the forefront of promoting emerging Emirati talent in support of the UAE Government’s NAFIS initiative, Al-Futtaim Group shared the 7 strategy pillars, objectives, and tactics of its capstone SINYAR programme including the role of Al-Futtaim’s Emiratisation Council and establishing strategic partnerships.

Commenting on the Family Business Council Gulf event, Mira Al Futtaim, Chairperson of the Emiratisation Council at Al-Futtaim Group said: “Opening such a major event for family-owned UAE businesses on Emiratisation highlights Al-Futtaim’s position as one of the leading pioneers in the implementation of strategic objectives towards supporting the UAE government’s vision. Our readiness to take part in such a crucial initiative is driven by our belief in the vital role that family-owned businesses play in helping develop a strong pool of Emirati talent, opening up new job opportunities across the private sector, and preparing the current generation to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

Abdulrahman Saqr, Acting Chief Human Resources Officer, Al-Futtaim Group said:“In support of the UAE Government’s focus on the recruitment and upskilling of local nationals, and the economic diversification of the UAE,Al-Futtaim Group’s session offered in-depth insights on Emiratisation. From developing training programmes based on consistent analyses of market demand for Emirati job seekers, to addressing common challenges in recruitment, the group’s experts aimed to provide an overview of proven strategies and further demonstrate how meeting Emiratisation goals is a long-term vision which we have adopted at the core under the SINYAR programme.”

Al-Futtaim’s SINYAR helps Emiratis understand their main areas of strength and develop through a mix of assessment tools. The programme offers a combination of tailor-made solutions for each employee to help them excel in their career using development intervention, mentoring and fast-track accelerator initiatives.

Al-Futtaim continually reaffirms its commitment to Emiratisation, championing numerous initiatives as the group invests in hiring, attracting, and retaining Emirati talent – and reaching the target workforce percentage in line with the UAE government’s vision. Emiratisation forms a long-standing priority within the national agenda, as the government looks to build a competitive economy where every UAE national can unlock their potential.

As part of measures to boost private sector Emiratisation, the UAE announced the allocation of an investment of AED 24 billion in 2021 to create 75,000 new private sector jobs for UAE nationals by 2026. Plans to boost the number of Emiratis working in the UAE’s private sector as part of the country’s ambitious ‘Projects of the 50’ have been welcomed by local recruitment and HR experts.

Recognising that the implementation of Emiratisation objectives can only be successful through the heavy involvement of UAE family-owned businesses, Al-Futtaim seeks to capture best practices by taking part in different forums designed to bring together decision-makers and prominent figures for unified efforts towards Emiratisation. The Family Business Council Gulf event’s first event, led by Al-Futtaim Group, was held in attendance of senior representatives from UAE-born family groups such as Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group LLC, Al Ghurair Investment, and Al Yousuf Group among others.