9 Five-star hotels join tourism industry Emiratisation

With the adequate training and awareness creation, he said the number of UAE Nationals working in Hotels jumped from 15 in 2002 to 723 now, largely as the result of a job-linked training scheme being conducted by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). Mr. Bin Sulayem said the Emiratisation is part of the DTCM strategy.

Mr. Ahmed Al Tayer, Chairman of ENDP Board of Trustees, Mr. Khalid A Bin Sulayem, DTCM Director General and Mr. Ibrahim Yaqoot, Executive Director Human Resources Training Solutions addressed the ceremony.

Mr. Ahmed Al Tayer congratulated the graduating trainees and hoped that they would make a real difference in their new jobs. Their performance would attract more youth to follow them, he added.

Mr. Ahmed Al Tayer underscored the need for creating more job opportunities for the UAE nationals and attracting talented youngsters to jobs in promising industries like tourism.

Mr. Ibrahim Yaqoot, Executive Director Human Resource & Training Solutions said that a total of 23 UAE Nationals men and women graduated the Maharat program currently and were employed by nine participating Hotels. The program is launched by DTCM and Emiratisation Task Force for Tourism in collaboration with TANMIA, Emirates Nationals Development Programme (ENDP) and Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM).

Mr. Ibrahim Yaqoot expressed his gratitude to the participating hotels which were: Jabel Ali International Hotels; Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates; Narriott Hotel; Shangri-La Hotel; Dusit Dubai; Hilton Jumeirah Hotel; Novotel WTC Hotel; Dubai World Trade Centre Hotel; and Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Among the prominent Mr. Eyad Ali Abdul Rahman, Executive Director Media Relations and Acting Director, Business Development, Ms. Nadia Salem, Executive Hospitality & Emiratisation Task Force, Ms. Feddah Lootah, Acting DG, Tanmia, Mr. Azzah Al Shrhan, Director, The Emirates Academy, and John Mowatt, Director Emiratisation Project attended the ceremony.

The program contents included English language programme; hotel business communication, hotel interpersonal and team skills workshops, introduction to the hospitality industry; core hospitality industry workplace skills, introduction to hotel departments, job categories and job competencies.

The ETFT intends to run up to five Hospitality Industry Maharat programmes per year to significantly boost the employment of UAE nationals in hotels. The DTCM is also conducting various training programmes for the tourism industry, including Cambridge International Diploma in Tourism.