Dubal receives more than 2,700 applications during 2008 Careers Fair

The company's exhibition stand attracted 2,772 visitors, the majority of who submitted their resumés in the hopes of obtaining employment at Dubai's industrial flagship.

The Fair - which was inaugurated by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Defence- has become one of the biggest and most sought-after forums for aspiring work-seekers to meet with prospective employers and obtain information regarding the career options available.

In addition to a large exhibition stand, Dubal hosted a huge drive to entice the interest of young UAE nationals.

This took the form of a raffle-type activity whereby students registered their names and details electronically, for the chance to win one of three great prizes - namely a laptop, an iPod and a mobile telephone.

"The response this year was overwhelming, confirming Dubal's status as an employer of choice in the region," said Ibrahim Nassir, General Manager: HR & Organisational Effectiveness.

"As in prior years, the use of an electronic platform has allowed us to capture the students' information directly into our database, making it readily available for use in identifying potential talent to meet our organisational requirements in terms of age group, background, qualifications and skills".

Nassir advises that Dubal aims to recruit at least 240 UAE Nationals in 2008. He says that more than 3,500 job applications were received at last year's Careers UAE Fair, enabling the company to recruit more than 220 UAE Nationals during the course of the year.

Dubal's participation in the annual Careers UAE Fair forms part of the initiatives undertaken by the company's National Programmes & Development department so as to increase the proportion of UAE Nationals in the organisation.

Other activities include several training and career development programmes for UAE Nationals, including pre-employment courses in several disciplines, a work placement programme for tertiary students, a comprehensive graduate training programme, a scholarship scheme and a development pool that aids in career growth and succession planning.

The aluminium giant's nationalisation efforts are bearing fruit.

At the end of 2007, the proportion of UAE Nationals among Dubal's total workforce of more than 3,700 employees amounted to 22%.

Currently, the proportion of UAE National representation at senior management level is approximately 74%.

These statistics compare very favourably against Dubai's average Emiratisation level of 4%.