Sharjah Ruler opens three-day National Career Exhibition at Expo Centre Sharjah

The exhibition, which runs until Friday (February27), is being held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi and sponsored by du, the UAE's integrated telecom service provider.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Mr Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General of Expo Centre Sharjah, Mr Fasahat Ali Khan, Advisor to the Chairman and Board of Directors of Expo Centre Sharjah, directors of various government departments, and members of the diplomatic corps and trade associations.

After the opening ceremony, Sheikh Sultan, accompanied by the dignitaries, visited the stalls of banking and financial establishments taking part in the exhibition.

They were briefed about the Emiratisation programmes at these institutions and the job opportunities and training programmes available for national job-seekers.

"We attach special significance to the 11th edition of the National Career Exhibition. In the present scenario, where jobs are hard to come by due to the impact of the global financial crisis, the fair will perhaps be the only opportunity for job-seekers to search and find the right career they are looking for,"

said Mr Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa.

"Almost all sectors of the economy have, in one way or other, been affected by the financial crisis. If some companies have put on hold their expansion programmes, others are striving hard to improve efficiency of their existing staff. In this situation, job-seekers will have to rely more on events such as career fairs to find the the right employer," said Mr Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa.

"At the same time, participating companies get an excellent opportunity to spot the right talent available among national graduates, and choose the right person who best suit their HR requirements," said Mr Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa.

To offer assistance to visiting graduates in all possible ways, additional activities like workshops, symposia, counselling and discussion sessions will be held at the show. HR representatives present at their respective company stalls will be another plus point that could help job-seekers enquire about the full details they require from an employer.

The show also witnessed the launch of Edu'09, the higher education pavilion. Leading universities from Syria, Egypt, Jordan and several other countries, apart from UAE-based colleges and universities will showcase their higher educational courses and other continued educational programmes in a variety of disciplines to UAE graduates.

"Edu'09 is a new initiative that will add more value to the National Career Exhibition. Other than finding career opportunities at financial institutions, the pavilion will help graduates find the right educational path that could lead them to a successful profession," said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.

"More than 100 exhibitors are taking part in the show, which is nearly 25% increase in the number of participants compared to the previous show held in 2008," said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.

"Almost all leading financial institutions in the country are participating in the fair, showcasing a whole range of career opportunities for national graduates," said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.

"Their participation will also help these establishments to induct graduates for their internal training programmes and help boost their Emiratisation drive," said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.

Fahad Al Hassawi, Executive Vice President Human Resources, du, said:" We are proud to sponsor this national event. Emiratisation is a key pillar of our HR strategy and this event is in-line with our intention of meeting our Emiratisation objective of 23% by end of 2009. Under this, we plan to recruit over 100 UAE fresh graduates through the MASAR programme this year. Our participation at Sharjah Career Fair is intended to serve the dual objective of meeting prospective Emirati job-seekers and also provide them with a useful insight on job opportunities available with du for them."

According to figures available, the number of UAE nationals working for UAE-based banks stands at 10,218 in 2007, compared to 3,700 in 2002. UAE nationals now represent 31.8% of the 27,000-strong banking workforce.

Major local banks that are participating include Dubai Islamic Bank, Dubai Bank, National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Central Bank of the UAE - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Emirates Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank International - Dubai, Bank of Sharjah, Sharjah Islamic Bank, United Arab Bank and Invest Bank, among others.

Some of the leading international banks at the show are Standard Chartered Bank - Dubai, HSBC Bank Middle East and Barclays Bank - Dubai. For the second year, Ajman Bank and Lloyds TSB Bank will take part.

Apart from banks, other governmental departments from all over UAE are taking part in the show. They include Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Ministries of Environment and Water, Justice, Health, Public Works and Labour.

Money exchanges, free zones, insurance companies and financial consultants are also participating in the exhibition.

The National Career Exhibition is being organised by Expo Centre Sharjah under the sponsorship of du, the UAE's integrated telecom service provider in association with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Human Resources Development Committee in the Banking Sector, and Emirates Institute for the Banking and Financial Studies.

Show timings are from 10am to 8pm daily, except on Friday when it is from 4pm to 10pm.