By Elizabeth Broomhall www.arabianbusiness.com
More than 10 percent of staff set to work for the Dubai Metro’s new Green Line will be Emirati, the head of the Metro’s operator and maintainer has said.
Up to 150 of the second lines’ 800 employees, which will include ticket sales staff, security personnel, train drivers and maintenance workers, will be UAE nationals, the CEO of Serco Middle East Zafar Raja has said.
“We are in the process of recruiting and training for the Green Line,” he told Arabian Business in an interview. “We anticipate that at least… 100 to 150 [of the staff] will be coming from the Emiratis.”
He added that to date, just over 250 of the 1200 employees employed for the Dubai Metro Red Line were locals, some of which were receiving training, some of which had received training and were already delivering services.
Employment of Emiratis has become a key government priority following the social unrest in the Middle East, which was sparked by popular discontent over joblessness, poverty and food shortages.
The UAE, though relatively unscathed by the turmoil, wants to ensure political instability in the future by increasing the number of locals in employment.
According to analysts, around 14 percent of nationals in the OPEC member state are out of work, whilst unemployment across the board is almost twice the level that it is in Egypt.
In Abu Dhabi, many government organisations are embarking on a policy of ‘Emiratisation’, according to a recent report.
In Dubai, the Metro, which is due for expansion in the future, is considered to be a key opportunity for job creation.
Once the Green Line is operational in September, it will have as many as 2000 staff to operate and maintain services.
