Furthering The Development Of Nationals Throughout The GCC Region 25 September 2007, Middle East Company News

Due to the high demand from attendees of the June 1st Annual GCC Nationalisation Summit and the large number of companies who are actively seeking solutions but were unable to attend June’s summit, the summit will be taking place once more in October.

Sara Al Ghanem, Duroob Program Executive of Rotana Hotels said “I have been able to solve problems with the information provided and come up with new ideas” and Kawthar Saeed, UAE National Development Specialist, TECOM Investments said “personally, I have benefited from this event - It is a good way of networking and understanding critical solutions.”

Whether it be Emiratisation, Saudisation, Bahrainisation, Qatarisation, Kuwaitisation or Omanisation, Nationalisation is vital to the development of the region. Nationalisation of the private sector is a primary objective for all gulf countries.

Many companies and organisations are actively pursing different methodologies to attract, recruit, and retain National talent within their organisation however because it is a relatively new focus for many companies and industries, many HR and Nationalisation Managers are having to develop strategies that they think will work, without knowing whether they will until quite sometime afterwards.

Every country in the gulf is faced with this current challenge however all have been handling it in various ways and have seen varied results.

The GCC Nationalisation Summit provides the opportunity for all cross-industry HR Managers and Nationalisation Managers from around the region to meet with regional peers, universities and government officials at the same time to discuss the different methodologies that have worked but more importantly to share what hasn’t. “This is the first time I have attended a conference like this,” Niel Brown, Human Resource Manager BAE Systems. It was “a time saving, cost effective way to design a ‘best fit’ solution” Salwa Saleh, Recruitment Coordinator, Dubai Maritime City

As many officials and professionals have realized there is no perfect formula. “Only by sharing our experiences across the GCC countries can we hope to achieve our common aim to provide meaningful long term careers for our young people,” Azzah Al Sharhan, Director, Emirates National Development Programme said before June’s GCC Nationalisation Summit. She continued saying that the GCC Nationalisation Summit which is the first of its kind “provides a platform for having that dialogue and we look forward to sharing our experiences towards a greater cause, not only of a country but of a whole region.”