“Compete 2026”.. From focusing on the number of citizens in the “private” sector to “the quality of Emiratisation”

The Secretary-General of the Emirates Competitiveness Council “NAFES”, Ghannam Al Mazrouei, revealed a new strategic direction for the “NAFES” program during the current year, as the program will move from focusing on the number of citizens working in the private sector to focusing on the quality and quality of Emiratisation, by enhancing the presence of citizens in the jobs of the future, in line with economic transformations and labor market requirements.

He said that the new strategy is based on empowering the citizen through an integrated path starting from the early educational stages, through qualification and employment, all the way to professional stability, noting that the program has gone beyond the limits of its supportive role, turning into an integrated and sustainable national system that leads the qualitative transformation in the management and development of Emirati human capital in the private sector.

He added that Nafs has identified five strategic priorities that form the general framework for the program’s work in the next phase, the most prominent of which is focusing on the jobs of the future by building educational and training paths supported by artificial intelligence, and changing the concepts and behaviors of Emirati youth related to work culture.

In detail, the Secretary-General of the Emirates Competitiveness Council, Ghannam Al Mazrouei, said that the “NAFES” program, since its launch in September 2021 as part of the “50 Projects,” has formed an essential national pillar in enhancing the competitiveness of Emirati cadres, and a practical embodiment of the UAE’s vision that placed the human being at the heart of the development process. Upon an analytical reading of the program’s performance after four years, we find that “NAFES” has transcended the limits of its supportive role, turning into an integrated and sustainable national system that leads a qualitative transformation in the management and development of Emirati human capital in the private sector.

He added in an interview with the Labor Market magazine, issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, that “NAFES” was founded on the firm conviction that investing in people is the most sustainable for the future, and therefore its role was not limited to providing job opportunities, but rather focused on the qualitative empowerment of citizens, building their capabilities, and preparing national competencies for the requirements of the next stage, in a way that enhances their readiness for active participation in vital sectors, and contributes to improving the national economic system as a whole.

He continued that when talking about the achievements of “Nafis”, we are not only reviewing quantitative indicators, but we are also reviewing the impact of an integrated national system that has reshaped the presence of Emirati talent in the private sector. Today, more than 176,000 male and female citizens are working in this sector as of last January, including about 157,000 citizens who joined the labor market after the launch of the program, which reflects an unprecedented structural shift in the path of Emiratisation.

He added: “At the level of the business environment, citizens today work in more than 32 thousand establishments in the private sector, which confirms the expansion of the partnership base with this sector, and the transition of Emiratization from limited models to horizontal spread across various economic sectors. About 137 thousand citizens also benefited from the various support packages provided by the program, which enhances job stability and encourages professional continuity.”

In terms of qualification and capacity building, more than 4,000 citizens benefited from the “Kafaat” program, in addition to more than 3,500 beneficiaries of health sector cadre development programs, of whom more than 370 national competencies graduated to work in one of the most important health sectors. “Nafes” also provided professional guidance services to more than 50,000 beneficiaries, supporting them in making informed and sustainable professional decisions. As for awareness-raising and building institutional culture, more than 700 success stories were published within the “Nafes for” campaign. “Your Way,” to establish inspiring models and change societal concepts. These numbers reflect the transition of “NAFES” from the launch stage to the stage of sustainable impact, and confirm that investing in the Emirati citizen is no longer an option, but rather an essential pillar in building a competitive and knowledge-based national economy.

He stressed that the “Nafis” program was not just an employment initiative, but rather constituted a strategic turning point that reshaped the thinking and professional culture of Emirati youth. Since its launch, the goal was clear, which was to highlight the competitive value of working in the private sector, and to advance it to be a strategic career choice and a first destination for ambition.

He explained that the indicators confirm this fundamental transformation, as the private sector’s attractiveness rate for new graduates increased from 15% to 58%, which means that about six out of every 10 graduates today begin their career in the private sector, an achievement that reflects the program’s ability to transform the strategic vision into a tangible reality. This transformation gains additional importance from the prominent role of Emirati women in vital sectors, as the percentage of Emirati women working in educational jobs in the private sector reached more than 94% last year, and in health professions more than 91%, while the percentage of women in leadership positions reached 54.9%, and this category included legislators and executive directors, and their participation in technical and specialized professions exceeded 71%, which reflects their strong presence in jobs with high added value.

Regarding the most prominent challenges targeted by the program in the Emiratization file, Al Mazrouei said: “The program came as a strategic response to dismantling the structural challenges that hindered the growth of Emiratisation in the past, starting with the challenge of matching qualifications with market needs, all the way to enhancing job and financial security for citizens. The program addressed these challenges through an integrated package of comprehensive solutions, which included establishing the digital platform (Nafis) to facilitate the connection between job seekers and business owners, providing direct financial support for salaries, supporting children’s allowances, and bearing part of retirement contributions. For both parties, in addition to providing unemployment insurance.”

Regarding the program’s strategic vision in 2026, he added: “After achieving a large percentage of the objectives of the previous stage, the program is moving in its strategy for the current year to a more mature stage, focusing on the quality and quality of Emiratization, and not just numbers. The direction in the next stage revolves around moving from increasing the number of citizens working in the private sector to increasing the number of citizens in the jobs of the future, in line with economic transformations and labor market requirements. The new strategy is based on empowering citizens through an integrated path starting from the early educational stages and extending to qualification, employment and professional stability, while strengthening partnerships with the private sector to prepare national cadres for the jobs of the future.”

He stressed the identification of five strategic priorities that constitute the general framework for the work of “NAFES” in the next stage, which include focusing on the jobs of the future by designing an integrated approach to acquiring skills, and building educational and training paths supported by artificial intelligence tools and techniques, which provide citizens with the necessary skills and guidance to ensure their success in sustainable jobs, pointing out that in addition to the partnership with the private sector, “NAFES” seeks to develop the role of companies from being a recipient of Emirati talent to an active partner in manufacturing talent through mechanisms that support the alignment of supply and demand, and enhance professional development and satisfaction. Career opportunities for citizens. The strategy also focuses on changing the concepts and behaviors of Emirati youth, through initiatives targeting life skills and reshaping cultural perceptions regarding the nature of jobs required in the labor market.

He added that the priorities are also based on a fundamental axis, which is data-based excellence through developing a comprehensive research and data system, supported by artificial intelligence, that facilitates decision-making, increases implementation efficiency, and supports a more effective operational model.

He said that “NAFES” is moving with this approach from the stage of focusing on quantity, which contributed to enhancing the attractiveness of the private sector and raising the rates of citizen participation in it, to the stage of focusing on quality and quality by developing national talent, strengthening the role of employers, and ensuring qualitative and sustainable employment that serves both the citizen and the national economy.

. 5 priorities constitute the framework of “Nafs” work, the most prominent of which is changing the perceptions of youth.