Emiratization: aligning education with future needs in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Purpose

Through an examination of current opinion and research on Emiratization, the United Arab Emirates' affirmative action policy in banks in Abu Dhabi, the purpose of this paper is to describe contemporary and positive methods of educating and training young Emirates, as alternatives to the present systems which have a punitive orientation and frequently have negative outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Relates ineffective and punitive methods of training at the present time to more humanistic methods such as initiating support systems, group‐work, simulation, role‐play and mentoring, as well as re‐interpretation of traditional Arabic values to better align young recruits with the demands of banking jobs in contemporary, multi‐cultural society.

Findings

Finds that positive training outcomes correlate with positive training methods that inculcate collegiality, initiative and competence within a customer service environment.

Originality/value

The analysis presented seeks to find solutions to the problem of young Emirates' high rate of attrition in financial workplaces. It uses a performance evaluation template to guide mentors and instructors to better train their recruits.

Citation

Pech, R. (2009), "Emiratization: aligning education with future needs in the United Arab Emirates", Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 57-65. https://doi.org/10.1108/17537980910938488