An Emirati man who was Expo 2020 Dubai's first employee with a disability is now thriving in a new role in the private sector.
Salem Bawazir was the first person with a disability to secure a job at Expo 2020 Dubai in March 2020. He worked as a human resources administrator at the expo.
In his role, he was proud to lead an inclusion programme aimed at recruiting and training people with disabilities.
However, when the curtain came down on the world's fair in March last year, Mr Bawazir had to search for another job.
He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child and has since refused to let his challenges hinder his career aspirations.
Following nine months of job searching, Mr Bawazir, 50, landed a job at Dubai-based Bayut & dubizzle, a real estate, marketing and advertising firm, as an employee in December with the help from ImInclusive, a career-matching app that connects people with disabilities with inclusive employers in the Middle East.
“I was looking for a job and received a message from them assisting me. I got their support to find my desired job with Bayut & dubizzle. It is my first job since Expo. I'm very lucky,” Mr Bawazir told The National.
He said he began his job search in March 2022 and applied for positions at companies and government bodies without success.
I have new exciting responsibilities and challenges, building accessible learning experiences for my colleagues in Arabic and English
Salem Bawazir
“Some didn't proceed with my application and others didn't respond,” he said. “I believe we need time to build the mindset of many employers and create a new generation that believes in equality and equity for all.”
Since December, he has been working in the learning and development team as part of Bayut & dubizzle's HR department.
“I have new exciting responsibilities and challenges, building accessible learning experiences for my colleagues in Arabic and English,” he said.
Mr Bawazir said the atmosphere at his new job was positive, friendly and welcoming.
He played a vital role in hiring people with a range of disabilities at Expo Dubai 2020, with many securing jobs in photography, finances, visitor experience and administration.
He previously worked for a books and stationery company, a hospitality firm and even started a small graphic design business.
Last year, he lined up with other jobseekers at the Ru'ya Careers UAE Fair at Dubai World Trade Centre.
“[Living with a] disability is not a barrier for me,” he said.
Eslam Elbahhar, team lead of learning and development at Bayut & dubizzle, told The National that companies in the private sector should invest in hiring Emiratis.
“It is essential for companies to prioritise and invest in hiring and developing local talent. Emiratis bring unique perspectives, skills and experiences to the workplace, and their contributions are valuable in driving sustainable growth and innovation in the UAE economy,” he said.
Mr Elbahhar said that he hired Mr Bawazir because he came across as enthusiastic, driven and self-motivated in his first interview.
“It was also great to discover how tech-savvy and creative he is in our training case study, further assuring us that he is the right fit for our team and will continue to build innovative digital learning and development experiences for our colleagues across the country,” he added.
Mr Bawazir believes his fellow Emiratis can be successful by working at private sector companies.
“To all Emirati job seekers and people of determination searching for jobs, the doors are open for you,” he said. “I believe that every one of you has the qualifications and skills to fit any suitable position you seek.
“With determination, you can achieve your goals and succeed in any field you choose.”
Tens of thousands of Emiratis have been successful in securing jobs in the private sector.
Official figures from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation show that close to 68,000 Emiratis are now employed in the country's private sector – with the workforce increasing by more than a third so far this year.
The UAE has embarked on a major Emiratisation drive to support local employment in the private sector, which remains a key driver of economic development.
UAE authorities last month reminded businesses that June 30 is the next deadline for private sector companies with 50 employees or more to hit their six-month Emiratisation target.
Employers must hit a target of 4 per cent of their staff being Emirati by January 1, 2024, rising to 10 per cent by the end of 2026.
Companies attempting to circumvent Emiratisation targets will be fined up to Dh500,000 ($136,160).
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Sri Lanka World Cup squad
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal.
Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Premier League results
Saturday
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1
Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Huddersfield Town 0
Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3
Manchester United 3 Southampton 2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Cardiff City 0
West Ham United 2 Newcastle United 0
Sunday
Watford 2 Leicester City 1
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
