MADINAT ZAYED // For decades, young people in Al Gharbia have faced the prospect of leaving their families and homes behind if they wanted to pursue careers.
But as part of efforts by the Government to stem migration from the vast region, students and job-seekers yesterday attended the first Al Gharbia Career Fair at the Madinat Zayed's Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) campus. The event was supported by the Western Region Development Council (WRDC) and will move to the HCT in Ruwais later this week.
Although Al Gharbia accounts for more than 80 per cent of Abu Dhabi Emirate's area, it has just eight per cent of the population. In recent years, with limited job opportunities in the vast and isolated region, young people have had to move to cities such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai to find work.
But with millions of dirhams being invested to entice people back to this resource-rich area, the situation is changing. The fair was designed to support employment opportunities and career development in the region, said Mohammed al Hosani, acting director of the WRDC's regional development division.
"Lots of people here cannot always reach Abu Dhabi for these types of events, so it is the WRDC's job to bring things to the region," Mr Hosani said.
"We thought that by directly bringing the students to meet the consultants and representatives from the companies they would be able to build a link."
Government initiatives such as Tanmia have a presence at the fair, coaching students and job seekers on such things as how to put together a CV, interview techniques and how to find jobs to suit individual skills.
Some of the largest employers in Al Gharbia participated in the first day of the fair, along with several private sector companies newer to the region. Representatives from 19 companies, government entities and development organisations in Al Gharbia and beyond manned stands.
Fares al Mazroui, from Madinat Zayed, was among those who attended. With just two weeks to go before finishing his course at the HCT, he is interested in a position as a manager's assistant, either in the government or in the private sector.
Only a generation ago, Mazroui family life revolved around their desert environment, he said. Now, Mr Mazroui, 21, the eldest of seven children, is ready to follow his own path.
I want a good future for me and my family," he said. "When I have a good job and a house, I will get married and if I find a good job, I'll stay here."
At 21, Matar al Mansoori, is insistent he will buck the trend of leaving Al Gharbia. He has been studying applied business and technology.
"My father's generation had an old experience, where they worked by themselves to provide just what was needed for life," he said. "I see my future in Madinat Zayed, I might want to open a small shop here after I finish my degree or work for the WRDC. I feel like there are many opportunities for young people now."
Hamdan al Mazroui, 20, is the student council president at HCT Madinat Zayed. In his last year, he is looking for a job, perhaps in the local municipality or the private sector; he may also start his own small business.
"Even for my older brother, who is 32, things were different - you just finished school and that was it," he said. "Now you have to have high school and higher education."
One exhibitor, Abu Dhabi Gas Industries (Gasco), is hiring more than 1,000 new staff, said Mohammed Abdullah of the company's plant training and development section. "We hope to employ them all in 2009, including engineers and technicians," he said.
Al Gharbia has the country's largest oil fields and refineries and most of its gas fields, so there is a need for specialists, said Dr Philip Quirke, director of the Madinat Zayed and Ruwais HCTs.
"We wanted students from Grade 10 onwards to link with employers to raise awareness about jobs in the region, such as the need for professions like engineering," he said.
The Madinat Zayed colleges opened to students in 2006 and will have its first graduates at the end of this academic year. There are 650 students enrolled at the Madinat Zayed and Ruwais campuses.
The career fair will hold a women-only session today, before moving to Ruwais on Wednesday and Thursday.
zconstantine@thenational.ae
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
SPECS
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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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
Company%20profile
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
Company%20Profile
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57%20Seconds
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AGUERO'S PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD
Apps: 186
Goals: 127
Assists: 31
Wins: 117
Losses: 33
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
Could%20We%20Be%20More
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Most%20polluted%20cities%20in%20the%20Middle%20East
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MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
%3Cp%3E1.%20Chad%3Cbr%3E2.%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E4.%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E5.%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E6.%20Burkina%20Faso%3Cbr%3E7.%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E8.%20India%3Cbr%3E9.%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E10.%20Tajikistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
