eFinancialCareers

Dubai is doing its best to encourage banks to hire more nationals. It won't reduce demand for overseas talent, say recruiters.

The Human Resources Development Committee for the financial sector says the programme, known as 'emiratisation', is intended to drive more than 200k United Arab Emirates (UAE) nationals into employment – with many of them going into the financial sector.

The aim? To ensure half of roles are filled by local employees by the end of this year.

Recruiters say the push reflects nationals' eagerness to find jobs in finance. "Local graduates, in particular, are being encouraged to take up employment in the banking industry," says Lesley Saudi, a recruitment consultant at Clarendon Parker Middle East. "We are certainly witnessing increased interest from our financial services clients in recruiting UAE nationals," she adds.

But where does this leave expats looking to Dubai as a career destination?

Given the massive economic boom in the UAE – and particularly Dubai – recruiters say there's little fear that the existing foreign community will be affected, at least not in the short term.

"Emiratisation is a game of numbers. It is all about how can you bring in more local people, how can you make your organisation look good," says one veteran ex-pat.