In a presentation titled ‘The Impact of Leadership on the Retention of Nationals’, Yahya Al Marzouqi, Senior Advisor to the CEO at Abu Dhabi-based petrochemicals producer Borouge, said inconsistency in education systems and candidate inexperience were also factors challenging the integration of the UAE’s 15,000 graduates entering the workforce every year.
With further downstream development, the region’s petrochemical industry can be a significant source of jobs for Gulf citizens, considering the substantial investments earmarked for the sector in the near to medium term, said Dr. Abdul Wahab Al- Sadoun, Secretary General of the Gulf Chemicals and Petrochemicals Association.
Over 150 senior HR professionals representing regional and multinational chemicals and petrochemicals players met in Dubai yesterday to share insights and best practice on recruitment and talent management issues in the Gulf.
Al Marzouqi of Borouge, one of over 20 top industry executives speaking at the convention, told the Annual GPCA Human Capital Convention that lack of empowerment and poor recognition were two of the main reasons why UAE nationals abandoned jobs in the private sector.
“The fact the UAE youth unemployment rate is nearly double the world average of around 12 per cent shows the importance of HR management and the need for greater company leadership to integrate UAE nationals more effectively into the workforce,” Dr. Al Sadoun of the GPCA, said.
The annual GPCA human capital convention started with a pre- conference workshop on the role of leadership in driving, managing and sustaining change for operational excellence, facilitated by Ms. Hala Al Turki, Partner and Senior Leadership Trainer at Abu Dhabi’s Altaaat Leadership Development Institute.
Other speakers at the convention included Wim Roels, Chief Executive Officer of Borouge Pte; Saskia Niessen, HR Director of Lyondell Bassel; Salma Hajjaj, Leadership Development Manager at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation; Dr. Jamal Al Ammari, Head of Qatarisation and HR Account Manager at Shell; Maha Khatib, Partner of Learnactive; and Ken Delve, Director Middle East at PetroSkills.
“Rapidly evolving technology, industry globalisation and the growing scale of the Gulf petrochemicals sector are increasing the demands on leadership, in terms of both operational strategy and team management,” Dr. Al Sadoun, said. “The GCPA Human Capital Convention explores the tools and best practices needed to help those leading our industry navigate future challenges and opportunities successfully.”