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Tribune News Network
Doha
TWO-THIRDS of private sector organisations (67%) rarely adopted Qatarisation strategies, according to a new survey report, 'Strategic Qatarisation: Focusing on Meaningful Employment', conducted by Oxford Strategic Consulting (OSC). The report, which was launched at the Gulf Talent Advisory Board (GTAB) Summit co-hosted by OSC and Pinsent Masons on November 10 in Doha, illustrates how focusing on meaningful employment rather than quota-filling can help the government achieve high Qatarisation rates while also reducing pressure on private sector employers.
Qatar's public sector has made great strides in leading Qatarisation. For example, government or semi-government owned organisations were significantly more likely than private sector companies to have a high adoption of Qatarisation strategies (79% vs. 15%).
The government has also pledged to fill 9 out of 10 public sector roles with Qataris by 2026, and the National Vision 2030 aims to provide 50 percent of Qataris with meaningful permanent employment.
Yet if the public sector filled 90 percent of public sector roles with Qataris today, then approximately 145,753 nationals would be needed to fill those roles. As of 2015, there were less than 100,000 economically active Qataris, which leaves a limited labour pool available to semi-government and private sector organisations.
Based on the survey report findings, OSC recommends three key steps to maximise the effectiveness of Qatarisation.
The efforts include focusing on providing meaningful employment opportunities for Qataris rather than on meeting Qatarisation quotas as only 33 percent of surveyed companies stated that they always maximise development and involvement of national talent.
Qatarisation can also be made effective by encouraging organisations to proactively search for Qataris and develop talent pipelines early in all sectors and industries.
Thirdly, all Qataris that aim for public sector roles must receive world-class, globally-recognised training and fully accredited professional qualifications. Given the government's pledge to fill 9 out of 10 public sector roles by 2026, it is critical to ensure that all Qataris entering public sector roles receive such training and investment.
