SHARJAH: His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the 20th edition of the National Career Exhibition, on Wednesday, at Expo Centre Sharjah. The inauguration was also attended by Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salem Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and a number of Sheikhs.

His Highness Sheikh Sultan cut the traditional ribbon that marked the official opening of the event, and then toured the exhibition, where he met a number of officials from the participating establishments. They briefed His Highness on the fields of employment, job opportunities and training programs offered by their institutions to Emirati graduates.

The exhibition, which is organised by Expo Centre Sharjah in partnership with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS) and the Sharjah Government’s Directorate of Human Resources, is an important and beneficial event, especially for Emirati job-seekers.

The exhibition aims to connect graduates with various public and private sector institutions, as well as facilitate their recruitment, training and development.

The exhibition has witnessed a significant increase in the number of participants, with more than 100 governmental and private entities participating, while the previous year saw a total of 80 entities participating.

Banks, ministries, government departments, all wings of the Armed Forces, investment companies, private institutions, insurance companies and others are among the entities that are offering employment opportunities to Emiratis.

The inauguration was also attended by Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI, Dr Tariq Sultan Bin Khadem, Member of the Sharjah Executive Council and Chairman of the Sharjah Government’s Directorate of Human Resources, Jamal Al Jasmi, General Manager of EIBFS and Head of HR Development Committee in the Banking and Financial Sector, Saif Mohamed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, and a number of heads and directors of federal and local departments and institutions, as well as members of the Board of Directors of Sharjah Chamber and bank executives.

AWARDS CEREMONY

His Highness Sheikh Sultan honoured Saqr Ghabash, former Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, for his support and efforts to strengthen Emirati human resource and boost Emiratisation.

His Highness also honoured the UAE Central Bank for supporting Emiratisation in the banking sector and presented the award to Saif Hadaf Al Shamsi, Assistant Governor for Monetary Policy and Banking Supervision, who attended the event on behalf of the Governor.

His Highness also honoured the banks that achieved the highest percentage of Emiratisation. His Highness also presented the Human Resources Development (HRD) Awards for the banking and financial sectors and presented the Best Emiratisation CEO Award.

The HRD Awards were presented in two categories. The first category comprised banks that hired a total number of 1,000 employees and above. The honour was awarded to Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and was presented to  Khamis Bou Haroun, Deputy Chairman and Acting CEO, as well as Sharjah Islamic Bank, where the Award was presented to Mohammed Ahmed Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of the Bank.

The second category was presented to banks who hired a total of 500 employees and above, and the category was won by Commercial International Bank (CIB), where the Award was received by Mark Robinson, CEO of the Bank.

Mohammed Ahmed Abdullah, CEO of Sharjah Islamic Bank, won the Best CEO award, while Magda Al Suwaidi, Head of Integration of Retail Banking at First Abu Dhabi Bank, won the Outstanding Woman Award in the Banking and Financial sector. 

The awards aim to enhance Emiratisation efforts and have been particularly successful since their inception in 1999. They hold a special place in supporting human resource development and Emiratisation policies.

SEED BANK

Sheikh Sultan opened Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium (SSBH) in Al Dhaid City. The SSBH, which is affiliated to Sharjah Research Academy, was completed by the Sharjah Directorate of Public Works.