United Arab Emirates, which has the world’s seventh largest oil reserves in the world, is the job seeker’s paradise these days. The country which will play host to the Dubai Expo in 2020 at the cost of around $2-3 billion will be inviting employment opportunities in various industries such as construction, hospitality, retail, transport and commercial sector.   However, there is more good news on the employment front for the differently abled as some UAE firms are giving them a second chance at making future safe and secure by integrating them into their workforce.

A trend that started back in 2012

The trend has been on for quite some time now. In 2012, a UAE-based businessman Fakih N P, the managing director of Fakih Collections of Handicrafts and Antique Products, was in headlines for employing more than 3,850 artisans, most of them either handicapped or widows, and in need of a constant source of income. In an interview given to emirates24        Fakih said, “Older people have little access to care, and their families have to take care of them. By empowering old women to work, we are helping their mental well-being and allowing them to lead a healthy life in their old age. Customers who buy Fakih products are indirectly helping poor people in several developing countries,”. Fakih is a self-made businessman, has a sales turnover of Dh312 million and operates out of India, his home country and other developing countries like Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia.

Government extending complete support

He is not the only one doing the good work. The local government is also exerting efforts in this direction. Under a deal between the Ministry of Social Affairs and Majid Al Futtaim Ventures, people with disabilities will receive training, career development and job opportunities. As a part of the agreement, products and handmade goods created by people with disabilities will be promoted at Majid Al Futtaim’s retail outlets and at centers owned by the ministry. The noble cause for which this partnership has been forged is to help people with disabilities get integrated with the mainstream society. These individuals will feel proud of themselves and experience enhanced self-esteem.  A federal law issued in 2006 and later amended in 2009 protects the roles and rights of people with disabilities.

Current scenario

The recent trends are showing an increase in interest of companies to hire special needs people, with Dubai-based firm alone hiring 35 such candidates. The Jumeirah Creekside Hotel has hired around 9 special needs people in the last month and is training them. The students have graduated from Manzil, a 10-year old center that currently has 42 students in the expansive age group 4 to 32 years.  Many students have been successfully placed with permanent jobs after graduation. The salaries paid to these special needs employee is at par with what normal employees get. Ebraham Ali, the specialist trainer hired by Desert Group tells, “Their salaries range between Dh3,500 and Dh7,000. They get labor contracts, annual vacations and free air tickets just like other employees,”. These organizations do not discriminate on the basis of nationalities. Uday Deep, an Indian expat who suffers from Down syndrome earns Dh3,600 per month, working at the company’s nursery.

These developments are heartening and show the sensitive side of UAE and its economy. The country is already an undisputed dream destination for jobseekers from all over the world. With differently abled getting more attention than before, the future may see Dubai and UAE turning into the dream destination of the special needs employee as well.