Championing Emirati Hospitality
By doing more to nurture local talent, Emiratisation of the hospitality industry is going from strength to strength
As well as being lured by the gorgeous beaches, cultural attractions and award-winning restaurants, when people
travel to the UAE they expect to experience world-famous Emirati hospitality. This is why its so important to have high numbers of Nationals carving successful careers for themselves within the hotels industry. They know the country and see the potential of growing with it. Indeed, they are its biggest asset.
As the leading Hotel Management Company in the Middle East & Africa, nurturing Emirati employees is essential to Rotanas DNA and this is why weve been working hard to recruit Nationals from the start. Of course, Emiratisation of the hospitality industry has its challenges, but businesses are now teaming up to help change perceptions and show that a career in the industry can be incredibly rewarding.
For instance, Rotana is in touch with various universities in the region and is exhibiting at career fairs such as Tawdeef in Abu Dhabi to show how entry-level jobs can be a brilliant platform for building a long and successful career. However, were keen to employ Nationals at all levels of the organisation.
Thanks to our efforts, we have cultivated a loyal workforce and many individuals have worked their way up the ranks. For instance, one of our employees was promoted from being a Security Officer to a Government Relations Co-ordinator in the space of a year and there are many more examples like this. We have also recently appointed our first Emirati Assistant Director, who is now working on two new properties, Al Ghurair Rayhaan by Rotana and Al Ghurair Arjaan by Rotana, which are set to open soon in Dubai.
"There are no better people to run the tourism industry in the UAE than the Nationals themselves"
In the near future, we plan to introduce dedicated mentoring programmes for Nationals as well as more flexible working arrangements to ensure that we are offering packages that suit their needs. Already, we have alcohol-free properties for those who do not want to work in hotels that serve alcohol we have properties across the Emirates, making Rotana a more viable option for people who arent based in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. We offer part-time opportunities for students and, for all Nationals who join, we make sure they receive one-on-one help and attention from our General Managers.
There is huge potential for the new generation of young, talented Emiratis to excel in this industry, and the opportunities are there for the taking. Soon, we would like to be able to appoint an Emirati General Manager at one of our hotels.
Ultimately, whether you go into customer service, finance or even become our new General Manager, being the face of your country is an important role to play and something that we can all be proud of.
To find out more about careers at Rotana, visit www.rotanacareers.com
