His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, instructed the allocation of AED 24 billion to create 75,000 new private sector jobs for Emiratis in the next five years, with 15,000 jobs to be created annually.  This comes as part of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Programme launched by the UAE Government under the second set of ‘Projects of the 50’ aimed at boosting the national economy and realising a qualitative developmental shift in the UAE.  

This was announced during an event organised by the 50-year Development Plan Committee to unveil the second set of ‘Projects of the 50’.  It was held at Qasr Al Watan Fin Abu Dhabi, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, along with a number of UAE Government ministers and officials, as well as members of local and regional media.  

“This Federal National Programme supports the private sector in providing jobs for Emiratis and establishes a new phase in our development process, a phase characterised by the competitiveness of both our national cadres and our private sector,” said HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.  

His Highness added, “The UAE, under the leadership of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and with the vision of both HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has embarked on the next 50-year journey, placing human and economic empowerment as its top priorities to create the best and most competitive economic environment.”  

The UAE Government also announced an Alumni Fund with a capital of AED 1 billion under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which will grant micro-loans to university students and fresh graduates, in co-operation with national universities, in order to support them in exploring new business start-ups.  

This scheme aims at nurturing graduate entrepreneurs and business owners from national universities, as well as to involve those universities in the establishment of new companies and institutions that support the UAE’s national economy.