The Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (Dafza) plans to increase the number of employees across all its sectors by 80 per cent in the next three years.

Its plans have been boosted by its participation in the onging 15th edition of Careers UAE at the Dubai World Trade Centre, which is bringing together leading government authorities, academic organisations and UAE-based international companies under one roof, said a statement.

Careers UAE 2015 offers an ideal opportunity for Dafza to explore new prospects for developing its personnel by attracting well-qualified national talents capable of contributing to its efforts to consolidate Dubai’s position as an international centre for business and investment and drive national economic growth, it said.

Through its specialised pavilion, Dafza is showcasing job vacancies for emirati nationals eager to build a successful career in the industry.

Yousuf Ali Behzad, assistant director general – people growth and strategy, Dafza, said that the freezone’s participation in Careers UAE 2015 is a response to the directives of the wise leadership to optimally invest in creative local talents and prepare them to lead the overall march to development and steer the economy towards greater heights.

The investment in human resources is one of the core institutional values ​​of Dafza and is at the forefront of its strategic priorities and national responsibilities, he said.

Behzad referred to Dafza’s related achievements such as the localisation of senior management positions by 100 per cent.

Emiratis now form 76.1 per cent of medium-sized departments, while the percentage of nationals currently pursuing their studies has reached 10 per cent of the freezone’s total employee population, he said.

“Dafza was among the first enterprises to support the ‘Absher’ initiative. Our efforts in this regard have culminated with the employment of 33 Emiratis within the free zone,” said Behzad.

“We have made advanced steps in terms of strategically building a generation of local leaders capable of upholding the UAE’s global economic status map and enhancing Dafza’s standing as one of the most advanced free zones in the world. We have also achieved remarkable progress in empowering Emirati women as we have a 33 per cent ratio of women leaders,” he said.

“Careers UAE is an important platform which enabled us to communicate with elite locals and attract them to Dafza in which we can provide them with vocational training and career development programs to help them improve their capabilities further. This complements our aim of making UAE Nationals form up to 80 per cent of our workforce in the next three years,” Behzad added. - TradeArabia News Service