Emaar Middle East, the subsidiary of Emaar Properties developing Jeddah Gate and Al Khobar Lakes in Saudi Arabia, said it was committed to nationalisation of workforce with more than 50 per cent of the employees being Saudis, as of end-2008.

The Saudi human resource base of Emaar Middle East comprises qualified professionals – men and women – who work in varied sectors including administration, sales & marketing, engineering, project management, finance, corporate communication and human resources.

Alaa Abdullah Saed, chief executive officer, Emaar Middle East, said: 'We are committed to the government’s focus on empowering the Saudi nationals by creating promising job opportunities and nurturing their careers.'

'Saudi nationals are taking the lead in various job roles, with several of them in leading positions in our management, engineering, construction and marketing teams,' he remarked.

'The large proportion of Saudi nationals working in our projects also ensures that we play a key role in the socio-economic growth of the Kingdom.'

'Creating the right jobs, finding talented workforce and nurturing their skills is part of the development ethos of Emaar Middle East, as we have already proved,' he added.

Emaar Middle East recorded an increase in Saudi workforce from 45 per cent in 2007 to 53 per cent by 2008.

The company not only recruits Saudi professionals but also conducts regular training sessions to enhance their performance levels and competitiveness.

Highlighting the role of Saudi women within the different departments of the company, Saed said: 'Saudi women play an important role in the organization. We believe in empowering women and making them partners in the development of the nation.'

'Their role is not restricted to office work but play a central role in decision-making and strategy planning,' Saed added.

Emaar Middle East is developing the SR6 billion Jeddah Gate, a master-planned mixed-use project spread over half a million sq m in Jeddah's new downtown, and Al Khobar Lakes, a luxury lakefront development set over 4.3 million sq metres.

Both projects have opened to strong home buyer and investor response and work is progressing as per schedule.-TradeArabia News Service