The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announced that the private health sector in the UAE has started signing ‘Studying Citizen Employment Contract’ with Emirati university students enrolled in the Nafis’ Healthcare Programme.

The announcement comes after Health and Medical Services (HMS Group) signed contracts with UAE citizens studying various medical disciplines, including nursing, medical imaging, and medical laboratories. These contracts will provide vocational training opportunities for citizens at HMS’s Al Garhoud Hospital and Mirdif Hospital, while they continue their education. The contracts ensure suitable job opportunities for UAE nationals in their respective specialties upon successful completion of the programme.

The Ministry urged healthcare companies to benefit from the advantages offered by the ‘Studying Citizen Employment Contract’ as it will be counted in companies’ annual Emiratisation targets.

The Healthcare programme currently has over 2300 registered students and targets 2,000 national students annually.

In collaboration with the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis), MoHRE introduced a new employment contract called ‘Studying Citizen Employment Contracts,’ to be signed by the employer and Emiratis student enrolled in one of the programmes supported and approved by Nafis.

The contract allows a citizen to earn a monthly allowance of at least AED4,000, with the requirement of registering them in an authorised pension fund in the UAE.

Companies would need to amend the Emirati students’ employment contract upon their graduation, updating it to a ‘Full-Time Employment of UAE Nationals Contract’, using MoHRE-approved forms, in addition to adjusting their salary according to each company’s regulations.

The contract period after modification should be equal to or longer than the duration the student spent studying during their ‘Studying Citizen Employment Contract,’ as companies are required to enrol them in professions within their field of specialisations.

HE Farida Al Ali, Assistant Undersecretary of National Human Resources Employment at MoHRE, said: “This step benefits both parties, providing Emirati students with training opportunities that lead to a job in the same field and establishment after graduating from university, while supporting targeted companies in meeting their required Emiratisation targets.”

Al Ali praised the initiative from HMS Group to begin signing contracts with student citizens and urged other establishments to follow suit, noting that this would strengthen the Emiratisation process in the private sector to the benefit of the citizens and companies alike.

For her part, Reema Essayed, Chief Human Resources Manager at HMS Group, said the Group’s HR division coordinated with relevant departments across HMS facilities – including Al Garhoud Hospital, Mirdif Hospital, FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence Dubai, and DxBone Excellence Centre to develop a training programme that aligns with the approved academic curriculum for students and Health Authority requirements.

“These efforts reflect our commitment at HMS Group to contribute to the training and qualification of students in the healthcare sector, in a bid to establish a qualified body of Emirati medical professionals for future employment in healthcare,” Essayed said.