The major challenge facing the Qatarisation drive is the limited supply of qualified nationals both at university and vocational levels, to cope with the fast growing economy and expansion of businesses, and hence the increasing demand for skilled manpower, said an official. The Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah opened the Fifth Annual Qatarisation Review Meeting of the Energy and Industry Sector yesterday. The meeting, held at the Ritz-Carlton was attended by a number of dignitaries, including the Minister of State for Energy and Industry Affairs H E Dr Mohammed Salah Al Sada; Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor Al Thani, Director General of the General Secretariat for Development Planning; Professor Sheikha Al Misnad, President of Qatar University; and senior officials from the energy and industry sector. The day-long meeting included an overview of Qatarisation in the Energy and Industry Sector and the difficulties encountered in its implementation. The first Annual Qatarisation Awards were presented to companies that realised best achievements in 2008. Delivering the keynote speech, Abdullah bin Hamad noted that the country’s energy and industry sector is committed towards the policy of nationalising jobs and hailed support from government and various agencies, noting that without their essential support and continuity the sector would not be able to meet its objectives. “The Sector offers unique structured career opportunities for young Qataris which have been developed and refined over many years. To maintain our competitive advantage, we must draw upon and market the benefits we offer to Qataris through the structured Qatarisation process,” the deputy premier said. The energy and industry sector honoured three companies at the sector’s first Annual Qatarisation Awards presentation. Each award recognises companies, not individuals, who have consistently exhibited excellence over the previous year. Qatar Petroleum was felicitated for its efforts in coordination with the Education Sector; Qatar Shell GTL for its support to Qatarisation Policy; and Qatar Chemical Company Ltd (Q-Chem) for its contribution in training and capacity building. Ahmed Al Emadi, General Manager, Qatar Chemical Company, on behalf of the 38 companies in the Energy and Industry Sector, presented an overview of Qatarisation across the sector. He noted that the number of Qataris in the sector has reached 8,301, increasing by 1,524 compared to 2007. The major challenge facing the Qatarisation Policy is the limited supply of qualified nationals both at the university and vocational levels, to cope with the fast growing economy, expansion of businesses and hence the increasing demand for skilled manpower. Despite their continuing commitment, this constraint restricted the ability of companies to deliver on Qatarisation.” Strong liaison with Qatar’s education sector and participation in career fairs would help in over coming the restraints facing Qatarisation policy, said Al Emadi. Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani, Director General of the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP), said that Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030 has emphasised on Human Development as one of the four pillars. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=May2009&file=Local_News2009051822747.xml

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