Dubai Expo 2020 has changed mindsets about people with disabilities

An Emirati man who was Expo 2020 Dubai's first employee with a disability is now thriving in a new role in the private sector.

Salem Bawazir was the first person with a disability to secure a job at Expo 2020 Dubai in March 2020. He worked as a human resources administrator at the expo. In his role, he was proud to lead an inclusion programme aimed at recruiting and training people with disabilities.

However, when the curtain came down on the world's fair in March last year, Mr Bawazir had to search for another job. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child and has since refused to let his challenges hinder his career aspirations.

Following nine months of job searching, Mr Bawazir, 50, landed a job at Dubai-based Bayut & dubizzle, a real estate, marketing and advertising firm, as an employee in December with the help from ImInclusive, a career-matching app that connects people with disabilities with inclusive employers in the Middle East.

He said he began his job search in March 2022 and applied for positions at companies and government bodies without success. Since December, he has been working in the learning and development team as part of Bayut & dubizzle's HR department.

Official figures from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation show that close to 68,000 Emiratis are now employed in the country's private sector – with the workforce increasing by more than a third so far this year.

The UAE has embarked on a major Emiratisation drive to support local employment in the private sector, which remains a key driver of economic development.

UAE authorities last month reminded businesses that June 30 is the next deadline for private sector companies with 50 employees or more to hit their six-month Emiratisation target.

Employers must hit a target of 4 per cent of their staff being Emirati by January 1, 2024, rising to 10 per cent by the end of 2026.