Dubai's real estate sector created more than 2,100 jobs for Emiratis in three years
The Dubai Land Department's Real Estate Empowerment Programme shows what a sector-level Emiratisation pipeline looks like when career pathways, not just headcount, are the design goal.
Photo: Norlando Pobre (CC BY 2.0)
Between 2023 and 2026, the Dubai Land Department's Real Estate Empowerment Programme created more than 2,100 employment opportunities for UAE nationals in real estate companies, a marked rise on the baseline recorded when the programme launched.
What distinguishes it from a straightforward hiring drive is the structure around the hire: career awareness before the application, job matching, practical training, and continued development support inside the participating company. DLD credits that structure for improving retention, which is where most Emiratisation programmes struggle.
The programme runs with the Emirati Human Resources Development Council in Dubai, MoHRE and Nafis. For employers in property, facilities and brokerage, it is a ready-made channel — and a useful template for any sector trying to move from meeting a quota to building a bench.
What it means for employers
- Pair every Emirati hire with a named development pathway; retention, not offer acceptance, is the measurable outcome.
- Sector programmes like DLD's give you a pre-screened pipeline — use them before paying for open-market search.
- Track first-year attrition of national hires separately; it is the number regulators and boards will ask about.
Related pages
Summarised by the Horizon GCC team. Original reporting: Khaleej Times
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