DOHA: Unlike private companies that are widely accused of being reluctant to employ Qatari nationals, the banking sector has been quite actively absorbing citizens in jobs.
At least one bank has gone to the extent of identifying Qatari talent at a young age and has put in place a programme whereby students are provided scholarships with the condition that when they finish their university education they must serve the bank.
The scholarship programme encourages students to take up subjects like accountancy, business studies, marketing and English language and literature, for instance, that would help them to excel in banking jobs.
The human resource director of Mashreq Bank said currently 24 percent of the bank's staff members are citizens and they are in all kinds of positions, including in administrative jobs as well as in customer services, credit and sales.
Ayesha Al Kuwari told a local Arabic daily that her bank also sends some Qatari staff for studies overseas and they must rejoin the bank when they return after finishing higher studies.
"We are one of the best destinations for nationals to take up jobs," she said adding that the bank also have career development programs for Qatari staff members.
The other programme that aims at making the bank's job nationalisation drive a success is the one whereby fresh graduates with good marks join a year's rigorous training course and if they pass the test at the end of the course they are absorbed in the bank. The bank also has summer training programmes for Qatari secondary school and university students and those attending the courses are issued certificates at the end of the programme.
Barwa Bank said 37 percent of its current staff members are nationals and the relatively higher percentage is due to its strategy to attract more and more nationals in jobs.
The bank's human resource manager, Fauzia Ahmed, said Qataris are in leading positions in the bank and Qatari women comprise a large chunk of their Qatari staff.
She was all praise for the Qatari women staff members in particular and said that the bank has regular training programs for Qatari staff with a view to retaining them.
© The Peninsula 2011
