Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the UAE outside oil and gas, announced the company recruited more than 100 UAE nationals in 2021. The average age of the recruits was 24 years old.

Almost 1,200 UAE nationals now work at EGA. Over 700 of EGA’s Emirati employees are under the age of 35, the company said in a statement.

At the end of 2021, EGA’s in-focus Emiratisation rate was around 40 per cent. When considering the high number of blue-collar positions in heavy industry, EGA has one of the highest Emiratisation rates of any major company.

Almost 40 per cent of those holding the top 280 positions at EGA are UAE nationals.

Abdulnasser bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: “We are delighted to have welcomed over 100 UAE Nationals in 2021, the vast majority young people at the start of their careers whom we hope to develop and retain for decades to come. EGA has focused on Emiratisation for more than 40 years, building our talent pipeline for the future and contributing to the development of the UAE’s economy.”

In 2021, EGA recruited 18 UAE nationals to its graduate programme.