The employment of female nationals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) An analysis of opportunities and barriers

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the reasons why the employment of Emirati females in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is not currently realizing its potential.

Design/methodology/approach – A literature‐based study that employs a framework adapted to predict the incidence of the employment of female nationals in the UAE. This gives rise to an analysis of reasons why this employment is not achieving the predicted level.

Findings – The study indicates that cultural factors are largely responsible for inhibiting the level of employment of Emirati females in the UAE.

Research limitations/implications – This paper presents a focused literature study and does not contain the first‐hand accounts of Emirati females both employed and not employed. It does, however, provide the basis for obtaining such first‐hand accounts in future studies.

Practical implications – The study indicates that in a rapidly developing economy such as that of the UAE, cultural mores may take some time to catch up with the speed of economic development. Government leaders need to be aware of the need for cultural adaptation to take place before their plans for development can be fully realized using nationals as the driving force for these plans.

Originality/value – The paper is one of the few attempting to assess the effects of culture of the incidence of employment of female nationals in the UAE.