The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) has achieved 100% Emiratisation across leadership, supervisory and critical roles. Its overall Emiratisation rate stands at 97.01%, rising to 99% when labour and support categories are excluded.
The Directorate has also reported a 96% readiness rate among employees identified through succession planning. In addition, it recorded zero turnover among employees in critical roles between 2019 and 2025.
These figures highlight GDRFA Dubai’s focus on retaining Emirati talent, developing future leaders and preparing employees for specialised positions. Its approach links recruitment with professional development, talent management and succession planning.
GDRFA Dubai Links Emiratisation With Talent Development
GDRFA Dubai’s “Pioneering Emiratisation Model” aims to build a continuous pipeline of Emirati professionals. Rather than focusing only on recruitment targets, the framework covers employee development, retention and career progression.
Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA Dubai, said the organisation measures Emiratisation through its ability to develop and retain national talent.
“We do not measure the success of Emiratisation solely by the number of Emiratis we recruit, but by our ability to retain national talent, nurture its potential, and prepare it for leadership, specialised, and critical roles,” Al Marri said.
He added that clear career pathways help Emirati employees develop their skills, assume greater responsibilities and contribute to the organisation’s long-term goals.
For employers, this approach places workforce planning alongside recruitment. It also highlights the role of internal talent development in building leadership capacity and retaining institutional knowledge.
Succession Planning Reaches 96% Readiness
GDRFA Dubai reported that 96% of employees identified as succession candidates had reached the required level of readiness for potential future roles.
Succession planning helps organisations prepare employees to take on greater responsibilities when leadership or specialist positions become vacant. It can also support the transfer of knowledge and reduce disruption during leadership transitions.
The Directorate combines this planning with early talent identification and professional development. As a result, its model seeks to prepare employees before future roles become available.
The reported figures also show a distinction between workforce representation and succession readiness. While Emiratisation measures the representation of Emirati employees, succession readiness indicates how prepared identified candidates are for potential future positions.
GDRFA Dubai’s reported zero turnover among employees in critical roles between 2019 and 2025 adds another measure of workforce retention. However, the figures provided do not specify the number of employees covered by the succession programme or the critical-role turnover calculation.
Human Capital Strategy Focuses on Future Workforce Needs
Major General Awad Mohammed Al Owaim, Assistant Director General for Human Resources and Finance at GDRFA Dubai, said the framework combines recruitment with talent management, professional development and succession planning.
“Our objective goes beyond achieving high Emiratisation rates; it is about building a sustainable pipeline of qualified Emirati talent capable of taking on leadership and specialised roles, as well as critical positions, with the competence and readiness required,” Al Owaim said.
He said the Directorate identifies promising employees early and provides pathways for their development and retention. This approach aims to support future workforce requirements while preserving expertise across the organisation.
For HR leaders, the model illustrates how national workforce targets can connect with longer-term talent strategies. These include identifying employees with leadership potential, building role-specific capabilities and preparing internal candidates for future vacancies.
GDRFA Dubai Emphasises Emirati Women and Youth
The Directorate has also placed Emirati women and young professionals within its human capital strategy.
Its initiatives aim to strengthen women’s participation across different areas of work. Meanwhile, its focus on young Emiratis includes opportunities for learning, professional development and preparation for future roles.
GDRFA Dubai said its workplace approach promotes national identity, diversity, inclusion, equality and professionalism. It also incorporates professional wellbeing, quality of work life and mental wellbeing.
These priorities connect Emiratisation with the wider employee experience. In addition to recruiting national talent, the organisation aims to create conditions that support career growth and long-term retention.
Emiratisation Model Receives UAE and GCC Recognition
GDRFA Dubai’s approach has received recognition through several awards.
The Directorate won the Best Emiratisation Initiative Award across Gulf Cooperation Council countries in 2018. In 2021, it received the Best Emiratisation Initiative in the Gulf Award at the Gulf Government HR Awards.
Its Pioneering Emiratisation Model later won the Enhancing National Identity category at the UAE Ideas Award 2023.
The Directorate said it will continue to develop career pathways, retain high-potential employees and prepare Emirati staff for leadership, specialist, critical and future roles.
Its next phase of work will remain focused on national talent development, continuity of expertise and workforce readiness as organisational needs evolve.
