ADIA’s recruitment priorities for 2012: UAE nationals and private equity

Considering its size, the amount of recruitment in the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) last year was modest – it added around 75 people to take total headcount to 1,275. This year, the focus is going to be on recruiting for its private equity division, and hiring UAE nationals.

In its third ever annual review, published today, ADIA offers a little insight into its recruitment practices. Despite the focus on localisation, the proportion of UAE nationals in the workforce is increasing relatively slowly – in 2009, 30% of its employees were Emiratis, in 2010 31% and this year the figure is 32%, or 408 people.

The highest proportion (36%) of its foreign employees are from Asia, followed by the Middle East and Africa (11%), Europe (11%), Americas (8%) and Australia and NZ (2%).

ADIA’s recruitment policy is relatively simple – draft in expats for specialist and back office functions, and then focus on recruiting talented nationals from local universities and train them up for investment divisions.

As we’ve pointed to previously, these candidates are often identified at school, and sponsored through university. Once recruited, they’re usually put through the CFA – in 2010, 93 employees were CFA charterholders and 73 were taking the exam. Last year, it employed 114 charterholders and 56 were still undertaking the qualification.

So, where should you be applying if you’re interested in working for ADIA this year? If you’re an expat the answer is private equity. It brought in additional expertise in 2011 and said it was part of a “concerted resource expansion that will continue into 2012 and beyond”.

However, it’s also ramping up its recruitment of locals. ADIA said that “2012 will bring increased emphasis” on the training and recruitment of UAE nationals.