The Year of Community: an opportunity to undo mistrust

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It would not be an exaggeration to say that the UAE is a prime source of social mobility for Pakistanis - be they from the labour strata or the exuberant elite. Thus, they rightfully call it their second home. The UAE has the largest Pakistani diaspora numbering 1.6 million. The diaspora is a major source of remittances - of about $16 billion per annum - for Pakistan. That is no mean achievement for the populace of a developing state mired in isolation and economic meltdown. But that generous mosaic has, of late, witnessed some dwindling, leading to a sharp decline in trust and connectivity.

An immediate casualty of this change of heart is the Pakistani workforce that now faces impediments to getting visas, and thereby finding jobs in the UAE. A number of factors are responsible for this downslide, and many errant Pakistanis are squarely responsible for this disconcert. While the UAE is a generous host for people from more than 200 nationalities, all it wants is for foreigners to abide by its laws. People, who go over the brink, bring a bad name not only to their country but also for their own fortunes. That is primarily the case as a second thought is in vogue within the UAE government for Pakistani workforce. That vexation is in need of being fixed, and the earlier that is done, the better.

Having lived and worked in the UAE for more than 12 years, I believe that the country is an oasis of prosperity and should be eulogised and valued. It harbingers personality development and ushers in a twist of fate through invaluable wealth. At the same time, it is a source of affluence for many Pakistani entrepreneurs and businesses, and that too in a friendly culture close to their values and homeland.

While more than 80% of Pakistanis are blue-collar workers, they must be properly groomed to ensure that they have mushrooming careers marked by indispensability in a pool of talented workforce from worldwide. The onus rests with Pakistani authorities to extensively engage in profile building of these strategic assets whose remittances constitute bulk of the country's total foreign exchange.

The ground reality, nonetheless, is that these workers are found in limbo once they fly in to the UAE, or any other Gulf State for that matter. Cultural shock is what hits them instantly, apart from a lack of versatility in their profession, as compared to their counterparts who come in more trained and mentally upright.

Pakistan's labour export governmental valves luckily have a foolproof vetting process called 'protectorate'. That piece of legal endorsement provides a guarantee to the foreign host country that the worker is registered, and will be taken care of in adversity. But what is desired in an age of competition is to thoroughly train the workforce and enrich it with additional skill-sets.

Plumbers, carpenters, drivers, technicians, masons, janitors and others who engage in manual labour - be it services, manufacturing or construction - must undergo a crash course in their skills, and also be educated on local laws and regulations. That will help upgrade their labour-intensive temperament and minimise risks of their being found on the wrong side of the divide. Pakistani missions must keep a regular tab on this vital section of the workforce, and befriend them with regular visits. It will bolster confidence in them and help address any complications that may come their way in the domains of labour laws, police and vigilance.

There is an opportunity for Pakistanis to make the best use of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's initiative of '2025 as the Year of Community', and get resolutely reconnected. The UAE President has magnanimously encouraged "all those who call the UAE their home" to help make the country an "inspiring model of progress and prosperity". It is an earnest drive from the Royalty to promote inclusion with society, and Pakistanis must lead from the front by cleaning the Augean stable.

His Highness under the slogan "Hand in Hand" has called for fostering an empowered community, throwing open vistas of reknitting with the mosaic of Emiratisation and being a worthy and well-sought after workforce in all humility. It's time to do away with the distrust that had crept in inadvertently.