Kenya missed out on 5,000 UAE jobs due to slow recruitment and poor support for job seekers.
Kenya has lost a major employment chance after 5,000 job slots meant for citizens in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were withdrawn. According to top HR firm HamdanGlobal, the delay was caused by slow documentation, lack of coordination, and insufficient support for potential job seekers.
This setback came up during a crucial meeting on June 18, 2025, where HamdanGlobal officials met with Josiah Moriasi, the CEO of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF). The goal was to review past gaps and find a better way forward.
Speaking during the session, Moriasi admitted there were gaps but assured of urgent reforms to prevent future losses.
“Labour mobility is now a top item in our national development plans,” he said.
Among the key changes he outlined were faster documentation, more government resources to support job seekers, and a stronger public-private collaboration in managing job exports.
Despite the recent failure, HamdanGlobal expressed renewed trust in Kenya’s labour market. The firm now plans to triple the slots, offering 10,000 to 15,000 jobs in the next phase, once reforms are implemented.
This is seen as a fresh window of hope for thousands of unemployed Kenyan youth eyeing careers in the Gulf.
Kenya and the UAE signed a bilateral labour agreement in 2018, aiming to protect workers and streamline migration. But challenges like the recognition of Kenyan qualifications continue to block many from accessing skilled jobs.
Currently, about 30,000 Kenyans are already working in the UAE across sectors such as hospitality, aviation, ICT, and transport.
The Youth Enterprise Development Fund, set up in 2006, has been helping Kenyan youth with business loans and job placement, both locally and abroad. The fund now says the UAE will be one of its priority markets in global job creation.
With better planning and faster systems, officials believe Kenyan youth can dominate the international job space, starting with a stronger UAE comeback.
