DOHA: The unexpected delay in hosting this year’s Qatar Career Fair has created disappointment among Qataris.
Some have urged organisers of the annual recruitment event for Qataris to announce the reason behind the delay in holding the seventh edition, Al Arab reported yesterday.
Every year, many companies at the fair recruit Qatari youth as trainees and develop their skills or provide them with scholarships so that they can specialise in their areas of interest.
Companies also provide counselling and guidance to young Qatari job-seekers.
Qatar Career Fair is a member of Qatar Foundation and is held in April.
Ibrahim Salah, a Qatari, said, “The fair is a good opportunity for Qataris seeking jobs. The delay in holding it by nearly five months will make an impact on Qatari jobseekers. Organisers should let the people know the reason behind this delay.”
Ali Al Humaidi, another Qatari, said, “The fair recruits hundreds of citizens each year. It will be a mistake if the fair is not organised and organisers have not given any reason for this delay. They should take the responsibility and announce the reason why this year’s fair has not been held yet.”
Some Qatari businessmen also expressed views on the delay in holding this year’s fair.
Saad Al Hajiri said, “The fair is a big opportunity for Qataris to get jobs in private and public institutions. It’s also a good opportunity for companies to recruit Qatari talents. This year the fair has been delayed by more than four months and no reason has been given yet. It’s the responsibility of the organisers to keep people informed on such an important event.”
Abdul Hadi Al Shahwani, another businessman, said, “The trust people have in the fair will reduce if it’s delayed and no reason is given. The reason behind the delay and an alternative date for the fair should be announced by the organisers.”
The last edition of the fair in April 2013 offered nearly 23,000 opportunities, including 14,000 job opportunities, 2,100 scholarships, 2,850 training opportunities for students, and 3,800 openings for capacity-building in the energy, industry, banking and finance sectors. The education, sports and health sectors also offered 4,800 opportunities.
Nearly 450 exhibitors from the private and government sectors from the fields of energy, communications, tourism, sports, media, health, banking and finance took part in the fair last year.
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