Arabian Assessments answers demand for comprehensive career profiling in UAE

Arabian Assessments and Development Centre will expand their range of tools and tests for UAE nationals, premiering new products at NAJAH, the most comprehensive education, training and careers event in the GCC.

With an increasing number of UAE nationals entering the public and private labour market, Arabian Assessments and Development Company (AADC) recognizes the importance of career profiling tools and human resource consulting designed specifically for Arabs while also providing services for the UAE’s many expatriate professionals. This is why they are managing the Job Profiling feature at NAJAH, which is also sponsored by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Job-seekers and professionals are becoming more aware of expanding opportunities, and are increasingly seeking positions that suit their strengths and interests. AADC’s psychometric tests help individuals and companies see their potential for professional growth, in conjunction with other decision-making tools.

NAJAH Education Training Careers, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, and supported by Abu Dhabi Education Council and the Ministry of Education, is an excellent opportunity for AADC to locate and attract interested individuals and companies.

In 2007, the inaugural NAJAH event attracted scores of talented university graduates and professionals, and high levels are expected to return this year at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 19-21 October 2008.

"Career building is one of the exhibition’s main focuses. This year, job-seekers visiting NAJAH will find expanded job-profiling programmes, career counselling with qualified professionals, and highly interactive seminars to discuss available employment opportunities," said Christine Weaver, Exhibitions Director for IIR Middle East, the event organisers.

"We are offering comprehensive career development seminars and programmes, and AADC is capitalizing on this at NAJAH to connect with job-seekers and employed professionals," Weaver continued.

With global experience in consulting from Russia to Nigeria, AADC has assessed more than 20,000 people in the MENA region, and have been active in the U.A.E. since 2000. In addition to individual professionals, across the region, AADC also works with government bodies as well as private companies who have been licensed to conduct their own testing.

Originally developed in the UK, personality tests were created by Psytech International to be a robust and easy-to-use questionnaire for recruitment. AADC adapts those questionnaires for the Arabic-speaking world, as teams of highly qualified translators and psychologists work together to develop a fair, objective and cost-effective method of predicting likely behavior while taking into consideration the nuances of Arab culture and society.

Some of the new products that AADC will feature at NAJAH is AADC’s "360 Degree Tool", which examines not only the attitudes of individuals, but also looks at the person's opinions of their colleagues, subordinates and superiors. The tool is designed to measure personality comprehensively, including interpersonal styles, working styles and coping styles.

"With expanded, full-range personality tests and in-depth automated Arabic reports, AADC tests present an in-depth view of individuals and their contributions to an organisation," said Khaled Alturki, Senior Advisor at AADC.

"Last year at NAJAH, we tested and provided feedback for many of the visitors who had not experienced such a services before proving to be one of the most popular features in the event. We expect to exceed the number of people that received the service last year through our new products, as well as attract more consumers with our free Arabic online tests that can be found on our website, so individuals can test from home," Alturki added.

Building on the success of 2007, NAJAH is designed to bring direct contact between leading public and private sector organisations, educational institutions and proactive, resourceful young people. The most comprehensive event of its kind ever to be held in the UAE, NAJAH is an excellent platform for school leavers, graduates, parents, job seekers, those seeking education opportunities abroad and HR professionals.

To find out more about exhibiting or visiting NAJAH, visit www.najah-online.com.

- Lindsay Johnston, Total Communications Dubai - also photo