Bayt.com recently met with one of the pioneers of the HR industry in the Middle East region. He shares highlights of his career – the ups and downs – and tells us what he thinks of the latest developments in the HR industry in the region. Meet Alawi Alsaqqaf, Manager of HR, PR and Admin at Al Qudra Sports Management.
Alawi Alsaqqaf was born in Saudi Arabia. He completed his college education in the US and has been the HR manager of Al Qudra Sports Management since 2008. Mr. Alsaqqaf has over 15 years of experience in the field of Human Resources Management, and has worked in a variety of industries and organizations both internationally and in the UAE. In his current position, Mr. Alsaqqaf oversees all aspects of the HR, Administrative and Public Relations departments at Al Qudra Sports Management, and is responsible for a team of over 1400 employees. He is also the Chairman of Al Qudra Holding HRnet / ERP Committee. In his spare hours Mr. Alsaqqaf likes to spend time with his family and living his passions which include cooking and poetry.
UAE in general, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in particular, are becoming among the liveliest cosmopolitan cities in the world more and more each day. My family and I enjoy living in the UAE. Working here is also a joy as I have to deal with a highly diverse workplace of various ethnicities that enjoy mutual respect and appreciation.
I like to plan my day ahead of time. I manage three divisions: HR, PR and Admin. Every day I have to ensure business is running smooth in all three departments. I make sure I give needed directions, support and motivation to staff members to help them accomplish their daily tasks. I must also be prepared to step in whenever it is required from me to do so. However, and despite daily planning, things may go out of plan and you have to do quick midcourse adjustments to keep things running smoothly. My experience in the UAE has helped me develop the adaptation skills needed to make sure there are contingency plans to be used whenever needed.
Quality. We receive many applications from virtually all over the world. In order for my company to serve its clients with the best quality service, we have to pick the best the labor market can offer and this involves an innovative recruitment process, starting from CV screening, to testing and interviewing, and ending up with hiring.
I think the biggest challenge is sourcing talent and devising rapid ways to reach and hire them while staying within the perimeters of the labor and immigrations laws and procedures.
In my industry roadblocks, hurdles or speed bumps are commonly expected. What you need to do in order to succeed is to remove the roadblocks, go around or jump the hurdles, and slowdown at speed bumps. This agility and flexibility is an acquired talent which I believe I have developed here in the UAE.
I keep myself updated with the latest developments by reading news about HR, recruitment, and the laws and regulations that affect employment and the labor market in the region. I’m fascinated by the new IT-based solutions, so I try to keep myself updated in that field, too. I’m also a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
The Middle East in general and the UAE in particular are growing very fast. HR policies and practices are also evolving to achieve the required balance for both employers and employees. Fortunately, these policies and practices are focusing more and more on empowering and motivating employees – which is the new global trend.
I would like to thank Bayt.com who gave me the opportunity to share my experience with the Bayt.com community of employers and jobseekers. This blog has indeed become a shared knowledge platform we all benefit from.
