Siemens, a major global player in electronics and electrical engineering operating in the energy, infrastructure, industry and healthcare sectors, is showing a strong presence at the UAE Career Fair 2012 as it seeks to fill a rapidly rising number of job openings amid strong demand in all sectors of its UAE business.

The company, which first opened a representative office in the UAE in 1972 and has contributed to building the local energy, healthcare, industrial and urban infrastructure, has seen the number of job openings increase steadily over the past few years, driven by growing sales, engineering, service, manufacturing and R&D activities.

“Currently, we have 189 open positions, and we anticipate that this number will grow even more,” said Erich Kaeser, CEO of Siemens Middle East. Most of the job openings are in the company’s Energy, Industry and Infrastructure & Cities sectors, and require an engineering or specific technical background.

Siemens, which has about 1800 employees in the UAE alone at the moment, has seen its local workforce grow steadily since it established its Middle East headquarters here in 1999. Interest in Siemens as an employer has been strong and growing, with about 99,000 job applications having been submitted for its Middle East business, compared with 67,000 a year ago.

The company’s focus on R&D activities is a key driver for the rising number of job openings. In recent years, Siemens has added further value to its local and regional operations, having launched R&D activities at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi for the first time in the UAE.

“We are working towards building strong R&D capabilities in the UAE and throughout the region, and we are eager to hire qualified, committed and educated local candidates who truly understand the local market context,” Kaeser said. “The regional R&D activities will not only concentrate on developing solutions for the greater Middle East region but are also part of the global R&D network that Siemens is renowned for.”

Dietmar Siersdorfer, CEO of Siemens Energy in the Middle East, said: “We’ve been here a long time. We understand the importance of building a strong base of human and intellectual capital – not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes good business sense for us over the long term.”

Accordingly, the company has focused much of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts in the region in the areas of encouraging early interest in science and technology in young children. It also recently increased its technical and research partnerships with prestigious educational institutes in the area such as Masdar Institute, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Qatar Foundation.

The company is also offering qualified new Master’s degree graduates a “fast-track” career development opportunity to develop management skills through the Siemens Graduate Program (SGP).

One young Emirati woman, Sara Hantoush, who is presently enrolled in the program, is now working in Siemens’ fast-growing Energy sector.

“As an Emirati woman, to be able to work for a multinational company like Siemens is really a fantastic experience,” Hantoush said. “But what I think I really enjoy is the ability to be part of an effort to further build this country and its infrastructure for the next generation, with true, home-grown Emirati expertise,” she added.