Dubai - MENA Herald: LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network celebrated the success of leading companies in MENA region in the talent acquisition and employer branding space by hosting the ‘LinkedIn Talent Awards’. Held for the second consecutive year, the awards recognized and acknowledged LinkedIn’s top customers in MENA for the great work and results they've been seeing during the year.
The awards were given different categories such as Top Social Recruiters, Best Talent Acquisition team, Best Employer Brand on LinkedIn, LinkedIn Rising Star, Most Social Executive and Most Digital Federal Entity.
The exclusive gala dinner event attended by 200+ executives from the region took place on the 19th of October at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jumeirah. H.E Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and the youngest minister in the world graced the awards night with her presence where she shared the vision of the ministry and their plans for young professionals in the UAE.
During the event, Her Excellency announced the launch of the Youth Data hub, in collaboration with LinkedIn, which is considered the first direct public-private collaboration on youth data in the Middle East. The collaboration seeks to collect data and statistics that are relevant to youth across the UAE.
Her Excellency announced that LinkedIn is the first company to collaborate with the Youth Data hub by providing insights on youth statistics across education, employment, and entrepreneurship through analyzing over 30 thousand youth profiles on the LinkedIn platform.
“The collaboration between private and public sector is critical to understanding and overcoming the challenges that youth are facing. These partnerships are indispensable elements of the planned initiatives and strategies aimed at engaging and empowering youth. We always look forward to building new partnerships with leading companies such as LinkedIn and learning from leading organizations across every field to sustainably impact the lives of youth in the UAE,” said Her Excellency Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth.
Commenting on the partnership, Ali Matar, Head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Growth Markets, Southern Europe, Middle East and North Africa said: “LinkedIn is proud to collaborate with the government of the UAE and the Ministry of Youth on the Youth Data hub, connecting the private and public sector for a united cause. Through this partnership we aim to aid the UAE government in achieving their future vision for the Youth Agenda specifically focusing on education, entrepreneurship and employment. Empowering today’s youth is of the utmost importance and we are honoured to be working together with the Ministry of Youth to provide valuable insights that will contribute to future policy creation and decision-making.”
Winners of the 2016 LinkedIn Talent Awards are:
Best Employer Brand on LinkedIn – Public Sector
Dubai Airports
Dubai Health Authority
Expo 2020
Higher Colleges of Technology
Roads and Transport Authority
Best Employer Brand on LinkedIn Established Companies – Private Sector
Qatar Petroleum
Al-Futtaim
Almarai
Chalhoub Group
Dubai Islamic Bank
Emirates
M.H. Al Shaya
Majid Al Futtaim
Saudi Aramco
Zain
Best Employer Brand on LinkedIn Growing Companies – Private Sector
IKEA Saudi Arabia
National Bank of Fujeirah
Bosch Middle East
Ford Middle East
Masafi
Best Talent Acquisition Team – Kuwait
M.H. Al Shaya
Best Talent Acquisition Team – Other Gulf Countries, Levant and North Africa
Azadea Group
Best Talent Acquisition Team – Qatar
Qatar Airways
Best Talent Acquisition Team – Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee
Best Talent Acquisition Team – UAE
Chalhoub Group
Best Talent Acquisition Team – Public Sector
Saudi Stock Exchange (TADAWUL)
LinkedIn Rising Star
Al Jaber Group
Most Digital Federal Entity
UAE General Civil Aviation Authority
Most Social Executive – Private Sector
Adnan Chilwan
Most Social Executive – Public Sector
Saif Al Suwaidi
Top Social Recruiter
David Salva
Grace Samuel
Charlotte van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie
Michael Chapman
Renee Tauro
LinkedIn’s talent solutions have transformed the recruitment sector in recent years by providing unique access to companies to the perfect candidates. "At a time when companies are seeking new ways to attract high-caliber employees, the awards illustrate a company’s growing reputation as a recruiter in its respective sector and also helps them in setting a benchmark of what a company should be doing for their employees. With UAE turning into a thriving hub for entrepreneurs, the MENA region continues the attract the best talent in the world. This talent influx serves as an important tool in strengthening a country's economy and LinkedIn is proud to be supporting this trend with their awards,” said Ali Matar, Head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Growth Markets, Southern Europe, Middle East and North Africa.
LinkedIn announced the winners of the awards and engaged with thought leaders who spoke on how they've transformed their business by investing in their people. The opening keynote was delivered by Ryan Roslanksy, LinkedIn's Vice President of Product based in LinkedIn HQ in California, who spoke about the evolution of the tech industry and its influence on our everyday decisions. Wayne Davies, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Emirates, delivered a closing keynote addressing the topic of 'Passion at Work' and how it can change not only companies but people.
