Technology

A young Emirati entrepreneur has turned personal frustration into innovation by launching a new AI-powered job platform aimed at improving employment access for Emiratis.

Zakaria Rashid Doleh, alongside his father Rashed Doleh, co-founded Dawlati after facing repeated challenges navigating the fragmented job application process in the UAE.

Despite expectations of accessible opportunities aligned with Emiratisation goals, Doleh found that applications often received no feedback, lacked transparency, and failed to provide a clear pathway for career progression. Conversations with peers revealed that this issue was widespread among Emirati job seekers.

This insight led to the creation of Dawlati, a platform designed to connect verified Emirati talent with relevant job opportunities. Leveraging AI-driven matching and integration with UAE PASS, the platform offers employers ranked candidate access while giving job seekers greater visibility into available roles.

Since its launch just 150 days ago, Dawlati has recorded over 12,000 verified Emirati users, generated thousands of daily AI-driven matches, and facilitated hundreds of job placements across multiple sectors. In one case, an employer met its Emiratisation targets by hiring eight Emiratis and extending eleven offers within a month through the platform.

The concept gained early validation at the Tawdheef x Zaheb Career Fair, where a user progressed from downloading the app to entering interview stages within a day.

Unlike traditional hiring platforms, Dawlati is built specifically around Emiratisation needs, focusing on verified profiles, measurable hiring outcomes, and long-term career growth rather than just job placements.

Doleh believes the UAE job market already offers strong opportunities, but the real challenge lies in efficiently connecting talent with employers. The platform now aims to scale further by enhancing AI capabilities, workforce insights, and industry reach, supporting the development of future Emirati leadership.

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