- Programme reinforces Group’s vision of having 25% of senior leaders being female by 2027 and supports its diversity, equity and inclusion agenda
- Aligned with the UAE government’s focus on increasing female equality and representation across workplaces
Dubai, UAE: On International Women’s Day, Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa and Turkey) region, has launched the pilot of its ‘Women’s Returnship’ programme, an initiative that supports women’s reintegration into the workforce after an extended career break. Emirates NBD Group is one of the first UAE-based organisations to introduce such a programme in the region.
The programme, which will initially be launched as a pilot, will offer women who have been out of the workplace for a period of two or more years the opportunity to join Emirates NBD, specifically in technology and digital roles, aligned with the United Nation’s International Women’s Day theme of ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’. Women participating in the programme will be offered support including mentoring, learning and flexible working arrangements, making their transition back to working life as easy as possible, while enabling the bank to tap into a fantastic and capable pool of talent. It will be open to all eligible women in the UAE, before being expanded across the bank’s global offices.
“At Emirates NBD Group, we recognise the enormous talent and potential women bring to the workforce and continue to be deeply committed to building an inclusive culture for women to thrive. We are proud to be one of the first UAE-based organsations to bring a pioneering ‘Women’s Returnship’ programme to the region, adding to our existing strong pipeline of initiatives to support gender diversity.” said Eman Abdulrazzaq, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, Emirates NBD.
Abdulrazzaq added, “This programme further fortifies our continued commitment to the UAE government’s focus on increasing female equality and representation across public and private sector workplaces. We look forward to welcoming and providing an encouraging environment to these talented women, as they re-enter the workforce and look to jumpstart their careers.”
Over the last year, Emirates NBD has maintained a female workforce participation rate of approximately 40% which is above global industry benchmarks for the financial sector and were one of the first large UAE employers to launch flexible work as a permanent benefit. Last year the bank also expanded its leave options to now offer one of the region’s most competitive and comprehensive suite of family leave policies, especially by doubling maternity and paternity leave.
About Emirates NBD:
Emirates NBD (DFM: Emirates NBD) is a leading banking group in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa and Turkey) region with a presence in 13 countries, serving over 17 million customers. As at 31st December 2022, total assets were AED 742 billion, (equivalent to approx. USD 202 billion). The Group has operations in the UAE, Egypt, India, Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Russia and Bahrain and representative offices in China and Indonesia with a total of 879 branches and 4,130 ATMs / SDMs. Emirates NBD is the leading financial services brand in the UAE with a Brand value of USD 3.6 billion.
Emirates NBD Group serves its customers (individuals, businesses, governments, and institutions) and helps them realise their financial objectives through a range of banking products and services including retail banking, corporate and institutional banking, Islamic banking, investment banking, private banking, asset management, global markets and treasury, and brokerage operations. The Group is a key participant in the global digital banking industry with 97% of all financial transactions and requests conducted outside of its branches. The Group also operates Liv., the lifestyle digital bank by Emirates NBD, with close to half a million users, it continues to be the fastest-growing bank in the region.
Emirates NBD contributes to the construction of a sustainable future as an active participant and supporter of the UAE’s main development and sustainability initiatives, including financial wellness and the inclusion of people of determination. Emirates NBD is also an early supporter to Dubai Can sustainability initiative, a city-wide initiative aimed to reduce use of single-use plastic bottled water.
