Wednesday, August 28, 2024 The Emirates Group proudly honors the contributions of Emirati women and their pivotal roles in advancing excellence within the UAE’s aviation and travel industries. A recent video showcases the diverse and talented Emirati women across various careers within the Emirates Group, emphasizing their impact. Emirati women are charting successful career paths across multiple business functions at the Emirates Group, laying the groundwork for a future talent pipeline to support the next generation of aviation professionals.
Women comprise approximately 38% of the Group’s Emirati workforce, and the past financial year saw a record number of Emirati women join the organization. This achievement underscores the Emirates Group’s dedication to integrating Emirati women into the UAE’s expanding aviation sector, equipping them with the necessary skills, competencies, and expertise to excel and reach their full potential. This year, the Emirates Group marked a significant milestone with a 20% increase in the number of Emirati women in leadership roles compared to the previous year.
Today, over 200 Emirati women hold leadership positions within the organization, driving growth across a wide range of business functions. In March 2024, the Group announced the promotion of five Emirati female leaders to senior executive roles in key Human Resources and Commercial Support departments. From senior executives to outstation managers and department heads, the Emirates Group continues to provide Emirati women with industry-leading resources to enhance their leadership abilities and career prospects.
Over the past 20 years, the Group has offered mentorship and training programs designed to foster the professional development and career mobility of Emirati women. These include leadership programs such as the Rolls-Royce and Airbus Leadership Programmes, GE Aviation Programme, and others. Additionally, Emirati women in leadership positions have the opportunity to participate in the INSEAD Women Leaders Programme, empowering them to lead with impact and create meaningful change.
More than 70 Emirati women have completed one or more of these programs in the past 12 months. Last year, Emirates also sponsored three Emirati female employees to pursue postgraduate education at three of the top 100 universities worldwide. In the past year, the Emirates Group forged strategic partnerships with UAE-based and international organizations, including Nafis, Microsoft, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and PwC Academy, to deliver customized training and development programs for the Group’s Emirati workforce.
These initiatives provide Emirati women with additional tools and resources to support their career advancement and enhance their contributions to the workforce. The Emirates Group is also a launch partner of Aurora50’s women’s networking initiative, NOORA, and a signatory of the UAE Gender Balance Council’s pledge, reaffirming its commitment to female representation and advancement within the organization. Beyond their professional roles, Emirati women actively contribute to broader initiatives, with 55% of the Emirates Group’s Emirati Youth Council members being women from various departments within Emirates and dnata businesses.
Their involvement with the Youth Council offers broader exposure to groundbreaking discussions and activities aligned with the Emirates Group’s core values, further inspiring their peers. As a leading employer, the Emirates Group remains committed to investing in the UAE national workforce by creating opportunities for those pursuing careers in travel and aviation. The Group’s Rehlaty strategy focuses on attracting, training, developing, and retaining Emirati talent, in line with the UAE’s Emiratisation goals.
As part of this strategy, the Emirates Group has launched several internship, high school, and graduate programs that have successfully onboarded hundreds of Emiratis, including ambitious and skilled women, over the past two years..
