Join Emirates NBD

I’ve always had a passion for HR because at the end of the day, I just love working with people. The human side of things - understanding the challenges people face and figuring out how to help them - is what makes it so rewarding for me. It’s never boring and every day brings something new, which is exactly how I like it. I can basically say that HR has been my whole professional life, especially because before Emirates NBD Group I also held HR roles across both the banking and aviation sectors.

One of the things I really appreciate about working at Emirates Islamic is the strong support for women in the workplace. We have 24% of women in senior leadership right now and we’re aiming for 27% by the end of the year. It’s exciting to be part of an organization that not only encourages diversity but actively ensures women can lead and thrive. It also forms part of our ESG commitments too.

The flexibility here is another huge plus. While I personally enjoy coming into the office, it’s great that we’re fully hybrid. There’s just something about face-to-face interaction that helps me connect better with my team but it’s nice to have the option to work from home when I need to.

Without a doubt, Emirates Islamic’s brand is strong in the market. More and more people are applying for jobs here, and we’re also seeing our retention rates increase too. I believe this says a lot about how our company is growing and evolving, and we’ve got a strong employee value proposition too.

Outside of work, I’m a pretty social person. With six bubbly children between the ages of 3 and 26, and a charming grandchild, family time is super important to me. We love to hang out, go shopping, swim, or just spend time together whenever we can. It’s a nice balance to the hustle of work.

Coming to work everyday is never a chore for me. I really enjoy the people I work with, especially in Human Resources and I love the international exposure I get. I’m regularly in touch with our teams in places like London and Singapore, which adds a global perspective to my role.

Another thing I value is Emirates NBD’s focus on professional development. I recently had the chance to represent Emirates NBD at a global LinkedIn conference in London and it was an incredible experience. It’s all about continuous learning and as someone in talent acquisition, I see firsthand how fast the banking sector is changing. I know that if I need support to grow in any specific area, I’ll get the resources to make it happen.

Lastly, Emirates NBD’s flexibility is hard to beat, especially compared to other major banks in the UAE. The work-life balance is great and it’s also a really family-friendly environment. I was especially proud to be involved in launching the Career Comeback Programme last year, which helps women who’ve been out of the workforce for a while to re-enter in a supportive and empowering way. As a recruiter, I know how tough it can be for someone with a career gap and it’s fantastic that Emirates NBD is leading the way in offering these women a chance to return to meaningful roles. The feedback from the programme has been really positive too.

Outside of work, I’m a passionate equestrian and have been for several decades now. I also teach horse riding, so it’s a big hobby of mine that I love sharing with others.

One of the things I love about Emirates NBD is its diversity. It’s something I really value and that stood out to me when I joined. It’s not just nationality-driven either. I interact with so many different walks of life everyday, in terms of different people and personalities, so that definitely keeps things interesting!

Emirates NBD is a great place for women. There’s a lot of flexibility around where you work with our work-from-home policy. Personally I prefer coming into the office but it’s great having the option there when I need it.

Continuous professional development has always been important to me. That’s especially because I joined Emirates NBD with strong qualifications from leading institutions like Oxford University and Switzerland’s International Institute for Management Development (IMD) who even featured me in one of their publications. I recently completed an executive education course via Emirates NBD with INSEAD and I know there’ll be more first-class learning opportunities in the pipeline too.

Outside the office, I love traveling and hiking. Blending those two hobbies together and as one of my stand-out achievements, I was proud to be one of the first Emirati women to visit Antarctica. That was as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group and I’ve been a member there for over a decade now, even serving as a Sustainability Ambassador at one point.

Safe to say, it’s been a really rewarding journey so far both professionally and personally.

Emirates NBD isn’t one of those old-fashioned companies with really rigid clock-in, clock-out times. We’re a lot more flexible than that and it’s probably one of the best things about working here. Whether you need to work from home, handle an emergency, or even work remotely from your home country due to any unforeseen exigencies, the bank is all for it.

It’s not just convenient - it’s especially beneficial for women. I’ve seen a real push toward female representation in senior positions, along with various career mobility opportunities that benefit and support women. It’s fantastic to see more women stepping into senior roles and driving significant impact.

A little about me: I come from a consulting background, but I’ve always been drawn to the idea of going in-house. So, when the chance came up for an internal IT strategy consulting role at Emirates NBD, I was eager to make the leap.

What I love about my job is getting to lead and consult on some of our biggest technology programs. And because Emirates NBD is all about constant digital innovation, that also makes them some of the most important initiatives in our bank too.

Right now, I’m especially excited about the Ironclad program. It’s a flagship program with close to 90 initiatives under it. The focus is on maximizing the reliability, resiliency and security of our IT systems, ensuring they’re available 24/7, with a seamless customer experience.

Music has always been my go-to way to relax, and I love exploring all kinds of genres in my free time. When I am not working, I enjoy playing the keyboard or guitar. It’s the perfect way to unwind after a busy day.

Well, I’ve been with Emirates NBD for quite a while now, and when I look back on my journey, I realize just how much the bank has supported my growth - both professionally and personally.

I initially joined through our Emirati graduate program and moved into Priority Banking as a Relationship Manager. After about two years, I realized that sales wasn’t really the right fit for me. Fortunately, Emirates NBD was incredibly supportive, helping me transition into Wealth Management, where I ended up staying for 14 years.

More recently, I made the switch to Emirates Islamic’s Treasury team, which has been an exciting new challenge. One of the things I’ve appreciated most about working at Emirates NBD is the incredible career mobility. The bank offers so many opportunities across the entire Group, including its subsidiaries, where you can take on bigger roles in different environments. Every move I’ve made has been a chance to develop new skills, and the bank’s culture really encourages you to push your boundaries and explore new fields.

Another huge plus is the bank’s commitment to continuous learning. I was fortunate enough to have my Master’s Degree in Data Analytics from ESCP Business School fully sponsored by Emirates NBD. The program was remote so I could balance it with my work, and it was a fantastic experience.

What excites me even more now is the increasing leadership opportunities for women. Emirates NBD has set an ambitious target to ensure that 25% of its leadership roles are filled by women by 2027. It's inspiring to see this commitment to empowering women in leadership roles, and I’m proud to be a part of a company that supports and encourages women in the workplace.

Outside of work, I’ve found my balance through hiking. Since 2016, I’ve hiked in some incredible places like Mongolia, Alaska, Spain, Chile, Italy, Scotland, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. Traveling and hiking are my way to relax, recharge, and step away from the daily grind, and it’s been the perfect complement to my career.

Everyday at Emirates NBD, we’re working on really interesting projects including leveraging emerging Artificial Intelligence technology to drive our operational efficiency.

As part of the culture here, you’ve really got to stay ahead of the curve, so to compliment that innovative kind of work, I’m completing an MBA in Big Data and Analytics from the prestigious ESCP Business School. Hopefully I’ll finish it in the next 12 months. I really value continuous learning and always try make as much time for it as possible – probably that’s a positive outcome of completing a degree in early childhood!

Safe to say I didn’t expect to work in banking during my university days. What attracted me to the sector was the fact that it was competitive, exciting and fast moving. I also liked that Emirates NBD was a big name in the region too and we’re quickly expanding beyond the region too.

As a woman, I’ve always felt supported. I don’t really think gender comes into the equation from day-to-day in the office. If you need help, especially if there’s something happening in your personal life, you’ll get the support you need and Emirates NBD is very good like that. It’s also really diverse, and I like interacting with so many different nationalities and cultures.

In my spare time, I love photography and traveling internationally, and those two hobbies go hand-in-hand. I’ve traveled to 23 countries so far and I’d love to cover off another seven to make it an even 30 by the end of this year!