Emirates NBD lands two coveted wins at the UAE Employee Happiness Awards 2025

2 Min | 18 August 2025

Bank wins Gold in ‘Best Community Impact Initiative’ and Silver in ‘Most Supportive ‘Return to Work’ Program’ categories
The awards solidify Emirates NBD’s position as a bank that fosters a culture of engagement and empowerment

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 18 August 2025: Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye (MENAT) region, won two accolades at the UAE Employee Happiness Awards 2025, demonstrating the bank’s commitment to being socially responsible to customers, communities and employees.

Now in its third year, the Employee Happiness Awards 2025 recognises companies that lead the way in nurturing positive work environments, inspiring innovation and put their employees at the heart of their success stories.

In a fitting tribute to the Year of Community, Emirates NBD won Gold in the ‘Best Community Impact Initiative’ category at the Awards in recognition of the bank’s corporate volunteering programme aligned to the bank’s community pillars including advocating for people of Determination, financial inclusion, health and wellness, women empowerment, and environment and community development. Over a span of 10 years, the bank has contributed more than 150,000 volunteering hours and over 3,000 activities through the programme.

The bank also won Silver in the ‘Most Supportive ‘Return to Work’ Program’ at the Awards. The bank’s Career Comeback programme, now in its third year, supports women’s reintegration into the workforce after an extended career break, with mentoring, learning and flexible working arrangements, making their transition back to working life as easy as possible. The programme reinforces the Group’s vision of having 25% female senior leaders by 2027 and supports its diversity, equity and inclusion agenda. In tandem, the programme aligns with Emirates NBD’s SDG 5 Pledge to bridge gender balance gaps and achieving gender parity in decision-making positions.

Eman Abdulrazzaq, Group Chief Operating Officer and Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Emirates NBD, said: “We are pleased to win these significant awards at the UAE Employee Happiness Awards 2025. Our people are at the heart of our ambitions and power our progress. As a socially responsible bank, we invest in and nurture our workforce through initiatives that empower their growth, from world-class training programmes to fostering diversity and inclusion. In keeping with UAE’s commitment to achieving gender balance, we are dedicated to enhancing gender equality and promoting women's social and economic growth.”

Vijay Bains, Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Head of ESG at Emirates NBD, said: “Emirates NBD has been actively championing the UAE’s sustainability agenda, and we believe change begins from within the company. Our corporate social responsibility programmes include volunteering and charitable activities and help us build strong connections with local communities, while we encourage diversity and inclusion among the workforce as well. We challenge ourselves to be the pioneers of change, raising the bar of ethical conduct and redefining the boundaries of responsible banking.”

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