Emirates NBD Signs UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, Reinforcing Commitment to Women’s Leadership

3 Min | 22 July 2025

Dubai, UAE, 22 July 2025: Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye (MENAT) region, has officially signed the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) further affirming its commitment to advancing female empowerment and leadership.

Emirates NBD’s long-term goal is to ensure that 25% of all leadership positions are held by women by 2027. This pledge follows a series of strategic initiatives that aim at accelerating gender equality while maintaining global standards for female representation across its workforce.

Shayne Nelson, Group CEO at Emirates NBD, said: “Signing the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles provides further momentum to the impressive efforts we have undertaken here at Emirates NBD to champion women in the workplace. Empowering women at every level of Emirates NBD is something we are deeply committed to. Looking forward, we will continue to accelerate our action to increase female leadership, achieve gender equality at all levels and encourage more women to pursue careers in banking.”

Dr. Mouza Al Shehhi, Director of the UN Women GCC Liaison Office, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Emirates NBD as a signatory to the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). This commitment reflects the Bank’s dedication to advancing gender equality and fostering an inclusive workplace culture. Importantly, it mirrors a strong shift nationwide toward embedding gender parity within its national development agenda. As the UAE accelerates its journey towards a knowledge-based and sustainable economy, empowering women across all sectors is not just a social imperative, it is a strategic enabler of innovation, resilience, and long-term prosperity. We look forward to supporting Emirates NBD in implementing the WEPs framework and continuing its journey towards empowering women across all levels of the organisation.”

Eman Abdulrazzaq, Group Chief Operating Officer and Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Emirates NBD, said: “By signing the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, we demonstrate our dedication to advancing gender equality, particularly our goal of ensuring that 25% of leadership roles are held by women by 2027. Our initiatives, including an expanded maternity policy, flexible working arrangements, and the Career Comeback Programme, are designed to create an inclusive environment where women can thrive and reach their full potential. We are already seeing positive outcomes, with women representing over 40% of our global workforce. This exceeds global benchmarks, and we will continue to invest in initiatives that foster female leadership.”

Vijay Bains, Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Head of ESG at Emirates NBD, commented: “Women represent half of the world population and investing in their empowerment plays a huge role in advancing gender equality and inclusive economic growth. As a key participant in the economic ecosystem, banks have immense influence in making a change towards women empowerment. At Emirates NBD, we are proud to act as an agent that enables employment and share of voice of women in the community. We strongly believe that when women have access to resources and opportunities, they can positively influence societal development.”

To support female empowerment and leadership, Emirates NBD has introduced a variety of pioneering initiatives, including:

Expanding its maternity policy and introducing paternity and adoption leave
Offering flexible work options, allowing employees to work remotely within the UAE
Launching the Career Comeback Programme, facilitating the reintegration of women returning to the workforce after a career break
Providing targeted training and leadership development opportunities for women, alongside bank-wide training on unconscious bias
Signing global initiatives such as the UAE Gender Balance Pledge in 2023 and integrating the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality into our sustainability strategy
Implementing female-focused facilities across our offices including dedicated parking, breastfeeding areas, and women’s social networking programmes

These initiatives not only underscore Emirates NBD’s leadership in promoting female empowerment but also set the foundation for continued progress toward achieving its gender equality objectives.

The WEPs offer guidance to businesses on advancing gender equality and empowering women in the workplace, marketplace, and community. Developed by UN Women and the UN Global Compact, the WEPs are aligned with international labor and human rights standards and emphasise the role businesses play in fostering gender equality.

By joining the WEPs, Emirates NBD reaffirms its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, working collaboratively with other stakeholders to promote business practices that empower women.

more app