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Questions, programme and alumni

The questions that come up most, the programme this induction opens, and the graduates who did it before you.

About the Ruwad programme
About the programme

Ruwad

Emirates NBD's 24-month leadership programme for fresh Emirati graduates. You rotate across the bank, spend a year seconded to a partner organisation, receive training from executive leaders across various industries, and work alongside the people running the business.

In Arabic, Ruwad means pioneers: the people who go first.

Read the official programme page

The shape of it

Two years, end to end, with a full year spent outside the bank.

24

Months, end to end

12

Of those on partner secondment

The 24 months

How the program runs

This induction is the opening of a 2-year structure. Here is the rest of it.

  1. Months 1–3You are here

    Induction and grounding

    The induction, then your first rotation. You learn how the bank is put together and where decisions actually get made.

  2. Months 4–12

    On-the-job rotations

    Structured moves across business units. You carry your own deliverables, and you are assessed at the end of every rotation.

  3. Months 13–24

    Partner secondment

    A full year embedded in a partner organisation, applying what you've learned somewhere the Emirates NBD name doesn't open every door for you.

  4. Throughout

    Training and mentoring

    Training from executive leaders across various industries runs alongside the day job. You are assigned a mentor in the first week, and you meet the bank's leadership from the start.

Featured alumni

Hamad Almansoori, Ruwad cohort 1

Hamad Almansoori

Senior Manager – Governance and Operations · Ruwad cohort 1 · Priority Banking Governance. “Be curious, stay humble, and never stop learning. Banking is more than policies and processes, it's about building trust, taking ownership, and making the right decisions even when they're the difficult ones.”

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Aisha Alzarooni, Ruwad cohort 2

Aisha Alzarooni

ESG Communities Lead – Environment · Ruwad cohort 2 · ESG Communities. “Be passionate about what you do, because success isn't measured only by titles, it's measured by the impact you create. Stay curious, keep learning, and never underestimate the value of showing up with purpose every day.”

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Hind Alawadhi, Ruwad cohort 1

Hind Alawadhi

Growth & Partnerships Manager, Liv Digital Bank · Ruwad cohort 1 · Liv Digital Bank. “Don't wait for opportunities, create them.”

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Najat Ibrahim, Ruwad cohort 2

Najat Ibrahim

Senior Product Manager · Ruwad cohort 2 · Wholesale Banking, Corporate & Institutional Banking, Transaction Banking Services, API Banking. “Say yes to opportunities, ask questions, and never be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.”

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Hind Alansari, Ruwad cohort 4

Hind Alansari

Senior Relationship Manager, Priority Banking · Ruwad cohort 4 · Priority Banking. “To the new cohort: stay curious, ask questions, and don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, you never know where it might lead. The relationships you build and the experiences you gain will shape your career in ways you may not expect.”

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Saif Alowais, Ruwad cohort 4

Saif Alowais

Private Banking & Wealth Management · Ruwad cohort 4 · Emirates Islamic. “Stay curious, ask questions, and take every opportunity to learn. The experiences that challenge you the most are often the ones that help you grow the most.”

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Maktoum Alblooshi, Ruwad cohort 5

Maktoum Alblooshi

Wealth Management Advisor · Ruwad cohort 5 · Wealth Management. “Stay curious, take every opportunity to learn, and never underestimate the value of building meaningful relationships.”

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Frequently asked questions

The things that come up most. If yours isn't here, your programme team will know.

Three things matter. Your Emirates ID, because most venues check names against the cohort list on arrival. A laptop or a phone you are happy to take a video call on, for your individual meeting on Day 0. And comfortable shoes for Week 2, which is mostly off-site and largely on your feet. The Resources page covers the rest.

On Onboarding Day, Wednesday 5 August, at Emirates NBD, Meydan Building Q. That is the same day your building pass is issued. See the day.

It changes from day to day, because each day has its own activity and its own venue. All are now set, and each one is shown on that day's page next to the hours and the venue. Check the day before rather than guessing on the way out. Comfortable shoes are a safe assumption for all of Week 2. See the full agenda.

Yes. Most venues check names against the cohort list on arrival, and Meydan issues your building pass on Day 1. If you have lost yours, or it is with an authority for renewal, tell your programme team before Day 1 rather than on the morning. There is a way around it, but not one that can be arranged at a gate.

Every day's page names its venue and carries a Maps button that opens directions. Most of Week 2 is off-site, and some of those days are in Abu Dhabi rather than Dubai, which is why they start later than a normal working day. Travel is still to be confirmed. Whether coaches are laid on, where to meet them, and anything you need to know about parking will be published here before 4 August.

On the Resources page, along with the Ruwad Programme Handbook. Each download shows its file type and size, so you can save it to your phone before a day off-site.

It varies, so check the day's own page. Days 2 and 3 are the longest at 08:00 to 16:00. Week 2 usually starts at 10:00 to allow for the travel. Day 0 opens at 09:00 and its cohort session runs on into the afternoon at your own pace, and Day 1's times are still to be confirmed. See the full agenda.

To be confirmed. The agenda shows a break or a lunch break on most days. Whether food is laid on, and where, will be published here before 4 August.

To be confirmed. The attendance rules, and who to tell if you cannot make a day, will be published here before 4 August. Until then, tell your programme team as early as you can rather than on the morning.

Because two things run at once. The cohort session is at Cherry House from 09:00. Individual meetings about your SHL results and your Ruwad profile card run online between 10:00 and 15:00. You step out of the cohort session for your meeting and come straight back into it, so nothing is missed. Your programme team will tell you which slot is yours.

Yes. A selection goes up at the end of each day, on the main page and in the archive at the foot of this page. If you would rather not appear in published photographs, tell the programme team on Day 0 and you will be kept out of the selection.

Ask your programme team. They would rather answer the same question twice than have somebody at the wrong venue. Email Ruwad Programme Management.