DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
Emirates NBD has launched the fifth cohort of its flagship Ruwad graduate leadership programme, part of its Emiratisation agenda aimed at accelerating the progression of UAE National graduates into management and executive roles.
The two-year programme combines exposure to Emirates NBD’s strategic projects with secondments at 15 partner organisations including KPMG, Plug & Play, Visa and Dell. Participants are also increasingly gaining international experience through placements in the bank’s overseas offices and those of its partners, supported by training, performance management and mentoring.
Eman Abdulrazzaq, Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Emirates NBD, said: “Now in its fifth year, Ruwad has become strategically important to our Emiratisation agenda and to Emirates NBD’s wider growth strategy. As our bank expands internationally, this programme is preparing Emiratis not only for leadership roles here in the UAE but also for opportunities across our growing global network in markets such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India and Türkiye.”
Since its launch in September 2021, Ruwad has delivered results with close to 100% of participants progressing into managerial roles earlier than usual. Each cohort has maintained an approximate 50-50 gender balance, supporting the bank’s diversity and female leadership objectives.
May AlMansoori, Head of Group Emiratisation at Emirates NBD, said: “Ruwad’s unique structure is what makes it stand out. It combines elite secondments, exposure to strategic projects, and world-class training and mentoring that has enabled participants to reach managerial positions at twice the speed of traditional career paths. With equal gender representation across the programme and an expanding network of global secondment partners, Ruwad is creating confident, capable Emirati leaders who will shape the future of banking.”
Together with the Bedaya graduate programme, Ruwad forms the foundation of the bank’s investment in young Emirati talent. Beyond these initiatives, Emirates NBD supports career progression for Emiratis through sponsored MBA programmes, executive education at Oxford University and other institutions, and both domestic and international career mobility opportunities.