Interview: Fatima Abdulrahman Al Awadhi

Fatima Abdulrahman Al Awadhi

I am very proud that women make up to 70% of nationals in the banking sector “ “

Fatima Abdulrahman Al Awadhi is the Vice Chairperson of the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS)’s Women’s Committee. On top of this, she is the Chief HR Officer at Tafeeth, of the Emirates NBD Group as well as a scholar and an active member of the community. Simply put, she is a role model in the nation.

We had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Fatima after the most recent Women’s Committee assembly. We talked about women in the workplace in the UAE, the goals of the Committee, and how these will be achieved. She is an excellent example of a hardworking and determined woman, with a successful career and looking to encourage and empower other women.

Q. WHAT ARE THE MAIN GOALS OF THE WOMEN’S COMMITTEE IN BANKING AND WHAT STRATEGIES IS THE COMMITTEE DEVELOPING TO ACHIEVE THEM? A. The women empowerment committee in the banking sector, the first of its kind, was established in 2019 to support EIBFS in providing a platform to promote the effective and influential role of women as employers, leaders, and successful entrepreneurs in the banking and financial sector in the UAE.

One of the committee’s goals is to mentor young emiratis who are heading to be part of workforce in the sector and provide networking and mentorship opportunities that support strong workplace environment. The committee also aims to support and promote entrepreneurship opportunities for proficient businesswomen.

The committee is not limited to women in the banking sector, as we hope to partner with other sectors and establish a mutual support for women in different industries.

Q. AS WOMEN IN THE LABOUR FORCE IN THE UAE IS INCREASING, HOW DOES THIS REFLECT IN BENEFITS FOR ECONOMY? A. The UAE has made focussed efforts to empower its women – who make up 65% of the country’s graduates – in recent years, including the formation of the Gender Balance Council and special military schools for women.

Emirati women currently hold 66% of government jobs (30% of which are deemed leadership roles). They also have a presence in the diplomatic corps, armed forces, in national service, police and security. Their presence in space sciences, technology, engineering and medicine is a key factor in the development of the country and its economy.We have 9 female ministers in the UAE’s Cabinet. That accounts for one third of the Cabinet. The youngest appointed minister was Shamma Al Mazrui at age 22, who is the Minister of State for Youth, and she entered the Guinness world record for being the youngest cabinet minister in the world. Moreover, the directives of the President include doubling women’s representation in the Federal National Council to 50%, aiming to rank the UAE in the top positions worldwide in terms of representation of women in parliament.

Q. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE THE VICE CHAIRPERSON OF THE WOMEN’S COMMITTEE AND WHAT DO YOU AIM TO ACCOMPLISH IN THIS ROLE? A. I am honoured to be part of the first Women’s Empowerment Committee in the banking sector and to be appointed as the Vice Chairperson, working side by side with all the committee members in leading new initiatives that support women who are working in banking sector.

We established a Women’s Counsel in Emirates NBD and have already seen a positive impact which is why I am excited to scale these efforts at an industry level.

My aim is to accomplish all the goals set by the committee, in alignment with Her Highness Shaikha Fatma bint Mubarak’s vision and plans to position the UAE among the advanced countries in the area of women’s empowerment.

Q. SPECIFICALLY IN THE BANKING AND FINANCE SECTOR, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US SOME FIGURES THAT REPRESENT THE GROWING EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN THIS FIELD? A. The banking and finance industry is a strategic sector for the UAE, as it plays a key role in the country’s efforts to diversify its economy away from oil and create a sustainable economic future.

Q. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MOST INSIGHTFUL IDEAS THAT WERE SHARED DURING THE LAST COMMITTEE MEETING AND HOW WILL THEY HELP THE WOMEN’S NETWORK PROSPER? A. In January, the Women’s Empowerment Committee set up by EIBFS organised an event titled “Her Challenges – Her Ideas”. The event was attended by over 60 women employees from the UAE banking sector, representing various institutes, including Central Bank of the UAE, Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank, and others. A report was published following the session with all the findings and action plans.

In Febuary, we discussed designing a special training programme with EIBFS for women in banking to understand their needs and tackle specific areas related to women’s challenges.