Emirates NBD has announced the launch of the fifth cohort of its flagship Ruwad graduate leadership program, reaffirming its commitment to nurturing young talent and developing future industry leaders.
Launched in September 2021, the Ruwad program has played a key role in supporting Emirates NBD’s Emiratization strategy, aiming to fast-track the development of high-potential UAE National graduates into leadership and executive positions within the bank.
According to the statement, the two-year program combines exposure to Emirates NBD’s strategic projects with its hallmark feature – secondments with 15 leading partner organizations such as KPMG, Plug & Play, Visa, and Dell.
Eman Abdulrazzaq, Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Emirates NBD, said that, “Now in its fifth year, Ruwad has become strategically important to our Emiratization agenda and to Emirates NBD’s wider growth strategy. As our bank expands internationally, this program 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, the Ruwad program has delivered impressive outcomes, with nearly all participants advancing into managerial roles significantly ahead of the usual timeline.
Each cohort has also maintained a roughly equal gender split, underscoring Emirates NBD’s dedication to fostering diverse leadership and meeting its long-term goals for female representation in senior roles.
May AlMansoori, Head of Group Emiratization at Emirates NBD, noted that, “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 program and an expanding network of global secondment partners, Ruwad is creating confident, capable Emirati leaders who will shape the future of banking.”
