Emirati women comprise 70% of UAE banking sector

Sunday, Aug 27, 2017

Sharjah: Emirati women make up 70 per cent of workers in the national banking sector, according to the general manager of the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS).

UAE’s banking sector employs 10,000 UAE nationals, said the institute on Sunday ahead of Emirati Women’s Day, an annual celebration held on August 28.

In a statement, Jamal Al Jasmi, EIBFS general manager, said the rise of the country’s women is a result of continued encouragement and support from the UAE’s leadership.

“The vision and constant encouragement of our leaders, including President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and policymakers of the government, inspire every woman of our country to play their role in the country’s economic progress,” said Al Jasmi. “At EIBFS, we feel we have contributed in our own way through our education and training programmes, which have witnessed the increasing participation of Emirati women.”

Women accounted for 43 per cent (9,977 out of a total 23,197) participants in the institute’s training courses and workshops in 2016.

In the academic education programmes, which include BSc and diploma courses, women’s participation increased to 55 per cent of the total students registered for the 2016 academic year.

The institute, established in 1983, has contributed to the banking sector’s growth by training students, as well as upgrading the knowledge and skills of financial and banking employees at various levels.

And, as part of the national Emiratisation drive, EIBFS has played a crucial role in fulfilling the government’s mandate to train nationals for the banking and insurance sectors, he said.

In its wider effort to ensure that Emirati men and women are ready for leadership roles in national and global banks based in the UAE, Al Jasmi said that EIBFS is constantly developing programmes that teach the skills they need as they progress in their career.

Staff Report