Emirates NBD announces fifth cohort of Ruwad, accelerating leadership journey of Emirati talent
Emirates NBD, one of the leading banking groups in the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye (MENAT) region, has launched the fifth cohort of its flagship graduate leadership programme, Ruwad. Since its inception in September 2021, the initiative has played a pivotal role in advancing the bank’s Emiratisation agenda by preparing high-potential UAE National graduates for management and executive positions.
The two-year programme blends exposure to Emirates NBD’s strategic projects with secondments to 15 leading partner organisations, including KPMG, Plug & Play, Visa and Dell. Participants also gain international experience through placements in Emirates NBD’s global offices and those of its secondment partners. This is further supported by world-class training, performance management, and mentoring opportunities.
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, Ruwad has achieved strong outcomes, with nearly all participants progressing into managerial positions ahead of the traditional career trajectory. Each cohort has maintained a 50-50 gender balance, reinforcing Emirates NBD’s commitment to diversity and long-term female leadership goals.
May AlMansoori, Head of Group Emiratisation at Emirates NBD, added:
“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 Bedaya, Ruwad forms the foundation of Emirates NBD’s investment in nurturing Emirati talent. The bank also supports career progression through sponsored MBA programmes, executive education at Oxford University and other leading institutions, as well as both local and international career mobility opportunities.
