Dubai Islamic Bank Attracts Young Emirati Talent at Ru’ya, Careers UAE Redefined

Furthering the banking giant’s commitment to the UAE’s agenda of empowering and nurturing young Emirati talent, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) announced today its participation at the upcoming Ru’ya, Careers UAE Redefined – an annual fair which offers exciting job and training opportunities for Emirati youth. The exhibition will be held from 20 to 22 September at the Dubai World Trade Centre, in collaboration with the Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai SME – an integrated division of the UAE Department of Economic Development (DED), and Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR).

This year’s event is an enhanced version of the traditional Careers UAE Exhibition and has been named after the Arabic word Ru’ya meaning vision; a picture of the future that generates passion, represents our hopes and ambitions. Careers UAE is one of the country’s leading recruitment and training exhibitions that equips UAE nationals with the necessary tools for their future careers. This year, the show is expected to attract a large number of Emirati graduates and professionals, providing a platform that enables youth to network with decision makers, learn via workshops, advance their skill sets through training, and be inspired through motivational speaking sessions.

Commenting on the occasion, Rafia Al Abbar, Head of Human Resources at DIB, said: “At DIB, we are enthusiastic about participating in distinguished career fairs such as the Ru’ya, Careers UAE Redifiened. They allow us to engage and attract the brightest and youngest Emirati talent across the country. We are delighted to meet determined UAE nationals at the exhibition and pleased to be able to offer them job opportunities that not only advance their own skill sets and career prospects, but that also enable us to grow our talented team here at the bank.”

Emiratization has been a key pillar of growth at DIB, and in 2021, the bank’s Emiratization ratio reached around 45% – close to half its total employees. It further achieved 100% Emiratization rates at branch managerial level, the UAE Central Bank’s best Emiratization scores.

Muna al Maazmi, Head of Emiratization at DIB, said: “We firmly believe that Emiratization has not only become a key component of DIB’s success over the past few years, but that it has also had a deeply positive effect on the UAE’s overall economic growth and development. Being the first Islamic bank in the country, Emiratization lies at the heart of our philosophy at DIB, which is why we will continue to strongly support the government’s Emiratization endeavors by bolstering our efforts to grow young local talent, empowering them to thrive and become inspiring leaders within DIB and the banking industry as a whole.”

With various professional initiatives, training and development programs in place, DIB is one of the key players in the banking industry that has been credited with empowering Emirati youth and nurturing a diverse, collaborative and tolerant workplace for UAE nationals. DIB’s strategy has strongly elevated its position as the ‘Employer of Choice’, fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment that offers outstanding prospects for all employees, and places a deep focus on attracting, supporting and training Emirati talent across all key aspects of the business.

Uniquely, DIB has made a significant shift from the traditional quantitative method of recruiting UAE nationals to a more a targeted, qualitative strategic approach that focuses on the future development of individual employees in key roles. By avoiding a ‘one size fits all approach’ to personal development, the bank is valuing human capital over human resources, and this has resulted in numerous UAE Nationals securing leadership positions within the bank.