In the presence of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, PwC is delighted to announce that Abdalrahman Bin Kharbash, Senior Consultant at PwC Middle East, has been awarded the ‘Best Emirati Talent in the private sector’ under the Finance Jobs sub-category, at the first edition of the Nafis Award 2022-2023 ceremony.
The Nafis Award, under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE and Chairman of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, was launched with the aim of achieving the UAE’s vision to raise the percentage and employability of Emirati participation in the private sector, in addition to recognising remarkable Emirati talent across various industry sectors.
Abdalrahman and the winners of the ‘individuals’ category of the Nafis Award who excelled in their respective fields were evaluated based on three criteria: performance and continuous learning, adaptability and positive citizenship, and achievements.
Commenting on the achievement, Khaled Bin Braik, Government & Public Sector Consulting Partner and Emiratisation Programme Leader at PwC Middle East, said: “We are immensely proud of Abdalrahman’s well-deserved recognition from the UAE leadership for his outstanding accomplishments and contribution to our firm in the region. The private sector is a strong pillar of the UAE economy, and it is a sector that requires well-rounded, young and driven leaders. Therefore, empowering and enabling local talent to develop their leadership capabilities is a key strategic priority at PwC Middle East, and we are confident that through our upskilling and leadership development programmes, we will continue to build the next generation of leaders in the region”.
Speaking on the recognition, Abdalrahman Bin Kharbash, Senior Consultant at PwC Middle East, said: “I am deeply honoured to be recognised as one of the many talented Emirati nationals in the UAE, dedicated to making a positive and sustainable impact on the UAE’s economy. Receiving this award from our beloved President is the highest honour for any UAE national, and I look forward to being a continued part of the UAE’s success story and supporting the nation’s growing aspirations. Working at a global firm such as PwC Middle East has provided the right avenue to grow my skills, leverage regional insights with global deal experience across diverse sectors, and work alongside a passionate community of solvers who support their clients in delivering excellence. I am grateful to PwC Middle East for creating an empowering environment and their unwavering commitment to nurturing future Emirati leaders, and look forward to doing my part in realising the UAE’s bright and ambitious future.”.
Mona Abou Hana, PwC Chief People Officer for EMEA and the Middle East said: “Nationalisation has long been one of the key pillars of our people strategy and an essential contributor to the long-term success of our organisation in the region, as it not only enables us to meet the needs of our local clients better but also enables us to build a more sustainable talent model, in line with the nation’s growth ambitions. It is evident that Emirati talent is increasingly motivated to join the private sector, and we are thrilled to be part of this journey to support nationals and increase their presence within our organisation, as we strive to be the private sector employer of choice for Emirati nationals.”
National talent at PwC Middle East has doubled since 2019, with currently over 1,200 GCC nationals employed across 14 offices in the GCC, including over 120 Emiratis and over 11,000+ Emiratis trained through programmes targeted at upskilling the national workforce – equipping them with a diverse range of skills across research & data analytics, strategic planning, program and change management, design thinking and emerging technologies.
PwC’s flagship Emiratisation initiative, ‘Watani programme’ aims to empower Emirati students, graduates and job seekers to become the next generation of business leaders, by providing exciting growth opportunities and enabling them to transform their futures. Watani provides dedicated talent programs to support the firm’s national staff, exchange programs with its clients and leading academy training programs for nationals. The programme also supports national talent embedded across all lines of service in a diverse range of economic sectors to have unparalleled access to development & growth opportunities. More recently, in 2020, PwC Middle East was proudly awarded the ‘Best Emiratisation Supporting Entity’ by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, honouring Emiratisation advocates in the private sector.
