"Compete" / Emirati women’s gateway to success in the world of the private sector

Abu Dhabi, May 10 / WAM / The “Nafis” program has proven its role as a gateway for Emirati women to the labor market in the private sector, contributing to enabling them to acquire the skills and experience necessary to build a successful career.

The program succeeded in creating a stimulating environment for women to work and create, which contributed to the launch of inspiring success stories within private sector institutions in the country, as “NAFES” became, through the continuous support and specialized training it provides, a model platform that reflects the UAE’s vision of empowering women economically and professionally, and enhancing their effective contribution to the national economy.

The national female models that emerged through the “Nafes” program reflect an important shift in the citizen’s relationship in general with the private labor market, as success is no longer limited to obtaining a job, but rather is linked to the ability to build a progressive career path, benefit from training opportunities, and demonstrate competence in competitive work environments.

Among these models, Dr. Fatima Al Naqbi, Vice President of Institutional Development at Aldar Company, stands out, who benefited from the Nafis Leadership Program and described her participation as a turning point in her career.

The program allowed Dr. Fatima to link her practical experience in the private sector with national strategic directions, thus enhancing her contribution to supporting the country’s future vision. It also enabled her to interact with Emirati and international leaders, which broadened her leadership perspective and prompted her to think about how to align her role with national priorities.

Dr. Fatima’s experience is of particular importance, as she is a model of national leadership capable of combining institutional experience and strategic vision. The diversity of the program’s participants in terms of sectors, experiences, and generations contributed to enriching her experience and challenging her traditional patterns of thinking, while her international experience in Singapore constituted an important station to expand the horizon of learning.

Through this experience, Al-Naqbi confirms that future-ready leadership is based on clarity of vision, the ability to adapt, and the courage to continue learning, which are essential elements for success in the private sector during the next stage.

In the same context, the experience of Dr. Aisha Al-Mandhari, Obstetrics and Gynecology Consultant at Burjeel Holding, also stands out as an inspiring national model in the private health care sector, as her experience reflected a firm belief in the ability of Emirati competencies to excel in various work environments, stressing that the private sector constitutes a fertile field for giving and development, as it provides wide professional opportunities and spaces for exchanging experiences and actively contributing to community service.

Dr. Aisha’s experience is of particular importance, as it contributes to changing the stereotypical image of the private sector, especially in vital sectors such as health care, where the nature of the work allows for sharing experiences with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and cultures within a stimulating professional environment. She also confirms that the presence of national competencies constitutes a positive message that motivates more citizens to join work environments that provide real opportunities for professional growth.

For her part, Afraa Al Shamsi, Patient Experience Officer at Mediclinic Middle East, represents an inspiring model of professional excellence in the private sector. She began her career in 2017, and the “Nafes” program contributed to supporting her professional development.

Honoring Al Shamsi and winning first place in the “NAFES” award is a milestone, which she considers a message of responsibility and an incentive to continue giving and excellence.

Afraa Al Shamsi’s experience reflects the importance of combining education and practical experience in building a competitive professional personality, as she completed a master’s degree and was keen to develop her capabilities by obtaining multiple certificates, including international protocol and emotional intelligence.

In this context, Al Shamsi emphasizes that professional development is not complete with academic achievement alone, but rather requires practical experience that turns knowledge into performance, noting that the ability to adapt, discipline, and persevere in daily details represent critical factors for success in a rapidly changing work environment.

These models reveal that success in the private sector is based on continuous learning, the ability to adapt to dynamic work environments, discipline in daily performance, taking responsibility, and perseverance, which makes the private sector a real platform for building expertise, refining skills, and achieving ambitions.

The extension of the “NAFES” program until 2040 constituted a strategic turning point in the path of qualitative Emiratisation in the country, as it places the program within a long-term horizon that reflects the country’s commitment to empowering national cadres and enhancing their sustainable presence in the private sector.

This extension is not limited to temporal continuity, but is accompanied by a package of fundamental updates that reshape the support system on a more comprehensive basis and linked to family and professional stability.

At the forefront of these updates is the redesign of some benefit paths to enhance the breadth of the beneficiary base and increase the efficiency of channeling support, as the allowance for the children of citizens working in the private sector now has no upper limit on the number of children after it was a maximum of 4 children, with a value of 600 dirhams per month for each child.

This expansion comes in line with the directions of the “Year of the Family 2026” and the National Agenda for Family Growth 2031, and reflects a deeper understanding of the relationship between family stability and job stability.

The program witnessed a qualitative expansion in the categories covered, through the introduction of a program to support the salaries of the children of female citizens working in the private sector, and a program to support the salaries of the wives of female citizens working in the private sector. The minimum salary for entitlement to “Nafis” programs was also unified at 6,000 dirhams per month for all categories covered, in line with national regulations regarding the minimum wages for citizens working in the private sector and the financial and banking sector. The program to support salaries for citizens working in the private sector was also updated by setting the eligibility ceiling at 20,000 dirhams per month, with the adoption of a gradual and organized updating mechanism for support values starting from September 2026.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter