Nominations for 2nd ‘Nafis Award’ opens for establishments, individuals in private, banking sectors

The Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (ETCC) has announced the launch of the second edition of the “Nafis Award” for the year 2023-2024 under the slogan “Compete and Excel” and welcomed nominations for individuals and establishments from the private and banking sectors.
Nominations will close on 1st January, 2024, and the organising committee will announce winners during the award ceremony in March 2024.
The award was launched under the patronage and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, to encourage the Emirati workforce, qualify them to thrive and excel within the private and banking sectors, and enable them to be the leading drivers for the UAE’s economic development.
The second edition of the award aims to honour accomplished Emiratis working inside and outside the country in the private, banking, insurance, and financial sectors, public welfare institutions, and private educational institutions, in addition to the establishments registered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and the Central Bank of the UAE.
This year’s edition has expanded the scope to include individuals and establishments registered with the Central Bank of the UAE to encourage all private, banking, financial, and insurance establishments to participate in the Emiratisation drive.
The ETCC is cooperating with the Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Programme in overseeing the individuals category of the “Nafis Award”, while the ministry and the Central Bank manage the Establishments category.
Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, stated that the “Nafis Award” is an important pillar in the Emiratisation drive. It receives the attention and supervision of the wise leadership to achieve the vision and directives to raise the participation of Emirati talent within the private sector. The developments in the award’s second edition is a reflection of that and a testament to the continuous support received by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed.
“The enhancements in the award’s governance and scope expansion will continue to spotlight and reward hard-working Emiratis and private sector companies for their efforts in supporting the Emiratisation mandate, under best practices and standards, which in turn contributes to raising Emiratisation rates, encouraging the employment and upskilling of the Emirati workforce, and enhancing their competitiveness,” he added.
He indicated that the second edition of the award is considered an extension of the success achieved in the first edition, thanks to the award’s values and the considerable support provided by the wise leadership, which ensures the implementation of high-quality standards and sustainable best practice on all the award’s categories.
Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), said, “The Nafis Award comes as an important incentive to enhance and sustain the Emiratisation drive and to accelerate the achievement of its set targets while also strengthening the contribution of the private, banking, financial and insurance sectors in this vital national mandate, which has achieved remarkable results with the support and directives of the wise leadership and under the supervision of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of CBUAE”.
He said, “Achieving Emiratisation goals and empowering UAE nationals constitute a strategic priority for us, under the directives of the wise leadership and the government’s strategic plans. We continue to work to enhance efforts and launch national programmes and initiatives to attract and employ young Emirati talent and invest in their development, acknowledging that they are a pillar of the financial sector’s sustainable growth.
“Through the “Ethraa” Programme, which was launched in 2023, for example, we aim to employ and train 9,375 Emirati men and women by 2026-2027 to achieve an Emiratisation rate of 45 percent in the banking sector within vital functions, 30 percent in leadership positions in the banking sector, in addition to 30 percent in other sectors such as insurance, banking, and finance.”
He also stressed that “these positive results, achieved in a record amount of time, reflect the commitment of licensed financial institutions towards the Emiratisation mandate, and also embody their great cooperation and response in achieving the required goals for Emiratisation, especially in light of the support provided by the Central Bank, the Emirates Institute of Finance (EIF), and the Nafis programme.”
He further called on licenced financial institutions to raise their level of commitment and highlight their Emiratisation achievements. The participation of CBUAE in the second edition of the Nafis Award reflects the care and support of our wise leadership towards the Emiratisation drive and the government’s appreciation for the distinguished institutions and nationals working in the banking, financial, and insurance sectors.
Ghannam Al Mazrouei, Secretary-General of the ETCC and Chairman of the Award’s Organising Committee, explained that the “Nafis Award” is an extension of the vision of the Nafis Programme, launched as part of the “Projects of the 50” in 2021 to achieve the UAE’s Vision 2071, by highlighting the outstanding establishments UAE nationals working in the private and banking sector.
He added that the award's second edition would honour establishments that have invested considerably in Emirati talent, made a positive impact by offering employment and training opportunities, and encouraged them to be active participants in the UAE’s economic development. The award will encompass all citizens in the private and banking sectors and celebrate their efforts and excellence in their careers.
The award consists of two main categories: the Establishments category and the Individuals category. The award comes in cooperation with the Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Programme to ensure that the categories, criteria, and mechanisms used for evaluation align with government directives, best practices, and international standards, ensuring governance in the evaluation process and promoting institutional and individual excellence..
The award aligns with the national agenda and holistically aims to enhance the private sector’s role in the UAE’s economic development over the next fifty years and determine the private sector's level of commitment to achieve Emiratisation targets

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