27 August 2020, Dubai, United Arab Emirates:  In recognition of Emirati Women’s Day, international public services company Serco Middle East, spoke to their female Emirati employees who shared their thoughts on what this day means to them and also their experiences in the workplace, as part of the annual celebrations taking place throughout the UAE.

 
Serco Middle East currently employs over 230 UAE nationals, of which 47 per cent are women, working across a range of departments and roles, including specialist air traffic controllers, guest liaison officers,  rail sector station masters and senior managers.
 
Khulood Ali Ahmad Rashed Alqasim, Station Master, Transport Sector – Serco Middle East:
It feels great to be recognized for the important role women play in our community, by not just by honoring us on this special occasion but also by continually empowering us. We are lucky to be in a country where equal opportunity is available to everyone similarly. At Serco Middle East, we have been supported and empowered in many ways, starting from the equal representation that both men and women have in this company, and the sense of security we feel in such a culturally diverse organization. I want to encourage all Emirati women to not be afraid to follow your passion and always work hard to achieved your dreams because opportunities are always available for all of us, we just have to grab them”
 
Zainab Ahmed Saleh, Revenue Protection Supervisor, Transport Sector – Serco Middle East:
“I feel very proud of my heritage and today on Emirati Women’s Day, it is a day to appreciate all the women in the UAE. The UAE has given many opportunities to Emirati women to start their professional careers and showcase their talent in every field, so I encourage all the Emirati women to start reaching their career goals”.
 
Maryam Al Safar, Head of Revenue Protection, Transport Sector, Serco Middle East:
“On this Emirati Women’s Day, I get to reflect how proud I am as a woman and also recognize the progress I’ve made in my career and also in my personal life. It is a special day, not only for me but to also remind all the women around the world that they are really wonderful and can achieve anything they set their mind to doing.”
 
Maryam Khamis Faraish, Ticket Inspector – Transport Sector, Serco Middle East:
“We are very proud of this day and lucky to live in the UAE, where women get opportunities in many fields. Serco Middle East has supported me in many trainings which has helped me to improve my skillset 
 
Nationalisation is at the core of Serco’s strategy in the UAE, which is why Serco also has number of programmes and initiatives which support the career journeys of their national talent to help develop a pipeline of future Serco leaders. For example, Serco introduced their very successful Al Masar Programme in 2017, for high potential UAE Nationals, which has seen a high volume of successful women hone advanced leadership skills through its training sessions. 
 
Serco also developed its Muwazana Programme in 2019 to offer part-time employment for UAE nationals who are looking to balance work, studies and family commitments while contributing to the business and enhancing their professional development.
 
Hana Kharmeh, Human Resources Director at Serco Middle East, commented: “Nationalisation is a core part of our strategy. We are fully committed to developing our national talent and supporting our female Emirati employees, to enable them to grow in their careers at Serco Middle East. We will continue to empower all our women and provide them opportunities to pursue their professional ambitions in the workplace”.