Sandooq Al Watan Partners With Pathway 20 To Empower Emirati Women

Sandooq Al Watan, the national initiative launched by prominent Emirati businessmen to support research projects for the post-oil era, is joining forces with local social enterprise Aurora50 to connect senior Emirati executive women with boards

Through Sandooq al Watan’s Talent programme a prominent platform providing Emirati nationals aged 30 and above with five or more years of work experience the opportunity to become part of an elite group that will be considered for leadership positions in the government as well as the private sector. Applicants nominate themselves using the platform, and are then evaluated based on their merit in a bid to find the UAE’s best and brightest talent.

Since its inception, the UAE Talent programme received 2,000 applications and shortlisted 19 candidates as top qualified future leaders, one of whom took on the role of Director General of a non profit organisation, and 2 were selected for the National Experts Programme.

Pathway20 will provide an important link as the next step for senior women to develop board careers, joining a pipeline of talented female directors.

The collaboration will support one female candidate to be nominated from the UAE Talent platform’s pool of candidates to join the Pathway20 initiative, which provides a pathway for talented, qualified executive women to also gain board-level experience, with the aim of increasing female representation at the board level.

“Sandooq Al Watan has a mandate to support talented Emirati individuals with growth opportunities to unleash their fullest potential,” asserted H.E. Ahmed Mahmoud Fikri, Acting Director-General of Sandooq Al Watan. “With that in mind, we thank Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan Al Nahyan for her efforts in developing national talents and driving gender balance in the boardroom. We are proud to be partnering with Aurora50 on the Pathway20 initiative to give executive Emiratis the opportunity to join their first board roles and generate a pipeline of talented UAE board directors. This mission, which resonates with ours at Sandooq Al Watan, is in line with the UAE leadership’s vision to drive women empowerment and highlights the importance of equal representation, inclusivity and sustainable development for a better future for the country and all of its citizens.”

“We are delighted to be working with HE Ahmed Mahmoud Fikri and the Sandooq al Watan team who share our commitment to increasing female representation at board level. Through our collaborations we are unlocking new talent pipelines and growing the pool of female board directors. Diana Wilde, co-founder of Aurora50.

Co-founded by Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan and Diana Wilde, Aurora50 is a social enterprise that actively drives gender balance in the boardroom. It works with leading organisations to bolster the pipeline of competent female directors, and with boards who agree that diversity of thought is required to make robust decisions.

Aurora50’s flagship initiative, Pathway20, was launched in March 2020 with anchor partner ADNOC and founding partner Mubadala.

Sandooq Al Watan is a community initiative launched by a group of prominent Emirati businessmen that seeks to promote a sense of social cohesion in Emirati society. It seeks to steer investments into the UAE’s human capital with projects and initiatives that focus on the strategic sectors that most affect people’s lives. The fund reflects the private sector’s commitment to social responsibility and highlights its critical role in supporting development projects, initiatives, entrepreneurs, and innovators.