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Decoding Diversity: An In-Depth Look at UAE Boardroom Trends

by Navid Nazemian
Feb 12, 2025
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  • The Certified Transition Coach™ training program will run again in March 2025. If you missed the webinar, here comes the link to watch the
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Decoding Diversity: An In-Depth Look at UAE Boardroom hashtaTrends


Heidrick & Struggles recently published a paper on this topic, & as always I've summarized the top 10 insights for you below:

1. According to the study, 1/3 of the UAE executives are women. The rise in female participation in senior business roles reflects a broader trend in the GCC region

2. Notably, the hashtag#UAE & hashtag#KSA have made significant progress in promoting equal opportunities for women, motivated by goals of good governance, company hashtag#ESG objectives, as well as external pressures

3. From 2020-2022, the average share of 1st time Director appointments has been 43%. This number has jumped to 63% in 2023

4. During the same time period female diversity has steadily increased from 12% in 2020 to now 31% in 2023

5. when looking at nationality of appointments, local Emiratis lead the chart with 53%, followed by 44% of non UAE nationals & another 3% where the nationality couldn't be determined

6. 63% of appointments have cross industry experience in, followed by 22% being pure industry insiders & another 16% where it couldn't be determined

7. As diversity becomes a priority in UAE boardrooms, the role of board members is evolving. Currently, 52% of UAE directors report that they are increasingly engaging in operational matters

8. Board involvement in operational matters is more common in the UAE & the GCC compared to more mature markets. Driven by rapid growth & business transformation goals, boards are keen to engage more deeply in daily operations, seeking detailed insights & involvement beyond formal board reporting

9. Technology remains a key priority for UAE boards. Research indicates that 83% of UAE boards are allocating more time to hashtag#AI, clearly surpassing the global average of 71%. The same is true for 'Financial Performance & Risk' with 74% vs. 59% global average; & 'Geopolitical volatility' with 67% vs a global average of 56%

10. The research also revealed that board members are placing greater emphasis on understanding company culture & employee perspectives. In the UAE, 91% of board members believe they should engage more with the broader workforce, compared to 86% globally

💡 Did you know that targeted coaching is one of the most effective ways to support your Director level population?

📣 But don't take my word for it, take it from a FTSE CEO client of mine:

💬 “The coaching has really helped me to think through and understand context, leadership, and people, materially better. The coaching has helped me to further mature in my relationship management, decision making and people leadership. Our work has been tremendously useful and I’m confident that it will continue to remain useful both for me and for my executive leadership team.”
 

About Navid Nazemian

Ranked as the world’s #1 Executive Coach by CEO Today for the 2nd year running, I use interventions that are designed to overcome obstacles quickly. Over the last 2 decades, I have helped hundreds of executives successfully eliminate unproductive thinking and solve their toughest, most complex challenges. In return, they have supported their organisations to build world-class cultures primed to create new markets, accelerate performance, increase productivity, and develop game-changing value propositions.
 
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What's Next? Stay tuned for upcoming newsletter editions where I'll be sharing fresh and actionable insights about the world of leadership. 
 
I really would love for you to join this conversation!  Do let me know what you make of this newsletter edition.
 
Warm wishes,
 
Navid
 
 
 
 
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