Emirates NBD pays a poetic tribute to pioneering women on Emirati Women’s Day

Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa and Turkey) region, celebrated Emirati Women’s Day by honouring the pioneering achievements of female UAE nationals.

The Group hosted an immersive experiential walkthrough of ‘Aziya’, a poetic tribute to Emirati women, by Emirati poetess Al Hanouf Mohammed, the first female ‘Al Azi’ performer in over 250 years.

The exhibition was held at the Central Galleria in City Centre Mirdif and was launched with a performance of the poem by the Emirati presenter and commentator Fatma Taha and an Al Azi band. Backed by the poem, the exhibit took visitors on a journey through the incomparable achievements and inspiring spirit of Emirati women over the years. You can watch the video of the performance here.

“At Emirates NBD, we would firstly like to congratulate all the women in UAE who have proven themselves across various fields and disciplines, and who continue to progress in their journey toward achieving their aspirations,” said Moadh Bukhash, Chief Marketing Officer, Emirates NBD. “As a group that has aways been committed to empowering our female workforce, we are deeply gratified to honour and celebrate the achievements of Emirati women across the UAE, through a beautiful poetic expression like ‘Aziya’.”

Earlier this year, Emirates NBD marked International Women’s Day through the 250-year-old tradition of Al Azi, by giving Emirati poetess Al Hanouf Mohammed a platform to lead a unique poetic fusion at Expo 2020, making her the first ever woman to perform Al Azi in front of a global audience.

The Group also made a landmark announcement on International Women’s Day, becoming the first UAE banking group to publicly commit to female leadership targets, aiming for 25 percent of senior roles to be filled by women by 2027. Reflecting the Group’s growing commitment to both Diversity and Inclusion, and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), the pledge is aligned with the UAE government’s focus on increasing female equality and representation across workplaces.