Company: First Gulf Bank

Expat ‘dead wood’ beware the coming cull in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is rolling out an old trick to create jobs for Emiratis – laying off expats. While this is so-far believed to be confined to the public sector, financial services could soon be affected. A new Emiratisation drive in Abu Dhabi is, according to a report on Reuters, being sanctioned by the Executive Council, [...]

By Paul Clarke, 11 July 2011 • 2 comments

Is investment banking currently beyond Emiratis?

Localisation efforts in the UAE financial sector are still heavily focused on the retail banking sector, with few Emiratis viewing investment banking as a viable career path. The thorny issue of attracting locals towards the private sector is a debate that has been raging for some time now, with Emiratis making up just 1% of [...]

By Paul Clarke, 17 August 2010 • 2 comments

Talent drought in war for Islamic banking dominance

Islamic finance is already hot, and it looks set to reach boiling point, with the Middle East emerging as one of the major players. But a lack of talent could threaten future growth. In its report ‘Oiling a virtuous banking cycle’, Goldman Sachs predicts that total Islamic banking assets in the UAE will reach $87bn [...]

By Paul Clarke, 25 April 2008 • 0 comments

Is it still a man’s world?

Are more women in the Gulf breaking into top-level positions in financial services, or is it still a male-dominated industry? Figures from the US Equal Opportunity Commission paint a cosmopolitan picture of the industry state-side. In the banking/credit arena, women make up 48.6% of the workforce, whereas in the securities market – the sector with [...]

By Paul Clarke, 19 March 2008 • 5 comments