Al Ansari Financial Services aims to increase the number of UAE nationals in its workforce to 1,200 by the end of 2026, after surpassing 1,000 employees as it expands recruitment and career development programmes for Emirati talent.The Dubai-listed financial services group employed 1,041 UAE nationals at the end of September, accounting for about 24 per cent of its workforce in the UAE. Reaching the year-end target would require the company to add another 159 UAE national employees during the final three months of 2026.
The target was announced as Al Ansari secured a Gold award for Excellence in Recruitment of Local Candidates, or Emiratisation, for the second consecutive year at the Economic Times Human Capital Awards MENA 2026. It also received a Silver award for Excellence in Performance Management Systems.
Rashed A. Al Ansari, group chief executive officer, said the company was seeking to build long-term careers rather than focusing solely on recruitment numbers, with training, mentorship and opportunities for advancement forming part of its workforce strategy.
“Our focus is on building lasting careers for UAE Nationals. Recruitment is the first step,” Al Ansari said. He said training, mentorship and opportunities to progress were essential for retaining employees and developing future leaders capable of assuming greater responsibilities and contributing to strategic decision-making.
The recruitment target comes as UAE authorities intensify efforts to increase citizens’ participation in private-sector employment, particularly across regulated financial services. Central Bank of the UAE data show that 23,364 UAE nationals were employed across banking, financial and insurance sectors at the end of 2025, when the combined Emiratisation rate stood at 31 per cent.
Exchange houses accounted for 15 per cent of UAE national employment across those sectors, according to Central Bank figures issued this year. Al Ansari said when it crossed the 1,000-employee threshold in June that it ranked among the largest private-sector contributors to Emirati employment in the country’s exchange-house segment.
The wider policy framework requires private companies with at least 50 employees to increase the proportion of UAE nationals in skilled positions, with the cumulative Emiratisation target reaching 10 per cent in 2026. Financial institutions also operate under sector-specific requirements and initiatives overseen by the Central Bank.
Al Ansari’s UAE national workforce has expanded rapidly alongside those measures. Its 2025 annual report said the group hired 559 UAE nationals during that year and exceeded its hiring target. The report put Emirati representation across the broader group workforce at approximately 14 per cent at the end of 2025.
Georgette Yousef, group chief human resources officer, said the latest recruitment award reflected efforts by company teams and external partners to support UAE national talent. She said the group would continue investing in employee skills and career development as it worked towards its December target.
A key element of that approach is the Mehnati Programme, launched in January 2026. The group is preparing to celebrate 56 UAE national graduates from the programme, which is intended to strengthen professional skills and provide structured pathways into financial-services careers.
Al Ansari recruits UAE nationals through NAFIS, the federal programme designed to support citizens working in the private sector, and the Emirates Foundation’s Dawamee programme. Its recruitment and development network also includes the Higher Colleges of Technology and government human resources departments in Dubai, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
The company additionally works with Tamkeen in Abu Dhabi as part of its efforts to widen access to employment opportunities and build a pipeline of national talent across its operations.
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