Citibank UAE wins Human Resources Development Award for second year

The award was presented by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, at the Fifth National Career Exhibition for the Banking and Financial Sectors (2-5 March). Consumer Bank Head, Mr. Nabeel Malik, received the award on behalf of Citibank.

This prestigious award has been developed by the National Human Resources Development Committee in the banking sector, which is chaired by the Minister of Communications, Mr. Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer and run by the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS).

Won by Citibank for the second consecutive year, the award is a testimony by independent auditors to the bank's efforts in developing local human resources. Citibank has successfully met the strict criteria set by the award organizers in the following key areas: UAE nationalization (or Emiritisation), development and training, career planning, communication processes, recruiting effectiveness and internship programs.

Paul Ciejka, Head of Human Resources at Citibank, said, "Emiritisation was successfully met by recruiting, training and retaining high quality local staff. These efforts fit well into the national policy of increasing the ratio of nationals to expatriate workers at key strategic sectors such as banking. By implementing a focused Emiritisation policy, Citibank contributed positively to the fast growth of the local workforce - increasing by 189 per cent between 1997 and 2002 - in the banking sector."

Citibank has been strategically positioning itself as the employer of choice in the UAE by running successful recruiting and internship programs targeting local graduates. The ongoing Citibank Internship Program (CIP) is a one-year intensive program benefiting more than 30 students from top UAE universities. Currently receiving on-the-job training at the bank, interns are developing into a pool of candidates ready for full time employment with a proven track record of performance.

CIP falls into a series of training and financial literacy initiatives that are currently being developed with top academic centers in the UAE. These initiatives place Citibank at the forefront of human development and training throughout all the markets where it is present, including the UAE.