Citibank signs MoU with Tanmia to train and provide employment opportunities to 125 UAE national jobseekers

This follows the successful training and recruiting of 70 UAE nationals during 2004, as per a previous MoU signed between the two parties in July 2004.

According to the MoU, the 125 UAE nationals will be trained by, and offered jobs at Citibank. Students will enroll in a rigorous 3-month intensive program during which they will receive a mix of focused academic and practical training the fields of banking, finance, credit, leadership, sales, teamwork, management and customer service. Upon successful graduation, all of the students will be offered jobs at the bank.

The signing of the second MoU with TANMIA comes amid Citibank's achievement of a new record in its drive to increase the percentage of UAE local workforce among its staff. The bank reached a 28.34% Emiratization level in 2004 as compared to 22% in 2003. The relatively high level of Emiratization ratio achieved came as a culmination of efforts during the past year, which ensured that high, yet sustainable staffing goals are precisely met.

In mid 2004, the bank forged a strategic alliance with TANMIA and established the Citibank academy, a proprietary training center dedicated to training and developing UAE national talent through intensive training programs, which offer a mix of focused academic and practical training.

'At Citibank, Emiratisation has always been a key franchise objective in order to fulfill Citibank's stated position as the best place to work and the only place to bank…. We believe that it is imperative to build a solid benchstrength of well-trained/high potential UAE national staff who would be the future senior management of the country. In 2005, we hope to make new progress in this important effort,' said Rajeev Kakar, Regional Head for Citibank's Consumer Bank in Turkey, Middle East & Africa, who is based in the UAE. 'This new height achieved in 2004 bears witness to our commitment. Not just numbers, but we have, together with TANMIA, built a new approach, which can be used by others as a role model for successful hiring and retaining of local staff.'

Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Awar, Director General of TANMIA, said: 'The strategic alliance we have with Citibank is unique in the banking industry today. We think it's a good model to follow for improved localization ratios in banks. The new Emiratization ratio achieved by Citibank is witness to the viability of this model which we would encourage others to emulate.'

Citibank has been closely associated with innovation and the introduction of the latest banking technology worldwide. Moreover, it has consistently ranked at the forefront of human development and training throughout all the markets where it is present, including the UAE. In 2001 and 2002 consecutively, Citibank was the winner of the prestigious Human Resources Development Award in the UAE's Banking Sector, which was developed by the National Human Resources Development Committee in the banking sector and run by EIBFS.