UAE's bank appoints first female board member

Aysha Ahmed Sultan Al Hallami appointed as first female board member at ADCB Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) announced on Tuesday that it has appointed the first woman to its board of directors. The appointment of Aysha Ahmed Sultan Al Hallami, who joined the board alongside Omar Liaqat, was part of the bank's efforts to promote greater diversity at senior level.
Eissa Mohamed Ghanem Al Suwaidi, chairman of ADCB, said; "Mrs Al Hallami is the first woman appointed to the bank's board of directors. This is in line with our efforts to promote greater diversity at board level and it also corresponds with the government's efforts to empower Emirati women."
Al Hallami is a research Analyst at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
Last month, the World Bank said in a report that the Middle East and North Africa region still has a long way to go to address the gender gap in business and politics.
It said that despite taking "admirable strides" especially in the areas of education and health, these investments in human capital have not been matched by increases in women’s economic and political participation.
Women enter the MENA labour market at half the average global rate, the report added.