Where are the best places for women to work in the GCC in 2022?

Property company Metropolitan Group, recruitment consultancy Charterhouse and district cooling provider Empower top the list, as companies increasingly focus on closing the gender gap

Organisations in the GCC were selected based on how well-represented women are in the workforce and throughout management. Getty

UAE-based property company Metropolitan Group has been named the GCC’s best workplace for women in 2022, as companies in the region continue to focus on employee well-being, work-life balance and learning opportunities in the post-pandemic era, a survey by management consultancy Great Place to Work showed.

Recruitment consultancy Charterhouse, Dubai district cooling provider Empower, UAE insurance broker Howden Guardian Insurance and Saudi Arabia-based Elevation United Property Management round out the top five best workplaces for women in the GCC, the survey, released on Wednesday, found.

Other UAE companies on the list include fitness and leisure app scheme Privilee, Westford University in Sharjah, public relations company Hill+Knowlton Strategies, luxury retailer Chalhoub Group, Horizon International School, Sunset Hospitality and sustainable active wear brand The Giving Movement, among others, the survey revealed.

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Top 15 companies to work for in the UAE, according to LinkedIn — in pictures

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  Luxury retailer Chalhoub Group is the best company to work for in the UAE this year, according to LinkedIn. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Abu Dhabi’s strategic investment arm, Mubadala Investment Company, was second on the best company list. Photo: Mubadala

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  Healthcare provider Mediclinic was third on the LinkedIn list. Reuters

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  Europe’s largest bank, HSBC, is the fourth best company to work for in the UAE this year, according to LinkedIn. Reuters

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  Hospitals operator Aster DM Healthcare completed the top five best companies to work for in the UAE in 2022. Jeffrey Biteng / The National

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  National health insurer Daman was sixth. Ryan Carter / The National

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  The Al Tayer Group and its portfolio of businesses was seventh. Photo: Facebook

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  Cosmetics company L’Oreal was eighth. Reuters

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  Dubai lender Mashreq Bank was ninth on LinkedIn's list. Satish Kumar / The National

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  Life insurer MetLife rounded out the top 10 companies to work for in the UAE. Reuters

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  Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank was 11th.

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  Gulf Marketing Group (parent of Sun & Sand Sports) was 12th. Photo: Facebook

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  Business conglomerate and mall operator Majid Al Futtaim was 13th.

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  E-commerce company Amazon was 14th. AP Photo

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  Energy services company Schneider Electric completed the LinkedIn top 15. AFP

“The top 30 Best Workplaces for Women in GCC is in line with our 2022 strategy of recognising organisations across the region that are working hard to close the gender gap and sustain a high trust, high performing culture for all employees,” Ibrahim Mougharbel, managing director of Great Place to Work UAE, said.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, employees and jobseekers have been increasingly requesting to work from home at least two days a week, in addition to asking for flexible hours and training opportunities, recruitment company Robert Half said in its 2022 salary guide.

Advertising, marketing and public relations attracts the most female talent in the UAE, a survey this month by UAE jobs portal Bayt and market research company YouGov found.

Women must be given more leadership roles to help the Middle East and North Africa close the second-widest gender gap in the world, according to a July report by the World Economic Forum.

Globally, countries will take another 132 years, compared with 136 in 2021, to close the gender gap, the WEF report said. In Mena, this figure stands at 115 years.

The survey on GCC’s best workplaces for women included companies in sectors such as logistics, technology, finance, social services and government agencies, media, retail, fashion, FMCG, hospitality, healthcare and manufacturing.

Companies based in the GCC that fall within these industries and employ 10 or more workers are eligible to participate in the survey, which aims to support closing the gender gap in the region.

Organisations are selected based on how well-represented women are in the workforce and throughout management, and assessed based on employee feedback and an audit of management and HR practices.

“Women today face a unique set of challenges both in and out of the workplace ranging from pay, fairness and empowerment,” said Tanzeel Rahman, managing director of Great Place to Work Saudi Arabia.

“The best workplaces on this list have created a greater sense of fairness, collaboration and professional development for female employees. These positive experiences empower them to bring their full potential to the workplace and the world.”

Meanwhile, UAE car-sharing platform ekar was ranked the best start-up to work for in the Emirates this year by professional network LinkedIn.

Dubai-based buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) company Postpay, Abu Dhabi agriculture technology start-up Pure Harvest Smart Farms, sustainable active wear brand The Giving Movement and e-commerce and supply chain company Right Farm complete the top five in the LinkedIn Top Start-ups List 2022.

Top 30 workplaces for women in the GCC in 2022

1. Metropolitan Group
2. Charterhouse
3. Empower
4. Howden Guardian Insurance
5. Elevation United Property Management
6. Beaconsmind
7. Privilee
8. Westford University
9. Tajalla Creative Agency
10. AlBahia Beauty Salon
11. SEO Sherpa
12. Hill + Knowlton Strategies
13. Sunset Hospitality
14. TAM
15. Chalhoub Group
16. Ash & Maple Management
17. Aida Holding
18. Deriv
19. Maersk
20. The Giving Movement
21. Loccitane
22. PBS
23. Speakol
24. Coberg Technologies
25. Horizon International School
26. Marc Ellis
27. Robert Half International
28. Servier
29. GAC
30. AlphaSights

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