Khaled bin Braik’s parents worked in the private sector, so when he was starting his career it seemed like the natural choice for him, too. But it was not the most common option among UAE nationals at the time. When he joined PwC as a graduate in 2011, he was the only Emirati working for the company.
He stayed, working his way up the ranks to become the company’s first homegrown UAE national consulting partner, and is now one of 248 Emiratis working for the company, up from just 26 in 2018. Leading a new programme that will see others walk in his trail, Mr bin Braik leads university roadshows, including in the UK.
The Watani early identification programme has engaged with more than 100 Emirati students at the UK’s top universities. The PWC Insight Events late last year was aimed at the next generation of leaders who are attending leading UK universities, where many are focused on driving digital transformation.
For Mr bin Braik there is not only the value of building links between the UAE and the UK, but also supporting the students in building a community of solvers with good leadership skills in a rapidly evolving world.
There are now Emiratis working across all areas of the business – Assurance, Consulting, IFS, Deals, Tax, and Strategy& – representing a “strong pipeline” of future leaders, he said.
“One of the reasons I joined PwC was to me it was about creating an impact for the country. And I felt at the time that there weren’t partners in the consulting line of service,” said Mr bin Braik.
He was also aware of some of the opportunities that a company such as PwC can provide. “My dad was a banker. My mum was a nurse. So all of that said, do you know what, let me do something different. Let me help create an impact and let me do something that was once considered quite challenging. And I am hoping through this journey I have managed to do that.”
In 2023, the World Economic Forum recognised his contribution, naming him a Young Global Leader, in an achievement he described as “phenomenal”. “A lot of that was attributed to the fact that I helped activate the consulting sector.”
Mr bin Braik is in charge of Watani, PwC’s Emiratisation initiative to train UAE national employees and prepare them for leadership in the firm.
“Our programme was launched over 10 years ago. Eventually it covered graduates, experienced hires, interns and secondees to the organisations,” he told The National.
“Essentially the idea here is to groom the next generation of Emirati leaders across all lines of service and prepare them to hopefully become future partners within our organisation. So that’s something we are extremely proud of.”
The initiative has trained more than 8,000 Emiratis, inside PwC and outside the company, in diverse skills over the past decade in professional certifications and technical training, including in topics such as artificial intelligence (AI).
Over the past couple of years, it has started to also focus on middle managers, as well as management teams, across all areas of the business.
“We want to be sure Emiratis are well represented across all the lines of service to make sure we have future leaders who represent our different business verticals,” he said.
“I think what we are now trying to do is this concept of early identification, which is extremely crucial for us, to be able to engage with students at the very early stages of their learning journey, to make them aware of the wide ranges of opportunities that PwC has to offer.”
Attracting Emirati graduates to the private sector is a priority for the government, an aim made more challenging by the fact that working for the public sector is often seen as a source of pride.
“As an Emirati myself, I am absolutely proud of what the government has done. The sentiment we have towards the public sector is phenomenal. But I think from a private sector perspective, I think it is extremely important to focus on one – skills development,” he said.
The sectors in which PwC operates are evolving considerably, he says, and it is important to equip the “next generation” of nationals with the right skills to reflect that.
“A lot of people who want to join the private sector join for the skills development aspect," Mr bin Braik said. “I think beyond that it’s also career progression. It is extremely crucial for us to focus on career progression and make sure that we support our Emiratis through coaching, through mentorship,” he said.
Working with global experts is another plus, added Mr bin Braik. “This is something the private sector is very strong at and needs to continue to focus on – the skills development angle, career progression, mentorship, coaching,” he said.
“But you supplement all of that with how you provide your Emiratis an opportunity to get into a global assignment and really learn from global leaders, to be able to then use that information to contribute to the development of our economy.”
Attracting Emirati graduates has become easier over time, he said, as more UAE nationals see the benefits of joining the private sector.
A recent survey conducted by PwC in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation found that 54 per cent of Emirati respondents employed by the government are open to a move to the private sector.
A further 74 per cent acknowledged the importance of upskilling for career growth, while 72 per cent of job-seekers prefer the Nafis platform, designed to increase the number of Emiratis working in the private sector, when searching for employment opportunities.
“Our Emiratisation survey indicates a significant shift in UAE nationals' career goals and their openness to private sector opportunities,” said Mr bin Braik.
“While we've achieved remarkable progress in workforce integration, the focus now shifts to ensuring sustainable, long-term success. For lasting impact, private sector organisations must invest in developing robust talent pipelines that nurture and retain Emirati talent.
“At PwC Middle East, we support the nation’s future leaders, with over 242 Emiratis now contributing across our offices. By prioritising local talent, we’re also helping upskill the region’s workforce for the demands of tomorrow.”
