The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has appointed five Emiratis to its Members’ Advisory Committee. The new members are Ibrahim AlShami, Majed Al Marzooqi, Mohammad Almajedi, Maryam AlHareb, and Rashed AlAli, underscoring ACCA's commitment to Emiratisation goals.

Ibrahim, currently the Regional Finance Director at Jotun Middle East, India, and Africa (MEIA), along with Majed, a Senior Analyst at Mubadala Investment Company, Almajedi, Audit Manager at HSBC Bank Middle East, Maryam, Assurance Manager at PwC, and Rashed, Assistant Manager at EY, will serve on the MAC. Their role includes advising ACCA Council on supporting Emirati talent in accounting, as well as on organisational matters.

They will contribute insights on strategic developments, current and future issues affecting members, enhancing ACCA's reputation in their regions, and addressing new ideas through courses, publications, and events. Additionally, they will provide expertise on technical issues and consultative documents. 

The appointments are part of the Middle East’s government objectives to integrate local Emirati talent into both public and private sectors in the UAE. According to recent findings, expatriate workers still constitute 92 per cent of the workforce, while Emiratis represent just 4 per cent of the private sector workforce. The government has recently set Emiratisation targets for private employers, requiring them to hire, nurture, and retain local talent as a key objective. Specifically, private companies not located in free zones, with 50 or more skilled employees, must increase the number of Emirati employees in skilled jobs, aiming for a 1 per cent increase every six months and ultimately achieving a 2 percent Emiratisation rate by the end of the year.

Fazeela Gopalani, Head of Eurasia and Middle East, ACCA, said: “The MAC will work closely with ACCA, acting as ambassadors within Emirati networks to ensure that Emiratis are aware of ACCA and how we can support local talent. We currently have approximately 70 UAE National members and we want to grow this number over the coming months.”

Majed added, “There is a need to attract new Emirati talent to the accounting and finance professions in the UAE. Programmes such as Nafis, a government-led initiative that aims to increase the number of Emiratis working in the UAE private sector, is a positive step forward. As committee members, we will be encouraging Emirati talent into the accountancy profession and will highlight the benefits ACCA can provide to them. The vision of the committee aligns with the UAE government's vision of increasing the percentage of Emirati skilled labour in the workforce.”

Maryam and Rashed echoed the importance of Emiratisation and the need for private and public sector entities to invest in the next generation of Emirati leaders saying, “Today, more than 40% of the Emirati population is under the age of 30, compounding the need to ensure strong national representation across all strategic sectors if growth industries are to prosper and employment levels remain high. Companies need to invest in future skills to prepare young Emiratis for the future of work and develop the next generation of leaders who can drive the UAE’s transformation into a green, digital, and knowledge-based economy. The private sector must play its own proactive part in creating complementary opportunities in the workplace to attract homegrown talent, as well as retain and cultivate it.”

Almajedi also commented, “The creation of this committee is a positive step forward for both the accounting profession and the wider finance profession in the UAE. With the UAE Central Bank’s Emiratisation target for local banks of 45% of total employees by 2026, this is a welcome initiative and one I am proud to be involved in.”