“Wealth isn’t about money; it resides in individuals. This is where true power, the power we hold dear, lies. It’s what drives us to allocate all our resources to nurture individuals and utilize the wealth bestowed upon us by God in the service of our nation.” – The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE.
In 1971, the same year the United Arab Emirates was founded, our Honorary Chairman and founder, Hasan Ibrahim Al Fardan, established Al Fardan Exchange. Emphasizing the critical role of cultivating Emirati talent and future leaders, our Honorary Chairman recognized that Emiratis have played a pivotal role in propelling our national growth and will remain indispensable in realizing the UAE’s ambitious goals in the coming decades. As a family, we have consistently felt a duty to offer training and opportunities to UAE nationals, with the goal of nurturing and elevating their capabilities for leadership roles.
In the evolving landscape of today’s financial institutions, particularly with the ascent of FinTech, we bear the responsibility of preparing young nationals to excel in this dynamic domain. Those with education and experience must enlighten young minds about the vast potential and opportunities in this sector. Gaining work experience in private enterprises will directly enhance their skills, enrich their experiences, and further bolster the UAE’s economic progress.
As an Emirati-owned business, our commitment is to set a positive example in a rapidly evolving and innovative industry. This year, the Al Fardan family inaugurated the Al Fardan Banking Training Institute, an NGO dedicated to nurturing and empowering UAE nationals for the financial services sector, free of charge. Additionally, our collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET) involves a Memorandum of Understanding to employ 1,000 UAE nationals within the financial sector over five years, along with educating and training 5,000 at the Al Fardan Banking Training Institute.
At Al Fardan Exchange, we actively mold the business leaders of tomorrow through our ongoing Emirati hiring and training program, focusing on cultivating sought-after, specialized skills that will serve candidates throughout their professional journeys. Currently, we are conducting intensive training for students and graduates, entrusting them with the management of a new department – ‘Financial Technology (FinTech),’ overseen and guided by 70 Emirati graduates and students.
These initiatives reflect our efforts to attract the finest Emirati talent to this specialized sector, with the aim of nurturing a generation of nationals equipped to assume leadership roles not only within our organization but also across the broader financial services landscape.
To sustain our national progress, we all share the responsibility of investing in and empowering young nationals, involving the brightest minds and top talent from both the government and private sectors. Our visionary leadership understands that our most valuable resource is our people, as articulated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: “We are building a new reality for our people, a new future for our children, and a new model of development.”