Al-Futtaim, one of the region’s most diversified and progressive privately held businesses and one of the UAE’s largest private-sector employers, is strengthening its commitment to developing Emirati talent through SINYAR, its business-led talent and leadership platform designed to develop Emirati talent across every stage of the career journey – from students in Grades 9–12 through to graduates, managers, business leaders and senior Emirati talent preparing for enterprise leadership.
The approach is built around a broader ambition: strengthening the depth of Emirati capability within the private sector and developing future-ready national talent equipped to contribute to an increasingly complex and evolving economy. It also reflects insights emerging from Al-Futtaim’s ongoing engagement with Emirati youth, including the Future of Emirati Youth research, which explores young Emiratis’ ambitions, future skills, career readiness and access to meaningful opportunities. By connecting early exposure, career development, mobility and leadership progression, Al-Futtaim is looking beyond individual programmes to the long-term impact Emirati talent can create for businesses and the UAE.
With Emiratisation at 20% across its UAE businesses and around 300 Emiratis participating in SINYAR annually, Al-Futtaim is using the breadth of its portfolio to create opportunities for UAE Nationals to gain experience across different businesses, functions and operating environments. Importantly, 70% of SINYAR participants are part of its youth-focused Explorer programme, reflecting Al-Futtaim’s emphasis on starting early. By engaging students from Grades 9–12, the programme gives young Emiratis blended exposure to the workplace, future skills and emerging career opportunities at a formative stage, helping shape how they think about their education, interests and future careers before they enter the workforce.
SINYAR then provides a structured pathway for that development to continue. Its five stages: Explorer, Graduate, Manager, Leader and Elite – support Emiratis at different points in their journey, from early exposure and the transition into professional careers through to management and enterprise leadership. Together, they create a continuous journey from classroom to boardroom, rather than a series of standalone development programmes.
The platform is designed to harness one of Al-Futtaim’s key strengths as an employer: the diversity of its businesses, functions and markets. This provides Emirati talent with opportunities to broaden their experience, build capabilities across different operating environments and develop beyond a single function or traditional career route. Progression is based on demonstrated potential, readiness and business performance, ensuring development remains closely connected to both individual capability and business needs.
Mira Al Futtaim, Chairwoman of Emiratisation, Al-Futtaim and Chief Future Education Officer, Al-Futtaim Education Foundation, said: “As one of the UAE’s largest private-sector employers, our role is not only to create jobs for Emiratis, but to create an environment where national talent can build meaningful, long-term careers. That means starting early, investing consistently and creating opportunities for Emiratis to build the experience and capabilities they need for the future. Through SINYAR, we are connecting those opportunities across every career stage, developing Emirati talent that can create long-term impact for Al-Futtaim and the UAE.”
Al-Futtaim’s commitment to developing national talent spans more than three decades, with its Emiratisation journey beginning in 1992 and evolving through successive employment, training and development initiatives. SINYAR builds on that experience by creating a differentiated career proposition where Emirati talent can engage with Al-Futtaim early and continue to develop throughout their careers. The platform is designed to attract, develop and retain exceptional Emirati talent, increase career mobility and build a stronger pipeline of UAE Nationals progressing into management and leadership roles.
Through SINYAR, Al-Futtaim is translating its long-standing commitment to Emiratisation into a career-long proposition for national talent, one that begins while young Emiratis are still at school and grows with them throughout their careers. By investing at every stage, Al-Futtaim aims to contribute to a stronger, more future-ready Emirati workforce and the UAE’s long-term economic ambitions.
