For a generation of Emirati women, a career in finance no longer means following a single, predictable path. Today, that path might lead from accounting into audit, advisory or governance. It might take someone closer to investment, M&A and strategic decision-making. Increasingly, it might sit at the intersection of finance, technology, sustainability and public policy.
That breadth of opportunity tells an important story about the progress Emirati women have made within the profession.
But as the UAE marks Emirati Women’s Day, perhaps the more interesting question is where the continued expansion of the profession can take the next generation.
More Choice, Greater Opportunity
Four Emirati ACCA members working across professional services and the public sector reflect on a finance profession in which women are increasingly building specialist expertise, progressing into leadership and helping shape the decisions that will influence the UAE’s future.
When Fatema Lari, Senior Manager at EY, graduated, she saw general accounting as the most natural career path. It was where she began, before moving into audit and regulation and later advisory, eventually developing her specialism in IFRS-based financial reporting and governance.
What has changed, she believes, is not simply access to the profession but the range of directions available once women enter it. “The profession has expanded and deepened and Emirati women are not just entering it, they are specialising in it, owning it and building real expertise within it,” she says. For Lari, that shift ‘from participation to specialisation’ is one of the clearest signs of progress.
Bayan Almarzooqi, Manager at PwC, has witnessed that appetite for professional development first-hand. Speaking at an ACCA event in Ras Al Khaimah, she met participants in the government-backed Etimad programme, which gives Emirati nationals the opportunity to pursue professional qualifications such as ACCA, with the costs covered by the programme.
The majority of participants were young Emirati women. For Almarzooqi, it was a powerful demonstration of what can happen when ambition is matched with opportunity and support. But she also believes the next step should take Emirati women beyond traditional accounting roles and closer to the places where capital and strategic decisions are made.
Investment management, corporate finance, M&A, wealth management, risk, treasury and financial strategy are among the areas where she sees significant opportunity.
Building Careers that Lead to Leadership
There are already powerful examples of what long-term progression can look like. When Marya Ahli, Senior Manager in Audit at KPMG Lower Gulf, joined KPMG ten years ago, she was the only Emirati woman in her department. Today, she sees a growing number of Emirati professionals building careers across different levels of the organisation.
Her own journey has seen her become the first Emirati woman in KPMG Audit to progress through Assistant Manager, Manager and now Senior Manager. Her experience also highlights that increasing participation is only one part of the journey. Long term progression also requires opportunities to develop technical expertise, commercial understanding and leadership experience, enabling Emirati women to build lasting careers and progress into senior roles.
One theme emerges particularly strongly from the experiences of the women; sponsorship. Mentorship is important, but Almarzooqi draws a distinction between having someone who offers advice and having a senior leader who actively advocates for your progression.
Sponsorship, she explains, means having someone prepared to say: “I want her on this project, I want her in this role and I think she is ready for the next step.”
Ahli’s experience also highlights the value of being trusted with challenging responsibilities and having the right support and development opportunities throughout her career. She believes reaching senior positions also created opportunities to give back by sharing experiences, creating opportunities and supporting the next generation in their development and progression.
A Changing Profession
The opportunities available to that next generation will not necessarily resemble those available today. For Ayesha Naser Al Zaabi, Director at Digital Dubai Authority, some of the most exciting opportunities now lie at the intersection of finance, digital transformation and public value.
Artificial intelligence, regulatory developments and evolving professional standards are changing how finance professionals work and the value they are expected to bring. Al Zaabi sees opportunities for Emirati women across digital finance, governance, fintech, sustainability and public-sector financial leadership.
These are roles in which finance professionals can do far more than manage financial resources. They can help shape policy, enable innovation and contribute to the UAE’s wider transformation. It also means the capabilities required to build a successful finance career are broadening.
Technical knowledge and professional qualifications remain essential foundations but commercial judgement, communication, stakeholder management, digital understanding and the ability to influence are becoming increasingly important too.
Almarzooqi advises younger women to understand how businesses make money, how investments are evaluated and how transactions work, while also developing their understanding of technology and AI.
Lari emphasises the importance of building a career with intention – establishing a direction, gaining the right qualifications and being willing to reassess and adapt as new opportunities emerge.
Ahli’s advice is to keep learning, remain resilient and not shy away from difficult assignments, while Al Zaabi encourages the next generation not to limit themselves to traditional finance roles.
“Finance is not just about numbers,” Al Zaabi says. “It is about influence, judgment and leadership.”
Building the Next Generation
That may be the most important message to take from Emirati Women’s Day. The opportunities available to Emirati women in finance are becoming broader, more specialised and increasingly influential.
The next stage is about building on that progress: creating opportunities to specialise, giving women exposure to challenging and strategically important work, investing in professional development and ensuring talented individuals have mentors and sponsors prepared to advocate for their progression.
And as more Emirati women reach senior positions, there is an opportunity to create a powerful multiplier effect, with each generation using its experience, influence and leadership to support the one that follows.
The future of Emirati women in finance is not simply about greater representation. It is about greater possibility; the freedom to build expertise, shape decisions, lead organisations and help define what the profession becomes next.
Fatema Lari, Senior Manager at EY, Bayan Almarzooqi, Manager at PwC, Marya Ahli, Senior Manager in Audit at KPMG Lower Gulf and Ayesha Naser Al Zaabi, Director at Digital Dubai Authority, are all ACCA members.
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