Local female talent retention in the Gulf: Emirati women bending with the wind

摘要

While the Arab Middle East reflects a diversity of business contexts, many countries in the region still fall short in women’s workforce participation. The Gulf countries in particular rank well in educational achievements, but these achievements are not yet transferring to the workplace. With the increasing need to cultivate talent worldwide, it is imperative to understand the challenges related to retaining women in the workforce in emerging market countries such as the UAE. Based on qualitative data gathered from focus groups, the present study examines how local Emirati women navigate workforce participation. We identify four main challenges to remain in the workforce, and uncover four key strategies used to address these challenges. Findings are emblematic of what women have experienced universally, albeit cloaked in a gendered subtext which reveals the uniquely Emirati experience. Our findings contribute to the elaboration of an emerging AME HR model by examining external realities relevant for working women in the resource-rich countries of the Gulf and by proposing HR practices that could promote the retention of women in the workplace.