Emirates Islamic, one of the leading Islamic financial institutions in the UAE, has announced the appointment of Emirati national Hessa Al Mulla as Head of Human Resources (HR) for the bank.

Al Mulla has been with the group since 2004 and has worked in various units within the HR department, including Nationalization, Recruitment and HR Business Partnering.

In her previous role as HR Business Partner, Retail Banking at Emirates NBD, she was responsible for over 3,000 employees with a strategic involvement in the Retail Leadership Team. Al Mulla played a major role in the transition of the banks business model in the Priority Banking and Small Medium Enterprise (SME) sectors after the merger phase. In addition, she worked for the SME Banking unit as the Centre Head for Emerging SMEs, during which the team received several accolades and awards including Best SME Center for 2011.

Commenting on the appointment, Jamal Bin Ghalaita, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Islamic, said: Hessa Al Mulla has demonstrated exceptional dedication and talent, and has proved to be a valuable resource within the group. As an Emirati female leader, she is a role model to others and we wish her every success in this role. Emirates Islamic remains committed to rewarding high-performing employees, and we are especially focused on the development and training of our national work-force.

With the growth of the Islamic economy in the UAE and the increasing relevance of the Islamic banking sector in Dubai, I am privileged to be a part of one of the regions fastest growing banks, leading the HR function, said Al Mulla. Human Capital is our biggest asset and a well-equipped workforce will be one of the main factors driving the banks growth in the next few years. In addition, with nationalization being a core objective at Emirates Islamic, we are planning several initiatives to help us acquire and retain the best UAE National talent.

Al Mulla graduated with honors in Business Administration with a major in Human Resources from Dubai Womans College. In addition, Al Mulla has completed executive courses at Ashridge University in the United Kingdom and recently received a leadership certificate from the University of Virginia, USA.