Standard Chartered UAE has received the Champions of Gender Balance in Policies Award at the first SDG 5 Pledge Awards. The UAE Gender Balance Council presented the awards at a ceremony at One&Only One Za’abeel in Dubai on 1 October 2026.
Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the Council, launched the awards last year. They recognise companies that have turned their commitment to gender balance into concrete policies, practices and initiatives. Attendees included Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of Family; Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice President of the Council; and Mouza Mohammed Al Ghuwais Al Suwaidi, its Secretary-General.
From Commitment to Measurable Results
Mona Ghanem Al Marri said progress comes when vision is translated into “clear policies, measurable indicators and practices.” A panel discussion during the programme looked at how organisations can turn commitments into results that can be tracked. It also covered the role of data in monitoring progress, and how gender balance connects with talent development, career pathways, women’s leadership and family-supportive workplaces.
A Growing Private-Sector Movement
The other winners were ADNOC (Pioneer of Women’s Leadership Representation), Schneider Electric (Exemplary Initiative Advancing Gender Balance) and Deloitte Middle East (Family-Focused Employer of the Year).
Eight organisations also joined the SDG 5 Pledge during the ceremony: Veolia, Publicis Groupe Middle East, WPP, Epson, Havas, Stephenson Harwood, Augustus Media and Advertising Business Group. The Council-led pledge encourages private-sector companies to adopt policies that advance women’s representation in senior and middle management.
For the banking sector, the award shows gender balance increasingly being judged on concrete, measurable policies rather than stated intentions.
Source: UAE Gender Balance Council, via the Government of Dubai Media Office.
