Gulf Bank’s Human Resources Head, Salma Al Hajjaj Wins HR Professional of the year award at 6th annual MENA HR excellence Awards

Gulf Bank today announced that Mrs. Salma Al-Hajjaj, General Manager, Human Resources, has won the ‘HR Professional of the Year’ award for the private sector at the 6^th Annual MENA HR Excellence Awards, which took place during the 9^th Annual Human Assets Expansion Summit MENA 2014, on the 14th & 15^th May in Dubai. The award was presented by H.E Dr. Omar Al-Nuaimi, Assistant Under-Secretary of Policies and Strategy, Ministry of Labor in the United Arab Emirates. 

Commenting after receiving the award, Mrs. Al-Hajjaj said: “I am very honored to receive this prestigious award and for the recognition it signifies. The Human Resources team at Gulf Bank is dedicated to delivering the highest level of service and this award is also a reflection of their hard work, commitment and effort.  

“At Gulf Bank we believe that our human capital is our most valuable asset and we strive to create a culture that nurtures talent and creates great career opportunities for our people. We value teamwork and empowerment above all else and we will continue to focus on these aspects as we work with our fellow employees in developing their knowledge and abilities.” 

Mrs. Al-Hajjaj was presented her award for the success she has achieved since joining Gulf Bank. This includes implementing the HR vision “Be The Change”, accompanied by a set of new values - Trust, Empathy and Agility (TEA), which are fundamental human values which are essential in maintaining healthy work-place relationships. This is in addition to inaugurating the Bank’s new training center ‘Durrat Al Khaleej’ in February 2014, and her role in supporting INJAZ Kuwait, a major non-profit, non-governmental organization which is driven by Kuwait’s private sector where she  personally dedicates a lot of time to the mentoring and volunteering.   

Mrs Al-Hajjaj is also responsible for the Bank’s continued emphasis on Nationalization and employee training and development through its Learning and Development department, which produces tailor-made packages and training programs to enhance staff expertise.  

The 9^th Annual Human Assets Expansion Summit MENA 2014 aims to connect HR professionals from leading organizations in the region and recognize individuals and organizations for excellence in the HR function. The three day summit was designed to facilitate knowledge sharing regarding the most pressing issues facing HR professionals in the region. Each year the MENA HR Excellence Awards are held to recognize outstanding achievements by individuals and organizations in advancing the HR function in their respective organizations.