Empowering Women: Banke Properties' blueprint for inclusive leadership, growth

As a female leader in a competitive real estate industry, how do you champion women empowerment and create opportunities for women to thrive at Banke?

Women empowerment at Banke begins with leadership representation and decision-making authority. Today, all core departments - Finance, Marketing, Sales, Recruitment, HR Operations, and Administration - are led by women, reflecting our belief in capability over convention.

My role has been to create an environment where women are trusted with responsibility, visibility, and growth. We actively support participation in industry-led platforms such as Being She, Property Finder’s She4She Mentorship Program, and Women’s Choice initiatives, enabling mentorship, exposure, and cross-industry learning.

Beyond this, we ensure consistent visibility for our women leaders through media features, interviews, social campaigns, and thought leadership. Several women professionals have also been featured on Bayut billboards as top performers, purely based on merit. With strong representation as SuperAgents, TruBrokers, and Excellence Ambassadors, we reinforce that at Banke, excellence is recognised, leadership is inclusive, and growth is accessible to all.

The launch of Banke Academy and the Future Leaders Summer Internship Program have been flagship initiatives under your leadership. How have these transformed talent development at Banke?

Learning at Banke is a continuous journey. The Future Leaders Summer Internship Program is a year-on-year initiative welcoming 20+ students from diverse universities into a structured, immersive exposure across all real estate departments.

Over three weeks, interns receive nearly 75 hours of mentor-led learning, real business exposure, leadership interactions, and cross-functional projects. The program also serves as a talent pipeline, with high performers identified, developed further, and offered permanent roles - many of whom now thrive as full-time professionals.

Complementing this is Banke Academy, our structured learning platform delivering onboarding, role-based certifications, continuous upskilling, market-specific training, leadership sessions, mentorship, sales and negotiation masterclasses, and engagement with external industry experts. Together, these initiatives build confident professionals, star performers, and a sustainable leadership pipeline.

Building a high-performing, engaged workforce is central to your leadership approach. What defines employee experience and culture at Banke?

Our Great Place to Work recognition reflects a culture that resonates strongly with Millennials and women professionals across the GCC, Middle East, and Asia. Banke fosters inclusion, respect, and shared purpose, with over 30 nationalities represented and celebrated through inclusive policies, flexible work practices, and cultural experiences.

Our leadership structure emphasises transparency, empathy, and collaboration, resulting in high retention, strong internal mobility, and a workplace where people feel safe to grow and lead. When employees feel valued for who they are - not just what they deliver - they become more engaged, committed, and collaborative.

Corporate social responsibility is a core part of Banke’s DNA. How is CSR integrated into the organisation, and what impact has it created?

CSR at Banke is purpose-driven and embedded into our DNA. Our initiatives span education, women empowerment, sustainability, health awareness, and community support. We organise Kindness Day and large-scale delivery drives for labor camps and construction sites, conduct breast cancer awareness campaigns, support autistic children, and engage in community-driven initiatives.

Internally, we are moving toward zero-paper offices and greener workplace practices. By involving employees through their time, skills, and ideas, CSR becomes a shared responsibility that creates meaningful, long-term impact while strengthening empathy and purpose.

Banke is known for its dynamic growth. How do you approach recruitment, internal mobility, and career development to ensure opportunities are open for everyone?

At Banke, we maintain an open-door approach to talent, continuously hiring across Off-Plan, Secondary, Commercial Sales, and Leasing. Our recruitment strategy balances global reach with cultural alignment and long-term potential.

Internal mobility is central-employees frequently transition across departments and countries, with many growing from property consultants into Associate Directors and leadership roles. Through structured learning, mentorship, and performance-based promotions, Banke remains a place where doors are opened, careers evolve, and leaders are built from within.