aTP- Arab tourism portal- Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is marking the fifth anniversary of the opening of its Al Ain Contact Centre by celebrating the achievements of its 160 Emirati female employees.
One third of the center’s employees are working mothers, reinforcing the airline’s commitment to empowering women, and in particular UAE nationals, by providing a wide range of training and development opportunities to ensure they can pursue challenging and rewarding careers whilst upholding their social and cultural values.
The airline’s contact centers in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and Manchester serve a total of 40 markets. Last year, the Al Ain Contact Centre handled 17 per cent of Etihad Airways’ three million global phone calls for 14 countries, across three continents.
The Al Ain Contact Centre generates revenue of more than $40 million annually and since the center’s launch the volume of calls answered by agents has increased by 187 per cent.
Opened in March 2011, the center began its operations with 85 highly qualified and fully trained Emirati women. By the end of 2012, the number of employees at the center had increased by 150 per cent – and since then a further 30 Emirati women have joined.Ali Al Shamsi, Etihad Airways vice president – Emiratization Strategy said: “We envisaged a highly efficient contact center that would combine world class customer service with the highest level of Arabian hospitality.
We are extremely proud of the service that our employees are providing to thousands of our guests every day.“The center’s fifth anniversary is the perfect opportunity for us to showcase and celebrate the immense talent of our Emirati female workforce, the important impact that they are having on our airline and the crucial role they are playing in the economic diversification of Al Ain.
”All of the women employed at the center completed a series of rigorous assessments prior to being offered a position. On joining the company, employees were enrolled in several training programs to further enhance their IT, English language and employability skills.
The center has also worked with Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group to find the brightest graduates and the Abu Dhabi Human Resources Authority (previously known as Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council) to source candidates from the ‘future of Al Ain’ scheme.Samia Barj, Etihad Airways Al Ain Contact Centre manager, said: “I am extremely proud to be able to lead a team of inspirational Emirati women who are doing so much to strengthen our national identity and make a real impact within the company and in the city of Al Ain.
It is due to their impressive capabilities that the center is able to provide a superior service to hundreds of thousands of Etihad Airways’ guests each year and I am confident that we will continue to exceed all expectations as we keep striving for excellence.”
