Now, an all-women money exchange in Dubai

The oldest female employee of UAE Exchange, Elizabeth Koshy John, inaugurates the all-women branch of UAE Exchange in Dubai on Sunday.

"You don't build a business, you build people and then people build the business." This is what the oldest woman employee of UAE Exchange had to say at the launch of its first-ever women-only branch at the Dubai Airport Free Zone (Dafza). It was an emotional moment for Elizabeth Koshy John as she was asked to inaugurate the branch that will be managed entirely by women.

"I joined here in 1980 with only four staff members. I was the second employee to be hired by the exchange. We started everything manually and our first product was only a demand draft. Now, we have become the leading global remittance, foreign exchange and payment solutions brand. I have seen the company grow and I've grown with them," said Koshy John.

Although the branch employees (six at a time) are all women (wearing light pink waistcoats), they will serve all - men and women.

"This is because we do not want to show any discrimination between men and women. On the contrary, we want to encourage diversity," said Promoth Manghat, CEO of UAE Exchange Group.

Talking about the new branch, Manghat said: "One-third of our workforce comprises women at all levels. This is in line with the UAE's national agenda of happiness and women empowerment. We believe that women are a source of happiness, cheer and warmth. They don't just work mechanically but they also put their heart into work. That is why we encourage participation of women across various spheres in the organisation."

Right from heading the branch to managing the counter to cleaning, every aspect will be managed by a team of women employees.

"The branch will be similar to other UAE Exchange outlets and will provide customised financial solutions to all customers," said Abdel Kareem Alkayed, country head - UAE Exchange, UAE.

Working for 14 years with the UAE Exchange, Simana Santhan, head of the women-only branch, said: "You won't find these many women working in any money exchange. That is proof of our company taking extra efforts to empower women. I am proud of the UAE Exchange for encouraging and empowering us. I am looking forward to working with my team to set high standards of service excellence."

The UAE Exchange also opened another outlet at The Outlet Village in Dubai, taking its total branch count to 148 in the UAE. It is also the first remittance brand to have established 17 outlets on the Dubai Metro network.

- saman@khaleejtimes.com