Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Thursday, 12. March 2026
• Women now make up 23 percent of the workforce, marking a 39 percent rise in five years
• Representation of women in senior roles nearly doubles as national female participation surges
AtkinsRéalis,
the international engineering and design consultancy, has announced
significant progress in advancing gender diversity across its GCC
operations, marking one of the fastest improvements in women’s
representation within the region’s engineering and infrastructure
sector.
In an industry where women account for just 11.2 percent
of the construction workforce in leading markets, the company’s latest
results reflect sustained, measurable progress across hiring, promotion
and leadership, Women now represent 23 percent of AtkinsRéalis’ GCC
workforce, up from 17 percent in 2020, a 39 percent increase over five
years. Female hiring has risen from 14 percent to 25 percent, while
promotion rates have increased from 16 percent to 24 percent,
strengthening the pipeline for long-term advancement across all
organisational levels.
Representation of women in senior roles
has nearly doubled, rising from 8 percent in 2020 to 15 percent today.
This compares favourably to the wider GCC corporate landscape, where
women hold just 6.8% of board seats across 729 listed companies.
Research shows that meaningful organisational transformation accelerates
when women reach around 30 percent representation, positioning
AtkinsRéalis ahead of typical industry trends and steadily closing the
sector gap.
A notable milestone has been the growth in national
women’s participation, increasing from 9 percent in 2020 to 51 percent
in 2025, supported by targeted development initiatives. This reflects
the UAE’s broader trajectory, where women now account for 57 percent of
Emirati nationals working in the private sector.
Campbell Gray,
CEO, AtkinsRéalis Middle East, said: “Our results show what is possible
when diversity is treated as a business priority, not an aspiration. We
are reshaping the talent profile of our organisation and demonstrating
leadership in a sector that has traditionally been slow to change. This
momentum reinforces our belief that diverse teams deliver better
solutions for our clients and drive long-term value for the region.”
Naomi
Miles, Vice President Human Resources, Middle East at AtkinsRéalis,
added: “Creating an inclusive and equitable workplace is central to our
regional strategy. These results demonstrate meaningful progress and
sustained commitment to ensuring women can grow, lead and succeed across
technical and project roles.”
Supported by leadership
development programmes, technical training, employee resource groups and
cross-industry partnerships, the company will now introduce
strengthened regional inclusion targets, expand leadership pathways for
women in engineering and project roles, and implement enhanced gender
equity metrics across its GCC operations to ensure transparency,
accountability and long-term impact.
With more than 4,000
employees across the region, AtkinsRéalis’ progress signals a tangible
shift in a sector historically slow to change, reinforcing its position
as a regional leader in building a more innovative, competitive and
inclusive engineering industry.
About AtkinsRéalis
Created
by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911,
AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services company dedicated to
engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create
sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to
transform the world’s infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy
global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end
services across the whole life cycle of an asset, including consulting,
advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks &
cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project &
construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning
and capital. Learn more at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on
LinkedIn.
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https://www.aetoswire.com/en/news/atr3122026
Contacts
Razan Katbe
External Comms Manager, AtkinsRéalis Middle East
Razan.katbe@atkinsrealis.com
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