By Ron Chen, Bureau Chief, Asia

A fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world, AtkinsRéalis has been awarded the Great Place to Work certification by the Great Place to Work® Institute for the first time in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A global authority on workplace culture, the Great Place to Work® Institute have surveyed more than 100 million employees around the world and used deep insights to define what makes a great workplace since 1992.

The institute leads the industry with the most rigorous, data-based model for quantifying employee experience: The Great Place to Work Trust Model™. Continuous research has proven that the definition of a great workplace is one where employees trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work with. As part of the Great Place to Work® certification, AtkinsRéalis workplace in the UAE and KSA was assessed on a range of areas including a trust index analysis and culture audit. This covered surveying employees on their thoughts around respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie at work. Other key areas of assessment included leadership, meaningful values, and demonstrating a deep foundation of trust with all employees across the organization. AtkinsRéalis has performed particularly well in corporate reputation and how the organization is perceived in the larger community, employees’ sense of pride in their work, justice and leadership behavior.

“With over 50 years’ presence in the Middle East, AtkinsRéalis has played an active role in supporting socio-economic development and building talent in the UAE and KSA,” said Campbell Gray, Chief Executive Officer, Middle East & Africa at AtkinsRéalis. “We are thrilled about this recognition which is a testament to our continued commitment to promoting an equal, diverse and inclusive workplace culture, where everyone feels respected and empowered to contribute to engineering a better future for our planet and its people.”

As part of its global Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Program, AtkinsRéalis have established an ED&I network for the Middle East region. This network comprises a dedicated team of diverse individuals in ranging positions across the company and is sponsored by the regional CEO. This network represents employees in the region and has a three-year plan covering areas such as raising awareness internally, supporting underrepresented groups and becoming a leading voice for change. With an aim of nurturing future talent, the Company onboarded more than 60 UAE nationals in 2022-2023 across its business operations in the UAE with full and part time job opportunities, to help them gain industry knowledge and practical work experience. In KSA, the Company launched a 12-month‘Saudi Graduate Development Programme’ that is dedicated to build local capabilities in engineering, design and project management and get hands-on industry experience by supporting mega projects aligned with Vision 2030. To date, 69 graduates have joined the program including 22 females, 47 males.

“We’re proud to have been recognized as a Great Place to Work® in the UAE and KSA. This achievement is a significant milestone for our journey as a Company to lead by example, raise industry awareness, and provide a healthy and safe workplace environment that celebrates our people and supports their long-term career growth,“ said  Vice-President of Human Resources, Middle East & Africa at AtkinsRéalis Naomi Miles. “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with industry stakeholders in the public and private sectors towards fostering an ED&I workplace culture across the region.”

Combining the expertise of its 36,000 employees across markets and regions to deliver end-to-end solutions in the built and natural environments, AtkinsRéalis has established a track record as the trusted partner of choice for delivering transformational projects in the Middle East by providing its technical excellence, digital services and net zero solutions. In the UAE and KSA, the Company is supporting a number of major clients across buildings and places, transport, energy and water sectors, such as Aldar, Modon, ENEC, NEOM, The Royal Commission for Riyadh City, The Royal Commission for AlUla and others.