Media Release

With Gulf countries being home to a huge number of expatriates, awareness of diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workplace is on the rise and becoming a hotly discoursed topic in the region and across sectors. According to a study by McKinsey & Company conducted in 2017[1], the benefits of diversity have a clear impact on the financial performance of a company, making it 33% more likely to outperform. The data has proven that ethnic and cultural diversity is also correlated with profitability.

A clear understanding of the terms and effective tools to apply diversity and inclusion in the workplace were highlighted by Roche Diagnostics Middle East (RDME) at the recent Global Women in Leadership Economic Forum and the World Tolerance Summit 2018 held in Dubai this week.

“At Roche Diagnostics Middle East, our people make the business. We have 42 nationalities, interns, fresh graduates, all the way to colleagues who have been in the company for over 35 years. Creating a diverse and inclusive working environment for talents to grow is in our culture, as we firmly believe it contributes to generating new ideas, and ultimately, groundbreaking innovations. We are proud to mirror the UAE’s commitment to promoting a tolerant world and create a better future for next generations”, commented Harald Wolf, General Manager of Roche Diagnostics Middle East FZCO

“Diversity is crucial, but its effect pales without inclusion. The two go hand-in-hand when it comes to fostering a culture of continuous innovation; which is why we approach both with the same sense of priority,” said Maysoun Ramadan, Head of Communications and Public Affairs in the Middle East at Roche Diagnostics. Speaking at the World Tolerance Summit, Maysoun explained that diversity goes beyond visible differences like gender, to include values, beliefs, experiences, thinking styles, ethnicities, and varied cognitive abilities.

Corporates and senior leadership present at the summit were urged to be more accepting of varied viewpoints and adopt a top-down method of supporting and encouraging people with intellectual disabilities. Underpinning the importance of equal access to opportunities and resources for all is RDME’s successfully implemented Inclusive Internship Program – a project launched in collaboration with Naseba and the SEDRA Foundation, which aims to dispel misconceptions about the contributions of persons with intellectual, cognitive or mental health-related disabilities.

“Individuals with disabilities are often overlooked on the D&I spectrum. Inclusivity is about really valuing what people with different thought-processes, skill-sets and experiences have to say, so we can create an enriched environment for all employees to learn, grow and push the limits of their own thinking – in that way, we enable an outpour of ideas which ultimately leads to consistent innovation.” said Sophie Le Ray, CEO of Naseba.“ Our work with Roche Diagnostics Middle East has proven immensely successful integrating a high level of diversity and inclusion, which also goes to show the benefits of partners or organizations working together to effect such change” Sophie added.

RDME was recognized last year by the Global Women in Leadership Economic Forum (GWEF) - for its ‘Outstanding Contribution to Inclusion’ after launching the internship program for determined youth with Down syndrome, and for being the very first organization in this region to do so.

 

About Roche Diagnostics Middle East (RDME):

RDME has taken the unprecedented move of being the first IVD Company to have a Management Centre and a logistics hub in the Middle East. RDME has extended its ownership of the entire supply chain, quality control and customer support all the way into the centre of the region. This base of operations reinforces the commitment to global Roche standards and is driven by a full team of vastly experienced specialists offering a complete portfolio of services. With this regional empowerment, RDME has moved its leadership and decision-making closer to its customers and distributors. These investments allow Roche Diagnostics Middle East to develop from being a supplier into becoming the preferred IVD partner for its customers.

RDME offers a complete portfolio of services in 16 countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya and Maldives. For more information, please visit www.roche-middleeast.com.

References

[1] https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/delivering-through-diversity