Emirates: a vision takes flight

Emirates’ history started with a vision in the desert. It was a vision that proved to be far from a mirage, when Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai from 1958 to 1990, announced his intentions for Dubai to become a global hub.

And so, what was once “a little airport in the middle of the desert” went on to become, some forty years later, the biggest aviation hub in the world. The anecdote is recounted by Oliver Grohmann, the Emirates Group’s Executive Vice-President for Human Resources, to explain that the foundation of the “global culture” which drives the world’s fourth biggest airline company came from these few words which were “met with laughter at the time”.

Dubai also has a “unique configuration”. Oliver Grohmann explains that “relationships here between the public and private sector are very close. This helps us to be agile, to find solutions, to create an environment which can attract people and make them want to stay.” For you, Dubai may still be nothing more than a layover on the way to your holidays in Asia. But “it is now somewhere people want to live, work, and invest,” insists the German globetrotter, who has worked in Singapore and South Korea, among other places. Dubai’s leaders have a “long-term strategy” to increase the city’s appeal as a destination. A “very clear” plan is now in place to encourage people from all over the world to “retire here”. Which makes the task of the Emirates head of global HR easier. Because, as you will have noticed, the city-State “is really very small”. Oliver Grohmann recruits “as many Emiratis as possible,” and his HR team has so far recruited over 170 different nationalities. “We are recruiting every day. I have teams permanently working on our campaigns across the globe – this year we have 2,100 recruitment events in 150 cities – from Auckland in New Zealand to Toronto in Canada,” summarises the former manager of Mercedes, LG, and Hyundai.

A successful Babylon. For the first time, Oliver Grohmann can “feel” the emergence of a global culture. But make no mistake. At Emirates, this global culture is not a melting pot swallowing up all cultures to create a new one. The “global culture” that he is referring to is more like a mosaic. Each different cultural characteristic is respected and taken into account. “When you board an Emirates aircraft, you feel at home. Not in France, as you would on an Air France plane. Because we speak your language or will serve you a meal from your country. “Global” in this sense means “all-encompassing”, “understanding”, not “assimilating”. For the Emirates HR leader, this is because “we are an airline company that is exclusively international. We don’t have domestic flights. Our very raison d’être is to connect people from different countries.”

And all this talk about global culture is not simply words. It is also reflected in Emirates actions. But how can it be communicated? Whether on land or in the air, let’s get a better view.

For Emirates, “diversity” is not a choice but a fact of life. For the company, “global culture” means two things. Celebrating all differences and taking into account all aspects of our people’s lives.

Tending… [Celebrated]

A “holistic” approach
“Our people’s journey with us extends far beyond a job” (Annual Report 2024-2025).

Sehaty
The Emirates Group’s wellbeing programme, Sehaty (meaning “my health” in Arabic), reflects the company’s desire to be a providential company for its employees and their families. “We prioritise the health and wellbeing of our employees, and their families, from the first day of their journey with us,” the Annual Report explains. It “promotes physical and mental resilience, equipping employees with the knowledge to maximise their medical benefits and health”. You should feel at home in Dubai.

“When COVID hit,
there was a shortage of vaccines. In some European countries, people were divided as to who should be prioritised,” recalls Oliver Grohmann. Here, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai decided that all residents of the city, regardless of nationality, are entitled to the vaccine. Dubai is home. Its leaders want their people to feel at home. So does Emirates.

… all gardens [diversity]

122
The word “global” is mentioned 122 times in the Emirates Annual Report 2024-2025.

The Emirates Leadership
reflects this diversity. Alongside Emiratis, it also includes members from the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, and Lebanon.

“You have to go to Brazil to understand
how business is done there.” This proximity and taking all cultures into account is at the heart of the global culture within Emirates that inspires Oliver Grohmann.

Seasonal spirit
The global culture that Emirates cultivates is also reflected in its gastronomic offering – whether onboard or in its lounges worldwide. Onboard its aircraft, you can experience your destination even before you land there, with authentic cuisine crafted by masterful chefs and paired with rare wines. You are served seasonal dishes that celebrate festivals like Christmas, Ramadan, Diwali, Thanksgiving or Valentine’s Day.

How can we unite more than 120,000 employees from 160 countries around a single global culture? Emirates and its HR division are drawing on innovation and technology. With communication coming from the centre, connecting to each individual component. A bit like… a hub.

Priority boarding

“Previously, our new recruits from Rio de Janeiro or elsewhere landed in Dubai and discovered a new world, from one day to the next. Now, we onboard them before they’ve even arrived,” says Oliver Grohmann, delightedly. This tech-enabled revolution “Mira” is derived from the brand name. Here, new joiners enter a hyper-realistic metaverse where they can create their own avatars, interact with their colleagues and recruiters, and experience the wonders of Dubai and their future environment.

Once they arrive in Dubai, Wejhaty, which translates as “my destination” (note the importance of the possessive pronoun; everything is personalised.) is their destination for everything from onboarding and induction to career progression.

From a single central point (Dubai), Emirates addresses all employees as individuals and communicates to them the values of its global culture.

Innovation gives you wings

“For the third consecutive year, we have recorded the best profits in the company’s history. Today, we are the world’s most profitable airline,” recalls Oliver Grohmann in no uncertain terms. Before adding: “But we are not resting on our laurels.” On all levels of the organisation, Emirates unites its employees under a mantra: “What can we do better?” to make you “Fly Better”, the airline’s slogan. Emirates is constantly striving to innovate: “We were the first to offer individual screens on our aircraft and the first to offer onboard showers. The first, the first, the first.” hammers home the Emirates EVP. This has a two-fold impact: it creates a global culture and communicates it at the same time.

Life jackets

Oliver Grohmann knows only too well: “Innovation comes at a cost.” It involves “failures” and the need to “find the right balance”. This balance goes by a name that we all know: the right to make mistakes. This is part of Emirates culture and contributes towards helping its people integrate. Be daring. There are emergency exits. But for this idea to be shared and shareable, “we need to find the right balance. Do we really need to be the first or is it good enough to be a fast follower?” asks the HR leader.