Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced the official opening of its dedicated Revenue Accounting Centre of Excellence in Al Ain.

The centre, known as Global Business Service Solutions (GBSS), aims to become a pioneer in revenue accounting whilst creating long-term economic value for Al Ain and the emirate of Abu Dhabi. By leveraging the Emirati workforce and in particular women, who make up more than 95% of its employees, the centre is committed to supporting the development of Al Ain as a thriving regional business hub.

GBSS offers a range of competitively priced services and today provides Etihad Airways and its partner airlines Air Serbia, Etihad Regional and Air Seychelles, with access to industry best practices and the latest airline developments to optimise results and redirect valuable internal resources. In addition, other partner airlines will also be supported in the coming months.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, and the airline’s senior management toured the facility in Al Ain. "Revenue accounting is a critically important yet expensive and time consuming aspect of the global airline business. However, through the establishment of a world-class centre of excellence, Etihad Airways and our partners can now achieve further financial and operational success," he said.

"This centre is also aligned with a long-term commitment to grow our Emirati workforce. It is Etihad Airways’ most ambitious Emiratisation initiative and builds on the success of existing programs for cadet pilots, engineers and graduate managers, together with our Al Ain Centre, "Hogan added.

More than 300 Emiratis were hired during the first year of operation and more will be recruited as the centre grows. The centre places a strong focus on empowering women in Al Ain by providing a wide range of training and development opportunities in a number of specialised areas. GBSS is committed to equipping its female employees with the skills they need to continue to play an integral role in the economic diversification of Al Ain.

Saada Al Taei, Senior Manager Service Delivery at Global Business Service Solutions, said, "Al Ain and GBSS know the economic potential of women and are committed to helping women of all ages embark on long and rewarding careers. The energy, resourcefulness and the wide range of skills that our female employees possess in abundance are absolutely critical to our continued success."

Source:WAM