42% of all hires in best companies are women

Women’s representation is at 33% in GCC

Avtar Group, Chennai headquartered leading workplace culture consulting and Inclusion Solutions firm, announced the second Edition of Avtar & Seramount Best Companies for Women in Gulf (BCWG) list. BCWG is an influential benchmarking initiative spotlighting organizations across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region that excel in fostering gender diversity and inclusive workplace policies. The announcement was made at the Best of Best (BOB) Conference held in Dubai.

Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President, Avtar Group

Avtar Group in partnership with US based Seramount has been hosting the Best Companies for Women initiative in India since 2016. The study titled Best Companies for Women in India, has completed nine successful editions in India and has raised the bar on gender inclusion goals and practices in corporate India. The tenth edition of the listing in India is expected to be announced, by end of September. The “Best Companies” initiative with its data centric approach, has helped organizations refine their inclusion strategy through diversity benchmarks and inclusion best practices that emerge from the comprehensive application process that captures 300+ talent strategy metrices pertaining to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

The 2025 BCWG study unveiled the Top 10 companies and other Best Companies in the Gulf region that are leading the change in creating inclusive work environments for women. Companies were evaluated on parameters including:

Recruitment and retention of women professionals

Representation of women in leadership roles

Pay equity and benefits

Parental and caregiving support policies

Flexible work arrangements

Management accountability on DEI

This year’s winners represent diverse sectors, from technology and manufacturing to retail, and financial services.

The 2025 Top 10 Best Companies in Gulf, listed alphabetically are:

A A Al Moosa Enterprises Car Rental Division (Thrifty & Dollar)

Al Shirawi Facilities Management LLC

Diversey- A Solenis Company

DKHOON AL EMIRATIA

Easa Salel Al Gurg Group

Ecolab

EY

Finastra UK Limited

KONE MIDDLE EAST LLC

TruKKer

Nine more companies qualified to feature in the list. Listed alphabetically, they are:

Apparel Group

Beauty Steps

Canon Middle East

CBRE Advisory Services LLC

GIG GULF Insurance

House of Shipping Management Consultancies FZCO

Ingram Micro Company

MCA MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS & MCA AUDITING

Wipro Limited

Key Highlights are as indicated below:

Women’s representation in Best Companies is at 33%

42% of all hires in Best Companies is women

28% of all women in Best Companies were promoted – this is higher at 34% in Top 10 companies

95% companies provide leadership training and 79% provide formal mentoring and 79% provide executive coaching, all contributing to this facet of career advancement.

Towards enabling women’s engagement, 63% companies have employee resource groups

Towards ensuring equity in career advancement, 63% best companies provide assured performance rating during paid maternity leave

Towards fostering emotional support, 63% offer postpartum stress/depression counselling

95% companies foster an inclusive culture through programs to resolve Diversity, Equity & Inclusion grievances

Please note the winners of 2025 BCWG are listed alphabetically

www.avtarinc.com/enrich/best-companies-for-women-in-gulf-bcwg_new

Commenting on the occasion, Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President, Avtar Group, said, “As the Best Companies for Women in Gulf (BCWG) study completes its second edition in the Gulf Co-operation Council, we are delighted to see the commitment to gender inclusion, growing in the region. Best companies, hailing from across industry sectors have instituted comprehensive inclusion frameworks, to ensure women’s advancement is recognised as a strategic growth priority. From leadership training to coaching, mentoring and sponsorship, these organizations promote a culture of allyship and advocacy alongside creating equitable pathways for career growth. By fostering opportunities for women to excel, lead, and thrive, the best companies have set a gold standard for progressive organizations in the region, inspiring the larger business ecosystem. We are proud to honour these frontrunners!“

Subha V. Barry, President, Seramount, said, “Seramount and Avtar share a deep commitment to advancing global inclusion, and we’re proud to celebrate the continued momentum of the Best Companies for Women in the Gulf initiative,” said Subha V. Barry, President of Seramount. “This year’s Top 10 and Best Companies are taking meaningful action to support women in the workplace-through sponsorship, mentorship, ERGs, and benefits that empower talent advancement. These organizations are not only investing in equity, they’re helping shape a more inclusive future of work. At Seramount, we’re honored to recognize their leadership.”

About Avtar

Avtar, founded in 2000 by Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Asia’s leading workplace culture consulting and inclusion solution firms, supporting hundreds of companies in creating inclusive and supportive workplaces. As the earliest firm in the region to provided end to end inclusion solutions, Avtar’s services span a broad spectrum, including culture diagnostics, inclusion enablement trainings, conferences & events and culture-first hiring solutions. For its transformational impact in the realm of DEI, Avtar Group was listed in the prestigious Steward Leadership 25 Listing by Strait Times & INSEAD at Singapore in 2022.

To know more, visit www.avtarinc.com

About Seramount

Seramount is a strategic professional services and research firm dedicated to supporting high-performing, inclusive workplaces. Over four decades, weve established a strong, data-driven understanding of the employee experience, which lays the groundwork for everything we do. Seramount partners with over 450 of the world’s most influential companies, large and small, to offer pragmatic solutions including best practice DEI research, workplace assessment, employee learning and development, and talent sourcing. These offerings empower companies to navigate a dynamic corporate environment and to cultivate a resilient, connected workforce that achieves extraordinary outcomes.

To know more, visit www.seramount.com