Spotlight on Nayla Shabeer, Dubai based Learning & Development and Talent Professional

Naila Shabeer shares her career journey

SPOTLIGHTS & INTERVIEWS

ME-HR & Learning

8/18/20263 min read

1. Tell us about you, your experience, and your time in the Middle East.

I’m a Learning & Development and Talent Development professional with over 20 years of experience across the Middle East, particularly in the UAE. I’ve had the opportunity to work across diverse industries including aviation, real estate, hospitality, tourism and the entertainment sector, which has given me a very broad perspective on people, culture and capability development.

What I love about this region is its incredible pace of growth and transformation. I’ve been fortunate to experience that evolution firsthand, from more traditional approaches to learning and HR, to organisations now placing much greater emphasis on talent, employee experience, leadership development and future skills.

For me, the Middle East has been more than just a place to build my career. Dubai is where I was born and It has shaped how I think about people and leadership. Working with multicultural teams has taught me that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to developing talent. You have to understand the person, the culture and the business context.

2. How would you describe the culture of your business?

I would describe it as people-first, growth-focused and purpose-driven.

Whether I’m working within an organisation or through my coaching work, I believe strongly that people perform at their best when they feel seen, valued and empowered to grow.

I also believe learning should not be something that happens only in a classroom. It needs to be embedded into the culture, through leadership, everyday conversations, experiences, feedback and opportunities to take ownership.

For me, a strong culture is one where people feel safe enough to speak up, challenged enough to grow and trusted enough to take responsibility.

3. How easy is it for you to get direct access to the decision-makers in your company?

I’ve been fortunate to work in environments where I’ve had access to senior stakeholders and decision-makers, particularly because L&D is most effective when it is connected directly to business priorities.

I’ve always believed that L&D needs to move beyond being seen as simply a support function. When you can have a conversation with business leaders about performance, capability, succession, engagement and the organisation’s future, not just training, you become a strategic partner.

Access is also about credibility. When leaders see that you understand their business challenges and can translate them into meaningful people solutions, the conversations naturally become more strategic.

4. What are your biggest challenges in the next 5 years?

I think one of our biggest challenges will be keeping pace with the speed of change while still keeping people at the centre of it.

AI and technology will fundamentally change jobs and the skills people need. At the same time, organisations will need people who can think critically, adapt quickly, collaborate across cultures and lead through uncertainty.

Another major challenge will be developing leaders who are not just technically competent, but emotionally intelligent and capable of leading diverse, multigenerational and increasingly multicultural workforces.

And finally, organisations will need to become much better at reskilling and upskilling their existing talent. We cannot rely solely on hiring new skills, we need to continuously develop the people we already have.

5. What are the skills and competencies that you would need to train to meet the region’s talent requirements?

I think the focus needs to shift from simply asking “What training do people need?” to “What capabilities will our organisations need to succeed in the future?”

Some of the key areas I would prioritise are:

AI and digital literacy - helping people understand and work effectively with emerging technologies.
Adaptability and resilience - because the ability to navigate change will become increasingly important.
Critical thinking and problem-solving - particularly as AI takes over more routine tasks.
Leadership and people management - especially developing leaders who can inspire, coach and empower rather than simply manage.
Emotional intelligence - self-awareness, empathy, communication and relationship-building will remain deeply human capabilities.
Cross-cultural communication - particularly important in the Middle East’s incredibly diverse workforce.
Strategic thinking and business acumen - ensuring talent understands how their role contributes to the bigger business picture.
Continuous learning mindset - perhaps the most important competency of all.

Ultimately, I believe the region’s competitive advantage will come from developing people who are technologically capable but deeply human. The future isn’t about choosing between technology and people, it’s about preparing people to work alongside technology while bringing the uniquely human capabilities that machines cannot replace.

Naila’s profile: linkedin.com/in/nailashabeer