The first female Emirati has been appointed as a CEO in the company that runs Dubai's biggest bank, it has been announced.

Emirates NBD has announced the appointment of Maryam Bahlooq as CEO of Tanfeeth, a fully-owned subsidiary of the Emirates NBD Group.

Tanfeeth was launched in 2011 as shared services organisation aiming to improve the group's customer service and operational efficiency. The company's name means "getting the job done" in Arabic.

Maryam Bahlooq was previously acting group head, Human Resources and headed the HR Business Partnership unit at Emirates NBD.

During her term, Maryam played a pivotal role in the people management aspect of the bank’s mergers and acquisitions, both local and international, a statement said.

The company also announced that acting CEO Steve Thompson has been appointed chief operating officer.

“Maryam’s experience and track record of guiding and motivating diverse groups to enhance business performance equips her well to lead Tanfeeth,” said Abdulla Qassem, group chief operating officer, Emirates NBD and chairman of Tanfeeth.

“Tanfeeth plays a crucial role within the Group and I am confident that with Maryam’s leadership, the team will continue to scale service excellence standards and deliver outstanding support across our business units and subsidiaries.

Bahlooq added: “I am honoured to lead Tanfeeth as we continue to support Emirates NBD Group’s growing needs, which include business units, subsidiaries and international operations. I am also delighted to be the first female UAE national to assume a CEO position within the Group and hope to inspire and mentor others like me to take on similar leadership roles.”