“We are beautiful”: Vallourec in the Middle East celebrates diversity
Celebrating the diversity of its employees, Vallourec in the Middle East recently organized a “We are Beautiful” photo event, held as part of Vallourec’s larger We are Vallourec initiative. Employees had the opportunity to have professional photos taken of themselves, showcasing the beauty and uniqueness of everyone working in the region.
Sponsored by the ‘We are Vallourec’ committee in the United Arab Emirates, the event’s objective was to create photos that employees could use in their work communication tools such as Teams and Outlook or even for their personal needs. “We wanted each employee to have a professional or a personal photo,” said Noushiba Hamsa, Inside Sales Specialist and President of the ‘We are Vallourec committee in the UAE. “The self-confidence that comes with that is powerful. It’s all about looking at yourself as someone beautiful.”
The event was a tremendous success, with more than 60 colleagues in the Dubai office and over 30 in the Abu Dhabi office participating. Archana Zaveri, Sales Administrator and an organizer of the initiative, shared her excitement about the event: “Everyone was excited to participate and have the pictures of themselves taken. After the event, everyone was so happy, walking around the office saying ‘We are Beautiful!’”
The event achieved its goal of boosting self-esteem and confidence among employees, reminding them that they are beautiful and valued. “We prepared posters and displayed them on the office walls before the event and sent out individual thank-you notes along with digital photos to all participants,” said Véronique Asselin, Performance and Execution Manager, who was also involved in organizing the event. “And so many people then wrote notes back to us, thanking us for making them feel beautiful.”’
The committee also created two collages – one for each office, combining all the photos taken.
Fighting inequality and celebrating diversity
Abu Dhabi and Dubai may be known for their opulence, but these are also cities dealing with profound inequalities. Through the actions of the ‘We are Vallourec’ UAE committee, Vallourec in the Middle East is taking a humble but impactful approach to address these disparities. The committee has been active in many different ways over the past year. Activities include charity work, visits to shelters for abused women and children, raising awareness about breast cancer and mental health, and distributing meals to laborers.
There is also a quarterly potluck celebrating employees’ cultural diversity and traditions. “People bring food from their homes,” Noushiba said.
With 20+ nationalities in the office, it’s a great opportunity to get a sense of all the different cultures represented here.
We all bring our cultures to the workplace. At Diwali we’ll light up the office with decorations and goodies from home. Then, the next month we’ll celebrate Christmas with a tree, cake and treats.
Upcoming events and initiatives
The ‘We are Vallourec’ UAE committee has many ambitious plans for future events and initiatives.
One of our big priority is maternity leave, with the goal to increase it from 60 to 75 days. The committee is also planning some beach clean-up events for later in the year, combined with an effort to remove plastic from office kitchens in favor of more sustainable materials.
An upcoming family day event aims to bridge the gap between work life and family life, offering a unique opportunity for employees’ children to learn about their parents’ work.
In a world where unity in diversity is more important than ever, Vallourec Middle East sets an inspiring example, reminding us that we are all beautiful.
The committee's primary objective is to foster a positive impact within our team, extends to the broader company, and reaches out to the communities that surround us. In essence, we seek to cultivate a culture of inclusivity that not only thrives within the company's walls but also extends its embrace to the world beyond.
