Dubai banking giant Emirates NBD announced the appointment of Emirati Maryam Bahlooq as the CEO of Tanfeeth, which manages the bank's operations.

This makes Bahlooq, an Emirati national, the first woman to serve as CEO of the company, which was founded by Emirates NBD in 2011 to increase its operational efficiency and customer service. 

Bahlooq has been working with the banking group, which is the largest by assets in the UAE, for some 17 years.

"I am honored to lead Tanfeeth as we continue to support Emirates NBD Group’s growing needs," the new CEO said in an official statement.

"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," she said. 

Bahlooq previously served as acting group head for 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, locally and internationally.

"Maryam’s experience and track record of guiding and motivating diverse groups to enhance business performance equips her well to lead Tanfeeth," Abdulla Qassem, group COO, Emirates NBD and chairman of Tanfeeth, said in a statement. 

"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," he said.

With her appointment, Bahlooq joins an ever-growing number of women in the Gulf Cooperation Council taking on leading roles in the financial and business sector.

In February, three women made headlines after they took on powerful financial roles in Saudi Arabia. Sarah Al-Suhaimi was appointed as the chair of the kingdom's Tadawul stock exchange, while Rania Nashar was made CEO of Samba Financial Group and Latifa Al-Sabhan became the CFO of Arab National Bank.

The UAE, in particular, has made great strides in the past few years to empower women and increase their participation in business and government. As of 2015, 30 percent of the country's governmental decision-making positions were held by women, the highest in the Arab world.

From the month-long fast to waking up for suhoor, the lifestyles and schedules of millions of Muslims around the world undergo significant change during the holy month of Ramadan. 

This is why Google believes that technology should adapt to people's needs during the period.

To do that, they work on previous search trends to develop apps and software that are offered to Muslims all over the world through their Ramadan Hub. 

Speaking to StepFeed, Najeeb Jarrar, the company's Product Marketing Manager in the MENA region, tells us more about the platform and all the features it includes this year. 

One of the most important features included in this year's Google Ramadan Hub is the Qibla Finder.  

"Every Ramadan, we notice a spike in searches for websites and apps that help point people to the right direction to face the Kaaba. Last year, we realized that many were using apps that still look like a compass and that don't function well," Jarrar says. 

"This is why we decided to launch the Qibla finder, a web-app that enables people to utilize their phone cameras to point them in the right direction," he explains. 

The app "uses the latest in augmented reality to paint a clear blue line within the imagery your phone camera sees, using your location feature to help point you towards the Kaaba," he adds. 

The service was launched earlier this week and is now available for use and will continue to be available after Ramadan.

When asked about Google's exciting Youtube Mosalsalat feature, Jarrar says that this year it includes an entire playlist of series, vlogs and entertainment shows. 

"This year, we're featuring over 40 Ramadan shows. The platform aims to help people catch up with drama series they might be watching. It also aims at showcasing the best out there when it comes to comedy, entertainment and lifestyle shows."

The playlist is continuously updated, with new episodes added daily. 

Google's Ramadan entertainment features don't end with their Youtube playlist, in fact they only begin. 

In addition to it, the company features a huge collection of apps and games, specifically tailored for Ramadan.

"From finding the perfect route home on your way to iftar through Google Maps to setting notifications, and searching for tips, meal plans or recipes, there's always an app to help you out," Jarrar says. 

Jarrar also tells us about the newly launched Allo stickers, a collection designed for the holy month. 

The stickers allow people to add a unique Ramadan touch to their messages and online greetings. 

When asked what his message to Google users across the Arab world is, he says:

"We wish everyone a blessed month and want them to know that Google will continuously work on developing ideas and technologies to ensure that there's something special in store for everyone during the holy month, every single year." 

For more information on this year's features and how to use them, visit Ramadan Hub and also check out Jarrar's informative blogpost.