Maimuna Rashid

Rashid is the co-founder of Pupilar, a UAE-based talent and strategic initiatives company that has evolved from a youth recruitment platform into a broader business focused on talent development, employer engagement and workforce initiatives.

She co-founded Pupilar with Aqsa Khalifa in 2019, with the business later becoming operational in the UAE in 2002. Its original proposition centred on skills-first recruitment, challenging conventional hiring models that relied heavily on CVs, academic credentials and personal background information.

Under Rashid’s leadership, Pupilar has expanded well beyond its initial recruitment model. The company now works across graduate hiring, employer branding, upskilling, employee engagement, career programmes and strategic initiatives for organisations operating in the UAE.

That expansion has helped position Pupilar as a broader talent and engagement business rather than solely a recruitment platform. It has worked with more than 200 clients, delivered over 50 campaigns and 300 events, and attracted more than 70,000 attendees across its activities.

Rashid’s role reflects a wider shift in the UAE’s employment landscape, where businesses are increasingly looking beyond traditional hiring methods.