UAE Resilience in a Time of Pressure: What Leaders and Workplaces Need To Do Now

This special edition of ConnectForHealth unpacks Cigna Healthcare’s new Wellbeing and Health Pulse in the UAE, recorded during a period of heightened pressure, rising costs, and shifting expectations around work and family life.

Host Scott Armstrong is joined by Leah Cotterill (CEO, Cigna Healthcare Middle East and Africa), Hana Agil (Cigna HR) and Suzanne Gandy, HR Director, Bayut and Dubizzle, to explore the positive story in the data, then go deeper into what pressure points sit beneath the optimism, and what leaders can do now to make resilience sustainable. 

The conversation explores:

•  What does “resilience” actually mean when people still report stress, sleep issues, and financial strain? 
•  Survey findings such as 89% feeling physically safe, 83% feeling emotionally safe, and 86% feeling at home in the UAE? 
•  Why is financial wellbeing emerging as a key pressure point, and what can employers do without overstepping? 
•  What should managers look for when people are “performing” but carrying pressure beneath the surface? 
•  How do leaders build trust and clarity during uncertainty 

Who this is for

If you lead people, work in HR, or are shaping culture and wellbeing strategy in the UAE, this episode will give you a clear, evidence-led view of what employees are carrying right now and the practical leadership actions that matter. 

10-point chapter list

00:00:10 Welcome and why this Pulse matters 
00:01:24 Headline findings: safety, resilience, optimism 
00:03:37 The big stats: physical safety, emotional safety, feeling at home 
00:04:35 Family wellbeing as the strongest pillar 
00:07:18 What employers are seeing internally: belonging and return-to-office 
00:10:05 Work-life integration: treating employees as whole people 
00:18:15 Pressure points: financial wellbeing and job security 
00:23:16 Financial literacy at work: budgets, credit cards, estate planning 
00:31:12 Support exists, but do people use it? The utilisation gap 
00:53:44 Stop, start, continue: practical takeaways for leaders