KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Emirates NBD is running a 12-month pilot with Letswork to give select staff on-demand access to workspaces. 
  • The network covers 4,000+ coworking desks, meeting rooms and offices in the UAE and beyond. 
  • Staff can book instantly across 100+ hubs in Dubai and 25+ in Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates. 
  • The aim: shorter commutes, easier meetings, and better work-life balance. 
  • If successful, the bank may roll it out wider after the pilot. 

Emirates NBD has partnered with Letswork to test flexible, on-demand workspaces for employees across the UAE and overseas. The 12-month pilot gives select staff access to 4,000+ desks, rooms and offices, bookable in minutes, with dense coverage in Dubai and strong options in Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates.

What’s actually launching

The pilot focuses on access and ease rather than a shiny new HQ.

  • Select employees join a one-year programme to use Letswork’s platform. 
  • Coverage spans 4,000+ coworking desks, meeting rooms and private offices. 
  • The service extends beyond the UAE for travel days. 

This isn’t hot-desking inside the bank. It’s access to a regional network run by Letswork. Staff can pick spaces near home, clients, or a metro stop to avoid wasting time in traffic.

How booking works day to day

It’s meant to be simple enough that people actually use it.

  • Employees book via Letswork’s app and website. 
  • Instant reservations for rooms, desks or private offices. 
  • Over 100 hubs in Dubai, 25+ in Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates. 

For a Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, you can grab a room near your meeting. For a heads-down day, pick a quiet spot closer to home. It’s the kind of flexibility hybrid work promised, finally implemented at scale.

Related reads on tools for hybrid work: check our look at HP’s hybrid-work gear from GITEX and Dell’s new speakerphones and headsets for cleaner calls.

Why it matters for staff and managers

The bank is targeting very practical wins.

  • Cut commute time for people living in the outskirts. 
  • Make it easier to run workshops offsite across the UAE. 
  • Keep customer meetings smooth when travelling between emirates. 

For employees, the draw is obvious: less time on Sheikh Zayed Road, more time doing actual work. For managers, it means reliable, bookable spaces for client sessions without juggling hotel meeting rooms. If your team relies on VC calls, it also pairs well with Huawei’s IdeaHub S3 for smarter meetings or a Surface Laptop with built-in 5G for those days on the move.

Who’s saying what

The messaging from both sides is consistent: flexibility, scale, and employee experience.

  • Emirates NBD’s Group COO frames it as a scalable way to meet changing workplace expectations and strengthen the bank’s employee proposition. 
  • The Group CDIO ties it to agility and the bank’s talent incubator programme. 
  • Letswork’s CEO calls it a regional milestone showing big institutions embracing hybrid work at scale. 

In short: this isn’t a perk for a handful of teams. It’s a structured test to see if flexible access can improve productivity and retention across the organisation.

UAE context and what’s next

The pilot sits neatly with the UAE’s wider push on modern workplace tools and skills.

  • The bank highlights smooth access to quality spaces for Abu Dhabi meetings. 
  • The National Digital Talent Incubator helped seed the collaboration. 
  • A broader rollout is on the table if the pilot hits its targets. 

We’ll watch how usage spreads across departments and how often staff pick local hubs over HQ. If adoption is strong, expect more corporates to copy the model, and more demand for quiet, VC-friendly rooms across the network.

FAQs

What exactly is Letswork providing to Emirates NBD staff?

On-demand access to 4,000+ coworking desks, meeting rooms and private offices in the UAE and internationally, reservable through Letswork’s platform. 

Who can join the pilot and for how long?

Select employees are invited to a 12-month pilot. Results will inform a potential wider rollout across the bank.

Which locations are covered in the UAE?

Over 100 hubs in Dubai and more than 25 across Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates, plus international options for travel days. 

How does this help with meetings in Abu Dhabi?

Staff get easier access to reliable meeting rooms near clients, cutting travel friction and helping teams stay on schedule.

What’s the upside for employees?

Shorter commutes for those living outside central Dubai, more choice of work settings, and a better balance between deep work and in-person time.