A cohort of 30 Emirati university graduates has passed a rigorous selection process to embark on a training course that will set them up for long-term career success in the fast-paced world of cloud computing, thanks to a collaborative initiative between the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) and global technology company SAP.
The training initiative was inspired by discussions at a meeting earlier this year between H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance, and SAP’s global CEO Christian Klein.
At this meeting, the importance of developing young Emirati talent was raised, ultimately leading to the launch of an SAP Young Professionals Programme tailored for recently graduated Emiratis from multiple entities including the Dubai Health Authority, Roads & Transport Authority, Al-Futtaim Group, Dubai Customs and Emirates Group.
The graduation ceremony was attended by Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of DGHR, and several officials in Dubai government departments.
On the sidelines of an event, Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of DGHR stressed keenness of the prudent leadership to acquire professionally qualified Emirati cadres in various sectors to enhance their contribution to achieving the economic progress of the UAE and to strengthen its competitiveness globally.
“The DGHR collaborates with the government departments in Dubai to enhance capabilities of citizens in cloud computing, in order to have a new generation of talented local competencies characterised by competitiveness, flexibility and diversity of professional expertise,”
Al Falasi added.
He also said that the DGHR cooperates with the prominent universities, colleges and global companies in training the Emiratis to foster their capabilities and strengthen their skills, especially new skills that are in high demand in the field of digital transformation to establish a knowledge-based economy and prepare a skilled generation of Emirati in various fields of business, aligning with vision of the leadership.
Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs, CEO of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, hailed the initiative that would contribute to achieving professional success in the growing field of cloud computing, expressing his happiness with the participation of Dubai Customs in the initiative through the talented citizens of its staff.
Ahmed Abdullah Al Nuaimi, CEO of Corporate Shared Support Services Sector at DHA, underlined the great interest of the DHA in training and qualifying the Emirati cadres, reinforcing their knowledge, and empowering them with the innovative technologies to keep pace with the growing development and global transformations towards digitisation.
Al Nuaimi also praised the cooperative initiative between the DGHR and SAP, highlighting its role in graduating and qualifying Emirati cadres in cloud computing, in order to harness and optimize the advanced technologies to the utmost
In the meantime, Yousef Al Redha, CEO of Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector at RTA said,
“The RTA is committed to developing the Emiratis and strengthening their skills and capabilities, especially the digital skills that keep pace with Dubai’s aspirations, so that they can create the future of development and growth, as well as consolidating the position of Dubai and the UAE in general.”
“This programme contributes to raising the standards of digital management in state institutions, leading innovation and digital transformation sustainably, serving the strategic goals of the Authority, and supporting the development process in transportation and infrastructure projects,”
he added.
Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, said,
“Congratulations to the first batch of Emirati talent to graduate from the Dubai Government Human Resources Department and SAP collaborative training course. We look forward to their continued contributions towards multiple sectors, including in the technology industry. The Emirates Group’s commitment to developing Emirati talent stems from the directives of our Chairman and Chief Executive, H.H . Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Over the years, with his support, we have embarked on many initiatives and partnerships as well as providing career development programmes to help our people harness their full potential, and today’s graduation is another milestone in our ongoing efforts.”
This intensive two-month course for the Emirati cohort represents the 16th iteration of the SAP Young Professionals Program to be held in the UAE.
The training in the DGHR-focused programme will comprise certification courses in SAP Analytics Cloud and RISE with SAP (SAP S/4HANA Cloud Implementation with SAP Activate), SAP’s enterprise resource planning solution. The comprehensive development plan created by SAP aims to provide a solid foundation of excellence backed by certification to launch students’ careers. Participants graduate from the program as SAP Associate Consultants, enabling immediate employment by SAP customers and partners.
Mira Omar Al-Futtaim, Chairperson of the Al Futtaim Emiratization Council at Al Futtaim Group, congratulated the graduates of program, saying, “We are pleased with the participation of five of our Emirati employees in SAP cloud computing that was held in cooperation between the DGHR and SAP, who were selected to participate in the program after passing a rigorous selection process.
Also attending the student-welcoming event, Zakaria Haltout, Managing Director at SAP UAE, commented,
“As the UAE continues to pursue its ambitious digital transformation goals, it is focused on creating a highly skilled workforce to ensure a sustainable and successful digital economy. These Emirati graduates will help to elevate digital management standards in the UAE and become tomorrow’s leaders in innovation and the nation’s further development. We hope that this programme marks the beginning of an impactful partnership with Dubai Government Human Resources Department and that it will serve as a sterling example of the benefits of public-private partnerships
More than 3,750 top students trained across 41 countries, including over 250 from the UAE, have graduated from the SAP Young Professionals Programme since it was launched in 2012.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
