DUBAI: Under the patronage and presence of Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Women Establishment and Wife of H.H Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the Dubai World Trade Centre Firday hosted, the graduation ceremony for the first batch of the UAE Women Leadership Program which was launched by the Dubai Women Establishment in January 2009 in cooperation with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development under the supervision of the Dubai governments Human Resources Department.
The ceremony was attended by Amal Bin Adi, Director General of the Dubai Governments Human Resources Department, Mona Al Miri, Chairman of Dubai Women Establishment, Board of Directors, CEOs of local and federal institutions, and selected dignitaries as well as parents of graduates and a large gathering of UAE women. Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed stated in a speech on this occasion saying "Today stands as a testimony to the convergence of the vision of our wise leadership and the efforts of Emirati women in achieving a prominent role for women leaders in the future. Women in the UAE have achieved great successes and proven to be qualified and reliable in any workplace. She also stressed on the major role The Dubai Women Establishment plays towards helping working women maintain a successful balance between work and family responsibilities, through providing various training programs aimed at raising their capabilities in addition to identifying women leaders who are capable of contributing and enhancing the image of UAE women in local, regional and international arenas, as well as promote the participation of women in leading and decision-making positions throughout the country." Sheikha Manal also added that "The UAE is the first country in the region to launch this kind of program. The UAE Women Leadership Program has helped provide women with skills that enable them to be successful in their careers. Thus, I am excited and proud of the commitment shown by the leadership and government of the UAE towards building the capabilities of Emirati women, I congratulate all the graduates for their success, which is not only a personal achievement but an achievement for the UAE as well, and I have no doubt that today marks the beginning of a long and successful career for all the graduates."For her part, Amal Bin Adi, Director General of the Dubai Governments Human Resources Department, in her speech at the graduation ceremony praised the efforts of Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in supporting and strengthening the role of women in the UAE, and the landmark successes achieved by the Dubai Women Establishment under her leadership. She also expressed her happiness for the success of the UAE Women Leadership Program and the genuine contributions of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development in preparing national cadres. She also congratulated the participants on their achievements and for having shown commendable dedication and perseverance during the program, confirming their ability to transform both knowledge and skills gained into real contributions in developing and modernizing leadership practices in various aspects of the workplace. The UAE Women Leadership Program saw 33 Emirati women leaders drawn from various public and private sector entities involved in the educational, legislative, real estate, health, administrative, transport, communication and banking sectors embark on a journey of empowerment and career development through an intensive and innovative curriculum. Program participants were immersed in a demanding schedule which included executive programs, theoretical courses, practical projects, real-time assignments, industry-relevant case studies, workshops, personal coaching sessions, platforms for elite professional leaders to share knowledge and experience, access to networking events such as the "Al-Emaratia Forum" and access to state-of-the-art support tools via the Virtual Learning Resource Centre. Khulud Al Holi also gave a speech on behalf of her fellow graduates in which she thanked Sheikha Manal, the Dubai Women Establishment and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development for giving them the opportunity to participate in the UAE Women Leadership Program and for all the moral and professional support needed to develop their skills, increase their competence and refine their leadership potential. She also thanked the teaching faculty who never hesitated to provide assistance, knowledge and experience, while praising the keenness of Samia Al Dahan, coordinator of the program, in achieving full potential of the program, stating that "Work on the development of human capitol and the development of national leaders is the ultimate investment in serving the nation, as nations are built upon the competencies of its sons and daughters. This initiative which was adopted by the Dubai Women Establishment had a great impact in strengthening our skills as Emiratis allowing us to play a major role in developing the strategic needs of the United Arab Emirates. This moment does not mark our reaching the end; but marks the beginning toward a brighter and professional future. After the ceremony, Sheikha Manal presented certificates to all the graduates, wishing them continued success in their careers. The UAE Women Leadership Program falls within the strategic plans of the Dubai Women Establishment which is aimed at creating job opportunities and providing continuous training programs to support talented women leaders who are capable of actively enhancing the image of UAE women locally, globally and internationally and contributing to the progress and development of the UAE. The program focuses on developing strategic and critical thinking capabilities, emotional maturity and responsibility, and the skills required to attain a successful work-life balance in order to enhance womens ability to progress up the career ladder and occupy decision-making positions across the country.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2011.
