Theme park developer hires 10 UAE Nationals for its Helmi USA scholarship programme and identifies a further 40 for Helmi in Dubai and 195 for Forsati scheme

Dubai Parks and Resorts on track to hire 1,000 UAE Nationals by October 2016

Next Open Day for Forsati programme set to take place in Ajman, January 16th

Dubai, UAE; December 23, 2015

Dubai Parks and Resorts, developer of the region's largest integrated theme park resort, is on target to hire more than 1,000 UAE Nationals by October 2016 after completing the hiring process for its Helmi programme and identifying nearly 200 candidates for its Forsati training scheme following the successful launch of a series of road shows across the emirates.

Dubai Parks and Resorts has hired 10 candidates for Helmi's USA programme and identified 40 for Helmi in Dubai, offering an exciting scholarship programme to study Theme Park Management at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, USA. Ten Emiratis are currently studying in Orlando and a further 40 wil undertake the same programme with a visiting faculty in Dubai.

Through a series of roadshows designed to source applicants for Forsati, Dubai Parks and Resorts has identified a total of 195 candidates, including 85 from its recent Open Day in Sharjah, who are in the process of being hired. Forsati, which means my 'opportunity' in Arabic, will offer up to 800 UAE nationals of high school education or below a 6-month training progamme.

Dubai Parks and Resorts has so far conducted two Open Days in its search for Forsati candidates as it looks to empower and grow a new generation of talent for the theme park industry. The next one is set to take place in Ajman at the Ajman Saray Hotel on January 16th.

Raed Kajoor Al Nuaimi, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Parks and Resorts, said: "As a company born in the UAE, Dubai Parks and Resorts is committed to developing and growing Emirati talent for the theme park industry, which is still a very new sector in the region. I am extremely pleased with the results we have had so far. In addition to identifying most of the candidates for our Helmi programme, we have also extended Intention to Offers to more than 195 and are in the process of completing all formalities. We look forward to meeting more potential employees at our next Open Day in Ajman in January 16th."

Dubai Parks and Resorts in September announced three development and training programmes to hire UAE nationals to compliment the Dubai Plan 2021 and the 7-Year National Agenda. Each programme is designed empower participants to become well-trained professionals, who will play a central role in driving the operations of the company's three theme parks, water park, hotel and retail and dining district in Dubai, when they open in October 2016.

In addition to Helmi and Forsati, the Emiratisation programme also includes Sahim, Arabic for 'contribute', which offers a direct recruit of UAE nationals at all levels with high school education and above with minimum 3 years' experience across all departments within Dubai Parks and Resorts.

Dubai Parks and Resorts will feature motiongate™ Dubai - a unique theme park showcasing some of Hollywood's most beloved characters from DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Studios and Lionsgate as well as the region's first LEGOLAND® Dubai and a LEGOLAND® Water Park. Committed to bringing together the best of the East and West, Dubai Parks and Resorts will also feature Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, the first ever theme park based on the sights and sounds of Bollywood. The entire destination will be connected by Riverland™ Dubai - a retail, dining and entertainment walkway and guests can stay at the Lapita™ Hotel, a Polynesian-themed resort catering to families.

Those who are interested in applying for a job at Dubai Parks and Resorts can contact the recruitment team at: careers@dp-r.com or visit the dedicated careers website: careers.dubaiparksandresorts.com/emiratisation/

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Dubai Parks and Resorts Emiratisation video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hljDWYCQm5U

Dubai Parks and Resorts PJSC (DFM: DUBAIPARKS), will become the Middle East's largest multi-themed leisure and entertainment destination comprising three separate theme parks: motiongate™ Dubai, a Hollywood movie inspired theme park concept; LEGOLAND® Dubai, the first LEGOLAND theme park in the Middle East; and Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, a first-of-its-kind entertainment destination that will showcase the authentic Bollywood movie experience. In addition LEGOLAND® Water Park, the region's first water park catering to families with children 2-12 will also open on the site.

The destination will also host the LapitaTM Hotel, a Polynesian-themed hotel which will be managed by the Marriott Group, and Riverland™ Dubai, a centrally located district of 220,000 square feet of leasable retail, dining and entertainment space connecting the three theme parks, water park and hotel.

Set to open in October 2016, the large-scale AED 10.5 billion project is spread across 25 million square feet of land strategically located on Sheikh Zayed Road close to the Palm Jebel Ali between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  6.7 million ticketed visits are expected in 2017, the first full year of operation.

For more information go to: http://dubaiparksandresorts.com

For further information please contact:
Sameh Hamtini / Sarah Jackson
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
Email: sameh.hamtini@bm.com / sarah.jackson@bm.com
T: +971 4 4507600

© Press Release 2015