Taking sustainability to a new level in the UAE: A national youth development initiative for 25,000 Emiratis by 2025

• Nomu will upskill and reskill 25,000 Emirati youth by 2025 to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
• Nomu shows commitment to Emirati talent development, workplace preparation, and upskilling opportunities in partnership with leading industry actors to increase the competitiveness of 25,000 Emiratis by 2025
• Nomu meaning ‘growth’ is in line with the goals of the ‘Projects of the 50’ agenda and will support UAE citizens to remain competitive and meet the growing needs of future labour market

Dubai, UAE : The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education (AGFE) today announced ‘Nomu’ a multi sector partnership initiative in collaboration with University Leadership Council (ULC) to empower 25,000 Emirati youth by 2025. The initiative will offer high quality learning opportunities that are tied to UAE priority sectors in the nation’s sustainability strategy.

Meaning ‘Growth’ in Arabic, Nomu will focus on preparing the youth with the information, skills, experience, and tools needed for success in a digital, knowledge-based economy. Reflecting the 10 competencies identified by World Economic Forum (WEF) to succeed in the future workplace, Nomu was designed to positively disrupt and favourably impact systems that will lead talent enhancement for the UAE Youth and enable them to find greater success in the future of work.

To compete in the global labour market arena for the jobs of tomorrow, Emirati youth will be better equipped through their participation in Nomu which will ensure that they stay ahead of the skills curve. The World Economic Forum’s ‘Future of Jobs’ report stated the importance of upskilling in the global labour market to remain competitive and estimated that 50 per cent of all employees will need reskilling by 2025, as adoption of technology increases.

With the UAE continuing to strengthen its foundations to rise as a global economic powerhouse, the nation’s youth are going to play a crucial  role in the future growth ambitions of the country, and its sustainable institutional advancement especially in emerging sectors that have become an incubator for talent, influencing the future economy. This initiative aims to meet the growing needs of the future labour market, focusing on identifying priority industries and recruitment pipelines.

Under the Nomu initiative, students will benefit from multiple coordinated programs including the opportunity to work in an industry related to their field. The program will see corporates and universities work together by applying real world learning, keeping up with technological skills and solving workforce challenges. The 25,000 selected Emirati youth will be exposed to a wide range of talent transformation programs focused on digital technologies including experiential bootcamps. These transformational learning experiences will equip them with the skills and mindset habits that are in high demand by employers and that are needed to help them thrive in the new age.

Underlying the significance of this initiative, His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the University Leadership Council said, “Nomu reflects the mandate of the University Leadership Council to promote collaborative work across education, to enhance mutually beneficial dialogues amongst leading institutions of higher learning, promote collaborative industry and government sectors towards the common goals of meeting the requirements of the industry and the sustainable economy, as well as initiate and support global partnership in the strategic axes of development for a sustainable future. We are proud of the work that the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education has been doing. We are therefore particularly pleased to join in the efforts to support national youth development for the country’s ceaseless development.

Explaining the motivation behind this new initiative, His Excellency Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of AGFE said, “It is our collective responsibility to make sure that Emirati talent continues to be globally competitive as we shift our efforts to meet the demands of the fourth industrial revolution. The UAE serves as a model on how the private sector helps to serve society and achieve sustainability with innovation and strategic partnerships. We can only achieve this goal when the private sector is part of the solution investing in our youth and working towards a balanced national economy.”

Underlining the increasing need for large-scale, informed, and collaborative action for significant reskilling and upskilling of the workforce of tomorrow in the UAE, Dr Sonia Ben Jaafar, the CEO of AGFE, said: “The importance of harmonizing a talent ecosystem that facilitates industry actors to be a part of the solution is critical for UAE youth to find their way to a sustainable future. At AGFE, we have showcased a continued commitment to strategic partnerships with public and private sector actors for the benefit of youth development. Nomu will serve as a scalable model where Emirati youth will find industry actors who value them as top talent for the sustainable development of the UAE and internationally.”

Mr. Charbel Akkawi, Director of Programs in the University Leadership Council expressed the collective pride of the ULC in concluding this collaborative undertaking, which will no doubt add strength to strength in the societal and communitarian effort and the triangulated endeavour between the private sector, public sector, and academia, on the behalf of the sustainable enhancement of talent and the capacity building of the UAE youth in facing the increasingly digital future of tomorrow.

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About The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education

• AGFE aims to empower Emirati and Arab youth to thrive and contribute to the sustainable development of the region, through innovative education solutions and authentic partnerships. As one of the largest privately funded philanthropic foundations in the Arab region, AGFE supports the provision of high-quality technology-based education opportunities, as well as the development of relevant skills for a successful transition into higher education and the labor market. Founded in 2015, the Foundation is dedicated to the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 8, calling for inclusive and equitable quality education that leads to improved standards of living for all.

• The World Economic Forum states that the top 10 work skills in demand for 2025 are:

• Analytical thinking and innovation.
• Active learning and learning strategies.
• Complex problem solving.
• Critical thinking and analysis.
• Creativity, originality, and initiative.
• Leadership and social influence.
• Technology use, monitoring and control.
• Technology design and programming.
• Resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility.
• Reasoning, problem solving and ideation.

About The University Leadership Council 

The University Leadership Council & BUNYAN Initiative for the Capacity-Building of the Youth

• The University Leadership Council is a capacity-building and entrepreneurship hub which is meant to (i) enhance mutual collaboration and create synergies between relevant stakeholders for the purpose of enhancing continued knowledge sharing in the UAE and the capacity-building of the youth for a continued betterment of human capital and the cultivation of local talents; and therefore for those purposes (ii) undertake meaningful capacity-building joint initiatives and relevant ventures; and (iii) organize high profile joint convocations to encourage greater collaboration between industry, academia, relevant governmental agencies, and other relevant segments of the community for the continued improvement of youth preparedness and the enhancement of human capital in the UAE;
• The University Leadership Council identifies innovative ventures and creative initiatives that could contribute to foster common interests and collaborative endeavors between relevant industry, academia, and relevant governmental foundations with a focus on the advancement and empowerment of the youth and the continued development of human capital in the UAE;
• It investigates new conceptual frameworks in support of further development of entrepreneurship, and explore multiple avenues of multifaceted collaboration to significantly enhance the knowledge base in the UAE and within the wider region;
• It looks into ways of creating a strong triangulation and mutually beneficial synergies between industry, relevant governmental agencies, and academia--to uphold, encourage, and support a sustainable culture of technological innovation joint endeavors and enhance the development of human resources and preparedness of the youth in the UAE by affording them unique opportunities to connect, learn, network, and succeed.
• The University Leadership Council also focuses on fostering a rapprochement and more significant exchanges among institutions of higher learning, relevant foundations, governmental agencies, and leading industries in fields of interests to students, young graduates, and faculty experts from leading institutions in the UAE;
• The Council’s multifaceted sessions and convocations also look into establishing bridges between the brightest students and young graduates from across leading universities in the UAE and employers of choice from industry;
• It also looks into avenues for securing from industry, government, and private individuals’ contributions towards relevant entrepreneurship and capacity-building activities to ensure support for the brightest young minds graduating from UAE leading universities with innovative spirit and entrepreneurial ambitions.
• As a part of the University Leadership Council’s leading initiatives, a bi-annual forum themed “The Status of Knowledge Generation in the Arab World” is convened in November in Dubai and in April in Abu Dhabi bringing together influential members from government, industry and academia, in addition to a number of other similar relevant convocations that are both exclusive and of the highest caliber.
• As a key initiative of The University Leadership Council, launched under the patronage and with the presence of His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Co-existence, the BUNYAN Initiative for the Capacity-Building of the Youth provides a platform for prominent industry leaders and distinguished academics, mentoring cohorts of the brightest young entrepreneurs of the UAE, to look into avenues of mutual collaboration that are meant to significantly enhance the opportunities made available for the capacity-building of the youth, and locally relevant creativity and advancement in technology and innovation;
• The BUNYAN Initiative for the Capacity-Building of the Youth, convened under the patronage and with the presence of His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, consists of both (i) BUNYAN Knights (most promising young entrepreneurs nominated and selected from among the best and brightest graduates of the leading universities in the UAE), and (ii) BUNYAN Fellows, prominent inspirational figures from industry nominated to the Fellowship by the BUNYAN Knights, who view these prominent figures as role-models for the Emirati youth.
• This capacity-building initiative also complements theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom with practical experience from the “University of Life” and identifies channels of regular interface between the brightest would-be graduates and role/models mentors/”business angels” from the business community through internships, workshops, seminars, high-profile forums, and exclusive VIP convocations. 

For more information, please contact Hiba Fares on hfares@alghurairfoundation.org 

© Press Release 2021