'Emirati Youth for an Empowered Future'

Arab Excellence has delivered phase one of a new program called “Emirati Youth for an Empowered Future” in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, with the support of Sandooq Al Watan and J.P. Morgan, and in partnership with UAE University.

The 10-month program aims to empower and inspire 75 young, graduating students from UAE University, providing them with the training, mentorship, and networking opportunities needed to achieve their professional goals and aspirations, and successfully transit into the labour market.

“Sandooq Al Watan is driven by a core mission to empower Emirati nationals – and the youth, in particular – to catalyse research and sustainable development, and build a bright future for our country and its citizens, in line with the ambitious vision of the UAE’s wise leadership. We are always on the lookout for opportunities to steer investments into the UAE’s human capital with projects and initiatives that focus on the strategic sectors that most affect people’s lives, and to that end, we are delighted to be partnering with Arab Excellence on the Emirati Youth for an Empowered Future program” said Mohamed Taj Aldeen Al Qadi, General Manager of Sandooq Al Watan, the national initiative launched by prominent Emirati businessmen to support research projects for the post-oil era.

The program itself is being facilitated by Emirati and Arab role models, as well as leading professionals from partner private companies in the United Arab Emirates. These are people who have experience, have demonstrated achievement in their respective fields, and have shown a talent for youth engagement, mentoring and empowerment. Their first-hand experience in overcoming challenges and adversity personally and/or professionally guided their work with the young participants who were facing similarly daunting challenges in their lives. The program had run successful pilot in Saudi Arabia, and a total of 700 young Saudi and Emirati men and women have already benefitted from the Arab Excellence programs during the last 2 years.

“I am very grateful for this program. It helped me clarify my professional vision, plans, and goals.

Before joining, I was completely lost, and I was waiting for jobs and opportunities to come to me. Now I am taking initiative and being proactive as I know where I am going with my life” said Shaima as she finished the first phase of the program.

“Our post-program research shows that of those who participated in the Arab Excellence programs, 95% now have a clear professional vision, 90% secured meetings with potential mentors to sharpen their vision and career roadmap, and 85% have improved their technical and soft skills since completing the program. More importantly, 75% of participants found a job aligned with their vision after the program. Those are incredible results” said Hamza Chraibi, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Arab Excellence.

The first phase marks the beginning of a regional program to be delivered throughout 2019 by Arab Excellence, with the support of JP Morgan, to empower Saudi and Emirati youth who are currently attending their last year of education and vocational training in their successful integration into the labour market.

The support for Arab Excellence is part of a global investment by JPMorgan Chase of $200 million, which is designed to create pathways to opportunity in the regions where they do business by supporting financial capability and the development of communities, workforce, and small businesses. In the UAE and KSA, J.P. Morgan supports programs that help youth prepare and successfully transition into quality employment, compete in the global economy and find new pathways to economic opportunity, particularly in the private sector

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About Arab Excellence (www.arabexcellence.org)

Contact: hamza.chraibi@arabexcellence.org

Arab Excellence (AE) is an international organization based in 5 countries that aims at inspiring and empowering the next generations of youth by helping them set a concrete vision for themselves and build a concrete roadmap to achieve it. Arab Excellence also provides them with skilling, on-going mentorship and a professional network to utilize as they identify and implement their professional vision, roadmap and action-plan.

Through its programming, Arab Excellence partners with industry leaders and role models from the MENA region and shares their personal success stories, lessons-learned, and best industry practices with the region’s underprivileged youth. Simultaneously, Arab Excellence provides the region’s youth with industry-specific training programs, mentorship, and a professional network to utilize while creating and implementing their professional plan.

Arab Excellence coaching programs have been delivered in a number of reputable entities in MENA and globally including INSEAD (students and Alumni), Stanford University, and the UAE University Science & Innovation Park. In the UAE and KSA, AE has been supported by J.P. Morgan to deliver a program to empower youth as well as vocational trainees in and has just partnered with Unilever to develop empowering programs for women.

About Sandooq Al Watan (www.sandooqalwatan.ae/en/)

Sandooq Al Watan is a community initiative launched by a group of prominent Emirati businessmen that seeks to promote a sense of social cohesion in Emirati society. The initiative aligns with the UAE leadership’s vision for a sustainable development and a better future for the country and its citizens. It is rooted in the UAE’s national values of charity, generosity and social solidarity, and synchronises community efforts to forecast and plan for the future.

Sandooq Al Watan seeks to steer investments into the UAE’s human capital with projects and initiatives that focus on the strategic sectors that most affect people’s lives. The fund reflects the private sector’s commitment to social responsibility and highlights its critical role in supporting development projects, initiatives, entrepreneurs and innovators. Sandooq Al Watan supports talented individuals, provides professional guidance for young Emirati professionals, supports start-ups that seek to make a positive social impact and promotes research and innovation.

About J.P. Morgan (www.jpmorgan.com/country/AE/EN/jpmorgan)  

JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.5 trillion and operations worldwide. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, asset management and private equity. More information is available at www.jpmorganchase.com. In 2016, the firm and its Foundation gave nearly $250 million to non-profit organizations across the U.S. and in 40 countries around the world. In addition, more than 50,000 JPMorgan Chase employees provided 325,000 hours of volunteer service in the communities where they live and work.

The Foundation’s mission is to enable more people to contribute to and share in the rewards of a growing economy. It aims to reduce inequality and create widely-shared prosperity which requires collaboration of business, government, non-profit and other civic organizations, particularly in the cities and metropolitan regions that power economic growth. The Foundation takes a comprehensive approach to increasing economic opportunity, using our firm's global scale, talent and resources to make investments and create partnerships in four priority areas: Workforce Readiness, Small Business Expansion, Financial Capability, Community Development.

© Press Release 2019