A cohort of 30 Emirati university graduates have 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 program will kick-off at SAP’s offices located in the tech-centric ecosystem Dubai Internet City, a member of TECOM Group PJSC.
The training initiative was inspired by discussions at a meeting earlier this year between H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Minister of Finance and Deputy Ruler of Dubai, 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 the SAP Young Professionals Program tailored for recently graduated Emiratis from multiple entities including the Dubai Health Authority, Roads & Transport Authority, Al-Futtaim Group, Dubai Customs and Emirates Group.
On the sidelines of an event held courtesy of Dubai Internet City to welcome students to the course, H.E. Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of DGHR, said, “In line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DGHR aims to harness the exceptional talent of UAE nationals to learn the new skills that will be required as businesses evolve and digitally transform to leverage modern technologies. It is important to have a strong, sustainable skill base that will meet the human capital requirements of Dubai government entities as the UAE cements its role as a global technology hub.”
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 program 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.
Also attending the student-welcoming event, Zakaria Haltout, Managing Director at SAP UAE, commented, “The UAE is a global role model in developing a digital economy, nurturing job creation, and encouraging young talents to embrace careers in technology. Equipping young people with digital skills will enable them to elevate digital management standards in UAE companies and lead innovation and digital transformation in a sustainable way. This program marks the start of an impactful partnership with Dubai Government Human Resources Department and shows how public-private partnerships can enable Emirati talent to lead the workforce of the future.”
Commenting on the initiative, Ammar Al Malik, Executive Vice President – Commercial Leasing, TECOM Group PJSC, and Managing Director of Dubai Internet City, said: “Empowering youth for the future world and workplace is an essential investment that not only impacts the quality of our talent pool, but strengthens our economic competitiveness. Dubai’s global commercial hub proposition allows students, young talent and an emerging generation to learn from a world-class community of global corporations, thought leaders and experts. As part of our efforts to promote initiatives that empower talent, we are delighted to support the SAP Young Professionals Program which offers a truly unique platform for rising talent to kickstart their careers and pursue sustainable work and economic growth. Such initiatives are essential to ensuring that the UAE and wider region are poised to lead and thrive.”
More than 3,730 top students trained across 39 countries, including over 230 from the UAE, have graduated from the SAP Young Professionals Program since it was launched in 2012.
