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Based on the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme, within the “Knowledge Project”, announced the launch of the “Academy “Future Skills” for the Arab region.
Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairwoman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, member of the Dubai Council, confirmed that the launch of this academy, which aims to prepare youth competencies and talents in the Arab region, comes from the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, That knowledge and science are the key to the progress of nations and the development of peoples, Her Highness pointed out that more than a million Arabs will be prepared for the jobs of the future, which will certainly be better with science, knowledge and innovation.
Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, on her Highness’s account on the “X” platform: “Based on the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum that knowledge and science are the key to the progress of nations and the development of peoples, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation launches ( Academy for Future Skills, which aims to prepare the competencies and talents of our youth in the Arab region, within the Global Knowledge Project and in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme.” Her Highness added: “More than a million Arabs will be prepared for the jobs of the future… a future that will certainly be better with science, knowledge and innovation.”
Purposeful vision
The launch of the academy came within the activities of the “Digitization for Sustainable Development” (D4SD) initiative, hosted by the United Nations Development Programme, on the sidelines of the seventy-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) in New York, in the presence and participation of Imran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Foreign Affairs. Advanced science and technology, Osama Abdel Khaleq, Permanent Representative of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the United Nations, Xu Haoliang, Under-Secretary-General and Deputy Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, His Excellency Mohammed Al-Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Qatar, and His Excellency Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology In Egypt.
The launch of the academy comes as an embodiment of the UAE’s approach and vision to establish the foundations of a knowledge economy based on innovation, leadership and creativity, and based on the belief of the country’s wise leadership in the importance of investing in people and their role in developing societies.
The Academy seeks to provide individuals, governments, and small and medium-sized companies with the digital skills and sustainable development skills necessary for the future and support to enhance societal innovation, in addition to cooperating with universities and the private sector to enhance learning experiences, improve the practical outcomes of education, and address disparities in the labor market, including gender gaps. Providing educational and vocational programs directed to underrepresented groups.
The academy is considered a qualitative shift in the Future Skills for All initiative, which was launched by the Knowledge Project last year, with the aim of providing educational programs that would bring about a qualitative transformation in the lives of thousands of citizens in Arab countries, by improving and refining their skills and helping them acquire new skills, which contributes to preparing them for jobs. The future, and drives sustainable economic growth in the region.
Global alliance
The academy will allow expansion and access to more than a million citizens of the Arab region, and will also meet the growing demand of a number of governments for this type of specialized programs, which will cover the gaps in educational systems, through partnerships with the relevant governments. It will contribute to addressing part of the existing unemployment problem, due to the availability of jobs for which graduates do not have the necessary skills.
During the event, the Foundation also launched the “Global Alliance for Skills Development,” whose first meeting will be held during the ninth session of the “Knowledge Summit,” hosted by the Emirate of Dubai in November 2024. This alliance reflects the major role played by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation. In stimulating innovation and achieving sustainable development goals. Jamal bin Huwaireb, Executive Director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, stressed that the launch of the Future Skills Academy represents a pioneering step in the journey of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, to empower future generations and provide them with the tools that allow them to create sustainable solutions. He said: “This step reflects the institution’s mission centered around spreading knowledge globally for the development of societies. The Academy also embodies our constant keenness to reduce disparities and enhance the knowledge economy and human development throughout the Arab region, by connecting individuals with the required skills, and linking learning directly to job opportunities.” .
Bin Huwaireb added: “We view the academy project as a strategic investment in the future of the Arab region, which consolidates Dubai’s position as a global knowledge city, and creates a generation of skilled young people with qualitative capabilities, which facilitates them in facing the challenges of sustainable development and gives them tools to propose successful solutions to address them.” For his part, Dr. Abdullah Al-Dardari, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Director of the Regional Office for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme, said: “The project to launch an academy for advanced skills comes as an important development, within our ongoing strategic partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, and this academy represents A pivotal step towards building a comprehensive and sustainable future, as it will contribute to bridging the digital gap in the Arab region, as well as enhancing digital capabilities and providing local communities with the skills they need to keep pace with the rapid transformations in today’s world, by providing practical and innovative tools that are indispensable for individuals and companies to benefit from. “One of the opportunities provided by the digital economy that prevails in our world today.”
In the same context, the Academy will offer, in the first phase, a group of accredited and directed programs and courses, whether online or in person, with the aim of providing students, professionals, entrepreneurs, teachers and government officials with the skills of the future. It will also constitute a new knowledge drive that serves many global initiatives related to digitization and digital transformation, such as the “Digitization for Sustainable Development Initiative,” which reflects the integration between the initiatives of the United Nations Development Program and the continuous support from the Foundation.
The academy will also contribute to improving the skills of young people in various sectors such as health, education, environment, government and politics, as young people constitute nearly half of the region’s population, and approximately a quarter of them suffer from unemployment, while the rest are preparing to enter the labor market.
Figures and statistics indicate that the Arab region faces a major challenge represented by the widening gap between the skills possessed by individuals and those required by sectors. Since 2022, 70% of the population of the Arab region has been able to connect to the Internet, but “digital talents” constitute only 1.7%. % of the workforce.
