Emiratis Celebrate Success at World’s most Competitive Graduate Training Programme
Elected from a pool of over 12,500 applicants, ten Emiratis have graduated from the Dubai Business Associates (DBA) programme which took place recently at Emirates Group Headquarters, with two receiving highly coveted awards wins.
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the DBA programme continues to be a beacon of excellence in graduate management education.
The fully-funded unique graduate programme provides talented young professionals with the opportunity to develop and strengthen their skills in strategy, business, and leadership.
Since September 2023, 36 Associates in total, representing 20 countries, were selected to take part in the nine-month DBA programme.
Stand-out associates include Majed Bin Thaneya, who was awarded the Falcon Award for exceptional leadership and strategic thinking. Maha Alshehhi was awarded the prestigious Emirati Contributor Award for exemplifying Emirati values. Maha demonstrated exceptional performance throughout both the learning component and placements.
Commenting on the program, Maha Alshehhi said: “Dubai Business Associates provided nine months of intense learning and development. It has no doubt allowed me to further my skills and confidence in stakeholder management, through dealing with real life business challenges with other high performing consultants.
Other Emiratis to graduate the program included Aisha Al Ketbi, Khawaja Hakim, Maitha Al blooshi, Muna Al Mahri,Omar Hussein Ali, Sara Obaidalla, and Tariq Bintook.
The Associates immersed themselves in a comprehensive experiential and project-based learning approach, delivered in collaboration with esteemed learning partners
including PwC Academy Middle East, CAPADEV, and Bon Education. Through a blend of experiential learning and project-based strategic assignments, they have honed their abilities to tackle worldly challenges faced by industry leaders in Dubai and beyond. Additionally, the programme has embedded cultural learning for a deeper understanding of Dubai as the Associates become ambassadors for the city when pursuing their chosen careers.
Alongside their classroom learning, the Associates simultaneously gained real-world experience by delivering consulting projects that addressed real-life problems for multiple partners. These partners included some of Dubai’s leading organisations, such as Emirates Airline, dnata, Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), Expo City Dubai, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), and Falcon and Associates.
The graduation ceremony opened with a warm welcome from James Maughan, Director of Projects and Initiatives at Falcon and Associates, acknowledging the remarkable achievements of the graduating cohort. A keynote speech delivered by DBA partner Amira Al Falasi, Senior Vice President of Learning and Talent at Emirates Group, highlighted the significance of nurturing future global leaders in Dubai’s vibrant business landscape.
The Partner Appreciation Award was presented to Emirates Airline for their long-standing support to the programme during the last nine years, while the Consulting Prize Award was presented to Expo City Dubai.
DBA has successfully delivered 84 consulting projects for more than 30 leading private and public sector entities, delivering an estimated $21m+ in saved fees across Dubai.
James Maughan, Director of Dubai Business Associates, shared his pride in the programme’s ongoing success. “The DBA programme continues to be a beacon of Dubai’s commitment to nurturing talent and fostering innovation. We congratulate our graduates on their remarkable achievements and look forward to witnessing their continued success as they embark on their professional journeys. I am especially proud of this cohort’s achievements and am confident that they will continue to excel as ambassadors of Dubai’s dynamic business landscape.”
The DBA programme received applications from 166 countries for its tenth year, scheduled to commence this September. The programme eagerly anticipates welcoming the next generation of talented graduates, keen to launch their careers from Dubai.
