Dubai Business Associates welcomes graduates from 17 countries as part of 8th cohort

The Dubai Business Associates (DBA) graduate management programme run under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, welcomed its eighth cohort to Dubai, comprising 30 graduates from 17 countries.

The programme officially kicked off at an opening ceremony held at ICD Brookfield Place on September 22.

The graduates, who hail from Austria, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Nigeria, Russia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, the UAE, the UK, the USA, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, were selected from over 2,300 applicants. They will spend nine months immersed in the fully-funded programme, which employs an experiential and project-based learning approach.

The programme offers comprehensive training on strategy, business and leadership coupled with a multidimensional curriculum delivered in collaboration with  DBA’s learning partners: PwC’s Academy Middle East, CAPADEV and Bon Education.

The programme concludes in June 2023 with the delivery of a consulting project that addresses a real-life business challenge to several placement partners including dnata, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai Holding, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), DP World, Emirates, Jumeirah and the Museum of the Future.

James Maughan, director of the Dubai Business Associates Programme, said: ‘‘This year, we are excited to be working with 30 of the best and brightest minds on ground-breaking projects with our longstanding partners. We are also thrilled to welcome three Emirati graduates who, for the first time, will be attending the full duration of the programme as secondees from across the public and private sector, continuing to support Dubai’s future competitiveness while propelling the graduates’ career trajectories and personal development.’’

Christian Kunz, head of Group Strategy, and Innovation at DIFC added: ‘‘DIFC is excited to collaborate with this year’s Dubai Business Associates Programme cohort as in all previous editions building on its nine years of experience in skills and talent development. The programme represents a win-win for all partners and stakeholders involved, with associates applying their collective experiences and training on unpacking organisational challenges and creating sustainable value. It is also an extension of Dubai and HH Sheikh Mohammed’s commitment to foster innovation and develop youth skills and capabilities in a highly dynamic and diverse environment.’’