UAE Government Equips National Service Programme Participants With Entrepreneurship, Digital Economy Skills

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 04th Apr, 2021) Major General Pilot Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the National Service and Reserve Authority (NSR), confirmed that the leadership directives to equip national service programme participants with future skills helped promote their vital role in enhancing various economic and technological sectors. It further supported them in gaining the necessary expertise to enhance their contribution to the UAE’s digital economy in the next stage.

He added that the National Service and Reserve Authority is keen to pursue its cooperation with various government entities with the aim of enhancing the capabilities of its members and employ their promising skills to serve the UAE’s society. He highlighted that the success of the partnership between the Authority and the National Programme for Artificial Intelligence in developing fruitful projects over the past period sheds lights on the strong will and determination of Emirati youth, and their strong belief in their duty to serve their country.

This came during the meeting between Major General Pilot Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoun and the participants of the fourth batch of the national service training programme, organised in cooperation with the National Programme for Artificial Intelligence, and in the presence of Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police.

During the meeting, a new initiative was launched with the aim of empowering the programme’s participants with entrepreneurial skills and enhancing their practical and specialised expertise. Participants were encouraged to transform their innovative ideas into start-ups, which would promote the UAE’s digital economy and contribute to achieving the wise leadership’s vision and directives focusing on the role of entrepreneurs in designing the future economy.

The initiative aims to acquaint participants with the most important principles of project management and the steps for launching their future start-ups in the economic and biotechnological sectors, according to their innovative ideas, in addition to providing investment opportunities for the owners of distinguished projects.

The training programme focused on developing participants’ skills and preparing them for future labor market and any potential changes affecting it. It paved the way for them to work with government, private and global entities, in addition to providing support and advice in the early stage of establishing projects and start-ups in the field of innovation and technology, through a specialised committee consisting of members from the entities concerned with implementing this initiative.

Dr. Al Falasi said that, "The initiative to empower the programme’s participants with entrepreneurial skills comes in line with our wise leadership’s belief that investing in youth is the key and catalyst to development, and a major pillar in shaping the future of our country and ensuring sustainable progress based on knowledge and innovation.

Honing participants skills and capabilities is one of the main priorities the government is working on to empower Emirati youth to participate in driving growth, diversification and global competitiveness of the UAE economy. We are keen to enhance our cooperation and partnership with the National Service and Reserve Authority to support the success of this initiative and enhance its outputs."

He added, "Incorporating entrepreneurial skills in the national service training and empowering Emirati youth with the skills of entrepreneurship and establishing SMEs based on innovation and technology is a critical step towards building a knowledge-based economy. This initiative prepares participants to enter the market and benefit from the advantages and incentives of the entrepreneurship sector in the UAE to build successful commercial and investment projects, which would prove beneficial to the national economy, increase the sector’s contribution to the non-oil GDP, and support the UAE’s preparations for the next 50 years."

Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, stated that the UAE government is working to implement the wise leadership vision, namely to empower youth with future tools and the 4IR technologies. He added that the UAE focuses on enhancing youth’s capabilities and depends on their passion to compete in the field of modern technology and its applications in all vital sectors to serve their society and preserve the UAE’s prominent position among developed countries.

He highlighted that the training programme, organised in cooperation with the National Programme for Artificial Intelligence, has witnessed many inspiring success stories and promising projects; developed by natheprogramme participants in its previous sessions; based on the experiences and skills they acquired in advanced technologies such as programmeming, AI, digital maps, and medical technology among others. Such projects can be implemented to serve the process of sustainable development and build a knowledge-based economy leveraging the concepts of creativity and innovation.

In December 2019, the National Service and Reserve Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Programme for Artificial Intelligence, with the aim of enhancing its participants’ skills in the field of AI, introducing them to the latest global trends, adopting modern technologies and innovations in various fields through specialised programmes in the fields of AI and robotics, and training them on the latest technological tools to pave the way for their personal and practical development. The training programme includes a set of training tracks divided into several stages, focusing on honing their skills in the field of programmeming and applying the skills they acquired to develop software systems and technological projects.

To date, three batches have graduated from the National Programme for Artificial Intelligence, which focuses on developing participants’ skills in the field of AI and its applications, developing innovative products and services in advanced technological sectors, and promoting their practical experiences.