The Dubai Business Associates (DBI) programme, run under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, welcomed its latest intake of outstanding graduates during an official opening ceremony held at Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai.
The group of 36 talented and ambitious young people were selected from leading global universities with nationals from China, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Russia and the United States and will now embark on a 10-month learning journey in Dubai. Combining management training in the classroom with a 26-week work placement at one of Dubai’s most dynamic and innovative entities, the DBI programme supports an accelerated route to leadership while enabling mutually beneficial business and cultural exchange between Dubai and the countries involved.
Speaking at the welcome ceremony, James Maughan, Director of Dubai Business Associates at Falcon and Associates, said: “We warmly welcome the talented young men and women who have come to Dubai to join the DBI programme. We encourage them to make the most of their time here and to take inspiration from everything that Dubai has achieved. As the programme enters its third year, we are proud to be welcoming graduates from new countries such as Nigeria and to have expanded our Placement Partners in Dubai. More than 50 graduates have completed this exclusive programme to date and many of them have been offered fulltime roles with their prospective Placement Partner. We are confident that this new class of exceptionally talented individuals will have a transformative learning experience here in Dubai, creating connections with the city and its global network that will last a lifetime.”
Adil Al Zarooni, Senior Vice President – Global Sales at Economic Zones World at Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), added: “As a Placement Partner from year two, Jafza has been very pleased with the interns to date and their contribution to our business has been tangible. Their unique insight, international experience and fresh way of thinking enables them to make a real difference to the teams they are placed with and to deliver projects that exceed expectations. We look forward to welcoming the new interns to Jafza and continuing to be part of a programme that serves Dubai and the graduates well.”
First launched in 2014, there are now 18 Placement Partners working with the Dubai Business Associates programme including: Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED), Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), Dubai International Financial Centre Courts, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), Dubai Parks and Resorts (DPR), Dubai Silicon Oasis (DTEC), DP World, Emaar, Emirates Group, Emirates NBD, Jumeirah Group and Smart Dubai.
The European School of Management and Technology (ESMT), a world-leading business school, works in partnership with Capadev and Bon Education to deliver DBI.