Run 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 Dubai Business Associate programme offers outstanding and ambitious graduates an unrivalled opportunity to study and do business in Dubai, a dynamic and multicultural hub for global commerce, to develop as future global leaders.
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“The last nine months have been more memorable, confidence-building and transformative than I could have ever wished for. Thank you for trusting me and putting together such a wonderful group of people. Having made life-long friends and connected with wonderful people throughout this programme, my heart is filled with newfound hope for the future. As bittersweet as this end is, I can’t wait to carry all that I’ve learned forward with me. It truly is magical that we had something which makes saying goodbye so difficult.”
“Since its launch, Cambridge has welcomed the Dubai Business Associates (DBA) Programme here to the university to meet and recruit our students. It provides an invaluable platform for new graduates to experience the world of work in an environment where they are challenged and supported to be the best that they can be, and to consider the next steps in their careers.”
“Multi-month graduate management training programmes like DBA don’t exist anymore (corporates train graduates for a few weeks) – DBA is truly unique in the world.”
“Please send me 6 similar calibre people and I’ll keep them busy every second. This report is cornerstone research we would never have had the time to do ourselves… This report must not stop here – I want our Director General and other CEOs to see it, and other government DGs too, like Dubai Chamber, DEWA, RTA, Dubai Police…. we’re now redoing the DED strategy bottom up and this report is really helpful.”
“Looking for some new talent to stretch your organisation’s thinking?
Over the last 7 years dnata has worked closely with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s Dubai Business Associates programme (DBA) on diverse projects such as the application of artificial intelligence in the airport, repurposing on-board waste to reduce our environmental footprint and optimising our supply chain for aircraft materials.
The DBA programme employs experiential and project-based learning and welcomes the brightest global graduates, including our own Emirati colleagues, on a transformative 9-month journey. You can volunteer your organisation to take part – I can recommend it highly.”
“DBA is unique in that it goes above and beyond any other similar programmes. It provides you with the opportunity to play a part in solving the biggest strategic challenges within the largest entities and institutions in Dubai, while receiving rigorous business and soft skills training coupled with holistic cultural exposure.”
“In the consulting project, my team and I had the opportunity to work with strategy and digital experts. This has provided us with different mindsets, knowledge and perspectives. As an outcome, I learned how to develop important tools such as frameworks, playbooks and KPIs. I had to do a deep dive into digital transformation, key ideas and related concepts, turning the knowledge into practical recommendations. Came up with around 40 million AED of revenue, more than what was asked.”
“The consulting project was an unparalleled learning experience that has certainly shaped my professional development. I can identify three key factors that made the experience gratifying. The first key factor was the opportunity to work in an ambitious organization with an experienced client that provided valuable timely feedback and guidance. The second factor was the opportunity to act as a project manager for a determined number of weeks, setting deadlines for deliverables and collaborating with all members in the team to meet the client’s expectations. The third factor was the unwavering support we received from Capadev’s team, who provided great advice, guidance and training throughout the project.”
“My first and second placements were in two very different work environments, which has given me insight into how varied the work experience in Dubai can be. Conducting business here is different compared to most other parts of the world, and it is extremely important to account for the local customs and traditions.”
The experience in Dubai was incredible. I grew so much, both professionally and culturally, with DBA.
This journey also made me realize how storytelling matters – it’s not enough that you’re doing something, you also need to spread the words to engage more people and let them join your endeavors.
The DBA program is a well-organized and structured program that blends academic learning and professional training well, tackling real world business and future challenges.
Before I joined DBA, I had zero knowledge of Dubai and only had a blurred impression of the Middle East region, that is biased and manipulated under the influence of mainstream media. It’s actually a completely different and fascinating experience when you live there.
On the learning modules: All the instructors have been very helpful in terms of guiding and providing professional advice apart from conducting the lectures. They all draw many great examples from their experiences, which I can certainly learn and apply in my professional career.
On the placement experience: I learned a lot about the process of analysing large data sets. Thus, I was able to gain invaluable experience in working with this kind of complex quantitative data, manipulating multiple variables, looking for correlations and causations between them, and arriving at some sound conclusions.
DBA program has been a great learning experience for me, both soft and hard skills. There’s an old Chinese saying: use other people as a mirror to understand yourself. Through this program, I have met a lot of new people and now have a better understanding of what kind of person I want to become in the future.
This was a life changing experience for me, as it opened new doors for me to learn about and contribute to Dubai and the UAE.
On three occasions over the past three years I have had the chance to meet and be impressed by the outstanding, talented associates on the programme, all of whom have graduated from top universities in China and globally. I have observed how they have grown during the programme from promising graduates into future leaders, and how they are already creating value in the organisations they graduate into.
On the Module 1 assessment: We have come a long way together as a group and I strongly feel that we worked effectively to optimise the group’s performance. I am proud of what we have achieved.
My coach helped me to know myself better and treasure myself. I am happier. I know what I want in my life clearly.
On the consulting project: My client relationship skills have definitely improved and my project management skills were further developed. I definitely learned more about being a consultant, and gained great insights on useful toolkits and mindsets in the field.
On the placement experience: To this day, I still feel that it’s the best working environment I’ve ever had.
This placement not only helped me build up my hard skills in the healthcare industry, but also strengthened my soft skills, like how to work with different people, how to multi-task, how to get along with colleagues and make the workplace a happy place.
Everything I learned here was new to me, and I felt that one year of self development in Dubai equals five years anywhere else (most specifically in the MIddle East). I have grown up immensely and feel more ready for a more serious and professional job at multinational companies.
DBA has provided a great opportunity to connect me with the Middle East. I have a development studies background and I am particularly interested in sustainable development issues in Africa. My previous research also centered around the logistic industry (i.e. ports and free zones). Therefore, working with DP World, the leading global trade enabler in the region and the world, is a privilege. It allowed me to gain hands-on experience and knowledge of companies’ sustainability practices in this industry.
On the consulting project: In this project, I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how good you are in a particular industry; everything is learnable, especially when you have support from your team. I was surprised by how interesting the work is. I really feel like a detective, collecting data, asking tricky questions, finding connections between unlikely places.
On the placement experience: I am actively participating in a lot of events with my colleagues. I think I left my comfort zone to meet and get to know more new people.
My favorite experience in Module 1 has been the business roundtables because we could meet many professionals from different fields in a short period of time.
This was a great experience and a bridge to the professional world – I am grateful for this opportunity. I have gained tremendous experience and I feel more competent in starting my professional life.
I really appreciate my supervisor and my colleagues for their kind help and guidance during my placement. They all have rich experience in the related industry and they are really willing to teach me. I learned a lot from them. In addition, I am also impressed by their professionalism, dedication and responsible. It is my pleasure to work with them and learn from them.
On the placement experience: My supervisor taught me how to link the pure academic research up with the real business practice, which helped me to shift my role from a student to an employee working on the corporate strategy. This is rather important for me, a fresh graduate in a brand-new working environments.
I had the chance to meet amazing people during the programme. My opinions and perceptions on the Middle East changed completely.
On the best part of her placement: The excitement and opportunities. The feeling that if you have a great idea, it could be implemented tomorrow. I admire the efficiency and vision of the Dubai government a lot, as well as the people that work there. Very, very inspiring people.
The Emirates Group has always been a developer of global talent and a company that values diversity. Our partnership with DBA supports His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision of inspiring life-long cultural ambassadors for Dubai and the UAE amongst international talent, and thereby building on the UAE’s position as one of the world’s most sought after business hubs.
The programme delivered on two fronts. First, it immersed me in Dubai and offered an unparalleled opportunity to discover the city from inside. Second, it helped me develop as a person, getting to know and work with people from a range of backgrounds. I am still astonished by how much I learnt.
On the learning modules: The case studies were highly helpful to be better understand the complexity of ethical issues in real life.
On the placement experience: It was a good learning opportunity for someone new to the country to actually see how business operates in Dubai. It is essential to know how the whole business community here is working towards a better business environment in Dubai.
I’ve become open to new business ideas, learned new skills and worked with other cultures. I am also passionate about being an informal cultural Emirati ambassador. The whole experience widened my perspective of my career path and plans. I have gained competencies and skills from the modules of the programme and from meeting experts from different industries.
My coach helped me improve my performance in my placement. We also worked on how to communicate effectively with people at different levels. I’ve learned not to take things personally and to be proactive.
I am quite satisfied with the program. I particularly appreciate the efforts made to ensure that our placements were in alignment with our preferences. I also appreciate how we are frequently exposed and invited to opportunities of talks and networking events.
[The] intense and well-structured programme ensures its participants gain a deep understanding of international business principles as well as invaluable practical experience in doing business in Dubai. This is a transformative experience for these young people and creates life-long ambassadors who continue to contribute to deepening ties between China and Dubai during their careers, benefiting so many stakeholders.
On the consulting project: The model we created will have an impact on the company and on Dubai as well, since it will increase the level of citizens’ well-being.
I am very used to the academic approach, and it can be a challenge for me to approach some projects from a different perspective. The consulting skills classes highlighted the differences and what approach is required, which was hugely beneficial for me personally.
The programme was really enriching, allowing me to transform myself in Dubai, experience its ecosystem and contribute towards its development as a regional and global hub. Lots of learning and transformative lessons and practical engagements that are unrivaled in value addition. It was a great journey with remarkable life-long lessons.
This is a very good learning session. It helped me understand real business and achieve my dream of working as a consultant. I now know more about myself and my lifelong goal. Also, it helped me understand Dubai and the Middle East from many perspectives. Never before have I had the chance to do that. It has been a valuable experience in my life.
The great success of [the programme], according to all stakeholders including participants, over last few years is a testament to its effectiveness in bridging cultures and preparing young associates for a fast-changing business world. These talented professionals bring with them unique perspectives and strong expertise in key areas where Dubai is developing its capabilities and their presence only enhances the competitiveness of the emirate’s economy
The DBA program helped me improve my skills in three key areas: communication, research, and consulting. I had the pleasure of working in a culturally diverse team, engaged in a lot of research, and learned the core skills required to deliver a successful consulting project.
This is a well-organized programme that has delivered what it promised.
The most important lesson I took away from the coaching process was identifying and structuring my life vision and long term to short term goals.
These were some of the most fruitful months in my professional and academic life. It was extremely useful to have my first placement in such a unique place. Now my expectations and future career aspirations are elevated to a higher level. As one of the main indicators of my true interest in the placement, I consider the fact that it was surprisingly easy for me to wake up in the mornings! It happens very rarely. But in this case, I truly enjoyed every day of working with my team, when we have literally been shaping the future.
Since its launch, we have welcomed the programme here to the university to meet and recruit our students. It provides an invaluable platform for new graduates to experience the world of work in an environment where they are challenged and supported to be the best that they can be, and to consider the next steps in their careers.
On the placement experience: My manager and I have closely worked together to formulate strategies, and we also have actively put the strategy into execution and operation while coordinating different interests of different parties. We are very proud of our work and I have learned tons of things, which makes the placement very enjoyable to me.
The most enjoyable aspect of working in Dubai is the opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds and nationalities. It is truly interesting to have different perspectives and most importantly, to learn from these differences. For instance, while we were brainstorming for a project, the ideas generated depended on that person’s culture and experience. Having put all these ideas into a cohesive idea created such a unique value proposition.
I am trying out new things, meeting amazing people almost every day in the city and I love it. I also appreciate very much the diversity of people here, you can meet people from all over the world. It is with no doubt a great program. It has fulfilled all my expectations so far.
On the learning modules: I truly felt I was learning something and through the practice tasks, it helped to stick in my memory bank.
This experience was a perfect transition from college for me, as it provided me with real work exposure. It also made me realize that succeeding in the real working environment takes not just technical skills, but also soft skills that were emphasized during my time here in DBA.
The incredibly comprehensive nature of DBA makes it a massive learning experience which will help me along my career. The consulting project as a whole is the strongest plank of the year – no matter who your client is or what your project entails, you grow in a way that cannot happen in a classroom. Conducting a real consulting project with supplemental coaching along the way allowed me to learn quickly and will help me down the line.
My world view changed completely – you can start your own company, meet the ambassadors of a country, all is possible in Dubai if you’re active enough.
On coaching: I have been working a lot at choosing the right career that would suit me best. We have discussed different companies and career paths I could go into. Now, I feel more secure about my career choice.
On the learning modules: Being an entrepreneur here in Dubai could really be a realistic option. Never saw myself become one before this module.
I have already learnt so much about the world and myself in these few months. The longer I stay in Dubai, the more certain I am that I would like to stay here.
In the interviews with McKinsey, partners and managers all asked about my [DBA] experience. I would honestly say it was pivotal in me getting the job. I got an offer from McKinsey Dubai – feeling very lucky.
One of the best parts of my placement was that it involved getting to see various business segments of Dubai: transportation, IT, energy, waste management, and so on. I have been to many places and met a lot of interesting people. I learned about the business trends and strategies in Dubai. I had an experience of taking part in negotiating deals and working on tailoring solutions of international businesses to the needs of Dubai.
After completing the consulting project, I believe I can now handle difficult situations with different stakeholders.
Through DBA, I have made amazing connections in Dubai that I am extremely grateful for, those that will last a lifetime. That is something I cannot get anywhere else. I’ve grown as a person and got to see a part of the world that I didn’t know much about. Through learning more about Dubai by gaining real work experience at impressive organizations, I’ve learnt a lot about myself, what I want to achieve, what I’m capable of and which skills I want to develop further. Even though the world is uncertain right now and my career plans have been heavily impacted, I will do my best to return to Dubai. It’s a place where the future is being built.
My perception of Dubai has become deeper. I now understand the different areas and the different cultures. I understand how business is done here and I understand the perspective of the Emirati population. I feel like everything we have learned, and everywhere I have visited since arriving, has further shown me what the culture and atmosphere of Dubai really means. It has shown me that there’s a lot of depth to this area, and it’s fascinating.
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