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Programme Overview

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 Associates programme offers outstanding and ambitious graduates an unrivalled and fully funded opportunity to study and work in Dubai-incorporated companies.

This dynamic and multicultural hub for global commerce is an ideal city to develop future global leaders. The DBA programme is a bridge from higher education into the professional world, and a bridge between cultures.

Employing an experiential and project-based learning approach, the DBA programme is a transformative experience for associates, who develop career-enhancing consulting skills and gain practical insight into the world of work. The programme has been carefully crafted and combines hard business skills, soft skills, consulting skills, and practical work experience over a period of nine months.

The Programme

The programme has been carefully crafted and combines hard business skills, soft skills, consulting skills, and practical work experience over a period of 9 months that are delivered through:

Academic modules

Placements

Strategy consulting

Throughout the programme, associates attend masterclasses with industry leaders and CEOs, undergo skills development training, attend cultural events and excursions, and are assigned a career coach and life coach. In addition to the academic modules, the programme also offers corporate presentations, skills development workshops, and business visits.

Hard Skills and Strategy

Associates develop a deep understanding with the ability to present and debate key financial, accounting, marketing, and strategy metrics. Training includes consulting fundamentals and tools with a focus on strategy consulting, as well as business planning from ideation to the preparation of a full business plan.

Cultural Understanding

Having lived, studied, and worked together for nine months, the associates take on the role of professional cultural ambassadors. They are able to speak about Dubai and the UAE from experience, as well as the many other nationalities and cultures represented by their peers.

Soft Skills and Leadership

The programme is designed in a way that hard and soft skills are always developed together. Alumni demonstrate strong leadership, presentation, negotiation, communication, teamwork, agility, and problem-solving skills.

Program Timeline

The Dubai Business Associates Programme
Elite Personal and Professional Development 9-Month Programme

September - October
5 Weeks

Academic Module 1 ()

Business Fundamentals

This introductory module focuses on grounding participants in the essential economic and cultural landscape of the region. It covers foundational business disciplines such as finance and data analysis to prepare students for professional environments. The phase concludes with a formal assessment to ensure mastery of these core concepts.
  • Orientation
  • Overview: History and Culture
  • Vision and Economy of UAE
  • Commercial Strategy
  • Finance
  • Data Analysis
  • Module 1 Assessment

October - January
12 Weeks

Placement (Break (1 Week))

Immersion

This segment bridges academic learning with real-world application through a full-time placement period. It emphasizes holistic professional development by offering soft skills training and personalized coaching. Participants also engage in cultural and networking activities to deepen their integration into the local business community.

Throughout the fulltime placement period:

  • Soft Skills Training
  • Coaching and Mentoring
  • Cultural Excursions
  • Panel Sessions
  • Guest Fireside Chats

January - February
4 Weeks

Academic Module 2 (Break (1 Week))

Innovative Thinking in Local Context

This module shifts the focus toward advanced strategy and entrepreneurial thinking within the MENA region. Participants explore modern methodologies like Design Thinking and ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) to address complex business challenges. The curriculum utilizes simulations and consulting primers to build practical, localized expertise.
  • Doing Business in MENA
  • Design Thinking
  • Business Simulation
  • Consulting Primer
  • Business Planning and Entrepreneurship
  • Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG)

February - March
2 Weeks

Academic Module 3 (Break (1 Week))

Creating Value and Consulting Skills

Spanning two weeks, this intensive module is designed to sharpen the specific technical skills required for high-level consultancy. It focuses on "frontloading" projects, ensuring that participants have the tools and frameworks necessary for immediate impact. The period culminates in kick-off presentations to set the stage for the final immersion.
  • Essential Consulting Skills
  • Consulting Projects Frontloading
  • Kick-off presentations

March - June
12 Weeks

Consulting Project ()

Immersion

This final 12-week phase places participants in a full-time consulting role to solve real-world organizational problems. It provides a robust support system including expert coaching on project-specific skills and continued access to industry leaders. The immersion ensures a comprehensive professional experience through ongoing cultural and panel-based learnin

Throughout the full-time consulting period:

  • Coaching on Project and Consulting Skills
  • Cultural Excursions
  • Panel Sessions
  • Guest Fireside Chats

June
1 Week

Presentations and Graduation ()

Fit for the Market

This concluding one-week phase serves as the bridge between the programme and professional employment, ensuring participants are fully prepared for the market. It involves delivering formal project presentations to high-level client stakeholders, including leadership and C-suite executives. The programme finishes in June with a graduation ceremony to celebrate the successful completion of the curriculum.
  • Consulting Project Presentations to the Client (Leadership/ C-Suite)
  • Graduation

In addition to the modules detailed above, the programme also offers career and life coaching, mentoring, presentation skills, master classes with business leaders and CEOs, corporate presentations, skills development workshops, and business visits.