Dubai healthcare free zone launches Emirati training scheme

A major Dubai health hub has launched an Emirati training programme in line with a nationwide push to unlock the potential of local talent.

Dubai Healthcare City Authority, the governing body of the Dubai Healthcare City free zone, will provide three-month placements to Emirati graduates in fields such as business administration, finance, marketing and communications and information technology.

The first class of trainees were invited to name the employment scheme, giving it the title Masari — Arabic for My Pathway.

Our aim is that it will provide us with a pool of talent who we can nurture and develop to play important roles in the future long-term sustainable development of DHCC

Kawthar Kazim, Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC)

“Enablement and empowerment form the foundations of the work we do at Dubai Healthcare City in line with the UAE National Agenda,” said Kawthar Kazim, vice president of business support at the authority.

“[The] Masari Programme will give young trainees valuable experience that will contribute to their future successes, by enabling them to harness their academic knowledge to build their professional careers.

“They will learn on the job directly from department heads, have their place in a team and will be compensated monthly to get a feel of what it is like in a fully functioning workplace environment.

“Our aim is that it will provide us with a pool of talent who we can nurture and develop to play important roles in the future long-term sustainable development of DHCC.”

In the first phase of the initiative, industry professionals will provide training to the graduates and help them to develop their skills.

Each graduate who completes the authority's training will receive certification, which will help to build their credentials for future employment applications.

Dubai Healthcare City was established in 2002 in an effort to bring together top class health sector services.

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It is home to five hospitals and 168 clinics, and is served by more than 4,400 healthcare professionals.

The training programme is part of a wider drive to bolster the Emirati workforce across the country.

The UAE set out plans in September to ensure 10 per cent of the private-sector workforce were citizens in the next five years.

A series of initiatives was launched to increase the number of Emirati private-sector workers by 75,000, by 2026, as part of the Nafis programme.

These included paid training programmes, subsidies for Emiratis working in the private sector and support for local entrepreneurs looking to leave the public sector and start up their own companies.

The Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council was established as part of the ambitious strategy.

Earlier this month, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, chaired the first meeting of the council to review its progress and approve new programmes.

The meeting heard that 2,360 Emiratis had been employed by private companies in the first 90 days of the scheme.

The council approved a second package of initiatives, including a training scheme for nurses, a number of training courses to boost the expertise of Emirati graduates in several sectors and a career counselling programme.