For decades, foreign royals, particularly those from the Middle East, have learnt to be military leaders at Britain's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Established in 1812, the academy runs a gruelling 44-week course - broken down into three 14-week terms - that tests the physical and mental strength of its young cadets.
During training, all officer cadets learn to live by the academy’s motto: ‘serve to lead’.
Term one focuses on basic military skills, fitness and decision making. Term two hones in on the development of leadership skills where cadets select their future corps or regiment. And in term three, cadets embark on training exercises in the UK and overseas.
Predominantly serving would-be officers for the British Army, the academy has a tradition of attracting cadets from overseas too.
Each year, about 1,500 foreign students complete training at Sandhurst.
Many elite families from the Middle East have sent their sons and daughters to train there, and royal alumni include King Hussein of Jordan and his son King Abdullah II.
On Friday, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, watched his son Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed graduate from Sandhurst decades after his own graduation from the academy.
Other notable graduates to come from the UAE include Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
To prepare further for his future role in Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed attended Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, which is now part of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
During the latter stages of the six-month course, he was awarded the Sword of Honour for achieving the highest mark of any foreign and commonwealth officer cadet in his intake.
Maj Gen Duncan Capps, the commandant of Sandhurst, told The National that he was proud and impressed by the Emirati contingent that passed through Sandhurst this year.
“I applaud every one of the international cadets including the seven officer cadets from the UAE who commissioned today, who without exception have been extraordinary ambassadors for their country," he said.
In 2017, Emirati Ahmed Al Mazrui became the recipient of the Sword of Honour from Sandhurst.
He was recognised as the best international cadet in his class and was congratulated personally by Sheikh Mohamed.
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Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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