Dubai World honours 70 UAE nationals at Dubai Leaders Program graduation ceremony
High praise for ambitious initiative launched by Dubai World and Wharton School
Dubai World today honoured 70 UAE nationals from its executive cadre who completed the Dubai Leaders Program (DLP), the ambitious project the holding company launched in partnership with the Aresty Institute of Executive Education at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai World, awarded the certificates to the graduates on the occasion.
The prestigious event marked the successful conclusion of the corporate leadership development schedule for the first two batches of the DLP.
Mr. Mohamed Al Qarqawi, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai World, as well as an array of dignitaries, including ministers, corporate leaders, senior government officials, business executives and media persons, attended the ceremony and applauded the achievement of the graduates, who are senior executives from Dubai World companies and one participant from Tamkeen, the Knowledge Village-based centre for the visually impaired.
HE Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai World, congratulated the graduates. He said it is a moment of great pride for the group and expressed gratitude to HH Sheikh Mohammed, whose vision for the country’s future defined Dubai World’s task to develop leadership excellence.
“The words of HH Sheikh Mohammed that ‘the true leader is one with the clearest and most far-reaching vision’ became our driving force when we launched the DLP in 2006 in association with Wharton School, one of the most prestigious business schools in the world.
“What these graduates have gone through and experienced in the DLP will shape them up perfectly to assume positions from where they will be able to envision bigger, brighter and more dynamic future for Dubai World and Dubai,” he added.
Ms. Bedoor Khouri, Manager of Dubai World Leadership Centre, lauded the graduates, saying, “Dubai World is happy to welcome the executives back to its fold as potential leaders with stronger credentials. DLP is our initiative carrying the message of corporate responsibility to the future not only of Dubai World, but also of Dubai and the country. We, along with Wharton School, have taken extreme care in every step to make this the most meaningful leadership development program offered to executives. A lot of effort has gone into the planning of DLP and I am confident these graduates will prove its success through their performance,” she said.
The program, which is custom-made to suit Dubai World’s corporate goals, is carefully planned to enhance the strategic thinking and leadership capabilities of the hand-picked participants. The Chief Executives of Dubai World subsidiary companies nominate the list of executives based on their job track record for the one-year Program. Every year DLP assessed around 400 applications out of which the top 45 are finally being chosen.
Wharton Executive Education employs specially-developed methods to hone their skills. The DLP is divided into five Modules that use varied development toolkit, including case studies. The strength lies in providing academic learning through team projects and integration of the academic knowledge.
These Modules include programs in Dubai and at the Wharton campus in Philadelphia as well as a Global Learning Journey to Singapore, Hong Kong and China. Thirty Wharton faculty members are involved in the DLP. End-to-end integrated business simulations, social systems workshops and case studies are part of the schedule.
The visit to Singapore, Hong Kong and China is aimed at providing the executives with field experience and opportunity for interaction with top business leaders and decision makers. A case study specially written for the Program helps participants learn from the success of these cities, linking them to the current and future challenges that Dubai faces.
Participants finally present their Action learning project results to Dubai World CEOs. This offers significant follow-on activities to ensure the continuation of the learning process beyond the receipt of the certificates.
The graduates expressed profound happiness and pride at successfully completing the DLP. The biggest applause of the evening was reserved for Awatif Al Awadi, Training Manager at Tamkeen, the visually impaired participant in the DLP, as she was honoured with the Award for Corporate Social Responsibility. Dubai World, as part of its corporate commitment to provide opportunity for growth and development to physically challenged people, had chosen Awatif from Tamkeen for last year’s DLP.
The auditorium erupted in applause as Awatif was led to the stage to receive the honours.
“I cannot express in word my happiness and gratitude to HH Sheikh Mohammed, Dubai World and Wharton School for giving me the opportunity to sharpen my skills. The DLP has changed the way I see future despite my physical difficulties. I feel much more confident and ready to take on challenges lying ahead. The Program has emboldened me to take up bigger responsibilities and be more useful to society,” Awatif said.
Mr. Hamza Mustafa, Managing Director, The World, Nakheel, one of the graduating executives, said the DLP experience is a landmark in his professional career. “Each module is planned to enhance one’s innate capacity to address a situation. The DLP is unique in covering all aspects of leadership grooming. It overhauls the personality enabling one to approach problems with a sharper perspective. The simulations deserve special mention because they present all kinds of situations likely to crop up in the future,” Mr. Hamza said.
Hala Lootah, another DLP graduate, now the Director of Projects & Commercial Promotions Department at the Ministry of Foreign Trade, said the scheme will have far-reaching impact on her career. “The Wharton campus experience is the best any business executive can aspire for. The faculty members are exceptionally skilled in delivering the desired effect on the participants. The DLP has tremendously enhanced our capabilities. I am confident that what I gained through the Program could be returned to our society through my professional excellence. I am grateful to Dubai World for providing me with this opportunity,” Ms. Lootah said.
The next batch of executives will leave for Philadelphia in July to start the Program.
