ENBD launches ‘National Digital Talent Program’ to support UAE’s ambition

As part of ongoing efforts to support the UAE government‘s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office, in collaboration with Emirates NBD, has launched a first-of-its-kind ‘National Digital Talent Program.’

The program’s goal is to train a world-class national workforce in AI and related technologies.

The banking group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with partners including Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and the University of Sharjah in order to cultivate a pool of UAE interns over the next four years (UoS).

The collaborative initiative will contribute to the development of local digital talent by providing the necessary resources and equipping young UAE nationals with the critical skills and practical knowledge required to thrive in the field of digital and information technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, ultimately contributing to priority sectors of the national digital economy.

The UAE student population is heavily concentrated in core STEM fields such as Information Communication Technology (ICT), Engineering, and Natural Sciences. This is an excellent opportunity to upskill STEM graduates by putting the skills they have learned into real-life work experiences with industry experts, resulting in a larger pool of UAE talent capable of building the next era of technology solutions, primarily Artificial Intelligence. Emirates NBD’s new talent program seeks to nurture and develop young Emiratis, preparing them to support the digital economy by bridging academia and industry.

H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, affirmed the UAE’s keenness to prepare future generations, building their capabilities, and equipping them with advanced knowledge, enabling them to contribute un the UAE Government mission in building an innovative future, enhancing its global status. Adding that ensuring qualified digital talent is a responsibility that falls on all sectors in the UAE, which will support national efforts in building a strong digital economy.

H.E added that the UAE government is committed to supporting programs and initiatives that develop national talent akin to the industry level. Emirates NBD sets a great example of developing local skills to the industry standard and leading positive efforts in the banking sector to develop talented nationals by enabling them to learn, train and enhance their readiness to work in various industries and raise the level of our digital economy.

H.E further said that providing the necessary resources and equipping young nationals’ digital talents with the critical skills and practical knowledge is a key priority to flourish in the field of digital and information technologies, especially; Artificial Intelligence, ultimately contributing to priority sectors of the national digital economy.

Internship stream:

Emirates NBD, in collaboration with Higher Colleges of Technology and the University of Sharjah, will provide internship opportunities for UAE national students in order to shape their future and build a stronger talent pipeline to support the bank’s Digital and Information Technology departments. The paid internships will expose undergraduate students to the latest financial services industry technologies and innovations, as well as direct learning from the industry’s digital transformation leaders in Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, Open Banking, Robotics, Platforms, FinTech, and Security. They would also be able to gain valuable experience solving financial technology challenges as capstone projects, which they would showcase on internal and external platforms such as Coders HQ, which is part of the National Program for Coders initiatives.

Talent bridge with Coders HQ:

Emirates NBD will also support the Coders HQ mission of creating the most coders per capita and attracting global talent to set up shop in the UAE. The bank will provide more than 20 real-world business challenges through structured events such as coding hackathons, design and test hacks, and at least 40 curated learning interventions through their best-in-class Digital and Information Technology leaders for this mission. These initiatives will be available globally, establishing a truly unique bridge for coding talent in the UAE and around the world to solve industry challenges and interact with Emirates NBD leaders.

Commenting on the launch, Abdulla Qassem, Group Chief Operating Officer, Emirates NBD said: “We are extremely pleased to support the UAE’s mission to become one of the world leaders in Artificial Intelligence by 2031. As a leading regional bank and a pioneer in the digital services industry, we are confident that in partnership with Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Office and prestigious institutions such as Higher Colleges of Technology and University of Sharjah, we can help develop the digital capabilities of young UAE talent, who form the future of the nation and will contribute to building an agile, future-proof economy.”

He added, “As a bank that has always championed innovation and is a leader in digital banking, we are committed to catalysing the digital capabilities of our future workforce and will continue to invest in building the national digital economy.”

Over the years, Emirates NBD Group has launched a number of development and training programs specifically for Emiratis, as a part of its commitment to UAE talent development.

Last year, the bank also partnered with the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Office to support the National Program for Coders, the largest ever UAE initiative to foster the development of coding talent in the country. The bank also launched a new and exclusive graduate program called “Ruwad”, to propel young Emiratis into leadership roles. The program was the first of many initiatives to be introduced in response to the government’s federal NAFIS program and also the largest investment the bank has ever made in a single talent management program.