Dubai – The Emirates Youth Council and Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala), the Abu Dhabi-based investment and development company, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), aimed at developing the nation’s youth and equipping them with the skills required to become future leaders. This will be achieved through cooperation on the “100 Mentors” initiative which will deliver a series of leadership talks with young Emirati executives at Mubadala. The MoU will also encompass ongoing cooperation on Youth Circles in the UAE and will foster an environment that encourages innovation and ambitious thinking while supporting the youth to play active roles in society.

The MoU was signed by Her Excellency Shamma bint Sohail Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Chairperson of the Emirates Youth Council and His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Mubadala.

Commenting on the inking of the MoU, HE Shamma bint Sohail Al Mazrui said: “The collaboration with Mubadala comes as part of efforts by the Emirates Youth Council to establish partnerships with organizations across society, particularly with leading national companies. With this, we aim to provide Emirati youth with the right opportunities to present and implement innovative ideas as well as to actively contribute to the growth and sustainability of the UAE.”

Commenting on the partnership, HE Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: “The youth engagement programs and initiatives adopted by Mubadala are in line with our multiple youth outreach objectives. A pivotal aim of these initiatives is to enable UAE nationals to take advantage of opportunities in a diverse spectrum of sectors that contribute to Abu Dhabi's economic diversification agenda. This contributes to developing a generation of qualified Emirati cadres, equipped with a wealth of skills across different areas. Developing the UAE’s youth is one of our top priorities at Mubadala and we are pleased to have signed this MoU, as we are certain that it will serve to further enhance Mubadala’s community outreach program.”

The memorandum of understanding spans cooperation between the Emirates Youth Council and Mubadala on the “100 mentors” program. The program will include several leadership talks with young executives at Mubadala, which will contribute toward the establishment of sustainable and direct communication channels with the youth. These channels enable the delivery of guidance and career council by demonstrating best practices and conducting discussions on youth-related matters such as their ambitions and challenges; all with the aim of presenting innovative and practical solutions.

As part of the MoU, the Emirates Youth Council will support Mubadala in delivering youth initiatives across its sectors including manufacturing, aviation and energy among others. The MoU also includes the selection of “Weyana,” Mubadala’s youth platform, as a key partner to participate in various initiatives dedicated to Emirati youth. Weyana was launched by Mubadala to enhance engagement with the national youth, introduce them to an array of societal activities and events and to make them aware of the career development opportunities available to them.

Established in 2016, the Emirates Youth Council supports Emirati youth and enables them to actively contribute to shaping the UAE’s future. The council also proposes solutions to encourage positive participation by the youth, in various UAE sectors. Additionally, the council listens closely to Emirati youth’s opinions, suggestions and the challenges that they face.

In its role, Mubadala has helped elevate Emirati youth’s interest in subjects related to sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This was achieved through shedding light on the importance of these subjects and the career specializations related to them, in addition to Mubadala’s initiatives to incentivize the youth and help them benefit from STEM opportunities.