Ameera Abdulla Al Marzooqi
Communications Officer, Emirates Global Aluminium
Ameera Abdulla Al Marzooqi, Communications Officer at Emirates Global Aluminium, has always been interested in a career in corporate communications. After attaining a degree in International Relations, she joined EGA’s Graduate Trainee program last year, an experience that kick-started her career in the field.
Ameera wanted to apply the knowledge of communications gained from her degree in a real-world setting, while also developing and broadening her skills. The Graduate Trainee program proved to be the perfect opportunity to achieve this goal.
As a graduate trainee in EGA’s Corporate Affairs department, Ameera was given many opportunities to do different types of work to advance her career. Within the first few weeks, she assisted with the design and launch of new brochures, which are now used by employees across the company for sales and marketing initiatives. She was also part of several communications campaigns and exhibitions, where she was given several tasks and
responsibilities that helped hone her skills. On a typical day, Ameera was responsible for anything from making videos to writing for the intranet, to meeting with leaders of the company and journalists from the media.
Ameera said, “EGA is a large company with many opportunities. The experience on the Graduate Trainee program has helped me achieve my career objectives. I had a great manager and mentor who were genuinely interested in helping me meet my goals and I’ve received lots of career advice from my peers as well as other leaders.”
To further her understanding in specialized areas of communications, Ameera was encouraged to take courses and workshops offered by EGA as part of the program. She also completed courses at the Middle East Public Relations Association, a regional communications trade body that EGA’s Corporate Affairs team participates in. In addition, Ameera was given the opportunity to work as an intern at EGA’s public relations agency, Hill +Knowlton Strategies, for two weeks to broaden her experience.
Today, Ameera is a full-time employee in the Corporate Affairs department at EGA. Her strong foundation in communications from the graduate trainee program has placed her on a path to a successful career.
She works on a number of internal and external communications initiatives that span the company. Her proudest moment so far is launching a company-wide email news channel that helps keep employees informed of daily news at EGA. She is also a part of a team developing a new experience center, a high-profile project aimed at educating newcomers, visitors and students about EGA.
“It was an honor to be a part of the Graduate Trainee program, alongside about 150 others starting their careers in different departments at EGA. The experience allowed me to build a broad understanding of communications while making real contributions through a variety of meaningful and challenging work. My time in the program helped me better understand my strengths, weaknesses and interests and left me well-equipped to continue my career here at EGA,” she told us.
Ahmed Ali AlMenhali
Spacecraft System Engineer, Yahsat and former on-the-job trainee at Orbital ATK
Ahmed Ali AlMenhali joined Yahsat in 2016 as a Spacecraft System Engineer. He is responsible for supporting Yahsat’s current and future spacecraft on platform-related programs, which include procurement, design, analysis, integration, testing and operation
Ahmed’s role also involves supervising small satellite projects on both technical and non-technical matters, such as MYSAT-1, the first CubeSat built by students at Masdar Institute.
In 2017, Ahmed was nominated to be an on-the-job trainee at Orbital ATK Corporation, the manufacturers of Yahsat’s third satellite, Al Yah 3 (AY3). The prestigious six-month training program saw Ahmed learn from world-leading engineering and aerospace development experts, gaining valuable insights into the latest satellite industry trends and paving the way for further career development.
Throughout the training program, Ahmed had the opportunity to attend all Space Academy lectures and during this time earned a Master Certificate in STK software. The opportunity saw him gain a range of skills in areas such as thermal analysis, which could be directly applied to the AY3 satellite program. Ahmed also had the chance to visit Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Commenting on his experience, Ahmed said, “One of the ways to support our country fulfill its vision to become among the top countries in the space industry is by enriching our minds with space-related knowledge and experience. The university is an excellent source of knowledge but when it comes to combining knowledge and experience, the Orbital ATK training program has the upper hand and that’s why I highly recommend it.”
Adding, “The Orbital ATK training program really helped me develop important skills. I’ve grasped an enormous amount of knowledge and experience in a short period.”
In the short term, Ahmed aspires to be a skilled engineer for all spacecraft subsystems under his responsibility. Looking further ahead, he hopes to broaden his horizons across all technical aspects of Yahsat and support the company’s ambitious vision for the future.
Anfal Abdulrahman
Systems Engineer, Yahsat
Anfal Abdulrahman is a Systems Engineer at Yahsat. Her role is to understand customers’ requirements, write technical specifications and ensure they are met. Anfal has always been keen to gain technical expertise and knowledgeable in her role.
Before joining Yahsat in 2016, Anfal was enrolled in the Fundamentals of Space Training Program (SFTP) with Lockheed Martin, which offered coursework, professional development and mentoring over two months in the US and UAE.
This unique, industry-leading scheme involved 200 hours of coursework in building the foundational skills before moving to subjects that are more technical. It also included job shadowing, tours of virtual reality and satellite production facilities as well as the opportunity to see the launch of Nasa’s ground-breaking OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, designed to study an asteroid and return samples to earth.
Anfal wanted to apply the knowledge of engineering gained from her degree in a real-world setting, while also developing and broadening her skills. The training program proved to be the perfect opportunity to achieve her goal, exposing her to different areas of aerospace engineering such as deep-space missions, aeronautics, R&D and communications.
Commenting about her experience, Anfal said, “This training program not only equipped us as engineers with the skills needed to excel in the aerospace industry but also helped us chalk out a path for our long-term career growth. Our company has really invested in us while our managers and team members have all been incredibly supportive along the way. They have given us the flexibility to attend the program. But they have also listened to our feedback - and acted on it - to deliver a brilliant training and development experience.”
Khalifa Ali Albeshr
Analyst, Mubadala Investment Company, Petroleum & Petrochemicals Platform
Khalifa Ali Albeshr has always been ambitious. As a young Emirati, Khalifa is a participant at Maseeraty, a bespoke program specifically designed for UAE Nationals to advance their careers and develop a new generation of leaders.
Through this program, Khalifa was offered the opportunity to spend time with different business units and asset companies across Mubadala. This experience helped him navigate his career path with the company while gaining knowledge, skills and opportunities along the way.
Maseeraty not only helped Khalifa to obtain on-the-job-training, but also supported him in gaining the internationally-recognized Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification. Following that, Khalifa was encouraged to take part in several internal courses including the Foundations of Financial Modeling. He also enrolled in Advanced Excel, Foundations of Leadership, and the Art of Negotiations – all helping build skills that he uses in his current role.
Before joining Mubadala full-time, Khalifa was part of the Global Internship Program, a dynamic educational initiative offered by the company and its industry partners, providing UAE National undergraduate engineering students with opportunities for hands-on learning experiences abroad.
As part of this program, Khalifa was selected for an internship at Airbus, one of the world’s largest aerospace companies. The five-month program in Toulouse, France offers students a variety of work opportunities across Engineering, Design, Manufacturing, Testing, and Product Development.
Commenting about his experience, Khalifa said, “The Airbus internship was fantastic. It expanded my network, broadened my horizons, improved my analytical and communication skills and allowed me to utilize my engineering skills from university while working with engineers in a leading company in its field.
“Working in a foreign, diversified environment gave me the opportunity to look at things from different perspectives while interacting with people from different backgrounds and cultures.”
Since joining the Petroleum & Petrochemicals (P&P) platform last year, Khalifa has made a real impact as part of the strategy team across a wide range of projects. He has also enjoyed working with colleagues with many years of experience in the field and learning from their deep expertise. He aims to continue working in P&P and hopes to secure another secondment to one of the platform’s international assets to better understand the shareholder relationship.
Describing his experience at Mubadala, Khalifa said: “Mubadala is filled with many successful individuals. Gaining exposure to this is a tremendous opportunity and a fascinating learning experience. I hope to keep developing and ultimately give back to the company that has provided me with such exciting opportunities.”
Mariam Muhair Ali Al Khateri
Internal Auditor, Mubadala Investment Company
Managing risk is central to any business, but when you’re a multi-billion dollar investment company, it’s mission critical. Mariam Al Khateri is an Internal Auditor at Mubadala Investment Company and playing this vital role for the company is her day job.
Since joining Mubadala in 2017, Mariam has helped deliver audits across three of Mubadala’s four platforms, including Alternative Investments & Infrastructure; Aerospace, Renewables & ICT and Technology, Manufacturing & Mining. Dealing with such high profile assignment has also entailed interacting with senior management and C-level executives at a very early stage of her career.
Mariam is also a participant at Maseeraty, a bespoke program specifically for UAE Nationals to advance their careers while developing a new generation of leaders.
Through this program she was offered the opportunity to explore different areas of the business, helping her navigate her career path while gaining knowledge, skills and opportunities.
She has attended training within Internal Audit at Mubadala known as the IA Academy. She was also encouraged to join the HASAAD program, which provides training for candidates to enable them to pass the CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) exams.
Mariam also attended the International IIA (Institute of Internal Auditors) Conference where she met industry professionals from around the world, enhancing her professional development and introducing her to the latest developments in internal audit.
When thinking about the future, Mariam hopes to continue building her skills and knowledge by making the most of the numerous opportunities to contribute at Mubadala. Ultimately, she wants to use her career to give back to the UAE and play her part in delivering the vision set out by the country’s leadership.
Speaking about the program, Mariam highlighted the support she has been given on her career journey, “The Maseeraty program ensures that I am familiar with Mubadala’s portfolio and receive the experience I need through rotations across sub-units outside Internal Audit. I believe that this is just the beginning of my journey and the opportunities ahead are countless.”
The Maseeraty program offers flexibility to Mariam’s schedule to ensure she receives the training needed to compete for her CFA and CIA exams, having already successfully passed CFA level 2.
Maryam Hamad Helal Al Kuwaiti
Manufacturing Engineer, Strata Manufacturing
Maryam Al Kuwaiti is a Manufacturing Engineer at Strata Manufacturing. She started her career as part of the materials and processing team in the “cleanroom” where technical knowledge is essential in the manufacture of aircraft parts.
Before joining Strata in 2014, Maryam was enrolled in a five-month internship program with Airbus in Toulouse, France along with a group of nine Emirati Engineering students. Through this program, she had the opportunity to work in the R&D department, specifically responsible for developing airframes for aircraft.
One of the most inspiring moments of the internship for Maryam was the chance to see the final assembly lines for the Airbus A320, A330 and the A380 aircraft, where enormous aero structures were being fabricated before her very eyes, ready to take flight with hundreds of passengers on board. She also witnessed the inaugural test flight of the Airbus A350 which was a “once in a lifetime experience.”
Discussing the internship opportunity, Maryam commented: “The Airbus internship experience has given me a jump start in my career. The first-hand experience gained working as an engineering professional alongside pioneers in the aerospace industry, has been priceless. It was also a great opportunity to network, invest in my personal development and build my professional, practical and interpersonal skills.”
Maryam also attended the Air Business Academy, a global learning platform to develop knowledge, skills and behaviors for the Airbus community of customers, suppliers and partners worldwide. For a period of two weeks, she took part in customized training sessions, designed specifically for her group of interns to cover areas such as leadership and management.
Beyond pure engineering skills development the experience also focused on team building and collaboration through a series of ‘icebreaker’ and team building exercises aimed at bringing the group together. The sessions deep-dived on topics such as prioritization, time management, coping with stress and pressure, self-confidence and impactful presentation.
Maryam also signed up for a series of French language lessons at the Alliance Francaise Du Toulouse, using the immersion in French culture and work to build her language capabilities further.
“Our ambition to make the UAE the number one in engineering requires us to work twice as hard and be the best versions of ourselves in everything we do. The great opportunities I was offered have given me a unique experience and a story to share with my peers. I’m also now passionate about mentoring and engaging young people to ensure we have the engineers of the future. Being able to share my experience brings me a real sense of fulfillment.”
Building on her international experiences, Maryam has recently completed an eight-month training program at Boeing in the US on the Dreamliner 787 Vertical Fin project.
Dr. Ahmed Al Zubaidi
Doctor, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has placed education at the core of its mission. The hospital intends to transform the medical education landscape in Abu Dhabi, offering a wide range of opportunities for physicians to complete their training, and for Emirati nationals to use their skills to benefit their community earlier in their career.
Ahmed Al Zubaidi is a prime example of the impact that Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has already had on medical education in the UAE. Born in Al Ain, he returned to the UAE after finishing medical school in Ireland and was one of the first physicians to graduate from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s yearlong physician internship program. Following his internship, he opted to remain at the hospital for a five-year residency in general surgery.
“Studying abroad was a very positive experience that exposed me to a different culture and society. I chose to return to the UAE and complete my training at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi because it offers a multicultural environment and high professional standards. The multidisciplinary approach to care here is quite unique. Unlike other hospitals, subspecialty teams are involved in general surgery, so I am able to learn and gain experience from a true specialist in their field,” he said.
Ahmed plans to pursue a fellowship to specialize further following his residency program and is has an interest in bariatric surgery. “I was lucky enough to join the bariatric surgery team on rotation during my internship and I very much enjoyed it. The fact that it’s a surgery that can be used to treat conditions that are very common in the Gulf, like diabetes and hypertension, makes it particularly attractive. Bariatric surgery can have a hugely positive impact on a patient’s health and quality of life; when you see them even three months later, it’s like you’re meeting a different person.”
Since returning to Abu Dhabi and beginning his training at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Ahmed has witnessed significant developments in the UAE’s healthcare sector. Since joining the hospital, he has been involved in two successful deceased donor liver transplant surgeries, a procedure done for the first time in the UAE in 2018. These rapid developments, he explains, may serve to demonstrate medicine as a viable career option for the country’s youth.
“Medicine is primarily a calling, maybe more than any other career. I think that as people see news of the advanced treatments we provide at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, more of our young people will see it as a real option for their future, especially when they can complete their training close to home,” he said.
Ahmed is in the early stages of his journey at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. However, he is already keen to highlight his positive experience, raising awareness among medical students seeking to pursue an internship or residency program. Ahmed said, “I have the opportunity to contribute to the treatment of my people and develop the health system of my country while also developing my skills and benefiting from some of the best physicians in the world. This program has allowed me to work directly with physicians, something that can be rare at other hospitals.”
Shamma Mohammed Fahad Aldehaim
Analyst, Mubadala Real Estate & Infrastructure
Shamma has always been determined to play her part in building the future of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and through her role at Mubadala, she’s been able to realize that dream in a part of the business that has building in its DNA.
Shamma is an Analyst at Mubadala Real Estate & Infrastructure business unit. She is also a participant at Maseeraty program, a two-year scheme designed to develop the skills and expertise of young Emiratis and build the leaders of the future.
During the first six months of the program, Shamma was a candidate for the level 1 CFA program, which involved studying a range of finance-related subjects. Having successfully completed level 1 of this challenging qualification she is now putting what she’s learnt into practice in her role as an Analyst in Mubadala’s international real estate team.
Commenting about her experience, Shamma said: “Young Emiratis stand to benefit from career development programs such as Maseeraty that are flexible enough to cater to their specific ambitions and interests, while also challenging them to reach their potential.
“For Emiratis who are just starting their careers, development programs are a good way to make the most out of their formative years in an organization. Programs such as this represent an investment in the new generation of Emirati leaders and I would recommend that new joiners consider enrolling in such initiatives,” said Shamma.
The Maseeraty program is a great fit for Shamma’s career and personal aspirations. The structured nature of the program allows her to measure her progress and motivates her to achieve set milestones and objectives. With a bright future ahead, she hopes to continue building her career in real estate and support the business in its international operations.
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