Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Teleworking Applications, and leading banking group Emirates NBD have jointly launched a first of its kind “national digital talent programme.”
The programme is in line with ongoing efforts to support UAE government’s “National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031,” which aims at developing a world-class national workforce proficient in AI and related technologies.
The banking group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Teleworking Applications Office, Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and University of Sharjah (UoS) for a joint initiative to nurture a pool of UAE interns over the course of the next four years.
Through its partnership with HCT and UoS, Emirates NBD will offer internship opportunities for UAE national students to shape their future and create a stronger talent pipeline to support the bank’s digital and IT departments.
The paid internships will provide undergraduate students an exposure to the latest technologies and innovations in the financial services industry and directly learn from its digital transformation leaders in Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, Open Banking, Robotics, Platforms, FinTech and Security.
Emirates NBD will also support the Coders HQ’s mission to create the highest number of coders per capita and attract global talent to set up their base in the UAE.
For this mission, the bank will provide more than 20 real-world business challenges through structured events including coding hackathons, design and test hacks, and deliver at least 40 curated learning interventions through their best-in-class Digital and Information Technology leaders.
The joint initiative between the industry and academia is for building and growing local digital talent by providing the necessary resources and equipping young UAE nationals with critical skills and practical knowledge needed to flourish in the field of digital and information technologies, including Artificial Intelligence.
Al Olama said ensuring qualified digital talent was a responsibility that falls on all sectors in the UAE, which will support national efforts in building a strong digital economy.
“The UAE government is committed to supporting programmes and initiatives that develop national talent akin to the industry level,” the minister said.
Commenting on the launch, Abdulla Qassem, Group chief operating officer, Emirates NBD, said the bank had always championed innovation and was a leader in digital banking.
A high percentage of the UAE student population is pursuing core STEM areas including Information Communication Technology (ICT), Engineering, and Natural Sciences.
This presents a good opportunity to upskill STEM graduates by applying the skills they have learned, into real-life work experiences with experts in the industry.
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