Key ministers address full house at day two of the 2018 Mohamed Bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations

Tuesday 09 October 2018
Abu Dhabi - MENA Herald:

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, day two of the 2018 Mohamed bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations opened this morning with a rousing assembly from H.E. Dr. Ahmad bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Cabinet Member and Minister of State for Higher Education and H.E. Nasser bin Thani Juma Al Hamli, Cabinet Member and Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

Students gathered at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) for the opening address on the second day, which involved more than 100 interactive sessions. Hosted to engage Emirati youth with the UAE’s culture, social, and technological leaders, the Majlis – where ‘leaders of today meet the leaders of tomorrow’ – also involved 50 partners including Expo 2020, the Special Olympics, Mubadala, and Masdar, among others, for a second day.

Focusing on strengthening Emiratisation in the private sector, the message was loud and clear from H.E. Dr. Al Falasi and H.E. Al Hamli: “Invest in yourself – the key is lifelong learning.

“Learning is entailed to you,” H.E. Dr. Al Falasi told students. “If you don’t work on yourself, job opportunities that exist now will no longer exist in the future.” Offering his own experience to illustrate the point, H.E. Dr. Al Falasi said: “When I studied engineering I just focused on engineering. It was expected that I wouldn’t have knowledge of finance or have acquired the right social skills. Today, the need is for an engineer who understands budgets and is capable of being a public speaker in order to be able to simplify information to board members and the chairman. This implies that you must possess leadership communication skills.”

Highlighting the role the Majlis plays in enabling students to invest in personal growth, H.E. Dr. Al Falasi commented: “It’s important that you get this message… you are the future of this country, and this Majlis is for you. We now have a golden opportunity empowered by our leadership. You are the generation that matters.” H.E. Dr. Al Falasi said. “As His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said, to compete with other countries, to be competitive around the world, you must shield yourself with knowledge.”

H.E. Dr. Al Falasi also spoke of some of the UAE’s most important milestone moments that illustrate how the UAE has already invested in its industries and people to grow. He shared the examples of Strata, the UAE manufacturing company that’s fast becoming a key aerostructure parts partner to both Airbus and Boeing, and Khalifa Sat 1 – the first satellite from UAE-based global satellite operator to be manufactured entirely by Emirati nationals.

Reinforcing the messages shared by H.E. Dr. Al Falasi, H.E. Al Hamli opened his address to students with a strong message: “You are the future of this country, the weapon of this country, the safety pin of this country.”

H.E. Al Hamli echoed H.E. Dr. Al Falasi’s message, “Our role is to show you the way, and your role is to take the decision to walk the path.” Speaking about Emiratisation, H.E. Al Hamli described the vital role of the private sector in the UAE’s economy, as it encompasses 80 percent of the country’s GDP. H.E. Al Hamli also shared a call to action for students: “We would like you to lead this vital strategic sector that’s leading our economy.” H.E. Al Hamli continued by discussing some of the most fundamental steps taken by the UAE government to enable Emiratis to grow – changes he describes as the “identity of the coming phase.” For example, in an effort to achieve the security of the UAE for Vision 2021, the Ministry of Labour has now shifted to become the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, offering initiatives including working remotely and self-employment opportunities, the latter of which is currently in the pilot phase.

H.E. Al Hamli then shared the benefits of pursuing work experience in the private sector while studying: “By leveraging summer training opportunities, the private sector will see you as a priority and also see that you are keen to develop yourself. Once you start working, you discover your strengths, preferences, and where you can develop more – summer training lets you figure this out before you graduate and most often these opportunities translate into permanent jobs.”

H.E. Al Hamli ended the keynote address with a message about the formation of the future government: “All UAE nationals are considered a national treasure. It’s very important to utilize their skills for the benefit of the UAE,” said H.E. Al Hamli.

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