The Emirati Human Resources Development Council in Dubai celebrated the graduation of 30 leaders in the first cohort of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) programme, in the presence of His Excellency Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director General of the Office of His Highness the Ruler of Dubai and Managing Director of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), His Excellency Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Emirati Human Resources Development Council in Dubai, and a number of senior Dubai officials.
His Excellency Engineer Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Emirati Human Resources Development Council in Dubai, said the graduation of 30 Emirati professionals in the programme's first cohort embodies the council's commitment to developing specialised Emirati leadership.
He added that the programme aims to enhance readiness to lead financial transformation and decision-making across various sectors, in alignment with the wise leadership's vision of investing in people as the primary driver of sustainable development.
He affirmed that building national financial competencies equipped with knowledge, experience, and the capacity to anticipate the future represents a fundamental pillar for strengthening Dubai's competitiveness, supporting the targets of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, and consolidating the emirate's standing as a global hub for economy and business.
He said: "At the Emirati Human Resources Development Council, we believe that building national capacities is a strategic responsibility that requires effective partnerships between the public and private sectors and leading academic institutions.
From this premise, we continue to develop qualitative initiatives that contribute to preparing Emirati financial leaders who possess competence, agility, and the ability to lead transformation, enhance their institutions' efficiency, and create a sustainable impact that supports Dubai's comprehensive development journey."
The ceremony featured a panel discussion that reviewed the programme's key outcomes and the pioneering and innovative projects it produced, reflecting the knowledge and skills participants acquired throughout their training journey.
The projects presented practical solutions to priority financial and developmental challenges, demonstrating the graduates' ability to translate knowledge into strategic initiatives with sustainable impact.
The projects included, for example, the "Financial and Sovereign Intelligence" project, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of sovereign decision-making and protecting and growing Dubai's sovereign capital. They also included the "Education Without Borders" project, which opens new horizons for knowledge transfer and broadening access to education.
The "Unlocking Liquidity: From Frozen Inventory to Full Financial Flexibility" project focused on presenting an innovative model for maximising asset utilisation and improving liquidity management efficiency.
The graduates also presented an initiative targeting a qualitative transformation in the aviation sector by enhancing strategic flexibility in the fleet modernisation of Emirates airline.
The event served as the culmination of an intensive training track spanning 5 months, during which participants underwent a comprehensive educational experience combining academic knowledge and practical application. The programme comprised 84 training hours, 3 financial challenge simulation sessions, a number of field visits to leading institutions, as well as professional mentoring sessions and leadership dialogues with 15 international experts.