Page 150 - MBRF ENGLISH PR REPORT - November 2024

Coursera, the educational platform, to provide free educational and training
opportunities to 10 million learners by 2030.
MBRF and UNDP announced the opening of registration for the “Future Skills
Academy” after the “FutureSkills4All” initiative was able to reach more than
9,000 learners, achieving a 165% utilization rate, with the number of courses
offered through the Coursera portal reaching 6,000 courses and the number of
beneficiaries reached 9,002, surpassing initial expectations and indicates the
heavy turnout and large participation that exceeded the initial allocated
number.
During the meeting, His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of the Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, pointed out the great importance
of the GSC, stressing MBRF’s keenness to support this ambitious initiative by
enhancing the “Future Skills Academy” project, which aims to provide
innovative and comprehensive training opportunities that contribute to helping
the largest possible segment of youth and professionals in the Arab region
acquire the basic skills that qualify them to adapt to the rapid changes in the
labor market and meet the needs of the knowledge-based economy. He noted
that the GSC reflects MBRF’s belief that enabling individuals to access skills is
not just an option but a strategic necessity to achieve sustainable development.
“Today, we reach the end of the first phase of FutureSkills4All, the pioneering
initiative that provided thousands of educational and training opportunities for
Arab youth and equipped them with the best and latest digital and personal
skills and expertise. We announce the opening of registration for the second
phase of the initiative, represented by the Future Skills Academy, through which
we aspire to reach 10 million beneficiaries by 2030 so that we can continue with
our partners in this project, UNDP and Coursera, to carry the message of
spreading knowledge and education and contributing to preparing future
generations to face the challenges of the future in the best possible way,” His
Excellency said.
For his part, His Excellency Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari, Assistant Secretary-General
and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States, spoke during the
meeting about the importance of focusing on enhancing productivity and
building a sustainable knowledge economy in the Arab region, pointing out that
the region suffers from low productivity, a problem that is not limited to poor
countries but extends to rich ones, where productivity levels are equal on both
sides, reflecting the urgent need for a deeper understanding of the idea of
productivity as a real addition to knowledge and the economy.
His Excellency explained that building a strong knowledge economy requires
clear and effective economic policies, in addition to a solid infrastructure that
supports this approach, stressing the need to empower youth and provide them
with the necessary skills to be major contributors to building this economy. He
emphasized that the partnership with MBRF represents a pivotal step in
achieving this goal, as it contributes to opening horizons for millions of young
people who can contribute to the knowledge economy.
For his part, Dr. Andrew Ng, Chairman and Co-Founder of Coursera, stressed
that the platform is proud to be part of this important coalition, which seeks to

https://mid-east.info/global-skills-coalition-launches-future-skills-academy-at-knowledge-
summit-2024-to-empower-10-million-learners-by-2030/