Page 26 - MBRF International Part 2 - September 2024

labour market inequalities, including gender disparities, and offers educational and vocational
programmes tailored to support underrepresented groups.

The Future Skills Academy is set to offer a diverse range of certified and specialised programmes,
available both online and in-person, in its initial phase. It is designed to equip students,
professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, and government officials with essential future skills and
will act as a knowledge-driven catalyst, supporting various global digitalisation and transformation
initiatives, including the Digitalisation for Sustainable Development (DT4SD) programme. This
collaboration underscores the synergy between UNDP initiatives and the Foundation’s commitment
to bringing about positive social change through educational initiatives.

Crucial support

The academy will play a pivotal role in enhancing the skills of younger generations across sectors
such as health, education, environment, governance, and policy-making. This is particularly
significant given that youth constitute nearly half of the region’s population, with nearly a quarter of
this segment facing unemployment and a still bigger proportion preparing to enter the workforce.
Recent statistics highlight the growing gap between individual skills and labour market demands in
the Arab region. Despite 70% of the population having internet access since 2022, only 1.7% are
recognised as ‘digital talents.’

The Knowledge Summit is the leading annual knowledge event in the Arab world, providing a
dynamic platform to highlight insights that drive modern technological trends and the evolving
knowledge ecosystem. It brings together leaders, experts, visionaries, and policymakers to exchange
ideas, explore the future, and address key themes from the knowledge and developmental
perspectives.

Strategic collaboration

The ‘Knowledge Project’ is the result of a strong and strategic collaboration between the UNDP and
the MBRF. Its mission is to guarantee accessibility to knowledge-based societies and promote
sustainable development. Additionally, the initiative seeks to facilitate meaningful dialogue and
enhance awareness around the significance of knowledge and knowledge-driven policies. It also
fosters the use of knowledge outputs, with a special emphasis on the ‘Global Knowledge Index’ (GKI)
as a catalyst for transformation.

For further information, please contact:

Orient Planet Group (OPG)
Tel: +971 4 4562888
Email: media@orientplanet.com
Website: www.orientplanet.com

Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation launches 'Fu - NEWSnet - News...
as it used to be (newsnetmedia.com)