Page 60 - MBRF English PR Report - September 2024

skills and directly linking education to employment opportunities,” he emphasised.

“The Future Skills Academy is a strategic investment in the Arab region’s future, further
strengthening Dubai's status as a globally prominent hub of knowledge. The aim is to nurture a
generation of talented youth equipped to address sustainable development challenges and
empowered with the skills to propose effective solutions,” he added.

HE Abdallah Al Dardari, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of
the Regional Bureau for Arab States of the UNDP, said: “In addition to signifying a crucial
advancement in our strategic partnership with the MBRF, this academy represents a pivotal step
towards creating a comprehensive and sustainable future. Its primary mission is to bridge the
digital divide in the Arab region by enhancing digital capabilities and equipping local
communities with the requisite skills to thrive in today’s ever-changing world. By providing
essential and cutting-edge resources, the academy will empower organisations and partnerships
to leverage the opportunities offered by the global digital economy.”

Partnership model
On a broader scale, the academy is designed to bridge the digital divide, promoting innovation,
resilience, and inclusion by providing individuals, governments, and SMEs with essential digital
skills to drive digital transformation and foster community innovation. It also seeks to enhance
social innovation through partnerships with universities and the private sector, enriching learning
experiences and improving practical educational outcomes. Additionally, the academy addresses
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

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knowledge-foundation-launches-future-skills-academy