Young talent keeps flowing from Dubai as eighth cohort graduates from Dubai Business Associates Programme

On 12 June, Dubai Business Associates, a world-class graduate management programme run under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, held its graduation ceremony at Habtoor Palace for its eighth cohort of Associates from across the globe.

Since September 2022, the 33 Associates, selected from over 3,000 applicants representing 17 counties have taken part in the DBA’s fully-funded programme, and enjoyed an experiential and project-based learning approach. The comprehensive training programme focused on developing strategy, business, and leadership skills was delivered through a multidimensional curriculum alongside learning partners including PwC Academy Middle East, CAPADEV and Bon Education.

Alongside the classroom learning, the Associates simultaneously gained real word experience and delivered consulting projects that addressed real-life problems to multiple partners across several of Dubai’s leading organisations including Emirates, dnata, Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), Knowledge Fund Establishment (KFE) and Falcon and Associates.

Speaking at the graduation, James Maughan, Director, Dubai Business Associates said:

‘There’s no doubt that Dubai is a magnet for ambitious graduates and will continue to attract and retain the best and the brightest as one of the world’s most dynamic and business friendly hubs. This year, the DBA welcomed graduates from across the globe, including the United States, China, India, Nigeria, South Korea, Vietnam and of course homegrown talent from the Emirates. The team at DBA, in collaboration with our learning partners, have enjoyed working with such prodigious young talent and congratulate them on their graduation from the programme. We are confident that they are fully equipped to excel in their chosen fields and look forward to watching their careers develop.’

Having graduated, the programme’s eighth cohort is now ready to make a mark on their chosen industries while standing to benefit throughout their careers from DBA’s global Alumni network – managed by the DBA Alumni Association - past participants are spread across 50 cities worldwide.

DBA Year 8 Associates, joining 209 graduates in just nine years since the programme’s launch who work for leading global organisations including Google, JP Morgan, and Dubai-based DP World and Emirates Group, are now primed for success following nine months of best-in-class consultancy training: including the prestigious 12-week work placement.

In his keynote address at the graduation, Andres Uribe, Global Head of Strategy and Projects, Dnata Travel Group said: ‘dnata is proud to have supported Dubai Business Associates to help a cohort of talented graduates on their journey to becoming world class consultants for the eighth consecutive year. From our base in Dubai, dnata delivers best-in-class transport projects across six different continents; our work is diverse and challenging but always rewarding. The 13 Associates that joined dnata this year will therefore have benefitted from working in a dynamic corporate environment, putting both hard and soft consulting skills to the test on a daily basis. From the team at dnata, we wish them and all of this year’s cohort the very best of luck in their next steps – the Dubai Business Associates programme will certainly have given them an unrivalled head start’.

Applications for DBA’s ninth cohort, which gets underway in September of this year, closed last month after unprecedented demand. The programme looks forward to welcoming the next generation of talented graduates intent on launching their careers from Dubai.

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