His Excellency Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, reaffirmed the UAE’s pride in its national workforce employed in the private sector, praising their meaningful contributions to the country’s leadership and competitiveness. He highlighted that the private sector plays a vital role as a strategic partner to the government in nurturing Emirati talent and empowering them within the labour market.

This came during His Excellency’s visit to GEMS Dubai American Academy, accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), where he met with more than 80 UAE citizens among over 790 employed across 44 establishments within GEMS Education Group. His Excellency was welcomed by top executives from the GEMS Education Group, namely, Dino Varkey, Group CEO; Jay Varkey, Deputy CEO; and Fatima Alshamsi, Head of Emiratisation. The visit was part of the Ministry’s extensive and diversified programme to celebrate workers on International Workers’ Day.

Al Awar stressed the importance of continuous engagement with Emiratis working in the private sector to listen to their insights and experiences, understand their professional journeys, and address any challenges they may face, in an effort to support their job stability and career development. He also highlighted the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen partnerships with companies that are committed to meeting Emiratisation targets; this includes organising site visits and highlighting the responsible role these establishments play in advancing government initiatives and supporting the UAE’s ambitious vision and future plans.

Moreover, Al Awar urged the Emirati employees he met to continue developing their skills and to approach their professional roles with a spirit of initiative and contribution. Following a briefing about the training and recruitment programmes that GEMS Education implements, His Excellency praised the institution for its efforts to provide a stable, supportive work environment, and its commitment to Emiratisation.

“Private education is one of the priority sectors in the Emiratisation mandate,” Al Awar noted. “Efforts to drive Emiratisation in the private sector are steadily progressing towards achieving national targets, in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council.”

His Excellency commended GEMS Education for its proactive role in achieving Emiratisation targets and its commitment to cultivating an attractive workplace that inspires creativity and excellence.

During his meeting with officials at GEMS Dubai American Academy, Al Awar reaffirmed the key role that Emirati talents play, underlining their competitiveness in the education sector, the added value they bring by supporting innovation, and their ability to navigate contemporary academic requirements related to the economy of the future – all of which is made possible by the level of preparedness of Emirati professionals, the advanced qualifications of academic institutions and universities in the UAE, and the support provided by the Nafis programme.

For his part, Sunny Varkey, Founder and Executive Chairman of GEMS Education Group, said: “At GEMS Education, we are committed to supporting the UAE’s Emiratisation strategy. We are proud to welcome so many talented Emiratis to the GEMS family and deeply appreciate their positive contributions to our school communities and the nation’s education sector as a whole. Today, we celebrate the success of our Emiratisation efforts and look forward to continuing this important work together with our MOHRE partners.”

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, continues to establish effective partnerships with private sector establishments, and particularly leading education and higher education institutions in the UAE, with the aim of developing advanced academic programmes that equip a new generation of Emirati talent with the skills needed to meet the evolving demands of the labour market and embrace emerging technologies in education.