Under the patronage of the Office of His Highness the Minister of Defence, and in the presence of Staff Major General Ishaq Saleh Mohammed Al Baloushi, ACOS Joint Capabilities at the Ministry of Defence, and His Excellency Khalifa Rashid Al Hamli, Director of the Office of the Minister of Defence,  the UAE Ministry of Defence celebrated the graduation of its first cohort from the Future Leaders Programme, held in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG). 
The ceremony took place at the Etihad Museum in Dubai, attended by senior Ministry of Defence officials, MBRSG board members, and leaders from both entities.
The event honoured 25 participants across various roles and specialties within the Ministry of Defence, who successfully completed the programme. Designed and delivered by MBRSG to global standards, the initiative aims to enhance government efficiency, foster resilience, and empower leaders to anticipate challenges and innovate solutions. This aligns with the UAE’s vision to enhance leadership and sustainability, and to build a competitive and competent government across all sectors.
 Investing in Human Capital 
Staff Major General Ishaq Saleh Mohammed Al Baloushi, ACOS Joint Capabilities at the Ministry of Defence, said: “The graduation of this distinguished group of leaders marks a strategic achievement that enhances the Ministry of Defence’s ability to adapt to global developments in leadership and governance. Through this programme, we are empowering our national talents to drive change, ensure government efficiency, and address future challenges with agility.”
“We commend the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government and its team for their efforts in training specialised talents from among the nation’s youth across diverse fields,” he added. “This initiative advances their performance and ability to lead their institutions, empowering them to fulfil the aspirations of our wise leadership’s forward-looking vision.”  
For his part, H.E. Khalifa Rashid Al Hamli, Director of the Office of the Minister of Defence, stated: “The graduation of this cohort of national leaders represents a critical step in advancing the Ministry of Defence’s readiness to align with global transformations in management and leadership. By cultivating capable cadres to assume pioneering roles, we ensure the sustainability of government performance and bolster our institutions’ agility in addressing future challenges.”
“We take pride in our fruitful partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, which has provided an advanced educational environment enabling participants to acquire specialised knowledge and skills,” H.E. continued. “These competencies enhance their ability to navigate contemporary developments, particularly in digital transformation and artificial intelligence, in alignment with the UAE’s vision to solidify its global competitiveness and leadership.”
Meanwhile, H.E. Dr Ali bin Sebaa Al Marri, Executive President of MBRSG, congratulated the graduates on their achievement, stressing that “investing in human capital has been a well-established approach for the UAE since its founding by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and has continued under the directives of the wise leadership, which places the development and empowerment of our people at the forefront of its priorities to ensure sustainability and strengthen the country’s global leadership in all fields.”
H.E. Al Marri noted that the presence of leaders from the Ministries of Defence embodies a firm commitment on their part to moulding national leaders, in line with a strategic approach that keeps pace with future transformations and enhances the UAE’s competitiveness by developing a proactive and flexible government work environment that enables creativity, innovation, and efficiency; caters to all future requirements; and enhances stability and quality of life for future generations.
The Future Leaders Programme equips participants to drive institutional excellence within the Ministry of Defence through eight core pillars: global trends, national competitiveness, modern public administration, future foresight, change management, communication, institutional excellence, and effective leadership. It addresses contemporary challenges such as digital transformation and AI, in line with the UAE’s vision and strategy to lead in these fields.
Participants developed five innovative group projects tackling real-world challenges, including initiatives to enhance workplace environments, deploy smart teams, improve planning tools, and strengthen integration between the Ministry of Defence and key sectors like media, economy, and technology, in order  to enhance national readiness, agility, and responsiveness. 
These development plans proposed during the programme support the UAE’s 2031 strategy and 2071 Centennial Plan by cultivating leaders equipped to drive change and leverage national capabilities to drive growth and transformation in the stages ahead.