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Preparing Emirati Youth for Careers in the UAE Innovation Economy 

This report aims to investigate the leaks in the STEM pipeline among Emiratis in Abu Dhabi. The government of Abu Dhabi’s ambitious plans for the future necessitate a skilled and committed STEM workforce and so, understanding why talented Emirati students are not filling the ranks of engineering, science, and technology jobs is of utmost importance. To that end, the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government, in collaboration with the Emirates Foundation, conducted an exploratory study among school and university students in Abu Dhabi to understand the factors that influenced their choices to enter into STEM fields. 
 
Secondary school curriculums in the emirate of Abu Dhabi have been reformed to focus more on STEM subjects. Reforms announced in 2015 will eliminate science and humanities tracks for students in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi currently has 8 universities. In 2013, the total number of  students enrolled in university in the emirate was 50,754. 25.9% of graduates from UAEU in 2013 were in humanities and social science  majors. 21% came from management and economics majors. The lowest percentage of graduates (3%) were from medicine and health sciences majors.