Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), a research and teaching institution focusing on public policy in the Arab world, organized the second session of the Knowledge and Policy Council titled ‘Building National Leadership, a Journey of Achievements and a Chance for Development’. 
 

The session gathers representative from various leadership building programs in the UAE who discussed methodologies for developing Emirati leadership and the imperative need to work synergistically for achieving the objective. The participants also reviewed the leadership building programs currently underway in the UAE, their strengths, best practices and potential areas of improvement. Solutions for enhancing the commitment of institutions and individuals engaged in leadership programs were also explored during the session.  
 

Chaired by His Excellency Humaid Al Qatami, Minister of Education, Chairman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, the session drew the participation of Dr Ali Sebaa Al Marri, Executive President of MBRSG,]Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Awar, Director General of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, Ibtisam Balila, Coordinator, Mohammed Bin Rashid Leaders Program, Faisal Al Noaimi, Higher Committee Chairman of Abdulaziz Bin Humaid Leaders Program, Jasim Mohammad Al Bloushi, Chairman of Sharjah Development Forum/Sharjah Leaders Program, Lt Dr. Omar Ibrahim Al Ali, Deputy Manager, Leaders Center, Ministry of Interior.
 

His Excellency Humaid Al Qatami said: “The federal government seeks to continuously develop national leaders who hold the potential to be on top of current events and developments. This drive is part of the federal government’s HR strategy that aims to enhance national capabilities and skills. Building leadership capabilities is a cornerstone that supports the development process of the UAE and is also a main pillar of the UAE Vision 2021. A strong rank of leaders will play a strategic role in enhancing our global competitiveness and position us among the developed nations.

 

“Towards this end, establishing cooperation with other stakeholders who share this objective is essential. The Knowledge and Policy Council offers the opportunity to articulate our understanding and experience, and take us a step closer to achieving our goals.” 

Dr Ali Sebaa said: “Our wise leadership, seeks to build an advanced Emirati society and individuals. It is to their credit that the leaders have achieved great success in their objective. Continuing the journey, our leadership is focusing on developing their people to secure the UAE’s future. 
 

“On our part, we are keen to support this mandate. We recognize that becoming competent leaders needs a combination of knowledge, skills and experience. Through the Council, we seek to bring together successful leaders to deliberate and transfer their knowledge and expertise. The process is documented to create a reference for current and future leaders.”  

The participants reviewed opportunities to develop the effectiveness and sustainability of leadership programs and enhance their efficiency. They also discussed the need to expand leadership programs to include UAE citizens working in the private sector to reinforce the participation of nationals in the sector. The council also explored the need for coordination among various programs in sharing knowledge and expertise to boost their efficiency and align their outcomes. Participants agreed on the importance of establishing a body for coordinating among programs and providing support to their graduates in addition to developing criteria that help build the credibility of such programs without limiting them or affecting their unique offerings.   
 

The Knowledge and Policy Council provides insights and recommendations into areas that impact the cooperation and development of government performance, while enhancing personal and institutional communication to facilitate intra-governmental relations. The Council is also mandated to highlight priority issues and public policy matters that are relevant to the community and the government.
 

MBRSG had designed the Council as an integrated action agenda to ensure a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the issues raised. The sessions are documented to optimize the benefit of the outputs and recommendations for research and training at MBRSG, and publication on the official website and social media platforms. The outcomes of the sessions are also compiled in a research paper that will be published.