20 عاماً على تأسيس مركز محمد بن راشد لإعداد القادة

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, attended the celebration organized by the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its establishment, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and member of the Dubai Council, and a number of sheikhs, ministers and officials.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum praised the vital role played by the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development in developing national competencies and qualifying them to be future leaders, thus enhancing the comprehensive development process in the UAE and consolidating its global leadership in all fields.

His Highness said: “20 years since the centre’s inception, it has contributed to graduating more than 850 Emirati leaders in various sectors and specialisations.”

His Highness expressed his pride in the graduates of the four leadership programmes, saying: “Today, we celebrate a new generation of distinguished leaders who are qualified to assume their responsibilities in leading and innovating the future. We look forward to their effective contributions in the various fields in which they work. We are confident that they will be up to the responsibility of leading our country towards a brighter and more prosperous future.”

His Highness added: “We are continuing to develop integrated programmes to prepare a generation of leaders who have a spirit of initiative, the courage to make decisions, the ability to transform challenges into opportunities, and innovate new solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow, so that our country will always remain at the forefront.”

For his part, Chairman of the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, stressed that the qualitative successes achieved by the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development over two decades are primarily due to the Centre’s ability to implement His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s leadership system and His Highness’s strategic vision to constantly advance national cadres, in a way that enhances the UAE’s civilisational and developmental gains, and its efforts to qualify future leaders and provide them with knowledge, sciences and practical experiences, enabling them to meet the aspirations of its people and consolidate its prestigious global position.

“Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development is a celebration of the significant achievements made by the centre in the present and future of Dubai and the UAE. The centre has become an inspiring platform in the region for building national cadres and developing their leadership capabilities and skills to respond to developmental requirements, make decisions, and deal innovatively with challenges. This has been proven by hundreds of Emirati leaders who graduated from the centre and contributed to developing government and institutional work and leading transformational projects in various vital sectors,” he said, noting that the centre has launched leadership training courses in cooperation with 300 local and international leadership experts and 55 international universities.

The celebration, which was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre and attended by a number of officials, general managers, graduates of the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development, a group of media representatives, thinkers and representatives of international universities, included a short documentary film on the most prominent achievements of the centre since its establishment, which has succeeded in establishing its position among the best centres in the world in the process of developing leadership.

The celebration also witnessed the launch of a short documentary film, shedding light on aspects of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s training period at the British Mons Military College, which is now part of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

The celebration included a dialogue session titled “Leadership Flashes from the School of Mohammed bin Rashid,” during which Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and Member of the Dubai Council, Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Dubai Police and Public Security, and Mattar Al Tayer, Commissioner-General of Infrastructure, Urban Planning and Quality of Life, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai, reviewed the leadership lessons in the journey of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and stories and positions that highlight the human and personal side of His Highness, his unique school of leadership, and his wisdom in dealing with challenges and achieving goals.

The celebration also witnessed a session entitled “What Makes a Great Leader?” by Professor Roy Casagranda, Professor of Political Science at the University of Austin, USA, and a session entitled “Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in the British Archives,” by writer Graeme Wilson.

The celebration also included the graduation of the members of the sixth batch of the “Influential Leaders” programme, the second batch of the “Dubai Leaders” programme, the first batch of the “Dubai Economic Leaders” programme, and the second batch of the “Dubai Family Business Management” programme, after they had completed all the requirements of the programmes.

The sixth batch of the “Influential Leaders” programme included 27 members from government and private institutions. The programme, which was launched in 2017, aims to develop and enhance the leadership skills of ambitious Emirati leaders, qualify them for leadership positions, and manage strategic and transformational projects in the UAE.

The programme aimed to develop eight basic leadership capabilities in trainees, namely strategic foresight, global citizenship, entrepreneurial thinking, passion and commitment, value creation, diversity and inclusion, putting people first, and developing flexibility and curiosity, which are the main pillars on which the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership System is based.

The programme also included training courses covering theoretical and practical activities to develop the intellectual and physical skills required in a leader’s personality, while each member received an executive mentor who provided him with support and guidance to develop his leadership capabilities.

The “Influential Leaders” programme, in its advanced courses, emulates the latest global trends in the field of qualifying and preparing distinguished leaders. It was designed based on the components of the leadership system of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which aims to develop the competencies and capabilities of young Emirati leaders in the fields of creative thinking, dealing with rapid changes and pioneering innovation.

The program is based on the foundations of learning through live experiences, as international training trips in leadership sciences were organized for program members, with the aim of developing their skills and exchanging knowledge and experiences, through practical learning and interaction with experts and leaders from different cultures and backgrounds, in addition to learning about the best practices and systems followed in other countries, which helps leaders develop and improve their work. Exclusive sessions were also organized for program members with decision-makers, with the aim of learning from their leadership experiences.

The second batch of the “Dubai Leaders” programme included 20 members. The programme, which was launched in 2020, aims to prepare government competencies from second-tier leaders, who were nominated by the general managers in Dubai’s departments to be their assistants and deputies, to ensure the presence of qualified leaders capable of continuing the construction process with the same leadership spirit and culture.

The first batch of the “Dubai Economic Leaders” programme included 27 participants.

The programme, launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, in 2023, aims to prepare a new generation of national cadres to lead Dubai’s vital sectors and provide them with the latest global trends and expertise.

The program’s members underwent practical training aimed at creating leaders with pioneering thinking and administrative skills to innovate pioneering solutions that can translate strategic plans into projects on the ground.

The programme included meetings and retreats that brought together participants and global economic figures. The programme provided a platform for dialogue that allowed young leaders to benefit from the experiences, expertise and lessons of the success of these models. The second batch of the Dubai Family Business Management Programme included 32 participants.

The programme, launched by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, in 2023, aims to empower and develop the skills of the second tier of family business leaders, to ensure the continuity of these companies, and plan the succession of their ownership and management, with the aim of preparing and developing effective management skills, and improving governance practices in family businesses.

The programme enhances the achievement of the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, by qualifying the second tier of family businesses, which consolidates interaction with the components of the economic sector in Dubai and the UAE, and raises the level of competitiveness, by investing in Dubai’s unique and distinguished strategic location, and its advanced infrastructure, so that it remains the preferred destination for major international companies.

The centre aims to “prepare tomorrow’s leaders”, and seeks to identify, build and develop Emirati leaders at all levels, through quality programmes and purposeful activities that contribute to qualifying leadership figures who possess diverse vital skills, are able to adapt to new developments, deal with changes flexibly and intelligently, and have the competence and breadth of knowledge that qualifies them to make fundamental decisions and innovate solutions to future challenges.

Mohammed bin Rashid:

• Today we celebrate a new generation of distinguished leaders who are qualified to assume their responsibilities in leading and innovating the future. We are confident that they will be up to the responsibility of leading our country towards a brighter and more prosperous future.

• The Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development has graduated more than 850 Emirati leaders in various sectors and specialisations over the past 20 years.

• Our directives are clear in developing integrated programmes to prepare a generation of leaders who have a spirit of initiative, the courage to make decisions and innovate new solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow, so that the UAE always remains at the forefront.

• The celebration included a session entitled “What Makes a Great Leader?” by Professor Roy Casagranda, and a session entitled “Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in the British Archives,” by writer and researcher Graeme Wilson.

• Latifa bint Mohammed, Dhahi Khalfan and Mattar Al Tayer reviewed, during the session “Leadership Glimpses from the School of Mohammed bin Rashid,” the leadership lessons in the career of the Vice President of the State.

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6 trends

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development offers specialised programmes to prepare Emirati leaders in the public and private sectors, at all levels of administrative and technical leadership and professional specialisations. It supervises the design of high-quality programmes that graduate qualified leaders with competencies, with certificates of academic and professional value, to provide opportunities for continuing education and vocational training in all fields.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development’s programmes, in their latest training and development models and cognitive content, take into account six new global trends in the field of advanced qualification for effective leaders: the human aspect of leadership in emergency situations, rapid adaptation to external data, leadership decentralisation, the priority of digitisation, neutralising ambiguity in decision-making processes, and positivity and perseverance.

The leadership programmes offered by the centre are designed in cooperation with a group of the best universities and leading international centres in the field of leadership preparation. The programmes’ courses cover theoretical and practical activities in new leadership trends.

85 transformational projects

Members of the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development programmes presented around 85 sustainable transformational projects to address some challenges in vital sectors, which they worked to develop during their qualification period in the various programmes offered by the centre, with the aim of providing innovative and sustainable solutions.

850 graduates

The graduation of the participants of the four programmes is the culmination of the journey of the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development, which has graduated more than 850 Emirati leaders in various sectors and specialisations since its establishment, who effectively contribute to advancing the development process in the UAE and achieving its future goals and unlimited ambitions. These include seven ministers, 10 undersecretaries, 17 general managers, and 89 executive directors and deputies.

Since its establishment, the center has launched 14 programs, including leadership programs: government leaders, executive leaders, young leaders, promising leaders, elite leaders, influential leaders, the international program for Emirati leaders, and Dubai leaders, in addition to specialized leadership programs: sports leaders, women leaders, leaders of the Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai economic leaders, the Dubai program for managing family businesses, and the international program for government managers.

Mohammed Al Gergawi:

The qualitative successes of the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development over two decades are primarily due to the Centre’s ability to implement the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership System.