Dubai Knowledge Village expands as regional hub for learning excellence

Home to more than 450 companies, DKV is seeing tremendous interest from prominent Human Resource Development (HRD) and Human Resource Management (HRM) institutes from around the world.

Dr. Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director, Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City, said: 'From January to August of this year, 69 institutions, including 29 professional training institutes and 19 management consultancy firms, have been registered. Of these, 52 are free zone LLCs and 10 are branches of foreign entities.'

Dubai Knowledge Village, the cluster initiative dedicated to education and training, was launched in October 2003. The initiative was conceived as part of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, to promote an advanced knowledge-based society.

Dubai's previous initiatives - Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City - brought enormous success. The clusters have registered consistent growth and are currently home to some of the world's leading names. The logical evolution of this initiative was a cluster focusing on education and training.

Dr. Kazim added: 'It has been an exciting journey towards accomplishing HH Sheikh Mohammed's vision. The tremendous growth of Knowledge Village within a very short period vindicates our faith in the vision.'

In April this year, Dubai Knowledge Village announced the launch of Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the world's only free zone dedicated to higher education. Located in Dubai Academic City, a base for universities, DIAC will serve as the regional destination for premier international higher education institutions.

Ensuring access to quality academic opportunities that can contribute to the progress of the country is the key priority for Knowledge Village. Through various global training institutes, the cluster seeks to enhance the level of education and programmes for continuous learning available in the region.

Knowledge Village has also begun to focus on organizing workshops, conducted by the best global training and HR consultancies based within the free zone cluster, to serve companies wishing to enhance employee efficiency and fulfill development requirements.

These seminars offer a networking platform that enables knowledge and experience sharing among professionals. Discussions with industry experts help to update participants with the key driving factors in maintaining a competitive advantage within the changing economic climate. Other networking events bring together prominent HR development and training professionals, as well as officials of leading companies from various sectors.

Dr. Kazim said:

'Education is the cornerstone of economic and social growth. DKV aims to highlight knowledge sharing as well as new initiatives that lead to innovation and serve society's cultural, social and economic goals. The educational cluster is committed to fostering Dubai as a training hub that facilitates learning in the region.'

DKV, covers sectors such as human resource development, innovation, tutoring and coaching, executive education support, management development, management consultancy, professional training, research and development, human resource advisory and e-learning advisory.

The Breakfast Club, is a quarterly networking event organised by Dubai Knowledge Village to bring together officials of leading companies in Dubai and human development professionals to network, exchange ideas and share knowledge. Another regular event organised by DKV is the Small Business Incubator (SBI) workshop that seeks to strengthen start up ventures and help them conduct their business more effectively.

DKV's Annual Training and HR Open Day offers a unique opportunity for companies to identify specialised training avenues that are suited to individual staff development requirements. Dubai Knowledge Village also organizes events in association with business partners targeting industry issues.

The cluster includes business partners such as Gibson Consulting, Dale Carnegie Training, HDI Middle East & Africa, Potential, Innovative Human Resource Solutions, JSS Education Foundation, Leading Concepts, Career Enhancements Opportunities, Xpert Group Middle East, Synergy Professional Services, CompTIA and Stafford Association.