Injazat signs up as LEAD sponsor as Foundation Program recognises pilot graduates

Injazat Data Systems has joined an array of corporate sponsors of Aldar's Leadership Excellence Applied Diploma (LEAD) Program, which aims to inspire a new generation of leaders by developing UAE Nationals in various management skills and help raise the native component in the private and public sector workforce in the UAE.

Under the terms of the sponsorship agreement, Injazat will support five UAE students enrolled under the LEAD Program, a special management development initiative developed exclusively for Aldar's UAE graduate and scholarship students. LEAD is included as a module built into Aldar's three-year Graduate Development Program, which focuses on experiential leadership.

At the signing ceremony, Abdallah Zamzam, Chief Economic and Administrative Officer, Aldar Properties, said:

'This sponsorship agreement affirms the important role played by the LEAD Program in building the skills of up and coming young Emirati professionals. This program exposes participants to international best practices in management and develops them for competitive positions in the UAE workforce. At a time when UAE Nationals account for a low percentage of the UAE labour market, the LEAD program stands out as a highly effective approach to boosting emiratisation.'

For his part, Ibrahim Mohamed Lari, CEO, Injazat Data Systems, said:

'We are seeing more corporate investments into socially relevant activities that in the long run will help achieve sustainable progress for the country and the region. The education and leadership development of young UAE Nationals is of particular interest as it involves the preparation of the future stewards of one of the region's most dynamic member countries. We shall fully support this and other initiatives that recognize the importance of the development of UAE Nationals.'

The unique two-year diploma underwritten by the University of Cambridge has been running since May 2007; at present, 54 students are enrolled with a further 48 starting before the end of the year.

Abu Dhabi-based Program sponsor Injazat Data Systems is a leading Information Technology (IT) and Business Managed Services (BPS) provider in the Middle East, offering a broad portfolio ranging from IT strategy setting and consultancy via systems integration to comprehensive IT and business function outsourcing. The company's extensive industry experience and expertise enable it to develop comprehensive IT strategies and assist clients in keeping pace with business and technology innovation. The company will soon operate the largest and most advanced Tier IV Data Centre in the Middle East, capable of handling up to 9,000 servers and associated infrastructure.

The new sponsorship agreement with Injazat nearly coincided with another event as Aldar celebrated the graduation of the first batch of its Administration Foundation Programme (AFP). The eleven UAE graduates received their credentials from Mr. Zamzam at a special ceremony held at Aldar Training Centre last week.

Run by Aldar's Learning and Development Department, AFP aims to prepare young and aspiring UAE nationals for administrative roles within Aldar in the future. Aldar plans to continue this programme biannually and will continually develop it further with an annual review of the curriculum to keep abreast of the latest industry developments.

'The AFP programme is vital not only in shaping these students' minds, but in developing the future of Abu Dhabi as well, a mission which is at the crux of what Aldar aims to do,' added Zamzam.