Du announces launch of scholarship programme in partnership with AUD

In return, AUD has provisioned Du with scholarships, some of which Du would like to invite the Emirati public to apply for.

This collaboration is in line with Du's efforts to support the community and development of the Emirati people through its core business and services, as an extension of the company's strategy.

The partnership agreement was signed by Osman Sultan, CEO, Du, and, Dr. Lance E. de Masi, President, AUD, during a ceremony held at Du's main office in Dubai Media City.

Present at the event were several senior management members from both establishments, including Yaser Obaid, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Du, and members of the National Development and Learning and Development teams, Du.

"This is a positive step for Du to make, and we are proud to have partnered with them to offer scholarships to worthy students. By providing support to allow Emirati students to continue their studies to a higher level, Du is empowering more UAE nationals with the potential to become the next generation of leaders across a wide spectrum of business industries," said Dr Lance De Masi, President of AUD.

"We recognised there was a need for scholarships to support graduate students. As part of our desire to offer career enhancement and personal development opportunities to Emiratis, we took responsibility for addressing this niche. By partnering with AUD we are proudly offering more Emiratis the chance to have a workplace advantage, through further refining their career path, knowledge and skills," said Osman Sultan, CEO, Du.

Du's partnership with AUD provides Emiratis with the potential to complete further studies, given that undergraduate education is provided to UAE nationals free of charge. This will have a positive influence on UAE nationals, improving employability levels and contributing to Emiratisation efforts across the country.

Of the 40 available scholarships, 25 (both Bachelor's and Master's degrees) are for Du employees enrolled in the telecom's Development for All and Tamayez and Bedaya programmes. The remaining 15 will be for Emirati individuals, where priority will be given to high performers without funds, disabled persons, and single parents.

Yaser Obaid, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Du, said, "This is our opportunity to provide further education opportunities to our Emirati colleagues, and to worthwhile individuals within the UAE community. Every UAE national within our company is provided personal professional objectives to allow them to grown, and this initiative is in line with our desire to offer continuous self-development prospects to UAE nationals."