HE Sultan Al Dhaheri pledges $1m as second successive commitment to Masdar Institute's YFEL programme

An agreement was signed by His Excellency Sultan bin Rashed Al Dhaheri and Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar, and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Masdar Institute. Dr Lamya N Fawwaz, Executive Director, Public Affairs, Hamza Kazim, Vice-President, Operations & Finance, also attended the signing ceremony. Zainab Al Ali, Senior Outreach Officer and YFEL Programme Coordinator at Masdar Institute, was present on the occasion.

His Excellency Sultan Al Dhaheri's contribution to YFEL 2013 marks the second such commitment for a similar amount that will go towards developing future leaders in sustainable energy. It also demonstrates the UAE national's commitment to community-oriented programmes. In January this year, His Excellency Al Dhaheri donated $1m towards YFEL 2012 programme.

His Excellency Sultan bin Rashed Al Dhaheri said, "Individual professional development needs to go hand in hand with higher education. These two aspects are crucial components for developing capable future leaders. In my opinion, the YFEL programme combines these aspects and offers one of the most effective avenues for the overall development of youth. Our contribution to the YFEL programme for the second time bears testimony to the success of the YFEL programme and Masdar Institute's outreach initiatives. We hope YFEL 2013 will further contribute to enhancing the skill sets of young Emiratis and help them develop into future leaders."

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said, "YFEL is a global platform that provides our youth with unparalleled career and networking opportunities, especially through activities such as the World Future Energy Summit and the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. The YFEL programme was derived from the leadership's vision to incubate and enhance our human capital. Such initiatives help shape tomorrow's leaders as they navigate a growing and competitive economy."

"His Excellency Sultan Al Dhaheri's second contribution underscores the UAE community's dedication to cultivating our youth and the belief in Masdar's capacity building initiatives. Efforts will help nurture human capital and future energy industry leaders. We are thankful for His Excellency Al Dhaheri's philanthropic and noble gesture which will contribute to expanding the reach of our YFEL programme," he added.

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said, "The second successive commitment from His Excellency Sultan Al Dhaheri illustrates the close involvement of accomplished UAE citizens in developing human capital. Such support holds key to achieving Abu Dhabi's knowledge economy objectives. It also concurs with the directive of the UAE leadership to support programmes that aim to build academic, workplace and professional capabilities. The support from UAE leaders has helped YFEL to register manifold growth and we are confident YFEL 2013 will immensely benefit from such private individual contributions."

A prominent businessman in the UAE, His Excellency Sultan bin Rashed Al Dhaheri has helped establish some of the key government and private institutions in the country. His Excellency Al Dhaheri, one of the Founder Members of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) and the Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC), continues to be on the board of both these institutions.

Since 1971, as a Board member of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, His Excellency Al Dhaheri continues to contribute towards establishing and strengthening Abu Dhabi's trade links with other countries. He is also the Chairman of Sultan Bin Rashed Company (Sultaco), a nationally-owned trading company based in Abu Dhabi with branches in Dubai, Sharjah and Al Ain. Established in 1968, Sultaco has an exhaustive list of illustrious projects and achievements.

With 163 UAE national and international youth, YFEL 2012 has successfully crossed several milestones during the year. Select members participated in global events such as the Asian Future Energy Forum 2012 in Singapore and the IEEE Technology Time Machine (TTM) 2012 in Dresden, Germany. The events in Singapore and Germany offered YFEL members an opportunity to visit key institutions and organizations, while enabling them to interact with skilled and accomplished professionals in sustainable future energy and advanced technology.

Part of the Masdar Institute's Outreach programme, YFEL offers young professionals and students from the UAE and abroad an opportunity to become more engaged in finding solutions to the world's biggest challenges - achieving energy efficiency and tackling climate change. It also aims to bring young professionals closer to government representatives, business leaders and other organizations active in the area of alternative energy and sustainability.