Dubai: Two Emirati graduates of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development (MBRCLD) joined Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) as advisers on Tuesday.
The decision to integrate Emiratis to serve on the board of every social club is part of the Social Leadership programme of Dubai’s Community Development Authority (CDA). PAD is the first social club to officially sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the MBRCLD graduates.
The MBRCLD was set up under the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in 2003. It focuses on nurturing and training local Emiratis to become “leaders for tomorrow” and thrive on sustainable leadership development.
Mohammad Shael Al Sa’adi, CEO of Strategic Affairs at Department of Economic Development, and Laila Al Jasmi, ex-CEO of Health Policy and Strategy Sector at Dubai Health Authority, signed a MoU with President PAD Dr Faisal Ekram, pledging their support in sharing their expertise with the volunteer organisation.
“We are honoured to have the influential industry leaders as part of our team and this integration will surely open many doors towards improvement and excellence,” Dr Ekram said.
Dr Omar Al Muthanna, CEO of the Social Regulation and Licensing Sector at CDA, congratulated both the parties for their new venture that would contribute towards social cohesion and social development.
“These UAE nationals are the cream and have undergone intensive training programme at MBRCLD. We are very optimistic that in the coming future we will see more success stories from PAD,” he said.
The occasion also honoured over 30 students and their mentors who had volunteered in an ‘Own an Hour’ programme. This was a first-time initiative put forward by PAD to mentor students for volunteering.
The programme had different modules in which students from various universities got an opportunity to nurture their skills and through those skills give back to the community.
“PAD has always paid special attention to youth. It is wonderful to see the positive impact it has on them,” Dr Al Muthanna said.
The programme was aligned with the Year of Zayed encouraging students to volunteer and give back to the community with any and every skill they have.
Tehniat Fatima from SZABIST University who opted for the module of Journalism and Creative Design said: “It was a wonderful experience doing something out of the standard norms and being part of a programme that believes in making a difference.”
