Business Bureau, Gulf Today

The UAE Government Leaders Programme (UAE GLP) organised two discussion session titled ‘The Leadership Spirit’ and ‘The Economic Horizons’ as part of the “Government Leadership Talks” (GLT) series.

The sessions highlighted the key qualifications and distinctive attributes of leadership and ways of analysing indicators and drawing up strategies to enhance the ability of government entities to adapt to future challenges.

The “Government Leadership Talks” (GLT) series aim to establish effective leadership practices through highlighting successful case studies and exposing its participants to experiences of prominent UAE government leaders and international speakers.

The sessions hosted Dr Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Humaid Rashid Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Umm Al Quwain, in the attendance of Dr Yasir Al Naqbi, Assistant Director General for Leadership and Government Capabilities at the Prime Minister’s Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, Saqr Ahmed Al Maazmi, Director of the UAE Government Leaders Programme, and a group of government officials.

Dr. Al Naqbi noted that the UAE is keen to build government leaders through knowledge-sharing initiatives, and enhance communication among potential leaders, government entities, and international organisations.

“The Government Leadership Talks series introduces national talent to the most important future trends, and equips them with relevant tools and skills to develop effective solutions,” he added.

‘The Economic Horizons’ session aimed to empower members of the UAE Government Leaders Programme to forecast future scenarios and formulate flexible strategies to deal with potential challenges and opportunities.

During the session, Dr Azour discussed the economic developments and trends in the Middle East and North Africa, presenting a holistic overview of the region’s economic landscape. He highlighted best mechanisms to study future developments triggered by regional and global geopolitical changes.

He also underscored the importance of ensuring that public and private sector leaders are able to analyse indicators and estimate their consequences to achieve positive outcomes.  Furthermore, Dr Azour predicted a rise in growth levels among countries of the GCC region in 2019.

He attributed this to the region-wide economic plans and ambitious strategic visions that prioritise diversifying national economies, preserving resources and motivating young leaders to participate in sustainable development efforts to build a brighter future for the coming generations.

During ‘The Leadership Spirit’ session, Humaid Rashid Al Shamsi reviewed the most important attributes that characterise leaders in the 21st century. He said that a good leader believes in the ability of achieving what others might consider impossible, listens to diverse points of view, has an in-depth understanding of the experience, specialisations and skills of the team members, and excels at promoting innovative ideas.

He also said that qualifying government leaders, expanding their expertise and honing their capabilities through sharing successful experiences in the public and private sectors helps enhance government work and transform challenges into opportunities to support socio-economic and human development for the wider benefit of the community.

He stressed the importance of developing aspiring leaders through quality programmes to upscale their work performance and productivity, and noted that such efforts significantly contribute to achieving the national priorities of the UAE Vision 2021.

The UAE Government Leaders Programme has opened the registration for the 4th Future Leaders Programme aimed at preparing national cadres under ‘The Leader of the 21st Century’ model. Applications for registration will be accepted for a period of one month starting from May 30 to June 30, 2016.

On this occasion, Hessa Essa Buhumaid, Assistant Director General for Government Services and Leadership at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and The Future, said, “The Programme in its 4th batch has introduced a new training structure covering best practices in the fields of happiness, positivity and the future to equip future government leaderships with the latest tools and methodologies related to their area of work.”

Buhumaid said that applications for the programme will be accepted from candidates in both public and private sectors, reflecting the ongoing focused efforts to prepare national leaders in line with the UAE Vision 2021.