Emirati, Arab women sharpen AI skills
- Last updated: June 17, 2025 | 10:22
By Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) of Dubai has hosted the graduation of the NOMU Al Ghurair Women in AI programme, in collaboration with the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF) and the pioneering educational institution, ZAKA.
The event recognised the achievements of 70 Emirati and Arab women who successfully completed the 20-week AI Certification programme with ZAKA, which was established to increase the skills capacity in artificial intelligence and machine learning in the UAE.
The NOMU, meaning “growth” in Arabic, initiative was launched by AGF in 2021 to empower 25,000 Emirati youth by 2025. The graduation ceremony was attended by ZAKA Co-founder and Head of Partnerships, Larissa Abi Nakhle, Dr Yousef Al Assaf, President RIT Dubai and Dr Sonia Ben Jaafar, CEO Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation.
In her opening remarks, Dr Ben Jaafar highlighted the Foundation’s dedication to upskilling Emirati women and supporting their entry into the AI job market, empowering them to become leaders in the region’s digital future.
Addressing the graduates, Dr Ben Jaafar said, “You have stepped into a male-dominated field, and you did this boldly and fearlessly. You are the spark of a movement; a signal that the UAE’s innovation economy will not be built by machines alone, it will be built by women like you. You are not just changing your future, you’re shifting a global statistic.”
Welcoming guests on behalf of RIT Dubai, Dr Al Assaf provided an overview of the six centres that will be launching as the campus development continues, and invited the graduates to explore opportunities for collaboration with the university.
Speaking about the importance of retaining human values in the advancement of technology, Dr Al Assaf remarked, “Smart machines are not replacing jobs, they are creating jobs, but we must remember that AI speaks to our emotions but does not have emotions; we need to make sure that the human element is integrated into the codes we develop in order to help people to lead a better life.”
The event proceeded with the award of certificates to the cohort of students representing the UAE and other Arab nations. The graduation marked the culmination of a highly selective and challenging programme that combined technology with job-readiness skills to prepare candidates for the future of work. The programme was set in the context of anticipated expansion in the Middle East AI sector, with an expected annual growth rate ranging from 20 to 34 per cent, projecting a potential impact of $320 billion by 2030.