Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy Launches Emirati Training Academy

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has launched the Emirati Training Academy, a new training programme designed to empower homegrown digital talent as part of the ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ initiative.

The Emirati Training Academy is a key pillar of ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ aimed at equipping participants with the knowledge and skills required to build a successful career in mobile application development. Available exclusively to UAE nationals of all ages and from any of the seven emirates, the programme will educate and upskill Emiratis with the goal of enabling participants to start their own business ventures.

Led by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ was launched to train over 1,000 Emiratis on the fundamentals of coding, building mobile applications, and business creation models. The initiative aims to triple the number of app developers in Dubai by 2025 and will support 100 new national projects for the development of cutting-edge applications, which will be made available in digital app stores over the next two years.

Commenting on the launch of the academy, Saeed AlGergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said: “Dubai’s remarkable success story was built on unleashing the potential of talents and creating an environment that allows new ideas to take root and flourish. Our achievements have been made possible thanks to the efforts of talented and driven individuals, together with the forward-thinking vision of the wise leadership, who recognise the importance of embracing future opportunities. The launch of the Emirati Training Academy represents another significant milestone in our journey to position the emirate as one of the world’s most agile and diversified technology-enabled digital hubs.”

The foundational phase of the programme consists of a series of nine online training courses that offer participants the flexibility to progress at their own pace. Delivered over a six-week period, the courses cover a variety of business, technical, and design skills and include App Marketing, Mobile Design and Usability for Android, Introduction to HTML and CSS, Rapid Prototyping, App Monetization, How to Build a Startup, Mobile Design and Usability for iOS, Version Control with Git, and UX Design for Mobile Developers. A series of more advanced courses is scheduled to commence in October.

Launched earlier this year by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ is designed to empower and enable Emirati talents to play key roles in realising the country’s digital vision.

The launch of the Emirati Training Academy builds on a series of successful events and activations held since the initiative was announced. These include the ‘Design Thinking Hackathon,’ which invited over 100 young Emiratis to explore the challenges and opportunities surrounding app development and discuss effective strategies for bringing their business ideas to life. A number of interactive workshops aimed at inspiring tomorrow’s digital talent have also been hosted in cooperation with key partners.

In addition, a new infographic guide outlining the benefits of innovative no-code platforms was published by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy in collaboration with the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence Office. This valuable resource was created to reduce barriers to entry for a career in app development and provides a detailed overview of no-code platforms, which enable people with no experience in programming to develop their own apps.