ABU DHABI, 14th September, 2019 — More than 40 representatives from international defence manufacturing companies expressed interest in joining the Sustain and Enhance Emiratisation in Defence and Security, SEEDS, programme, the latest initiative of the UAE defence and security industry enabler Tawazun Economic Council.
This came during a gathering hosted by Tawazun in London earlier this week, to acquaint its international defence partners with the various elements of SEEDS programme and its anticipated contribution to accelerating the pace of Emiratisation in the UAE and to stepping up the technology transfer and exchange of expertise with the world’s leading defence companies.
Launched in February 2019 as one of the new pillars of Tawazun Economic Programme’s policy framework, SEEDS offers international defence companies the opportunity to fulfil their obligations through value-driven capability development and job placement programs for UAE nationals.
Matar Ali Al Romaithi, Chief Economic Development Officer of Tawazun, said, ” SEEDS is a result of one of the key pillars of the Tawazun Economic Programme, which encourages partners to fulfill their obligations by establishing joint projects to develop and build innovative, technical and technological capabilities, in addition to creating jobs for UAE nationals.”
After its launch, a pilot programme was implemented in Germany in collaboration with Diehl, a manufacturer of defence equipment, in addition to Khalifa University, the first university in the UAE to be ranked among the top 300 academic institutions globally.
Under the pilot programme, Diehl hosted an internship for six interns to build their practical skills through hands-on experience in emerging technologies to prepare them for future employment.
Also commenting on the launch, Shahab Issa Abushahab, Chief Strategy Officer at Tawazun, said, “Tawazun is committed to the leadership’s ambitious initiatives to encourage Emirati nationals to pursue careers in the industrial sector, such as defence and security.”
“This will be achieved by playing a leading role in the development of human capabilities in the UAE. In addition to technical skillsets, Emiratis are also trained in other areas including administration, finance and legal, which will lead to the development of a sustainable defence and security industry.”
Under SEEDS, Emirati nationals at senior and mid-management levels, as well as fresh graduates of various specialties, are given an opportunity to work closely with the world’s top defence and aerospace original equipment manufacturers and develop the skillsets needed to support economic development, as well as create a knowledge and innovation-based economy in the UAE.
“Working with our strategic partners, we look forward to developing human capabilities and accelerating the development of the UAE defence industry ecosystem,” added Abushahab.
