Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the region’s premier integrated innovation hub for high-tech industries, said it has begun implementing the national development programme as part of its commitment to develop the leadership skills of the UAE national workforce.

The new programme aims to open up career path development for UAE nationals working in DSO in terms of career growth and personal improvement.

It has also set guidelines for identifying employees who demonstrate potential leadership skills within the organisation and offering them the tools to develop and unlock their hidden talent, said a top official.

Commenting on the programme, Haidar Ali, director of People & Business Excellence at DSO, said the growth of any organization is directly proportionate to the growth of its tangible and intangible assets.

'We have been actively providing several workshops during the past years to improve the competencies of our staff and we constantly place enormous emphasis on our employees, our most valuable asset. We strongly believe that the more we invest in our people, the higher the returns would be for the organization.'

'In line with the vision of the leadership of Dubai and the UAE, we have envisaged the National Development Programme to guide our indigenous workforce and help them grow in their respective careers,' Ali observed.

'It is our firm conviction that our plan will adequately equip the UAE nationals and enable them to face tougher challenges on the employment front in an increasingly demanding marketplace” he added.

The national development programme included assessment programme for all nationals at the DSO Development Centre.

The employees were divided into small groups and were asked to perform a series of customised tasks that could demonstrate their aptitude for critical DSO competencies.

Following the evaluation, a development report was prepared outlining the competency of the participants, their strengths and potential areas for training and development.

Many nationals have made Dubai Silicon Oasis their employer of choice, representing more than 56 per cent of its workforce.

A wholly-owned entity of the Government of Dubai, the state-of-the-art technology park provides the right enabling environment for companies looking to set up their regional headquarters and research and development divisions in the Middle East and North Africa region.-TradeArabia News Service