Emirates Foundation and Etihad Airways have announced today a groundbreaking agreement in support of UAE youth development in the UAE.

Under a three-year milestone agreement signed today by Clare Woodcraft–Scott, CEO of Emirates Foundation, and Hareb Al Muhairi, Senior Vice President of Corporate and International Affairs at Etihad Airways, the UAE national airline will support the Foundation’s programs, which aim to address Youth Development, a vital pillar of the country’s development agenda.

As part of the agreement, Etihad Airways will pledge AED1.5 million in support of the Foundation’s youth-focused programs. Joint teams will work together to identify areas of cooperation and the best means for Etihad Airways to engage in all of the Foundation's different programs.

This multi-faceted agreement, which includes financial support and knowledge-sharing technical support, comes in line with the Foundation’s business model of taking a ‘business’ or ‘enterprise’ based approach to philanthropy with a view to increasing measurable impact. Partnering with successful corporations such as Etihad Airways supports Emirates Foundations’ drive to develop sustainable enterprise-based solutions to social issues, as well as motivating UAE youth to volunteer and become active participants in the socio-economic progress of the nation.

The Foundation’s CEO Clare Woodcraft-Scott said: “Our partnership with Etihad Airways is a critical part of our model of Venture Philanthropy which is about solving social problems systemically and at scale. This requires more than just funding. By partnering with the private sector we get access to technical input and also provide opportunities for employee engagement allowing us to connect our youth directly to the market. We look forward to working with Etihad Airways and engaging their teams in our programs – only collectively can we achieve our goal of creating a positive and permanent impact on the lives of young people in the UAE.”

“We see natural synergies between both our organizations notably given our program around science and technology and promoting local STEM talent – Think Science. Companies that are seeking STEM talent are perfect partners for the Foundation since they help us to  show case the opportunity to Emirati youth while also providing us real time information on the skills market and the requirements of industry. We have worked very successfully with Etihad Airways in the past – this new agreement will provide us an invaluable platform for scaling up our activities,” she added.

Hareb Mubarak Al Muhairy, Etihad Airways’ Senior Vice President for Corporate and International Affairs, said: “Etihad Airways is delighted to partner with Emirates Foundation in support of the Foundation’s vision to empower and guide the youth of the United Arab Emirates to ensure a sustainable future for the nation.

“Etihad Airways will continue motivating UAE youth to volunteer, participate and give back to society. The airline is also involved with several community and philanthropic organisations with the aim of encouraging employee engagement and supporting communities in which we operate.”

Mohanna Al Muhairi, Chief Operations Officer at the Emirates Foundation said: “Building long-term partnerships with the private sector is our main priority . These partnerships are playing a vital role in promoting the skills of our young people and unleashing their potential.”

“Etihad Airways is widely regarded as a leading innovator within the global airline industry, a reputation that extends beyond its world-class service offering, and into core areas such as sustainability. By working closely with Etihad, Emirates Foundation will acquire best international practices including business skills and operations that can be applied to all its projects,” he added.

With Emiratisation being a strategic initiative in Etihad Airways, this partnership will support directly in creating opportunities for qualified and capable young UAE nationals. “This strategy is very relevant and important to us,” explained Mr. Hareb Al Muhairi, “as it will allow us to directly contribute to the Foundations programs such as the Internship and mentorship platforms as well as the Kafaat program that all aim to train and empower local Emirati nationals to enter the work force and lead within the different sectors and industries,” he concluded.

The airline currently employs more than 2,300 UAE nationals across its global business. Emiratis remain the number one nationality group amongst total employees based in the UAE, and amongst employees at manager level, executive level and within Etihad Airways’ pilot community. Under plans to accelerate its employment of UAE nationals over the next five years, Etihad Airways is expected to recruit more than 6,000 UAE nationals by 2020.

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