Emirates The Federal Youth Authority (FYA) and Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside of oil and gas, signed a cooperation agreement to enhance joint efforts towards creating distinctive development opportunities for young UAE nationals.

In the presence of His Excellency Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs, the agreement was signed by His Excellency Khaled Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director of the Federal Youth Authority, and Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium at EGA's headquarters in Al Taweelah in Abu Dhabi.

Under the agreement, the FYA and EGA will work together to develop an initiative aimed at fostering a supportive ecosystem that unlocks growth opportunities for youth in the UAE, in line with the National Youth Agenda 2031.

Investing in talents

Commenting on the agreement, His Excellency Khaled Mohammed Al Nuaimi said: 'Empowering the youth and providing them with the skills and opportunities they need is at the heart of the national vision to shape the future. We are pleased to partner with EGA, a leading industrial company that shares our efforts and aspirations to empower a new generation that is well aware of its critical role in driving the development process. We can see this commitment clearly in the company's extensive track record of investing in young talents and enabling them to innovate. We are certain that through this agreement, we can foster a culture of excellence, creativity and collaboration among the young generation, and enable them to contribute to the UAE's economic and social development.'

Key pillar

For his part, Abdulnasser Bin Kalban said: 'EGA is committed to empowering young people and supporting their role as a key pillar in our efforts to drive  positive change and support comprehensive development. The agreement with the Federal Youth Authority reflects our decades-long journey in creating development opportunities to empower the next generation of leaders, in line with the vision of our wise leadership. We look forward to working closely with the Authority to achieve progress on our shared goals and ambitions.'

EGA established its Youth Council in 2018, in line with the wise leadership's vision to highlight the role that the youth play and empower them to lead the UAE's development and innovation. The company's team includes more than 700 employees under the age of 35.

EGA also runs outreach programmes to inspire youth to specialise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These programmes – which include 'Engineer the Future' and EGA's Ambassador Programme – have engaged more than 35,000 students since 2018.