Nation Fund is investing in young Emirati talent

The Nation Fund is on track to aid thousands of Emiratis in their education, careers, and entrepreneurship, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was told.

ABU DHABI // The Nation Fund is on track to aid thousands of Emiratis in their education, careers and entrepreneurial pursuits, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was told.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces was briefed about the fund’s plans at a meeting with board members and its sponsors at Al Bahr Palace on Monday.

The fund, a private charity, has received more than Dh300 million in donations, Wam, the state news agency, reported.

The fund has launched initiatives to advance the leadership’s vision for the post-oil era in building a sustainable knowledge-based economy and grooming a new generation of innovators.

It has given Dh30 million to support entrepreneurs and research projects.

It also plans to establish a database of 5,000 young innovators by 2020, set up an online platform for career counselling, and provide professional training to students.

The initiatives were expected to increase the number of Emirati graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics by 10 per cent.

“The Year of Giving, declared by the President, provides an opportunity through which we can all demonstrate our loyalty to our nation, our determination to follow the values of our forefathers in solidarity with all the spectrums of the community to elevate the nation’s standing, preserve its progress and prosperity, and secure the welfare of its people,” said Sheikh Mohammed.

“The initiative opens up partnerships between the public and private sectors that strive to deliver the ambitions and aspirations of young Emirati professionals and engage them in the process of sustainable development, as well as in the emergence of a future economy driven by knowledge, research and development.”