Retaining Emirati talent a challenge for space companies, says Yahsat chief

Masood Mahmood, chief executive of Yahsat, said there was a risk that professionals trained in science, technology, engineering and maths would switch to other jobs.

Masood Mahmood, the chief executive of Yahsat. Mona Al Marzooqi/ The National

ABU DHABI// Retaining Emirati talent is one of the greatest challenges facing the UAE’s space programme, according to Masood Mahmood, the chief executive of Yahsat, the Abu Dhabi-based satellite communications group.

There was a risk that professionals trained in science, technology, engineering and mathematics would seek other jobs, he said.

Mr Mahmood said technical specialists “are the most prone to jump to managerial roles”, adding that although such roles “are higher in profile value, they contribute less to the industry’s development”.

To sustain interest in the space industry, the organisations involved have to maintain ongoing engagement with those who study or work in the sector.

“They must be reminded of the importance of their roles and the long-term effect they will have in their careers, on their society and the country and region as a whole,” said Mr Mahmood.

One of the key ways to keep youths engaged in science, technology, engineering and mathematics was through educational programmes that offer a strong practical element, he said.

A recently established master’s degree programme at the Masdar Institute and the National Space Programme was aninitiative that provided educational and research value, as well as having potential commercial benefits, said Mr Mahmood.

“These are programmes where students feel they are not just doing theoretical work and textbook exercises but solving real-life problems,” he said.

The master’s programme – the Middle East’s first in engineering with a concentration on space systems and technologies – is a joint venture of Yahsat, Masdar and Orbital ATK, a US aerospace company.

The National Space Programme is an initiative that offers high school pupils and university students a chance to have their projects launched in space. It challenges youngsters to develop CubeSats, miniature satellites for space research.

“These programmes create a mind shift. They get the youths into higher levels of engineering and make them realise that they are capable of working and solving any problem regardless of how complex it may be,” said Mr Mahmood.

The initiatives would “break the taboo that complex engineering projects are not feasible for the youths of the UAE”, he said.

Although Yahsat’s workforce of about 250 employees has what Mr Mahmood calls a “healthy” Emiratisation rate of almost 60 per cent, other companies in the field say they are seeking improvements.

Ahmed Al Shamsi, the chief technology officer at Thuraya, a mobile satellite communications company, said Emirati professionals with experience were in high demand.

“With fresh graduates they have to be trained, and in our sector you have be ready with a satellite background to address the needs,” he said.

Mr Al Shamsi said a close relationship between the private and acadesmic sectors would eventually provide what the industry needs. “After starting its space programme in the 1990s, look at where India is now, they are already in Mars,” he said.

The UAE Space Agency, which was formed two years ago, has announced its intentions to send a space probe to Mars by 2020.