Friday 26 / July / 2024
Muscat: The graduation ceremony for 253 graduates of the second cohort of The National Leadership Programme to Upskill and Empower the Potential Omanis for Middle and Senior Management Positions in the Private Sector ‘Etimad’, was held on Monday.
The event was held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Mahad bin Saeed Baawain Minister of Labour, member of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Academy of Management, and in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Qasim Al Lawati, President of the Royal Academy of Management, their Excellencies, CEOs, government officials and representatives from the private sector.
His Excellency Dr. Ali Al Lawati stated that the Etimad programme has qualified Omani nationals as leaders and empowered them to work in an integrated institutional framework, which is one of the most prominent pillars of Oman’s future vision.
His Excellency added that this is one of the national priorities that Oman strives to achieve in collaboration with the private sector.
Etimad has boosted the graduates leadership skills through a specialised programme which was designed in partnership with international and local institutions in the field of managerial skills and developing leaders, highlighting the Royal Academy of Management’s aspiration to lead this journey with renewed vision.
Sheikh Waleed bin Khamis Al-Hashar, member of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Academy of Management, said, “Etimad is a pioneering and ambitious programme, investing in and developing the Omani graduates. It refined their skills, creating an ability to steer the private sector with leaders capable of assuming leadership positions in today’s economy.”
The programme consisted of various aspects of training, including face-to-face and remote educational units, group projects, leadership camps and development workshops.
It also included following up with its graduates to assess their career development, as well as with those private companies who invested in the graduates.
He added, “We are pleased to share the programme’s outcomes as reflected in the professional success stories of our graduates.”
Bodour Bint Younis Al Zadjali, graduate of Etimad, shared her success story, “This journey has been a rich experience that has been the highlight of my professional career.”
She added, “An example of the success that I gained is that I was able to move to the Omani Investment Authority, widening my professional focus from one to eight sectors that are rich in knowledge and relationships, made possible with the motivation I gained from Etimad, especially in leadership skills.”
Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al Wahaibi also shared his own story and emphasised the importance of leadership, “The Etimad programme exceeded all our expectations, providing us with a solid foundation to achieve systematic development. The programme taught me an understanding of the responsibility we bear to empower those around us, extending beyond titles, to inspire, advance and nurture other people’s capabilities to enhance work environments”.
He added that different teams contribute diverse ideas, attitudes and ways of working that we can all benefit from.
Almost 100 graduates, 39% of the cohort we are celebrating today, have already been empowered in their organisations and assumed new leadership positions.
This is a strong indication of the commitment made by the private sector to provide opportunities to Etimad graduates.
