- The initiative will educate Emirati youth on career opportunities within the tourism sector and help inspire future talent to enter the hospitality industry
- Two workshops were attended by more than 20 participants and introduced the four main sectors which include hospitality, tourism, hotel operations and culinary arts
Dubai, UAE: Medyaf, the industry nationalisation initiative at Dubai College of Tourism (DCT), part of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, has launched the ‘Explore the Tourism Industry in Dubai’ initiative, designed to empower Emirati talent seeking to join the tourism workforce with the fundamental knowledge and skills through an immersive programme of interactive workshops, field trips, vocational experiences and hands-on training.
The goal of the Medyaf initiative is to provide students with a better understanding of opportunities within the tourism and hospitality sectors, attracting new talent and supporting their continued professional development, in addition to contributing towards further enhancing the visitor experience.
Mariam Al Maeeni, Director of Industry Nationalisation at Dubai College of Tourism, said: “We are delighted to launch the Medyaf ‘Explore the Tourism Industry in Dubai’ initiative, inspired by the constant efforts of our visionary leadership to boost the economy by providing opportunities for Emirati talent to excel across sectors. The initiative is also in line with the important role played by Medyaf in supporting the UAE’s industry nationalisation strategy, which aims to support and bolster Emirati talent and increase the number of UAE nationals entering the tourism sector. Medyaf is a comprehensive public-private collaboration which includes a plethora of immersive workshops, training events, and industry activities contributing to the growth of the tourism sector, in addition to supporting the diversification of the national economy.”
As part of the initiative, two workshops were hosted by Medyaf last month; the first was conducted in Al Seef Heritage Hotel and attended by 10 participants, whilst the second was held in Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, and welcomed 11 participants. Both workshops contained theoretical and practical activities in an engaging, interactive environment, and provided participants the opportunity to learn about hotel operations, hospitality and fundamentals of culinary arts, along with hands-on training.
Medyaf organises a year-round programme of workshops, training programmes and activities related to the different functions of hospitality such as HR, IT, marketing and finance which provide participants with an in-depth understanding of hospitality operations as part of its mission to support industry nationalisation and meet the needs of the tourism sector.
Medyaf was established in 2016 to help attract, train and encourage UAE citizens to take up tourist-facing roles across the tourism ecosystem, in order to enhance the experience provided to tourists during their visit to Dubai, as well as support the growth of the tourism sector.
About Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)
With the ultimate vision of making Dubai the world’s leading commercial centre, investment hub and tourism destination, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is mandated to support the Government in positioning the emirate as a major hub for global economy and tourism, and in boosting the city’s economic and tourism competitiveness indicators. Under this remit, DET is driving efforts to further enhance Dubai’s diversified, innovative service-based economy to attract top global talent, deliver a world-class business environment and accelerate productivity growth. Additionally, DET is supporting Dubai’s vision to become the world’s best city to live and work in by promoting its diverse destination proposition, unique lifestyle and outstanding quality of life, overall.
DET is the principal authority for the planning, supervision, development and marketing of Dubai’s business and tourism sectors. It is also responsible for the licensing and classification of all types of businesses, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. The DET portfolio includes Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, Dubai Industries and Exports, Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI) and Dubai SME, as well as Dubai College of Tourism, Dubai Calendar and Dubai Business Events.
