The key facts
- IMI Media Academy and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation signed a five-year agreement to prepare 29,000 young people for careers in media
- Seven linked programs: basic skills, upskilling, integration into university programs, storytelling for schoolchildren, youth and regional initiatives
- The partnership expands the Nomu Al Ghurair Siraj program, under which 450 graduates have already been trained
A five-year partnership in the UAE
IMI Media Academy and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF) announced a five-year partnership to develop Arab media talent. Under the Al Ghurair Voice Lab initiative, 29,000 young people are expected to be reached and prepared for careers in the media industry. The agreement was signed by IMI Chief Operating Officer Ali Al Hammadi and AGF Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar in the presence of the UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and IMI Chairman Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber and AGF Board Chairman Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair.
Seven programs and a path into the profession
The partnership will combine education and skills development with hands-on experience and professional opportunities. Seven linked programs will cover basic media skills, advanced upskilling, integration into university curricula, storytelling for schoolchildren, national youth initiatives, and regional programs for the Arab region. Participants will gain technical and professional skills, practical training, mentorship, and direct contact with media professionals and work environments. Internships, employment, and other forms of professional development are provided for.
Building on previous collaboration
The initiative expands the organizations' existing collaboration under the Nomu Al Ghurair Siraj program, within which 450 graduates have gained modern media skills and the opportunity for direct engagement with the industry. The new five-year plan increases the scale of the work with a greater emphasis on linking learning to real career opportunities. The partnership starts in the UAE and, as expected, will expand across the entire region over five years.
Context and statements
The initiative emerged against the backdrop of rapid changes in technology, audience behavior, and media production, which are changing the skill requirements in the industry. Dr. Sonia Ben Jaafar noted the important role of media in how the region sees itself and how others see it, adding that young people will be able to learn in a real media environment and gain a clearer path into the industry. IMI Media Academy Director of Operations Khalid Al Hosani emphasized that the goal is to build a strong pipeline of Arab media talent, not simply to conduct training, and to create a model with measurable results in the UAE that can be scaled across the region. Director of Media and Learning Chantal Saliba stated that media cannot be learned in the classroom alone: young people need to work with experienced professionals and understand how newsrooms and creative teams function.
