The key facts
- More than 6,700 HCT graduates — the largest graduation in UAE history, a cohort 43% larger than last year's
- In^X Education (formerly Cert) plans to expand its network of academies from four to ten in less than a year
- Cert has trained more than 105,000 UAE citizens; 18 distinguished graduates received cars
Record graduation and expansion plans
The UAE's Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) this week held the largest university graduation ceremony in the country's history: more than 6,700 graduates gathered at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. According to The National, the cohort was 43% larger than a year earlier — the college itself links this to the growing share of Emirati talent in the labour market.
From Cert to In^X Education
The expansion was announced after the In^X Next 2026 forum, timed to the 30th anniversary of the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (Cert) and its rebranding as In^X Education. Chief executive Khalid Al Hammadi told the publication that the centre currently runs four academies — covering national initiatives, languages and communication, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, plus an assessment centre — and plans to increase that number to ten in less than a year. The academies create specialised programmes tailored to organisations' needs. Since its founding, Cert has trained more than 105,000 UAE citizens, and In^X Education intends to extend its training across the entire region. 'In^X will become the largest player in education, training and professional development in this country and the region,' Al Hammadi said.
Top graduates and the ministry's position
Eighteen distinguished graduates received cars: 14 of them had a perfect GPA of 4.0, and three more had 3.99. Among them was Hamed Marwan Al Ajmani, who graduated from HCT's Dubai campus in computer information science, security and forensics with a 4.0 GPA; he named balancing his studies with work, volunteering and national service as the main challenge. At the ceremony and forum, UAE Minister of Sports, HCT chancellor and chairman of its investment arm Capital H, Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, stressed that developing young talent is a central element of the country's plans to diversify the economy, and that a diploma is now only the beginning of lifelong learning. He also noted the importance of AI literacy for the entire organisation, citing his own experience of studying at Cert. For In^X Education, the priority is boosting Emirati employment through programmes aligned with the priority sectors of the UAE economy.
