SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Capital H, the investment arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), held its annual event this year under the title IN^X NEXT 2026, themed “Future of Education, Skills and Workforce Development” under the patronage of Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of Capital H.
The event marked the unveiling of the new identity of the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT), now rebranded as IN^X Education, Capital H’s education and training arm, coinciding with the centre’s 30th anniversary.
It also featured the signing of several local and international agreements, as well as the recognition of 17 CERT partners in appreciation of their contributions to its journey over the past three decades.
IN^X Education comprises four academies: the AI and Emerging Tech Academy, the National Initiatives Academy, the Languages and Communication Academy, and the Assessment Center.
The expertise of these academies is integrated with the organisation’s core capabilities in executive education, vocational training, tailored workforce solutions, consulting, research and innovation.
In his address at the event, Al Falasi said: “Investing in human capabilities is fundamental to the UAE’s progress and the achievement of its future ambitions. As we look towards achieving the aims of UAE Centennial 2071, our responsibility to equip members of society with the capabilities that enable them to contribute to shaping the future continues to grow.”
Al Falasi added: “At Capital H, we translate our vision into action through strategic investments in education and training that strengthen human capabilities, respond to the evolving needs of the national economy, and support the country’s priorities.
We take pride in CERT’s journey, a journey of three decades developing talent, strengthening institutional capabilities, and expanding opportunities across the UAE.”
He highlighted IN^X NEXT’s role in strengthening collaboration between government, education and industry to align skills development with economic priorities and prepare future generations.
On the sidelines of the event, Aletihad spoke to officials from Capital H and IN^X Education.
Mohammed Gheyath, CEO of Capital H, highlighted the company's investment in human capital, the transformation of IN^X Education and its efforts to prepare the UAE's future workforce.
“At Capital H we truly believe that investment in human capital is the future investment,” he said.
He highlighted IN^X Education as Capital H's largest portfolio investment, building on CERT's legacy of more than 30 years in the UAE.
“For us, it's the next chapter. As we said, it's the biggest investment we made in terms of the portfolio companies. It's by far the biggest in terms of size, in terms of people,” he said.
As part of this transformation, IN^X Education has upgraded its IT infrastructure, learning management systems and customer relationship management platforms to expand its educational services.
Khalid Alhammadi, CEO of IN^X Education, highlighted the transformation of CERT into IN^X Education, its achievements over the past 30 years and its plans to prepare the UAE's workforce for emerging technologies.
He explained that rapid developments in artificial intelligence, industrial innovation and technology have created a growing need for new skills, making the transformation essential to preparing professionals for future opportunities.
“In this rapidly changing world, if we don't change and co-op with the new capabilities required and to equip the workforce with the right skills to succeed in their future, or we call it the future proof, we will not gonna be exist in near future,” he said.
Building on this vision, Alhammadi highlighted the ambition behind IN^X Education's new identity, which aims to accelerate learning, professional development and career opportunities.
Reflecting on CERT's achievements, including reaching more than 105,000 professionals and conducting over 500,000 assessments, he emphasised that the organisation's greatest success lies in its impact on individuals.
“Indeed, numbers are making us proud, but what makes us really proud is every person whose confidence grows, whose opportunities expanded and whose future changed,” he said.