ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Department of Government Enablement – Abu Dhabi (DGE), represented by Mawaheb Talent Hub, to establish a comprehensive framework for the training and employment of UAE Nationals.
The partnership is designed to empower Emirati talents by providing them with the specialised skills required to be part of the UAE’s growing civil nuclear energy sector.
Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of ENEC, and Mariam Al Musharrakh, Director General of GovTalent at DGE, witnessed the signing of the agreement by Dr Abdulla AlShimmari, Executive Director of the National Workforce Enablement Sector at DGE, and Ahmed Alshamsi, Chief Human Capital Officer of ENEC.
Under the five-year agreement, the two parties will cooperate to qualify at least 100 UAE Nationals holding high school diplomas, vocational diplomas, or postgraduate degrees. DGE’s Mawaheb Talent Hub will provide ENEC with a curated list of candidates, and grant access to its state-of-the-art facilities to conduct awareness workshops, technical assessments, and interviews.
ENEC will lead the development and funding of the training programmes and provide financial support for trainees.
Upon successful completion of the programme and meeting hiring criteria, the selected trainees will be integrated into the workforce at ENEC and its subsidiaries, joining the teams responsible for the continued operational excellence of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.
Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of ENEC, said: "Since its inception, ENEC has been dedicated to cultivating a world-class team of Emirati professionals who are the backbone of our success at the Barakah Plant today and for the many decades of operations ahead. This agreement with the Department of Government Enablement allows us to expand our talent pipeline, ensuring that the next generation of UAE Nationals is equipped with the expertise to lead and secure our nation’s carbon-free future and drive long-term sustainable growth.
"This initiative also supports the UAE’s transition to a knowledge-based economy by equipping job seekers with specialised skills for high-tech industries.”
Ibrahim Nassir, Undersecretary of the Department of Government Enablement – Abu Dhabi, said: "We believe that the most important investment any nation can make is in its people. This agreement with ENEC reflects exactly that – a shared commitment to placing Emirati talent at the heart of one of the UAE's most strategically vital sectors.
"Through Mawaheb, we are not simply connecting job seekers to vacancies; we are building a pipeline of nationally qualified experts who can lead the UAE's clean energy future for generations to come. Partnerships of this depth and ambition are what transform national vision into lasting reality."
The partnership builds upon ENEC’s proven track record of human capability development. To date, more than 2,000 Emirati professionals have been involved in the development and operation of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.
Through six dedicated talent pipeline programmes, ENEC continues to empower future experts to manage the civil nuclear energy sector for decades to come.
Currently, the four units of the Barakah Plant produce 40TWh of clean baseload electricity annually, meeting 25 per cent of the UAE’s electricity demand and preventing millions of tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
Through this collaboration, ENEC and DGE’s Mawaheb are cultivating local talent to cement the UAE’s position as a global pioneer in clean energy and a case study for excellence in capacity building for civil nuclear operations.