At a three day board and executive management retreat in Al Ain, the trainees on the NDP were asked to give their views on the key initiatives on which the company should focus and to make any suggestions they had on how the company is run. 

Abu Dhabi Airports’ Acting Chief Executive Officer, Abdul Majeed Al Khoori said: “We have a strong pool of ambitious and talented young Emiratis enrolled on our National Development Program, who will be leading our company in the future. However, they also have an important role to play today. Young minds have a fresh way of thinking about things and by engaging with and listening to our trainees we can tap into their thoughts, giving us a fresh approach on how we can do things differently. 

By inviting trainees to take part in the strategic decision making process right from the beginning of their careers, we hope to inspire them to continue to want to make a difference as they work towards becoming the airport professionals of tomorrow.”

The NDP trainees were asked to contribute to a discussion on the core issues affecting the business, and give their views on how they would tackle them.  

A total of 88 UAE nationals are currently enrolled in Abu Dhabi Airports’ National Development Program, which is delivered over an 18 – 24 month period and focuses on enabling candidates to obtain practical experience and occupational skills. This is done by placing them in various departments and monitoring their progress through a structured assessment system. 

The retreat also focused on the importance of maintaining strong partnerships with the company’s stakeholders, such as Etihad Airlines, Airport Police, Immigration and Commercial partners, in order to work closely together towards shared goals and objectives, and delivering world-class services .