Advisory Committee for Higher Education and Future Skills holds meeting

DUBAI, 16th February, 2026 (WAM) — Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, has chaired the meeting of the Advisory Committee for Higher Education and Future Skills, held in the presence of key academic and economic leaders as well as UAE-based research councils.

The meeting focused on continuing advancement of transformative reforms in the UAE’s higher education system, shifting from traditional models to a national approach driven by skills, data and strong economic partnerships to prepare national talent for a rapidly evolving global labour market.

Participants reviewed progress on the new Higher Education Law, which sets the legislative and executional frameworks for this transformation. It reorients the higher education system from procedural inputs to measurable outcomes, ensuring alignment with labour market needs, economic growth and the UAE’s global competitiveness across various sectors.

The committee highlighted the Higher Education Database as a key tool for strategic planning and evidence-based decision-making, providing accurate, up-to-date insights.

Initial results of the National Practical Training Platform, Nafis – launched by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council – were reviewed at the meeting. The platform strengthens alignment between academia and practical experience, boosting students’ readiness with skills relevant to the labour market. Early findings show strong engagement from higher education institutions and public and private training providers, delivering quality opportunities to enhance applied skills.

The committee also reviewed progress across its eight working groups, each aligned with key national strategic priorities in the energy, renewable energy and water sectors: the Health Sciences Group; the Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Group; the Economic Sectors and Higher Education Partnerships Group; the Future of Jobs and Skills Group; the Workforce Supply and Demand in Public and Higher Education Group; the Legal Competencies Development Group; the Drone Skills Group; and the National Competencies Enhancement Group.

Participants reiterated the committee’s role in shifting from basic institutional coordination to integrated governance of the higher education system, placing future skills at the core of higher education policies and linking them to the UAE’s economic priorities, reinforcing a flexible, future-ready national education system.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Faisal Al Ayyan, President & CEO of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT); Prof. Ahmed Al Raeesi, Acting Vice Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU); Prof. Ebrahim Al Hajri, President of Khalifa University; Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University; Prof. Dr. Issam Al-Din Ibrahim Ajami, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah; Dr. Amer Ahmad Sharif, CEO of Dubai Academic Health Corporation and President of Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences; Essam Al Tamimi, Chairman of Al Tamimi & Company; Jean-Louis Laurent Josi, Group Chief of Insurance Services at PureHealth; and Zaid Jamal, General Manager of Google Cloud UAE.

The Advisory Committee for Higher Education and Future Skills is a subcommittee of the Higher Education Committee of the Education, Human Development and Community Council. The committee aims to contribute to strengthening institutional collaboration and aligning higher education outcomes with future labour market needs.