Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy (DEA), the educational arm of Dubai SME, which is the agency of Dubai Economy mandated to develop the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gracia Group to launch educational and training programmes that will enable aspiring entrepreneurs to explore opportunities in the agricultural sector.

First of the programmes to be launched under the partnership will be a ‘Certified Agri-Entrepreneurship Professional Diploma,’ comprising educational workshops on various topics related to agricultural production, innovation and investment as well as a graduation project on future investment proposal.

The programme seeks to encourage the youth in the UAE to explore entrepreneurship as a career without waiting for jobs, and to equip them to successfully launch their projects in the vital agricultural sector, in line with the strategic priority being accorded to food security, innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.

“Food security features among the foremost strategic priorities in the UAE today, and efforts to enhance domestic production and drive investments into agricultural production have accelerated, particularly following the restrictive COVID-19 phase. Grooming a generation of entrepreneurs to be in the forefront of the transformational and innovative initiatives in the UAE agricultural sector is a need of the hour,” said Ibtihal Al Naji, Director, Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy.

The UAE aims to be number one in the Global Food Security Index by 2051 and agritech innovations and investments are being vigorously pursued towards achieving the target. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, recently announced the launch of Food Tech Valley, an initiative aimed to explore urban planning of future smart and food independent cities.

One of the four main clusters in the Food Tech Valley will be a food innovation centre, an integrated agri-business ecosystem to incubate promising ideas and support start-ups and entrepreneurs. An agriculture technology and engineering cluster aimed to promote the latest food technologies is also part of the Food Tech Valley.

“The Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy is continuously adapting its programmes and expanding its partnership network to align local talent and skills with the goal of Dubai SME to position Dubai as a globally competitive innovation hub and entrepreneurial ecosystem.  The Certified Agri-Entrepreneurship Professional Diploma marks a significant step towards widening the field for local entrepreneurs and diversifying economic activity in the UAE. We are delighted to have the Gracia Group extending their knowledge and expertise to support our efforts,” added Al Naji.

“Gracia Group harnesses the potential of knowledge and cultures that empower those wishing to invest in the agricultural and livestock sectors. The objective of the Certified Agri-Entrepreneurship Professional Diploma is  to lead in the theory and practice of agriculture to promote everything related to this sector and increase the skills of the trainees towards enabling them to realising their ambitions. Gracia Group focuses on comprehensive solutions in matters relating to the farming sector and it’s the first of its kind that has expertise in all disciplines of farming and livestock,” said Hamed Ahmed Alhamed, Founder of the Gracia Group

The diploma programme will introduce participants through the principals of entrepreneurship and agricultural production as well as business development, including economic importance of the agricultural sector; research and innovations in agriculture and food security; business model and design of agricultural farms; and agricultural production, marketing and financial management.

Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy provides targeted knowledge and skills sets based on the needs of the entrepreneurial and start-up community, with the objective of promoting entrepreneurship as a career alternative among younger generations and enabling entrepreneurs to contribute to sustainable economic development in Dubai and the UAE. The Academy has organised more than 600  vocational training programmes to date, from basics of entrepreneurship to strategic thinking, innovation, leadership skills as well as the various aspects of business management and development, to support the various stages of SME life cycle. The courses offered include a Professional  Entrepreneurship Diploma and Professional Certificate programmes in Hospitality & Restaurant Management and Tender Management. More than 600 trainees have attended DEA programmes and the satisfaction rate exceeded 90%.

For more details on the Certified Agri-Entrepreneurship Professional Diploma Programme, visit www.dea.ae or contact: +971 (4) 361 3055