A group of students take a ride in Dubai Metro.

The Roads and Transport Authority on Sunday launched an integrated scholarship programme for 15 students born on 9/9/2009 to mark the 15th anniversary of the Dubai Metro being celebrated tomorrow.

The comprehensive scholarship programme is aligned with the framework of the Dubai Social Agenda 33, and reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to nurture the country’s human capital.

Learning journey

The comprehensive scholarship programme supports students across three phases. The first phase, spanning two years in school, involves practical training at RTA during summer and winter breaks, participation in essential railway-focused training programmes with strategic partners, and field visits to railway project sites..

The second phase covers the university study period, lasting four to five years. During this phase, students receive scholarships to earn a specialised bachelor's degree in railway-related engineering. This phase also includes training programmes at RTA during summer and winter breaks, participation in leadership forums and key events organised by RTA, and field visits to railway project sites.

In the third phase, graduates will be employed at the Rail Agency and join RTA’s Fast Track Programme for engineers, designed to hone their technical and administrative skills over two years. Participants will have opportunities for rapid career advancement, positioning them as the next generation of specialists at RTA. They will also receive accredited professional certifications in Project Management and Value Engineering, alongside a range of technical and specialised training.

National talent

On this occasion, His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), thanked HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed for his generous initiative and the support he has extended in nurturing young Emirati talent. He said that the RTA will continue to foster promising young Emirati talent in line with Dubai’s vision for the future of the roads and transport sector. He highlighted the positive contributions the initiative will make towards consolidating Dubai’s leadership in providing sustainable, future-forward mobility solutions for the region.

His Excellency added: " RTA remains steadfast in its mission to cultivate and empower Emirati talent. By fostering a nurturing environment, we are preparing a new generation of leaders capable of anticipating future challenges and crafting innovative solutions to drive Dubai’s progress. This effort will contribute to advancing RTA’s growth and development agenda, both now and in the future."

RTA is committed to providing an environment conducive to career progression, allowing young Emirati talent to assume key leadership roles and contribute to achieving RTA’s ambitious vision and strategic objectives. As part of its efforts to be the employer of choice for qualified professionals, RTA seeks to attract highly skilled national talent and develop a comprehensive system to motivate and retain employees, prioritising both their academic and practical skill development.

Recently, RTA launched the ‘Professional Engineering Career Path’ initiative, the first of its kind in the UAE, offering a career path for specialised engineering roles aligned with market demands, while enhancing job stability for engineers. Additionally, it introduced the ‘Fast Track’ initiative to attract top Emirati engineering graduates with outstanding academic qualifications and prepare them both technically and administratively to become the next generation of specialists at RTA.