Hamdan bin Mohammed attends Lead & Design Programme graduation

About the Lead & Design Programme

The Lead & Design Programme, an initiative of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), aims to empower national talent with future-focused design skills and equip them with tools for creative leadership rooted in design thinking. The programme focuses on addressing community needs and developing innovative solutions.

Sheikh Hamdan’s remarks on youth and innovation

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan emphasised Dubai’s commitment to its youth, highlighting the importance of equipping them with design thinking skills and fostering creativity to develop human-centered services. He stated that developing national talent will remain a strategic priority for shaping the future of Dubai and the UAE. Sheikh Hamdan stressed the goal of ensuring Dubai remains one of the world’s most future-ready cities, driven by creative talent, a design-thinking mindset, and forward-looking leadership. He also noted that design thinking is an innovative and vital approach to addressing challenges and improving services, expressing expectations that participants in the programme will make notable contributions to their teams, enhance their future readiness, and apply future-focused skills to projects and services that place people first.

Attendees of the graduation event

The graduation ceremony was attended by key officials, including Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Vice Chairman of the DFF Board, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and Deputy Managing Director of DFF, Helal Al Marri, Director-General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and Board Member of DFF, and Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation.

Programme details and structure

The second cohort of the Lead & Design Programme consisted of 38 participants from the UAE’s public and private sectors. Over a period of 14 weeks, participants took part in interactive workshops and field visits, both locally and abroad, and attended lectures on design thinking and leadership development. The programme provided hands-on training in design thinking tools and techniques, guiding participants on how to apply these skills in the context of future strategies.

Focus areas and final projects

The programme included multiple training phases that focused on understanding societal challenges and prototyping innovative solutions. At the conclusion of the programme, participants presented projects that addressed improvements in government services, enhancements to quality of life and environmental initiatives, advancements in education, and initiatives to empower People of Determination.