Corporate Partners

Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, in collaboration with INJAZ-UAE, has launched a three-year partnership to implement a series of entrepreneurial programs to instill key skills and a culture of innovation among students. This partnership targets youth aged 13-24 in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Western Region.  The Khalifa Fund’s support of INJAZ-UAE’s Company Program, Innovation Camp and Entrepreneurship Masterclass will entrench the entrepreneurial mindset in youth early on through these programs. 

ExxonMobil is one of the main drivers behind INJAZ-UAE in Abu Dhabi and the country. As a member of the INJAZ-UAE Board, a sponsor of JA’s regional chapter, INJAZ Al-Arab, and with representation on JA Worldwide’s Board, this partner has been pivotal to raising INJAZ-UAE’s operating standards and their support has helped the organization span new horizons in its mission. In addition to extensive funding, leading executives from ExxonMobil have piloted one of the first classes of JA Success Skills in Abu Dhabi, judged the First Annual UAE Company Program Competition and also volunteered in one-day workshops. INJAZ-UAE thanks ExxonMobil for their steadfast guidance, commitment and determination to help today’s youth.

Boeing is key partner for INJAZ-UAE and INJAZ al-Arab at large. Their volunteers fueled eight super-charged Entrepreneurship MasterClasses at schools and university levels in 2009. The EMC is a fast-paced workshop to introduce entrepreneurship and work readiness skills. With Boeing volunteers in the cockpit, students were inspired to never give up on their dreams. Boeing also volunteered for our pilots with the JA Innovation Camps in early 2010. This partnership continues Boeing's commitment to the local community and a future with wider horizons.

Citi is a founding member of INJAZ-UAE, a member of the INJAZ-UAE Board and a sponsor with INJAZ Al-Arab. Citi and Citi Foundation are also Junior Achievement’s largest global financial supporters. In 2005, Citi Foundation committed $2.7 million to JA Worldwide for the further development and implementation of JA Banks in Action, a program that teaches high school students the principles of the banking industry through an interactive computer simulation. Following this, Citi volunteers piloted the program in Abu Dhabi and Dubai with great success. In addition, Citi helps INJAZ-UAE with awareness campaigns and its senior executives are at the forefront of volunteering, including serving on the judging panel of the First Annual UAE Company Program Competition and organizing a JA Job Shadow Day. INJAZ-UAE thanks Citi for the continued good governance, support and inspiration.

HSBC is a founding member of INJAZ-UAE and provided the first three INJAZ-UAE volunteers in the country. HSBC volunteers implemented the JA More Than Money program for the first time in the UAE as part of a $3.4 million, three-year global initiative between HSBC Holdings plc and JA Worldwide to teach basic financial skills to children in 15 countries. In the UAE, the bank has consistently provided the highest number of volunteers per semester and their quality and dedication, which stems from their management itself, has made JA More Than Money a raging success. HSBC is a member of the INJAZ-UAE Board, a sponsor with JA’s regional chapter, INJAZ Al-Arab and has a chair on the JA Worldwide Board. This partnership has become the backbone of INJAZ-UAE and we hope to continue for many years to come.

Shell is a founding member of INJAZ-UAE and was instrumental in piloting INJAZ-UAE programs not only through funding but also the time and effort of their senior executives. In 2006 and 2007, senior volunteers from Shell were especially active in mentoring key programs as well as sitting on the judging panel of the First Annual UAE Company Program Competition in 2009. As a member of the UAE board and a sponsor with JA’s regional chapter, INJAZ Al-Arab, Shell provides insightful direction to the organization’s efforts. INJAZ-UAE thanks Shell for their infallible support and inspiration.

As a founding member of INJAZ-UAE, Mars GCC piloted the JA Company Program in the country, one of the most popular programs offered by the organization today. As a member of the UAE Board, the company offers keen insight into the future requirements of UAE's youth from its long-term experience in the nation. In addition to funding, Mars GCC associates from all levels have actively volunteered for number of INJAZ-UAE programs, including JA Success Skills, JA Job Shadow Day and JA Community Citizenship. For their students, the experience is sweetened further with visits to the biggest chocolate manufacturing factory in the region. INJAZ-UAE thanks Mars GCC for its steady support of JA programs as an effective solution to the immediate and future requirements of the local economy.

Dubai Knowledge Village hosted INJAZ-UAE offices from mid-2008 to mid-2009. Their invaluable support during the organization's first official year helped INJAZ-UAE surpass its targets and implement a higher number of programs in more schools through a wider variety of corporate volunteers. The Knowledge Village also sponsored the venue for a number of INJAZ-UAE workshops since early 2009, providing students a comfortable environment to learn and practice the basic principles of entrepreneurship and success skills. In mid-2009, the Knowledge Village also hosted the First Annual UAE Company Program Competition, an event which set a high standard of quality for future students and volunteers of the JA Company Program to aspire to. INJAZ-UAE thanks Dubai Knowledge Village for being the steady tree under which JA programs thrived in the UAE.

As part of its core mission, YAL seeks ways to support and cultivate the Arab region’s next generation of young leaders and to alleviate the economic hardships faced by youth in the region as they transition from school to new roles as employees and entrepreneurs. To that extent, and in cooperation with INJAZ-UAE, Young Arab Leaders took part in the first ‘You Can B!” Be Inspired’ Innovation Camps in February 2011. We look forward to eight workshops this year, and thank YAL for their interminable support to encourage youth to become future entrepreneurs. 

The heat is on in the capital, as AmCham Abu Dhabi joined the ranks of INJAZ-UAE’s determined partners focused on fast tracking the future workforce in Spring 2009. The association made a very sizeable donation to fund JA programs in Abu Dhabi, working closely with INJAZ-UAE to discover and deliver maximum impact in Abu Dhabi schools. It has also been spreading awareness about the organization’s initiatives among its members, who represent various industries from the private sector. INJAZ-UAE thanks them for their efforts in supporting the organization’s work in the early days of our activities in Abu Dhabi. We are looking forward to AmCham members in our classrooms in the very near future.

Abraaj Capital is a valued partner for INJAZ-UAE and a sponsor with INJAZ al-Arab on the regional level. Abraaj volunteers drove the Company Program across two Dubai schools and helped make the 1st UAE Annual Company Program Competition in May 2009 a success. Three finalist student teams out of four at the Competition were mentored by ABRAAJ! In 2010, Abraaj made a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility and made it mandatory for employees to dedicate five days a year to community initiatives with a choice of four organizations, one of which is INJAZ-UAE. We have already had a very successful JA Innovation Camp with ABRAAJ volunteers this year. We look forward to more of the same, spiced up with some JA Community Citizenship programs, in the coming semesters.

In 2009, Barclays joined hands with JA Worldwide on a global level for a three year, US$ 3 million 'You cac b!' initiative aimed to support the expansion of JA Worldwide’s JA Company Program and JA Job Shadow Day to reach a projected 8,000 students in 11 countries during its first year. In addition to the United Arab Emirates, targeted countries include Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Russia, Egypt and India. As part of this initiative, Barclays also launched a series of 'You can b!' Innovation Camps with INJAZ-UAE in Dubai and Abu Dhabi that reached over 200 students, challenging them to solve a business problem innovatively and learn problem solving, critical thinking and leadership skills along the way. The journey has just begun and with Barclays' continued commitment, the pace keeps increasing. Go Barclays!

GE has a strong relationship with INJAZ-UAE and mentoring. The comapny is a member of the regional INJAZ al-Arab board and globally has representation on the Junior Achievement board - working in both capacities to bring inspiration to the next generation. In the UAE, GE partnered with INJAZ-UAE to deliver the JA Success Skills program, an experience that led GE volunteers to continuously come forth to mentor at INJAZ-UAE Innovation Camps throughout 2010. The partnership continues with GE students repeatedly asking for their mentors to return and teach them some more. 

Active with INJAZ Al-Arab as a sponsor and a partner with INJAZ-UAE since 2008, Intel volunteers have delivered three of JA’s most challenging programs: JA Company Program, JA Success Skills and JA Community Citizenship, continuously exceeding the limit with their creativity and commitment. The winning team in the First UAE Company Program Competition was mentored by Intel volunteers who accompanied them to the regional Young Arab Entrepreneurs Competition 2009 in Beirut. Intel also extended their support to INJAZ-UAE with spreading program awareness in the community and volunteering for several one-day programs. INJAZ-UAE would like to thank Intel for their never-ending enthusiasm and commitment.

The support for Entrepreneurship and Work Readiness programs grows in Abu Dhabi with new partnerships. Finding JA programs in line with their Skills for Employability program, the British Council joined forces with INJAZ-UAE and Barclays to foster a more skilled work force in the nation, resulting in the Enterprise Challenge organized on Yas Island in early 2010. This one day workshop was a memorable and novel experience for students from four different colleges in the UAE. Students are already requesting a repeat performance. Thank you to the British Council for their support and dedication.

Deloitte is a partner of INJAZ al-Arab on the regional level. In the UAE, the company joined hands with INJAZ-UAE to mentor for an Entrepreneurship MasterClass in late 2009,  an all-time favourite with new and old volunteers that provides an intense taste of the JA experience in a few short hours. Our new volunteers from Deloitte descended on the Dubai Mens College in Fall 2009 for a very successful EMC as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Day. Deloitte volunteers also joined us for our series of JA Innovation Camps earlier this year. Welcome on board!

DLA Piper volunteers joined INJAZ-UAE in Fall 2009 to drive a JA Entrepreneurship MasterClass in the three day marathon at Dubai Mens College, taking an entire day to mentor students through an intense introduction to entrepreneurship. The volunteer-student interaction was so electric, the effects stayed on for days after. The INJAZ-UAE connection between the present and the future workforce has been uniquely effective, as our new volunteers found out.