42 Abu Dhabi and ADGM Academy Join Forces to Elevate Tech Talent in UAE

Editorial Team

Last updated 22-12-2025

3 min

42 Abu Dhabi and ADGM Academy partner to enhance Abu Dhabi’s tech talent with joint programmes.

The collaboration mixes project-based learning with industry-focused skills lab training.

Workshops, talks, and hackathons will develop coding, AI, and cybersecurity skills.

Entrepreneurship support includes mentoring and venture-building to meet market demands.

This initiative aligns with UAE’s digital strategy and Abu Dhabi’s knowledge economy vision.

42 Abu Dhabi has teamed up with ADGM Academy in a new move that aims to give Abu Dhabi’s tech talent pool a serious boost. The two sides have signed an MoU to roll out joint programmes in coding, artificial intelligence, machine learning and cybersecurity — all the skills everyone keeps talking about but, in practice, can still be a bit of a faff to learn properly without the right structure. The signing took place with Dr Ahmed Al Shoaibi from 42 Abu Dhabi and Ali Khadem Al Mehairi from ADGM Academy in attendance, along with senior figures from both organisations.

What caught my attention is how the partnership blends 42 Abu Dhabi’s project-based learning style with ADGM Academy’s Skills Lab, which focuses more on industry-aligned training. I’ve seen plenty of startups across the region struggle with hiring people who can jump straight into real-world development, so this feels spot on for what the ecosystem needs. The plan involves workshops, talks and hands‑on sessions for students, professionals and the wider tech community, plus hackathons and innovation challenges designed to sharpen practical problem‑solving.

There’s also a clear push towards preparing entrepreneurs. The agreement includes mentoring, venture‑building support and specialised sessions to help founders get up to speed with what the market actually demands. And believe it or not, these kinds of structured pathways often make the difference between an idea that fizzles out and one that finds its footing. Back when I first joined the Arageek team, I remember sitting with a group of young founders in Abu Dhabi who told me they wished they’d had clearer guidance in those early days — and I reckon this initiative directly addresses that gap.

Dr Ahmed Al Shoaibi described the collaboration as an important step in widening opportunities for people to build advanced digital capabilities, noting that aligning both institutions’ methods will strengthen programmes supporting the UAE’s innovation goals. On the flip side, Ali Khadem Al Mehairi highlighted how the MoU expands access to specialised training that nurtures entrepreneurial talent and improves industry readiness.

All of this feeds into wider national priorities under the UAE Digital Economy Strategy and Abu Dhabi’s long-term vision for building a knowledge‑driven economy. It’s the kind of cross‑sector effort the region has been steadily moving toward, and while no single partnership can solve every talent shortage overnight, this one definately seems like it’s nudging things in the right direction.

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