The UAE Academy and Rise Global (Australia) signed a memorandum of understanding today in a signing ceremony held at the UAE Academy campus in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE Academy is a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry and is an independently operated Center of Excellence dedicate to empowering the next generation of Emiratis in a fast emerging economy across various industries.

The agreement signed with Rise Global reinforces UAE Academy's commitment to developing the professional sports sector within the UAE. Rise Global is an Australian based Sports Development organization that has recently been involved in the development of the National School Sports Strategy on behalf of the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia.

“This is an exciting day for the Sports, Health and Education sectors in the UAE” said Rise Global Managing Director, Michael Dahdal. "With this agreement we will be able to work very closely with our friends at the UAE Academy to deliver a range of world class education, training and support services to truly develop the capacity within the sports sectors locally” he added.

Dr. Magdi A. Hafez, UAE Academy President, said “The UAE Academy continues to play a significant role in providing the skills and training, which are essential to the UAE in strengthening its place of participation in a globalized world, and has always been proactive in identifying opportunities that will enable it to achieve these objectives successfully. Our partnership with Rise Global is the latest addition to our established strategic alliances, which allow as to respond with the updated and relevant training programs and consulting services to provide the edge for our clientele”.

With Qatar being awarded the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and the UAE considering a bid for the 2024 Olympic Games, this agreement comes at an opportune time. “There is a growing realization that sport is a fantastic tool, not only to build national pride by having success at international competitions, but also for supporting better educational, health and social outcomes. I can see a real commitment and growing realization of the importance of sport in the development of an active and healthy nation within the UAE and the broader region” added Dahdal.