DUBAI: The Emirates Group and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) held a graduation ceremony today at the Group’s Headquarters for a cohort of 32 Emirati outstation managers, from the airline, who participated in the bespoke Commercial Ambassador Leadership Programme, led by Emirates’ Training & Development team. The graduation ceremony was attended by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer; Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales and Country Management; Oliver Grohmann, Emirates’ Executive Vice President Human Resources, Amira Al Falasi, Emirates’ Vice President Training & Development and Dr. Mohammed Al Dhaheri, Deputy Director General of Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. A number of senior executives and managers from the airline and the Academy were also present.
Adnan Kazim commented: “Today’s graduation ceremony demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our UAE cadre of country managers who have skilfully honed their international relations, leadership, negotiation and diplomatic knowledge over the course of the last year. I’m proud to see 32 capable Emirati managers celebrate the culmination of all their efforts developed in partnership with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) to represent the UAE and Emirates with distinction across our network.”
Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Dhaheri stated: “We are immensely proud to congratulate the graduates of the Commercial Ambassador Leadership Programme. This milestone reflects the successful collaboration between the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy and Emirates Group. By equipping these talented managers with essential diplomatic and leadership skills, we are preparing them to be exemplary representatives of both Emirates and the UAE on the global stage. Their achievements underscore our shared vision of fostering a generation of leaders who will drive the UAE’s strategic objectives and strengthen our nation’s international presence.”
The Commercial Ambassador Leadership Programme ran in two phases. Phase one, hosted in 2023 over five days, provided participants with curated training in International Protocol and Etiquette, Global Trends & Issues, Negotiation & Influencing, UAE Economics and Commercial Diplomacy, Media Handling, and Communication and Intercultural Awareness. These training sessions aimed to equip Emirati managers stationed around the world with the necessary skills to represent the Emirates brand, while building and managing relations with local stakeholders and government bodies, as well as the wider aviation ecosystem, including airports and trade partners in various markets.
Phase one received an 88% satisfaction rate for its relevance, training materials and content from the participants of the first cohort. Phase two of the programme, hosted in 2024 over three days, provided country managers with intensive, practical training in Media Skills and Etiquette Practices. The objective of these training sessions was to further build confidence and provide managers with a deeper understanding of how the media works, while also enhancing their communication skills and ability to formulate key messages in line with Emirates’ commercial and brand objectives.
The Emirates Group announced its collaboration with AGDA in January 2023 to launch a training programme for the airline’s Emirati Country Managers to enhance their diplomatic skills. This initiative is part of the Group’s Commercial Ambassador Leadership Programme and supports Emiratis who have joined Emirates Group’s National Commercial Outstation Programme, which places ambitious and talented UAE Nationals in strategic roles across the Group’s global markets. This allows them to gain broader exposure, expand their network connections, and become more accomplished leaders.
