logo
du launches Experience X internship program to empower UAE national youth

du launches Experience X internship program to empower UAE national youth

Al Bawaba4 days ago
du, the leading telecom and digital services provider, today announced the launch of Experience X, aimed at fostering an enriched experience for undergraduate talent eager to step into the professional world. This program is at the forefront of du's commitment to Emiratization and empowering the national youth, aiming to provide hands-on experience that paves the way for university students towards potential future roles in the industry.Experience X is designed to meet the evolving demands of the current market while aligning with the nation's agenda to nurture and empower its youth. By focusing on internships, du is providing invaluable opportunities for young talent to gain practical experience, understand the professional world, and spark their ambition for a future in various sectors.Fatema Al Afeefi, Chief People & Impact Officer (Acting) at du, said: 'We believe in the power of the youth as the driving force for our nation's future. Experience X is a gateway for the national youth to explore, engage, and excel in their desired career paths. The program is aimed at addressing the market's current demands and actively contributing to a future where our youth are equipped, empowered, and inspired to lead. This initiative marks a significant milestone in our continuous efforts towards Emiratization and showcases our commitment to empowering the national youth.'The 12-week immersive initiative is designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world application. The program offers interns structured learning plans tailored to their academic specializations and interests, while fostering both technical and soft skill development. Each intern is paired with a dedicated buddy for mentorship and support, ensuring a guided and enriching experience. Fully integrated into their teams, interns actively participate in meetings, contribute to live projects, and engage in team dynamics, gaining hands-on exposure to professional life and career opportunities.
Participants in the program will benefit from a curriculum that includes professional development, hands-on projects, and mentorship from industry leaders within du. This approach ensures the growth of the interns and the enrichment of the local talent pool, aligning with the UAE's vision for a sustainable and diversified economy.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Saudi insurtech Yasmina closes $2 million Seed
Saudi insurtech Yasmina closes $2 million Seed

Wamda

time12 hours ago

  • Wamda

Saudi insurtech Yasmina closes $2 million Seed

Saudi Arabia-based Yasmina has raised $2 million in a seed round led by Scene Holding, with co-leadership participation from Access Bridge Ventures, Arzan VC, and Sanabil's 500 MENA Accelerator. Founded in 2023 by Masoud Alhelou and Bashar Abalkhail, Yasmina enables digital platforms to offer personalised, API-driven insurance products (SME: medical, motor, life, and general) at checkout, fully regulated and ready in under 48 hours. The funding will help Yasmina scale operations beyond KSA, with planned launches in UAE (2025) and Egypt (2026). Press release: Yasmina, the pioneering embedded insurance platform based in Riyadh, has successfully secured $2 million in Seed funding. Scene Holding led the round, co-led by Access Bridge Ventures, with participation from Arzan VC and early backing from the Sanabil Investment Accelerator by 500 MENA. Founded in 2023 by Masoud Alhelou and Bashar Abalkhail, Yasmina is transforming how insurance is delivered across digital platforms. By offering seamless API integration that enables digital businesses to provide personalised insurance at checkout in under 48 hours, Yasmina meets customers where they are, with full regulatory approval and a frictionless user experience. Since its inception, Yasmina has formed strategic partnerships across HR, auto, travel, POS, and real estate platforms. These collaborations are expected to bring embedded insurance to over 1.5 million customers, offering a range of products including SME Medical, Motor, Life, and General Insurance. With $2M in Seed funding, Yasmina is scaling its team and launching operations beyond Saudi Arabia, beginning with the UAE this year and Egypt in 2026. Masoud Alhelou, Yasmina's Co-founder and CEO, commented: 'This round is a strong vote of confidence in our vision to simplify insurance across digital touchpoints. We're proud to be the first embedded insurance platform in Saudi Arabia, and this funding will help us scale faster, serve more partners, and redefine how protection is offered in the region.'‍ Sultan Ghaznawi, Chairman & Managing Director of Scene Holding, commented: 'At Scene Holding, we back founders who are solving legacy problems with precision and scale. Yasmina's API-first model and regulatory momentum place it at the intersection of Insurtech, fintech and protection, a space we believe will define the next wave of value creation across MENA.' Rakan AlRashed, Partner at Access Bridge Ventures, commented: "At Access Bridge Ventures, we're passionate about the untapped potential of Saudi Arabia's Insurtech landscape. Yasmina's team has paired deep sector insight with impressive early traction, and they're well-positioned to become the breakout player the market has been waiting for. We're thrilled to support them and are confident that together we can reshape how insurance is delivered across the Kingdom." Amal Dokhan, Managing Partner at 500 Global, commented: 'At 500, we support bold founders aiming to solve meaningful problems, and Yasmina is an example. We believed in their vision early on, and their momentum today shows just how powerfully embedded insurance can be across our region.' Hasan J. Zainal, Arzan VC's Founder & Managing Partner, commented: 'For years, insurance companies in the region have followed a well-worn path – familiar, but far from transformative. We believe the Yasmina team is uniquely positioned to drive innovation in this sector, thanks to their superior understanding and strategic insight into the regional insurance landscape.'

Lucidya secures $30 million in Series B, setting a MENA AI funding record
Lucidya secures $30 million in Series B, setting a MENA AI funding record

Wamda

time13 hours ago

  • Wamda

Lucidya secures $30 million in Series B, setting a MENA AI funding record

Saudi Arabia-based SaaS platform Lucidya has raised $30 million in a Series B round. The round was led by Impact46, with participation from Wa'ed Ventures (Aramco), Takamol Ventures, SparkLabs, Rua Growth Fund, and ARG. Founded in 2016 by Abdullah Asiri, Lucidya serves clients across 11 MENA countries spanning telecom, BFSI, healthcare, hospitality, and the public sector—covering over 75 million users. Its Arabic-native AI engine delivers >92% accuracy, enabling smarter CX automation, sentiment analysis, and omnichannel engagement. The investment will accelerate the development of Lucidya's AI Agent platform, automating customer-facing roles in sales, support, and marketing. In 2022, Lucidya raised a funding round at $6 million, led by Rua Growth Fund with participation from M.A.L Ventures and AlRashed Group, along with other investors. Press release: Lucidya, MENA's leading AI-Powered customer experience management (CXM) platform, has announced the close of its $30 million Series B round—the largest AI investment ever raised in the region. The round was led by Impact46, the Saudi VC behind IPOs Jahez and Rasan. New participants included Aramco's investment arm Wa'ed Ventures, government-backed, digital-innovation catalyst Takamol Ventures, and SparkLabs. Existing investors Rua Growth Fund and ARG also returned, doubling down on their long-term conviction in Lucidya's trajectory. Congratulations were delivered by H.E. Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, during his visit to Lucidya's Riyadh headquarters. Founded in 2016 and backed by VCs since 2019, Lucidya is one of MENA's AI pioneers. Operating in 11 countries, it serves telecom, BFSI, hospitality, healthcare, and public sector clients with a combined market cap over USD250 billion—enhancing experiences for their 75 million+ customers and citizens across the region. Abdullah Asiri, Lucidya's CEO and Founder, commented on the round, explaining, 'We bet on AI back in 2016, long before it became a boardroom buzzword. That early conviction is now paying off as we become the trusted, regional AI partner for CX.' At the core of Lucidya's platform is a proprietary Arabic-language AI engine with +92% accuracy—an industry benchmark that powers deep insights, intelligent engagement, and automation across customer touchpoints where others fall short. Lucidya is targeting MENA's rapidly growing CRM/CX software market, projected to reach $9 billion by 2030. Commenting on the milestone, Asiri shared, 'We chose Impact46 to lead this round because they are one of the most proven VCs, with two IPOs in their portfolio. They are the perfect partner to scale Lucidya to a global AI force.' 'Lucidya is exactly the kind of company we look to back—founders solving real regional challenges with defensible tech and bold ambition,' said Impact46 Partner, Basmah Alsinaidi. 'Their mastery of Arabic-first AI and traction with top-tier enterprises mark them as a future category leader.' With this investment, Lucidya will scale its AI Agent offering, positioning itself as a digital workforce platform for customer-facing roles; automating and personalising engagement across support, marketing, sales, and CX while cutting costs and ensuring compliance like PDPL. Asiri highlighted the expansion's impact: 'By expanding into AI Agents, we're tapping into the region's labour economy, turning workforce costs into scalable, compliant AI capacity.'

Ooredoo and Ministry of Education Launch ‘Next Gen Learners' Career Exploration Programme
Ooredoo and Ministry of Education Launch ‘Next Gen Learners' Career Exploration Programme

Al Bawaba

time13 hours ago

  • Al Bawaba

Ooredoo and Ministry of Education Launch ‘Next Gen Learners' Career Exploration Programme

Ooredoo, together with the Ministry of Education represented by the Career Guidance and Student Counseling Center, is proud to launch Next Gen Learners, a new Career Exploration Programme designed to introduce school students to real-world career paths and help them understand the rapidly evolving job market. Running from 13 to 31 July, the programme is led by Ooredoo's training team with support from B2B and key corporate teams. Over two immersive weeks, students will explore workplace roles, experience Ooredoo's culture firsthand, and gain insights into organisational life, ethics, and future-focused industries.'This initiative reflects Ooredoo's commitment to building a future-ready Oman through youth development,' said Khawla Al Amri, Chief People Officer at Ooredoo. 'By welcoming students into our workplace, we're helping shape a more informed and ambitious generation, while creating pathways that connect learning to leadership.'This initiative bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world opportunity, empowering students to envision their future and make informed career Salim Hamed Al Musalami, Senior career and employment specialist at Ministry of Education added: 'We are proud to collaborate with Ooredoo on the Next Gen Learners initiative. Programmes like these are vital to preparing our youth for the world ahead. By exposing students to real professional environments, we are strengthening their readiness for higher education and future careers.' Next Gen Learners supports Ooredoo's strategy to invest in youth, education, and community impact, reflecting its role as a purpose-driven partner in shaping Oman's future. The programme sets a benchmark for public-private collaboration in talent development, offering a model for future partnerships. By investing early, Ooredoo is helping build a skilled workforce that drives national growth and improves customer experience.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store