UAE and Malta launch executive leadership program in government modernization

The governments of the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Malta have announced the launch of the Malta Executive Leadership Programme, inspired by the United Arab Emirates government leadership model.

The announcement was made during a visit by a delegation from the Government Experience Sharing Office (GEEO) of the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs to Valletta, capital of Malta, as part of efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two governments in the modernization of government.

The official visit included a series of meetings with senior Maltese government officials. These meetings reviewed the achievements of bilateral cooperation and updates on collaborative efforts in various facets.

The discussions also covered future knowledge sharing initiatives and projects between the two governments.

The UAE delegation included Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Sharing, along with members of the GEEO team.

they met with Dr Ian Borg, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Tradeand Keith Azzopardi Tanti, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation. The delegation also met with several Maltese government officials and visited the University of Malta as part of a series of knowledge sharing sessions with various institutions.

Keith Azzopardi praised the fruitful collaboration between the governments of Malta and the United Arab Emirates, highlighting the importance of partnerships in developing the capabilities of government employees and providing training opportunities to support their contribution to improving services for citizens.

He stated that the Malta Executive Leadership Program underscores the importance of continuing education and professional development, with the goal of providing government employees with opportunities to sustain their professional growth and continue providing excellent service to the public.

Abdulla Lootah He stated that the launch of the Executive Leadership Program in Malta reflects the focus of cooperation between the UAE and Malta on building government capacity and empowering it with future tools through the exchange of experiences and knowledge and the development of tools, government models and methodologies based on the successful experiences of the UAE.

He stated that cooperation with the Maltese government on government modernization aligns with the directives of UAE leaders to enhance collaboration and expand the scope of sustainable international partnerships. Its goal is to share knowledge, successful experiences and future models that empower governments, improve their preparation for the future, elevate government work and help build a better future.

The GEEO delegation met with Anthony Sultana, Principal Permanent Secretary, for a debate on the prospects for bilateral cooperation between the two friendly nations.

The visit also included a meeting with Gavril Flores, Director of Strategy, Policy and Governance at the Malta Digital Innovation Authoritywho also participates in the Global Government Leaders Program. During this meeting, the successful achievements of the UAE-Malta partnership were reviewed.

The GEEO team also learned about best practices implemented at the Esplora Interactive Science Center. They also met with Professor Alfred J Vella, Rector of the University of Malta, and Professor Ing Simon G Fabri, Pro-Rector of Research and Knowledge Transfer, to learn about the university’s experience in technology and research.

He Executive Leadership Program in Malta is designed to equip participants with specialized skills to enhance the capabilities of government leaders. This program allows them to raise performance levels and strengthen government administration with their best leadership and management skills. Introduces innovative leadership practices to drive development and growth in Malta. The initial edition is made up of 20 executive leaders from the Maltese government.

With pillars including “Future Foresight,” “Agile Governance,” “Designing Better Policies and Strategies,” “Digital Transformation,” and “Future Leadership,” the Executive Leadership Program runs for four months. It involves specialized sessions, dialogue workshops, knowledge sharing sessions and interviews with experts and specialists in various fields of leadership. The aim is to familiarize participants with practical leadership experiences, enhancing the Maltese government’s capacity to address challenges and explore new opportunities aligned with its future aspirations.

The “Future Foresight” pillar focuses on tools to anticipate the future, as well as build and evaluate future scenarios and study their impact on various sectors. Meanwhile, “Agile Government” addresses the role of leaders in understanding the future, emerging trends, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the tools used to monitor trends and their impacts, and the importance of possessing a digital mindset to improve the performance and achieve optimal results.

The “Designing better policies and strategies” pillar emphasizes the role of leaders in developing, evaluating and implementing policies, involving the community in decision-making and policy design. The “Digital Transformation” pillar highlights the importance of digitalization in the design of government policies, strategies and services, improving the quality of life in general.

“Future Leadership” introduces leadership methods, self-leadership, teamwork, leadership flexibility training, and positive impact on the team.

The program includes knowledge sharing sessions with various government entities and learning about the UAE Government’s notable experiences to support executive leadership in Malta.

It seeks to empower participants to develop transformative projects in the Maltese government, relying on innovative and proactive solutions. Participants will be informed about crucial global variables and trends, enabling them to adopt the latest technological solutions and leadership skills needed to meet challenges and shape a better future for humanity.

Signed during the 2023 World Government Summit, the bilateral cooperation agreement on government modernization between the United Arab Emirates and Malta covers six key areas: digital technology, health and well-being, sustainable use of resources, smart manufacturing, space and aviation, and capacity development.

Since the beginning of the association, the Government experience exchange program has played a crucial role in upskilling approximately 800 Maltese government apprentices. This has been achieved by facilitating 100 workshops and meetings, which involved a total of 1,400 hours of training.

News source: Emirates News Agency