Overview Economy Community People Environment Governance & Risk Disclosure GRI & ADX 26GRI 103-1, 103-2, 203-2, 413-1 Supporting local economic growth Boosting our Emiratisation ambition Aldar is among the first private sector companies to support the UAE’s Emiratisation initiatives, which are a key component of the UAE’s Vision 2021. Empowering the professional development of our local talent is essential for the sustainable growth of our business and fosters the development of a skilled workforce in the UAE. Aldar’s long-standing commitment to empowering local Emirati talent goes far beyond compliance with Government initiatives, with Emiratis now representing approximately 30% of our professional workforce across the entire company. We also actively support local initiatives for empowering local talent through strategic partnerships. Our partnership with Sandooq Al Watan promotes research, fosters innovation and supports and upskills UAE national talent. We also provided internship opportunities throughout 2020, to offer valuable work experience and foster business skills for students from Abu Dhabi University, Khalifa University and the Higher College of Technology. First intake graduates from Aldar/ Mohammed V University teacher training partnership More than 80 trainees graduated in 2020 from an inaugural Introductory Teacher Training course - a bilingual programme created by Aldar in collaboration with Mohammed V University Abu Dhabi. Aldar Education’s involvement in this initiative reflects our commitment to shaping the future of education, by empowering and inspiring the next generation of Emirati and GCC teaching professionals. With the aim of training more than 300 young graduates, this high-quality teacher training programme gives them an important practical foundation from which they can continue their professional journey, including a range of academic, technical, language and social skills required to become teachers who will go on to innovate, inspire and positively impact the UAE’s education sector. Ongoing support is provided to graduates on completion of the introductory programme, as they are invited to enrol in Aldar Education’s Initial Training Course, and thereafter a Newly Qualified Teacher Training Programme. Find out more about Emiratisation within our Diversity and Inclusion agenda on page 58.