DUBAI, 14th June, 2026 (WAM) — Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment has launched the “Housing Pioneers” initiative with the aim of developing leaders who possess vision, resilience, and the ability to drive change, while qualifying and empowering second-line leaders and preparing a new generation of leaders capable of leading institutional transformation and advancing sustainable innovation in the housing sector.
Mohammed Hassan Al Shehhi, Chief Executive Officer of Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment, said that the initiative is a training programme designed to qualify and empower second-line leaders, and to prepare a new generation of leaders capable of leading institutional transformation and creating sustainable innovation in the housing sector.
He noted that the initiative represents a practical embodiment of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, in investing in people as the true wealth and the main driver of sustainable development, while preparing national leaders who are capable of anticipating the future, creating opportunities, and transforming challenges into achievements.
He added: “The programme brought together 15 second-line leaders who underwent an exceptional experience aimed at enhancing the future readiness of departments, raising the level of institutional resilience, and consolidating a culture of innovation and continuous development, in line with the directions of the Government of Dubai to build proactive institutions capable of keeping pace with change.”
He further stated: “The initiative aligns with the objectives of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and the Dubai Social Agenda, which aim to build a more sustainable society and enhance quality of life through flexible and innovative government institutions led by national competencies prepared for the future. The initiative is not a traditional training programme; rather, it is an integrated transformation journey that extended over six months and included 162 training and practical hours for each participant, with a total of 2,430 hours of learning, application, projects, and interactive activities.
The programme focused on developing leadership, administrative, technical, and personal skills through a balanced combination of theoretical knowledge, practical application, and real-life challenges that reflect the actual work environment.”
He explained that one of the most distinctive aspects of the programme is its direct connection to institutional outcomes. The initiative resulted in the development of 3 strategic innovative projects that serve as practical models for transformation in the housing sector.
The first project is “Smart Hybrid Construction”, which aims to accelerate completion, improve implementation quality, and leverage modern construction technologies.
The second project is “Smart Maintenance of Houses”, which aims to shift from traditional maintenance to proactive maintenance based on data and smart technologies.
The third project focused on employing drone technologies to monitor projects, audit productivity, enhance oversight efficiency, and improve the quality of decision-making.
The impact of the initiative was not limited to the participants alone, but extended to the entire work environment. The programme contributed to strengthening a culture of collaboration and innovation across different departments, and to launching more than twenty knowledge-based and development-oriented activities and initiatives in which employees and leaders participated, with the aim of transforming knowledge into practice and ideas into tangible results.
Among the key initiatives that accompanied the programme was the “Coffee and Book” initiative, which was based on distributing the book “Life Taught Me” by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and studying its content on a weekly basis within departments and sections. This contributed to spreading knowledge, promoting a culture of continuous learning, and creating a positive work environment capable of dealing with challenges with a spirit of initiative and responsibility.
The results of the programme confirm its success in achieving its objectives, as the satisfaction rate among participants reached 99.7%. The programme also received international accreditation, while participants obtained nine specialised local and international certificates that supported their professional and leadership journeys. The programme’s impact was also directly reflected on nearly 200 employees working within the teams led by the participants, contributing to enhanced institutional performance and a higher level of future readiness within the Establishment.
During the graduation ceremony, participants were honoured and awarded the “Leadership Medal”, in addition to recognising the team that won the award for Best Innovative Project, as well as honouring the top five leaders in leadership, excellence, creativity, and impact-making. This reflects the Establishment’s culture of appreciating achievement and motivating institutional excellence.
One of the key indicators of the initiative’s success is that one of the participants was appointed to the position of Assistant Director General, reflecting the programme’s ability to identify and empower leadership talents and prepare them to assume greater responsibilities and contribute to institutional decision-making.
The true value of the initiative lies not only in the number of training hours or professional certificates, but in its ability to create a real transformation in leadership thinking, strengthen the culture of initiative, responsibility, and decision-making, and build a second line of leaders capable of ensuring the sustainability of institutional performance and the continuity of development and innovation.
The “Housing Pioneers” initiative represents a pioneering national model in building future leaders, and a practical embodiment of a vision that believes institutional change begins with developing people, and that innovation is not a temporary project, but a daily practice and a sustainable work culture.
As institutions move towards digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and sustainability, the need remains for leaders who possess the ability to think differently, create opportunities, and turn challenges into achievements. This is precisely what the “Housing Pioneers” initiative has succeeded in achieving: preparing leaders who do not merely manage the present, while shaping the future.
Source: Emirates News Agency