CERT and Thales Sign MoU to Set up UAE Rail Academy
Image Courtesy of Thales
The Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) and Thales have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which aims at establishing a Rail Academy in the United Arab Emirates.
This cooperation between CERT and Thales is in line with the UAE Government strategy to develop and sustain national assets and human capital in the UAEs high-tech industry fields.
The Rail Academy will be dedicated to the creation and deployment of high-level professional and academic training programmes to support the UAEs main line rail and urban transport developments.
Expanding Railway Networks
This MoU adds to an already long-term partnership initiated in 1999 between Thales and HCT/CERT when both companies set up the Joint Venture CERT Thales Institute, providing technical training solutions in the UAE in the domain of defence. Now that the UAE is significantly expanding its railway networks, the need for providing talented Emirati experts, with both professional and academic training in various railways fields, has arisen.
Dr. Tayeb Kamali, Group Chief Executive of CERT Group of companies, said: Whilst contributing to the UAE Railway initiative, this cooperation will greatly help to develop a new generation of highly skilled UAE nationals ready to serve the long-term development and strategic goals of the UAE and the Gulf region. Our significant partnership with Thales enables CERT to extend its provision of world-class professional and academic programmes to future managers, technicians and engineers, while benefiting from Thaless unique experience in delivering turnkey solutions.
Thibaut Trancart, Thales country director for UAE, added: Our partnership with CERT is a key milestone for genuine local empowerment in the railway field. We offer recognised turnkey training solutions from design, development, implementation, up to leadership coaching and support to operations for large-scale technical academies and institutes. This new partnership with CERT will definitely support the development of the railway industry in the UAE and add value in the Emirati training & education market.
Thales has a wealth of experience in knowledge transfer across all its areas of expertise, with a strong presence in the Middle East. Over the past 35 years, in the UAE Thales has provided training for over 5,000 professionals. With this latest MoU, Thales, through its in-house university training organisation, is further extending its involvement in human capital development.