Dr. Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al Awar is the UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and Chairman of the HCT Board of Trustees The Minister has over 25 years’ experience in senior executive positions in public and private sectors and across various industries, including oil and gas, banking, education, and regulation of the labor market. His Excellency previously held the position of Director General of the Federal Authority of Government Human Resources (FAHR) in 2009, as well as the role of Executive Vice President (EVP) of Business Development, New Smelters at the Dubai Aluminum Company (DUBAL). He also served as the Director General of the National Human Resources Development & Employment Authority (TANMIA) and worked for Dolphin Energy, Dubai Petroleum and HSBC. In addition to his role as Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, His Excellency is the Chancellor, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, of HCT. In addition, he is a Board Member of the following entities: • University of Dubai, BOT (UoD) • Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) • Dragon Oil Holdings Limited (DOHL) • Oilfields Supply Center (OSC) • Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (NAFIS ( • Education and Human Resources Council • Emirates Competitiveness Council • Federal Demographic Council His Excellency had also served on the National Defense College Supreme Council and was a Member of the UAE Gender Balance Council. His Excellency holds a Ph.D. in Geology and Geochemistry from Colorado School of Mines (CSM), USA (1995).

Dr. Alayyan has over 20 years’ experience in planning, project management and capacity development, managing several government programs, projects and initiatives. Prior to joining HCT, he served as the Vice President of Rabdan Academy, contributing to the establishment of the Academy in 2010 as an independent educational institution under the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. Rabdan Academy was established as a national center for the qualification and development of Emiratis in the sectors of defense, security, safety & emergencies, crises and disaster management. Dr. Alayyan has also served in several key posts in major governmental entities, including the Critical Infrastructure & Coastal Protection Authority, the Tawazun Economic Council and Khalifa University. The new HCT President and CEO holds a PhD in Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering from Curtin University in Australia, a Master of Science in Electrical, Electronics and Communication Engineering from the University of Melbourne, Australia and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering Technology from Khalifa University.

Mr. Jasim Alhammadi has been appointed as HCT’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective from August 1, 2022. He has over 21 years’ progressive experience in the Finance and Accounting fields, including over 9 years’ international experience in the government and private sectors. Prior to his current role, Mr. Jasim was the COO of the Center of Excellence for Research & Training (CERT), HCT’s commercial arm, where he played a vital role in enabling CERT to achieve its strategic objectives by developing and implementing operational strategies, policies and procedures. Mr. Jasim has previously served as an Executive Director of Support Services at the General Pension & Social Security Authority, where he provided high-quality support services to all stakeholders. He has also held the position of the Director of Support Services at the Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE), where he contributed towards building an excellent academic environment. He started his career at Etisalat, progressing to the position of Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Jasim holds an MBA from Abu Dhabi School of Management, UAE.

Dr. Verburgh holds a PhD from the Nijmegen Institute for Cognition and Information (NICI) at Radboud University, Netherlands, an MSc in Applied Psychology from the University of Wales, and an M.Phil. from Radboud University. Dr. Verburgh has broad management experience as a board member of the Association of Universities of Applied Science in the Netherlands and other academic, vocational, and industry entities.

Mr. Ahmed holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration & Applied Science in Information Systems Management from Higher College of Technology, UAE. Mr. Ahmed has over 23 years of experience in streaming digital transformation initiatives, delivering strategic plans for implementation of projects, developments in IT operations and driving performances. He was working in General Pension & Social Security Authority as Information Technology Director.

Ms. Hind has 15 years’ leadership experience within the UAE’s dynamic education sector. Prior to joining HCT she worked for the Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA), where she led projects focused on the pillars of education and wellbeing and happiness within schools. She has also enjoyed a range of board and committee memberships at multiple education institutions. Ms. Hind is an exemplar in Disruptive Thinking approaches, complementing her highly developed interpersonal communication skills, enabling her to understand and appreciate a range of different perspectives. Her understanding of human behavior, combined with her finely tuned sense of empathy and an ability to appreciate individuals’ strengths, culminate in Ms. Hind’s leadership style being inclusive, collaborative and empowering. She is known for bringing people together and unifying them. In addition to her exemplary soft skills, Ms. Hind’s continued leadership success has been augmented by the use of cutting-edge technology, deft project management skills and well-honed resolution skills in complex issues. Her use of, and interest in, technologies in education has facilitated Ms. Hind working collaboratively with regulatory bodies in the UAE on a range of projects, resulting in the establishment of regulations that support the use, and embedding, of innovation in UAE schools. Her passion for education and technology has also led Ms. Hind to supporting a number of Educational Technology startups, through advisory and mentoring roles from the incubation to commercialization stages. Ms. Hind holds a Master’s Degree in Professional Studies in City Sciences from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Dubai. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Multimedia Computing for E-commerce from Brunel University, in the UK, and a Bachelor in Computer Science (Statistics) from the UAE University.

Ms. Sumaya holds a Master’s Degree in Information Technology, specialized in Cyber Security from Zayed University. Other education achievements include postgraduate Diploma in Organizational Leadership attained from Saïd Business School and Bachelor in Information Systems obtained from Zayed University. Ms. Sumaya is a strategist leader with more than sixteen years of experience. She worked as Executive Director (Dean) at Abu Dhabi School of Government where she played pivotal role in implementing holistic L&D framework across Abu Dhabi Government. Contributed to the execution of Abu Dhabi Government foundational strategies and advocated for the organizational change agenda focusing on strategy, systems, culture and people in order to become a customer centric and result oriented organization.