DUBAI, 12th August, 2026 (WAM) -- The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA Dubai), through the GDRFA Dubai Youth Council, organised a celebration marking International Youth Day, observed annually on 12 August, reaffirming its commitment to investing in national talent, strengthening the role of young professionals in leading institutional development, and preparing future leaders capable of shaping the future of government work, in line with the Government of Dubai's vision of building a more agile, future-ready, and proactive government.
The ceremony, attended by Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai, along with the Assistant Directors General, featured the announcement of the Youth Council’s results, as well as the recognition of young talents through the “Youth Excellence Imprint Award,” which aims to identify and honour outstanding young individuals within the General Directorate and transform individual achievements into sustainable institutional value.
The General Directorate also highlighted key youth indicators, reflecting its success in building an institutional ecosystem that enables national talents to advance into leadership positions and actively contribute to developing initiatives and shaping decision-making.
Today, youth represent 36% of GDRFA Dubai’s workforce, forming a fundamental pillar of its institutional ecosystem, with an Emiratisation rate of 100%. Among them, 96 hold supervisory and leadership positions, demonstrating the Directorate’s success in empowering and developing young national leaders entrusted with key responsibilities and enabled to lead development projects and drive institutional excellence.
During the ceremony, GDRFA Dubai honoured the winners of the “Youth Impact” Initiative in recognition of their excellence and outstanding contributions to advancing institutional performance.
A total of 12 employees were recognised, with seven achieving the Distinguished Level with scores exceeding 80%, while five achieved the Advanced Level with scores ranging between 70% and 80%, reflecting the capabilities of young talent and their ability to contribute effectively to institutional development and excellence.
Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai, affirmed that youth represent the true wealth of institutions and the driving force behind the future.
He noted that the achievements of GDRFA Dubai's young national talent reflect the Directorate's success in creating a work environment that invests in people, empowers them with trust, and provides the space needed to innovate, create impact, and take on greater responsibility.
He said, "At GDRFA Dubai, we believe that investing in youth is an investment in the Directorate's future and the sustainability of its excellence. Empowering young people goes beyond developing their skills; it means involving them in decision-making, entrusting them with leading initiatives, and providing opportunities to transform their ideas into impactful projects that enhance institutional performance, in line with our wise leadership's vision of building a more agile, future-ready, and pioneering government."
Major General Awad Mohammed Al Owais, Assistant Director General for Human Resources and Finance, stressed that investing in national talent is one of the key pillars of GDRFA Dubai's human capital strategy. He noted that the Directorate has adopted an integrated framework for attracting, developing, qualifying, and empowering talent to assume leadership roles, ensuring its readiness to sustain the journey of development and excellence.
He added, "We are committed to providing a supportive work environment that encourages continuous learning, develops young professionals' leadership and professional capabilities, and enables them to participate in strategic projects. This contributes to preparing national leaders equipped with the knowledge, experience, and capabilities needed to advance excellence and strengthen the Directorate's competitiveness at both the local and global levels."