Elite Program participants to conduct site visit to Singapore's major water treatment centre
Second day of Dubai Opening Study Visit Program examines Singapore's strategies to ensure long-term sustainability
The Elite Program, a specialised program initiated by the Executive Office of Dubai and managed by Mohammed Bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development (MBRPLD), has announced that program participants will visit today (February 3, 2009) a modern wastewater treatment facility in Singapore as part of the second day agenda of the Dubai Opening Study Visit Program (DO). The Elite Program participants are scheduled to visit the NEWater headquarters where they will learn more about Singapore's advanced strategies in water management and treatment, and then join Singaporean experts in discussing prevailing issues, future challenges and opportunities in the area of sustainable development, through project-specific infrastructure.
NEWater is the brand name given to reclaimed water produced by Singapore's Public Utilities Board. There are currently four NEWater facilities that treat wastewater using dual-membrane (via microfiltration and reverse osmosis) and ultraviolet technologies, in addition to conventional water treatment processes. Elite Program participants will also attend lectures on "Sustainable Urban Development: The Singapore Experience" and the "Economics of Sustainable Development" to be conducted by renowned Singaporean speakers and public sector leaders.
Adel Al Shared, Executive Chairman, Elite Program said: "The Elite Program participants will definitely learn a lot about successful strategies and techniques to promote sustainable development in our society. The exclusive site visit and discussion meetings have been designed to enable them to widen their experience and knowledge in the critical area of sustainability and help them better identify practical solutions to the unique challenges of our region."
Alya Al Sheikh, an Elite Program participant said: “This visit will offer us an opportunity to envision Singapore’s major efforts to adopt the most advanced methods to manage robust local governance systems and to attain sustainable economic development, which is also what Dubai is committed to.”
The DO's day-two activities follow a highly successful opening day wherein the Elite Program participants received a detailed overview of Singapore's success story conducted by prominent Singaporean speakers. The educational tour, which runs from February 2 to 6, focuses on the central topic of "Managing Global Cities."
The Elite Program participants previously attended lectures focusing on Singapore's initiatives to develop a dynamic governance system and improve national competitiveness. Singapore's framework for dynamic governance comprises the foundation of a supportive institutional culture and the development of proactive organizational capabilities. The participants also learned how to explore the determinants of national competitiveness from a bottom-up or microeconomic perspective.
The DO program revolves around three key themes that have been deemed critical for public sector leaders to succeed in managing global cities such as Dubai: governance and national competitiveness; infrastructure projects; and strategic and economical outlook. The experience and knowledge acquired from the study tour will be used by the program participants to develop customised strategies that are beneficial to Dubai and complementary to the Dubai Strategic Plan.
The Elite Program been established to identify and prepare promising young UAE nationals to be future leaders capable of managing the strategic initiatives of the local and federal governments. The DO program is part of several modules specially developed for the Elite Program participants.
The Elite Program targets talented young professionals in the 21-25 age bracket who have a bachelor's degree from a recognised university, proven academic excellence, strong leadership potential, working knowledge in both Arabic and English, basic computer skills, and a genuine dedication and commitment to the region's human and socioeconomic progress.
