Abu dhabi: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, continues to reinforce its commitment to attracting and engaging exceptional Emirati talent, while strengthening its community engagement through impactful, community-centred activations across Abu Dhabi, as part of its ambitious Emirati talent strategy. On Saturday, the airline participated in the Mother of the Nation Festival, delivering a series of engaging community experiences designed to connect with diverse segments of society and bring Etihad closer to the community.
According to Emirates News Agency, Etihad's participation also included collaborations with Emirati entrepreneurs and small businesses at the festival, supporting local products and providing them with a platform to showcase their offerings directly to the event's audience, further reflecting the airline's approach to standing alongside national talent and remaining closely connected to the community it serves.
To highlight the impact of Emirati talent across the airline, Etihad premiered its UAE National Talent short film on the festival's main stage, offering a cinematic glimpse into the career opportunities available to UAE nationals. The narrative follows two Emirati graduates as they journey through Zayed International Airport on their way to Manchester, uncovering the world behind Etihad along the way. Through visual storytelling, audiences are introduced to the roles that contribute to the airline's success, including engineers, technicians, pilots, airport managers, and ground operations teams.
The community engagement and launch of the film align with Etihad's UAE National Talent Strategy, established earlier this year to advance Emirati talent across the airline. The strategy is underpinned by six specialised programmes: the Cadet Pilot Programme, Cadet Technician Programme, Airport Management Programme, Bedayati Graduate Programme, MBA Graduate Programme, and the Emerging Talent Programme, which focuses on direct hires for key corporate areas including analytics, forecasting, business intelligence, and other data-driven roles. Collectively, these programmes offer structured career pathways across both technical and corporate functions for outstanding Emirati talent, contributing to the long-term growth and competitiveness of the UAE aviation sector.
Dr. Nadia Bastaki, Chief People, Government and Corporate Affairs Officer at Etihad Airways, expressed that the airline is experiencing one of its most ambitious chapters, having become the fastest-growing airline in the region. She highlighted that by bringing the brightest Emirati minds into Etihad, the airline is building strong, future-ready teams that will play a central role in its growth journey and contribute to the UAE's continued success.
Etihad wrapped up its participation in the Mother of the Nation Festival with a raffle for attendees, featuring prizes such as flights to Manchester and tickets to watch Manchester City FC compete live at the Etihad Stadium.