From Classroom to Career: Dubai Customs Graduates 36 Students in Masar 33, Summer Camp Programs
• 12 government and private entities support the students' career guidance and readiness experience
• 26 students took part in "Dubai Summer Camp"
• 10 students took part in the Masar 33 program
Thirty-six students crossed the stage this week as Dubai Customs marked the graduation of its "Masar 33 – Nafis" and "Dubai Summer Camp" cohorts — the latest step in the organization's push to invest in young talent early. The programs give students a real window into different careers and the demands of tomorrow's industries, helping them make more informed choices about their education and future — and building a national talent pool equipped to keep pace with a fast-moving job market.
The ceremony drew representatives from government and private-sector entities and strategic partners, alongside students and their parents — a turnout that reflects the shared role government institutions, the community, the private sector, and families all play in developing the nation's human capital.
36 Students, 12 Partner Organizations
The programs brought together 26 students in "Dubai Summer Camp" and 10 students in "Masar 33 – Nafis," with 12 government and private entities taking part — five government bodies and seven from the private sector — that helped shape the experience and provide training opportunities spanning a full month under Masar 33, giving students direct exposure to different fields, specializations, and career opportunities.
The experience combined knowledge, hands-on application, and career guidance, giving participants insight into the jobs, skills, and specializations in growing demand, and letting them measure their own interests and abilities against real opportunities — sharpening their ability to make informed decisions about their next educational and career steps.
An Experience That Goes Beyond Summer Training
The graduation capped off an experience designed to go beyond the traditional idea of a summer internship, moving participants from general awareness of professions to direct contact with the realities of the workplace, testing their abilities and interests, and helping them understand the sectors and skills that today's business environments demand. This approach gave students more room to discover themselves, free from stereotypes or hasty choices, and to form a clearer picture of the specializations and opportunities that suit their potential — turning the experience into a practical tool for planning their next steps on more realistic footing.
From Discovering Abilities to Preparing for the Job Market
This approach aligns with the goals of "Masar 33 – Nafis" in strengthening early guidance and preparation for national talent, and reinforcing the link between education, skills, and the needs of economic sectors — in step with the targets of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to develop human capital and boost the competitiveness and sustainable growth of Dubai's economy. Together, the graduates of "Masar 33 – Nafis" and "Dubai Summer Camp" trace a step-by-step journey: it starts with students discovering their abilities and interests, moves into hands-on experience and exposure to opportunities and specializations, and builds toward an early readiness that lets them chart their future path with greater knowledge and clarity.
Al Ghaffari: Early Awareness Leads to More Mature Decisions
Mohammed Al Ghaffari, Executive Director of the Customs Inspection Division at Dubai Customs, said: “We see today's graduation not as the end of a training experience, but as the start of a new kind of awareness. What these students have gained on this journey goes beyond knowledge and skills — it's a deeper understanding of their own abilities and interests, and of the opportunities that await them. The earlier this awareness begins, the better equipped students are to make sound educational and career decisions, and the more ready they become to play an active role in the economy of the future.”
He added: “Preparing the next generation is a shared responsibility that brings together government institutions, the private sector, the community, and families. That's why our national partnerships matter so much — they give students real exposure to the workplace and connect what they're learning to the skills and opportunities the economy needs. Investing at this stage lays the groundwork for a qualified workforce and a competitive knowledge economy capable of sustained growth.”
Al Ghaffari noted that these programs are helping turn career guidance from a one-off activity into a hands-on experience that starts at an early age, giving young people a clearer picture of what economic sectors need, which specializations hold promise, and which skills it takes to succeed in them — supporting a sustainable pipeline of qualified national talent.
Al Muhairi: A Partnership That Links Training to Real Opportunities
Khamis Al Muhairi, Director of Human Resources and Acting Director of the Dubai Logistics Academy at Dubai Customs, said: “The participation of 12 government and private entities in these programs shows how much partnership matters in building an experience that's closely tied to the realities of the job market. Our goal isn't just to introduce students to different jobs — it's to help them understand the skills and responsibilities that professional life demands, and give them an early chance to test their interests and abilities in a range of real-world settings.”
He added: “Bringing the private sector directly into the picture gives students a real window into market needs and promising sectors, and helps them connect what they're learning today with what they could become tomorrow. Through these programs, we're working to build an integrated path — one that starts with discovering abilities, moves through skills development, and leads to informed readiness for educational and career opportunities.”
A National Partnership That Makes an Impact
Dubai Customs commended the cooperation of the five participating government entities — the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, the Emirati Human Resources Development Council-Dubai, the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council "Nafis," Furjan Dubai, and the Higher Colleges of Technology — alongside the participating private-sector organizations, noting that pooling expertise and resources across these different parties helped enrich the experience and widen the range of opportunities available to students. The private sector's involvement carries particular weight, offering direct insight into the needs of economic sectors and exposing young people to a range of specializations and real job requirements — helping shift training from a temporary activity into a pathway that nurtures national talent and connects it to future opportunities.
Dubai Customs also praised the central role parents play in supporting their children, stressing that building informed career choices depends on an integrated system that brings together institutions, families, training providers, and the job market — one that puts human development at the heart of its priorities.