"As the UAE moves toward diversifying its economy, one of the sectors the country is heavily investing in is the technology sector. Building technology-based economy requires laying the foundations for different types of engineering and technical industries including but not limited to communications, manufacturing, renewable energies, petrochemicals, logistics and technical services. In order to execute the vision of the UAE and meet the goals set by the leadership of the country, there is a high demand for managers with technical backgrounds to lead these industries. Both the undergraduate and the graduate programs of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM) are a good feed for the demand of these technical expertise to lead this government initiative and compliment other types of engineering disciplines. As a PhD candidate, I believe the program attracts all types of engineers at different levels of their careers and facilitates the exchange of experiences and expertise and gives the opportunity to adopt world-class practices that were implemented in different organizations through shared knowledge. The research element at the end of the program provides the opportunity for students to tackle areas that require improvement in their fields. I highly encourage engineers from other disciplines to pursue graduate studies in IEEM if they plan to move towards technical management positions in their careers."
