A national talent leadership development program prepares Emirati and Saudi nationals for leadership roles in the private sector, and prepares expatriate managers to mentor them and hand over responsibility. Bodhih's program covers leadership foundations, business acumen, stretch assignments, mentoring and succession. It is training, not legal advice, and is customised to each organisation.
- Recommended: 6 to 9 months, with quarterly 2-day workshops, monthly live virtual sessions, mentoring and stretch assignments
- Level: Intermediate · In person · Live virtual · Blended
- Designed with the ADDIE model and customised to your context
- Offered by Bodhih since 2008 to 2,000+ organisations across 7 regions
Also known as: Emiratisation leadership program, Saudization leadership development, national talent development program, Emirati leadership development
Where and how: national talent leadership development training as an in-person workshop in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Jaipur; as a live online course; or delivered overseas in Dubai, Singapore and across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Last reviewed · Bodhih Training, Bengaluru
Why national talent development needs more than hiring targets
Across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, national workforce programs are pushing more citizens into private-sector careers. Many organisations have hired well but find it harder to grow nationals into managers and leaders, especially where expatriate teams hold most senior roles.
Success depends on two groups: nationals who need real stretch and support, and expatriate managers who need to see mentoring and handover as part of their job. A national talent leadership development program works with both, so development is deliberate rather than symbolic.
The UAE allocated AED 24 billion under Nafis to employ at least 75,000 Emiratis in the private sector by 2025.
What participants will be able to do
Build confident national leaders
Develop core leadership skills in Emirati and Saudi participants, from leading a team to presenting to senior management.
Accelerate through stretch
Give each national participant structured stretch assignments with clear goals, support and reviews.
Equip expatriate mentors
Train expatriate managers to mentor, coach and gradually hand over responsibility with confidence.
Bridge cultural expectations
Help nationals and expatriates understand each other's expectations about feedback, hierarchy and career growth.
Strengthen business acumen
Build participants' understanding of how the organisation makes money, manages cost and serves customers.
Create visible succession
Link development to named succession plans so national participants can see a realistic path to leadership roles.
Who should attend
- Emirati and Saudi high-potential employees in private-sector organisations
- National graduates and young managers in their first leadership roles
- Expatriate managers who mentor national talent or will hand over their role
- HR and talent leaders responsible for Emiratisation or Saudization plans
- Family groups and multinationals in the Gulf building a national leadership pipeline
Program outline
Recommended design, customised to your context after a short needs analysis.
01Launch: assessment and development plansModule 1 · 1 day+
- Leadership assessment and strengths profile
- Individual development plan agreed with a sponsor
- Understanding the organisation's strategy and national agenda
- Meeting mentors and setting expectations
02Leadership foundations for national talentModule 2 · 2 days+
- Leading a team and earning credibility with experienced colleagues
- Feedback, coaching and difficult conversations
- Decision-making and ownership
- Presenting ideas to senior leaders with confidence
03Business acumen and stretch assignmentsModule 3 · 1 day plus project time+
- How the business makes money: revenue, cost and cash
- Choosing a meaningful stretch assignment
- Project planning and stakeholder support
- Review panels with senior leaders
04Mentoring and handover for expatriate managersModule 4 · 1 day+
- The mentor's role in national talent development
- Coaching conversations and structured feedback
- Planning a staged handover of responsibilities
- Addressing concerns about role security openly
05Cross-cultural collaborationModule 5 · Half day+
- Different expectations about hierarchy, feedback and career pace
- Building trust across nationalities in the same team
- Avoiding stereotypes in both directions
- Joint session for nationals and mentors
06Succession and graduationModule 6 · 1 day+
- Presenting stretch assignment results
- Updating succession plans with HR and sponsors
- Next-step roles and development goals
- Mentor and participant commitments for the next year
Sample workshop plan: 4 workshop days, hands-on
These are the workshop days inside the national talent journey. Workshop 1 launches the national cohort: strengths, development plans, leading experienced colleagues and presenting to senior leaders. Workshop 2 equips expatriate managers to mentor and plan a staged handover. Workshop 3 brings both groups together for business acumen, stretch assignment selection and an honest cross-cultural dialogue. The half-day graduation showcase closes the journey, with national participants presenting stretch results to senior sponsors and updating succession plans.
National participants can explain their strengths, agree a development plan and practise leading experienced colleagues and presenting upward.
- 09:30–10:00My leadership story in objectsEnergiser
- 10:00–11:00Strengths profile debriefDiagnostic
- 11:15–11:45Credibility with experienced colleaguesConcept burst
- 11:45–13:00The first team meetingRole-play
- 13:45–14:45Decisions and ownershipCase clinic
- 14:45–15:30Feedback both waysSkill drill
- 15:45–16:45Present to the executive committeePresentation
- 16:45–17:30Meet my mentorReflection
Expatriate mentors can coach and give feedback to national talent and plan a staged handover of responsibilities.
- 09:30–10:00The mentor who shaped meEnergiser
- 10:00–11:00The mentor's roleDiagnostic
- 11:15–12:30Coaching conversationsSkill drill
- 12:30–13:00Structured feedbackDemo & practice
- 13:45–15:00Staged handover planBuild sprint
- 15:15–16:15The role security questionFishbowl
- 16:15–17:00Mentoring rhythmAction planning
- 17:00–17:30What I will do differentlyReflection
Nationals and mentors share a view of how the business makes money, agree stretch assignments and build trust across cultures.
- 09:30–10:00Three months inEnergiser
- 10:00–11:15How the business makes moneyBusiness game
- 11:30–12:30Choose a real stretchBuild sprint
- 12:30–13:00Stakeholders for the stretchPeer coaching
- 13:45–14:45Expectations across culturesGroup challenge
- 14:45–15:30Honest dialogueFishbowl
- 15:45–16:45Stretch review panel rehearsalPresentation
- 16:45–17:30Next three monthsReflection
National participants present stretch results and leave with an updated succession path and next-year commitments.
- 09:30–10:00Journey lineReflection
- 10:00–11:15Capstone: stretch results showcasePresentation
- 11:30–12:15Succession conversationPeer coaching
- 12:15–13:00Commitments for the next yearAction planning
Every session’s activity, timings, outputs and materials, plus pre-work, a 90-day reinforcement plan and how impact is measured. Free, emailed to you instantly.
A 6- to 9-month journey with linked tracks for national participants and expatriate mentors: a launch and leadership foundations workshop, a mentor workshop, a joint business acumen and cross-cultural day and a half-day graduation showcase (09:30–17:30 unless noted), woven between monthly live virtual sessions, mentoring and stretch assignments. A sample design: every Bodhih program is customised after a short needs analysis.
How long is the national talent leadership program?
The recommended journey runs six to nine months. It includes a launch and leadership foundations workshop, a mentor workshop, a joint business acumen and cross-cultural day and a half-day graduation, with monthly live virtual sessions, mentoring and stretch assignments in between. Workshops can also run live virtual.
What activities are included in the national talent leadership program?
National participants run a first team meeting with experienced colleagues, pitch to a mock executive committee and present stretch results to senior sponsors. Mentors plan a staged handover and discuss role security openly. Both groups play a business game and hold an honest fishbowl dialogue on cross-cultural expectations.
How we deliver it
Two-sided design
National participants and expatriate mentors follow linked tracks, with joint sessions that build a shared understanding of the journey.
Real stretch, real support
Participants take on meaningful assignments with sponsor backing and structured reviews, rather than symbolic projects.
Culturally aware facilitation
Facilitators adapt examples and discussion styles to Gulf workplaces and address sensitive topics, such as role handover, respectfully.
Training, not legal advice
The program develops people. It does not advise on Emiratisation or Saudization regulations or quotas; organisations should consult official sources and their legal advisors for compliance.
Tailored versions
For UAE organisations
Aligned with Emiratisation goals and the development of Emirati talent in private-sector roles, delivered in person in the UAE or live virtually.
For Saudi organisations
Aligned with Saudization and Vision 2030 human capability priorities, with cases drawn from Saudi workplaces and delivered in person or live virtually.
Expatriate mentor intensive
A standalone two-day program for expatriate managers on mentoring, coaching and planning handover to national successors.
How we measure impact
Following ADDIE, each participant completes a leadership assessment on AssessAll at the start and end, supported by a 360° pulse from managers and colleagues. Mentors and sponsors review progress at 30, 60 and 90 days and after each stretch assignment. With HR, we track agreed indicators such as national talent retention, internal promotions of nationals into leadership roles and progress on named succession plans.
Pair this program with AssessAll, Bodhih’s AI assessment platform, for pre- and post-program skill measurement.
Frequently asked questions
How do companies develop Emirati talent for leadership roles?
Effective approaches combine assessment, a clear development plan, meaningful stretch assignments, mentoring by experienced leaders and visible succession paths. Development should be deliberate and supported by senior sponsors. Our national talent leadership development program brings these elements together and also prepares expatriate managers to act as mentors.
What is Saudization in leadership development?
Saudization refers to Saudi Arabia's policies to increase employment of Saudi nationals in the private sector. In leadership development, it means growing Saudi employees into managerial and leadership roles, not just hiring them. This program supports that development. It is training, not legal advice, and does not interpret Saudization rules or quotas.
How can expatriate managers mentor national talent?
They can share knowledge openly, give regular honest feedback, involve mentees in real decisions and plan a staged handover of responsibilities. Addressing their own concerns about role security helps them mentor wholeheartedly. Our program includes a dedicated track that trains expatriate managers in these mentoring and handover skills.
How long does it take to prepare a national for a leadership role?
It depends on the person's experience and the role. For first-line leadership, a structured six to nine month program with stretch assignments can build strong readiness. More senior roles usually need longer, with several assignments and ongoing mentoring. We agree realistic timelines with sponsors during the needs analysis.
What should a national talent development program include?
It should include assessment, individual development plans, leadership skills training, business acumen, meaningful stretch assignments, mentoring and a link to succession planning. It should also prepare the managers around the participants. Our design covers all of these and is customised using the ADDIE model.
Does Bodhih advise on Emiratisation or Saudization compliance?
No. This is a leadership development program, not legal or regulatory advice. We do not interpret quotas, targets or penalties. For compliance matters, please refer to official government sources such as the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation or the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and your legal advisors.
Can the program be delivered in the UAE and Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Bodhih delivers across the Middle East, with master trainers travelling from Bengaluru for in-person workshops, and live virtual sessions between them. Bodhih has no local offices in the Gulf, so we work with your venue or a partner venue. Content is adapted to each country's context.