On May 14, The Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Special Education operated by The New England Center for Children (MRC-NECC) was among those honored with a Nafis Award at the presidential palace by HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, vice president and deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates.
The award ceremony recognized exceptional private companies and organizations for their efforts to promote and increase employment opportunities for Emirati citizens. Developed from legislation passed in 2021 to increase participation of UAE nationals in workplaces, the Nafis Talent Competitiveness Program includes various reforms and incentives to promote work opportunities for its citizens. MRC-NECC received top recognition in the education field for their work in promoting Emirati talent in the private sector.
“This is a huge accomplishment for us and a very culturally significant form of recognition for the hard work done by our team here to help promote the inclusion of Emiratis in our school community,” shared Pam Olsen, PhD, MSEd, BCBA, executive director of MRC-NECC. “This award helps further solidify NECC’s work here in the UAE.”
To achieve the required targets in line with the legislation, the MRC-NECC Human Resources Team, led by Senior Director Nihal Saad, MA, CIPD, worked tirelessly to recruit, train, and develop these new team members, who add so much to the culture and experience of the international staff.
NECC has provided services for children with autism in Abu Dhabi for more than 25 years. The Center was established as NECC-Abu Dhabi in 2007, renamed to MRC-NECC in 2018, and currently serves 262 Emirati children of determination.
NECC also provides consulting services to children and adults in countries in and around the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). NECC’s Global Consulting has served more than 300 students through its consultative services and its work in clinics in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
In recognition of its achievement, MRC-NECC will have its logo prominently displayed at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization, the Central Bank of the UAE, and the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council websites.