Learning, co-created: how education takes shape across AWR Group
Meet the Learning & Development Team at AWR Group
L-R: Eyas Kayaly, Senior Learning & Development Specialist, Rowan Elbardicy, Manager - Learning & Development, Aayah Almutawa, Learning & Development Specialist, Hala Kabarah, Head of Learning & Development.
Education today is no longer confined to classrooms, curricula, or platforms. It takes shape through experience, participation, and relevance - shaped by the people closest to the work and the realities they navigate every day.
Across AWR Group, learning is approached as a shared responsibility. One that is built through collaboration between teams, partners, and institutions, and strengthened through real-world application. On International Day of Education, this perspective carries particular relevance - inviting reflection on how learning creates impact when it is actively shaped, applied, and sustained over time.
Learning grounded in practice
In 2025, AWR Group’s learning ecosystem continued to evolve around one central principle: learning should support people in doing their work better, with confidence and clarity.
This year alone, 67 in-person training programmes were delivered across the Group, engaging 806 delegates and clocking 5,307 hours of face-to-face learning. These sessions created space for dialogue, skill-building, and shared problem-solving - reinforcing the value of learning that happens in proximity to real challenges and lived experience.
Alongside in-person learning, digital capability continued to scale through AWR Academy, the Group’s learning platform powered by Cornerstone. In 2025, this translated into:
• 22,485 learning hours viewed
• 39,064 courses accessed
• 27,013 courses completed
Taken as a whole, these moments point to a learning culture built on consistency rather than intensity - where progress grows steadily through access, flexibility, and choice.
Learning shaped through partnership
Education gains depth when it is informed by diverse perspectives. Across AWR Group, partnerships with academic institutions and specialist providers play a critical role in expanding how learning is designed and delivered.
Formal collaborations with Higher Colleges of Technology and University of Wollongong Dubai continue to strengthen the bridge between academic learning and professional application. These partnerships are complemented by programmes delivered with reputable external providers including SCQuARE Training, Biz Group, Dr. Soha Chahine, and Amr Habbal - each contributing specialised expertise that aligns learning with evolving business needs.
Beyond professional development, early exposure to the workplace remains an important part of AWR Group’s learning ecosystem. Internship and graduate training pathways continue to welcome students from a wide range of institutions, including:
• Higher Colleges of Technology
• University of Wollongong
• Ajman University
• Manipal University
• University of Dubai
• Middlesex University
• Heriot-Watt University
As well as schools such as Arbor School, Emirates International School, GEMS Wellington, Dubai International Academy, and King’s School Al Barsha.
Seen over time, these touchpoints illustrate the value of continuity in learning - from early exposure through to professional progression.
Learning, from the inside out
At the heart of any learning ecosystem are the people who shape it every day. Across AWR Group, the Learning & Development team plays a central role in curating opportunities, enabling access, and supporting teams as they build capability over time.
Their perspective on education is grounded in the same principles that underpin the Group’s approach.
Hala Kabarah, Head of Learning & Development, reinforces the importance of individual ownership in the learning journey: “Commitment to learning is a personal responsibility. It requires discipline, intention, and a willingness to invest in your own growth over time. Training creates opportunity, but real development happens when individuals choose to engage, apply, and take ownership of their progress.”
Aayah Almutawa, Learning & Development Specialist, shares: “Education shapes how we think, builds confidence, and helps us unlock our potential. For our Emirati talent, learning creates space to grow, lead, and contribute meaningfully. Progress comes from curiosity, commitment, and staying open to growth over time.”
Eyas Kayaly, Senior Learning & Development Specialist, adds: “Continuous learning helps us adapt, innovate, and perform at our best. AWR Academy gives employees the flexibility to explore new skills and invest in their growth at their own pace. Learning is a journey - and the platform is there to support that journey every step of the way.”
For Rowan Elbardicy, Manager - Learning & Development, the value of learning lies in its practicality: “Learn one thing that makes your job easier. Not more complex - easier. Choosing learning that matters to you is how capability turns into impact.”
A shared ecosystem of learning
As organisations reflect on the role of education today, one idea continues to resonate: learning delivers its greatest value when it is co-created - shaped through partnership, grounded in practice, and guided by long-term intent.
At AWR Group, education continues to take shape through people, participation, and purposeful design. Not as a standalone initiative, but as a shared ecosystem that evolves alongside the business and the people within it.