PepsiCo, the global food and beverage company, has announced a new partnership with Emirates Foundation, a national organization set up by the Abu Dhabi Government to facilitate public-private funded initiatives for the empowerment of youth across the UAE.
As a part of the agreement, PepsiCo will offeryoung and talented Emiratis the opportunity to take up internships at the company as well as providementorships and job shadowing opportunities at different departments within the organization. PepsiCo will be actively involved in Emirates Foundation’s three signature projects: Kafa’at, Think Science, and Volunteer.ae.
To mark the 100th birthday of the late Sheikh Zayed, Founder of the UAE, the two entities have launched the Art of Zayed competition to encourage talented UAE residents to commemorate the Year of Zayed through music, poetry, and artwork.
Open to both Emiratis andresidents of all nationalities in the UAE, the competition will run from May 6th until August 15th, after which the 10best submissions will be shortlisted for the final round. The finalists will showcase their work at the Art of Zayed awards ceremony in October 2018.The selected threewinners will win cash prizes and receive exposure for their work. To register for the competition and to learn more about it, please visit www.artofzayed.com.
Speaking about PepsiCo’s commitment, Omar Farid, President, Middle East and North Africa, PepsiCo, said: “Today is an auspicious day in the history of the UAE, where we mark the hundredth birthday of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founder of the UAE. At PepsiCo, we are proud to partner with Emirates Foundation to honor this day and reinforce our commitment to the nation. We are proud to support and nurture Emirati youth through several of the Foundation’s keyinitiatives. The Art of Zayed competition provides another opportunity to develop talented UAE residents, using their creative capabilities to honor the values and achievements of the late Sheikh Zayed through artwork, music, and poetry.”
Maytha Al Habsi, CEO of Emirates Foundation, said: “The support of the private sector is essential to empower Emiratis to become the driving force of the UAE’s knowledge economy. On behalf of Emirates Foundation, I am proud to welcome PepsiCo as our newest partner, and look forward to their ongoing contribution to the creation of opportunities and imparting of knowledge that will provide talented Emiratis with strong prospects for their future careers.
As part of its Performance with Purpose (PwP) 2025 Sustainability Agenda, PepsiCo is working to create a healthier future for people and theplanet. The company’s PwP 2025 agenda is designed to deliver needed change across the company, value chain, industry and the communities it operates in. PepsiCo’s engagement with youth is informed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which include a commitment to decent work and economic growth (Goal 8). Recognizing that high unemployment rates, especially among young people, along with skills gaps related to technology, are key challenges facing communities in the Middle East, PepsiCo’s support for the Emirates Foundation will contribute toward inspiring, empowering, and developing leaders with the technological and managerial skills to accelerate the UAE’s continued economic growth.
