EGA widens STEM lab push

Emirates Global Aluminium has built new STEM laboratories in schools and universities across the UAE, expanding an education-industry programme aimed at preparing students for technical careers in manufacturing, engineering and advanced industrial sectors.

The facilities have been developed with Al Samha School, Al Rahba School, Al Falahiya School, Dubai National School, Zayed University and the Higher Colleges of Technology. More than 2,600 students a year are expected to benefit directly from the labs, which are designed to give learners practical exposure to engineering, fabrication and product development methods used in industry.

The initiative marks a further step in EGA’s efforts to connect classrooms with the requirements of the country’s industrial strategy. The company, the UAE’s largest industrial enterprise outside oil and gas, employs more than 1,500 science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals, including more than 500 UAE nationals. Its latest education investment is intended to build early interest in technical careers while giving teachers and trainers access to equipment and instruction that can be used in practical learning.

EGA is also overseeing training for educators on how to use the new equipment effectively. That element is central to the programme because the success of school and university labs depends not only on capital investment but also on whether teachers can turn equipment into structured project work. The labs are expected to support hands-on tasks that help students move beyond textbook learning and apply science and engineering concepts to design, testing and production problems.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, chief executive officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said the company was built on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and that these capabilities were essential for both EGA and the country. He said empowering students with technical experience would help bridge the gap between education and industry while inspiring stronger interest in STEM careers across the UAE.

The new labs sit alongside EGA’s wider student outreach work, including Engineer the Future, which has reached more than 36,000 students from over 128 schools since its launch in 2017. The programme introduces pupils to the real-life application of STEM skills in areas such as Industry 4.0, sustainability, materials science and the circular economy.

EGA’s Aluminium Design and Innovation Challenge has also become a major channel for youth engagement. More than 300 teams from schools across the UAE participated in the 2025 edition, almost double the 163 teams that took part in 2024. The challenge is run with the UAE Ministry of Education and targets students from grades nine to 12, asking them to use aluminium to address practical problems in architecture, product design, sustainable mobility and space solutions.

The 2025 competition shortlisted 63 teams, with first-place winners coming from Fatima Al Zahraa School in architecture, Nahel School in product design, Dubai National School – Barsha in space solutions, and Jameela Buheired School in sustainable mobility. Students were mentored by EGA engineers over four weeks and given resources to develop their projects, adding an industry-linked layer to classroom learning.

The expansion comes as the UAE increases investment in future skills across public education. Artificial intelligence has been introduced as a formal subject in public schools from kindergarten to grade 12 from the 2025-2026 academic year, reflecting a broader policy push to align education with a technology-led economy. STEM labs, industry mentoring and design challenges form part of the same shift towards applied learning.

For EGA, the programme also supports Operation 300bn, the national industrial growth strategy that seeks to increase the industrial sector’s contribution to the economy and strengthen advanced manufacturing. Aluminium remains a strategic sector because of its role in construction, transport, packaging, renewable energy infrastructure and high-value manufacturing.

The initiative also reflects a growing trend in the UAE education sector: companies are no longer limiting youth engagement to scholarships or site visits, but are investing in equipment, competitions and teacher training that bring industrial practice into schools and universities. This approach can help students understand career pathways earlier, while giving employers a stronger pipeline of future technical talent.