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UAE Ministry of Defence reveals new details of leadership assessment for graduates
Remote evaluation for 2025-2026 male high school graduates will run in practice and official phases from April 14 to 19
- PUBLISHED: Wed 15 Apr 2026, 1:50 PM
After announcing its new leadership model for young Emiratis, the UAE Ministry of Defence has released additional details on how the initiative will work, including what the assessment measures are, who can take part and the dates for both its practice and official phases.
The ministry said the Leadership Competency Assessment has been launched to identify and evaluate the capabilities and competencies of Emirati youth, as part of wider efforts to prepare future national leaders to serve the country.
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According to the latest information, the assessment is a systematic process designed to measure and analyse the leadership capabilities of Emirati youth by evaluating their skills, behaviours and performance in different situations. The goal, the ministry said, is to determine their level of readiness for future leadership roles.
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The newly announced details build on the ministry’s earlier statement that the programme forms part of a broader national effort to create a pipeline of specialised talent and strengthen long-term readiness.
Officials said the reason behind the assessment is to identify and analyse the capabilities of Emirati youth while also developing future leaders by preparing them and enhancing their readiness in line with the highest standards to serve the nation.
The assessment targets Emirati male high school graduates from the 2025-2026 cohort in both public and private schools.
Participation will take place remotely through personal devices, with eligible students set to receive an SMS from the Ministry of Defence containing the details needed to join the assessment.
The ministry has provided the exact timeline for the rollout. The practice phase will run from April 14 to April 15, 2026, while the official phase will take place from April 16 to April 19, 2026.
In its earlier announcement, the ministry had framed the initiative as part of a forward-looking strategy to invest early in young Emirati talent, strengthen leadership readiness and help shape a generation capable of contributing to the country’s security and future development. The new information now offers a clearer picture of how that strategy will be put into action.
Students and families are expected to receive further participation instructions through the official ministry channel.
Ruqayya Alqaydi is a Special Correspondent with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.