The Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) has launched the Lead and Design Program under its flagship Design Gov initiative, selecting 40 government employees from 25 Dubai entities for a rigorous 14-week curriculum in human-centred design and public-sector innovation.
What Is the Lead and Design Program?
The Lead and Design Program is a structured talent-development initiative designed to equip Emirati government professionals with advanced design-thinking skills. The goal is to transform how Dubai's public services are conceived, built, and delivered — placing citizens at the centre of every policy and service design decision.
The 40 participants represent a cross-section of Dubai's government, drawn from sectors including media, housing, tourism, technology, health, education, culture, and transportation.
Program Structure and Activities
The 14-week curriculum blends theoretical learning with hands-on application across several formats:
- Leadership Immersion in Amsterdam — a one-week international visit exposing participants to world-leading design and innovation practices - Virtual group training — five weeks of hybrid workshops and seminars covering new technologies in design and innovation - In-person workshops in Dubai — one week of intensive, practical sessions focused on human-centred design methodologies - Real-world design challenges — teams work directly on government projects, prototyping future services and strategies for their respective entities
The program culminates in a three-day showcase event in Dubai in December 2024, where participants will present innovative projects aimed at driving positive future transformation across Dubai's public sector.
Design Gov: The Broader Initiative
Design Gov was launched in 2019 as a UAE government initiative to embed design thinking across the public sector. It promotes innovation, collaboration, and solutions that prioritise the needs of citizens and communities.
The Lead and Design Program is directly aligned with the UAE Centennial 2071 objectives — the country's long-term vision to become a global leader in governance, human development, and quality of life by the centenary of the UAE's founding.
Why This Matters for Dubai's Future
By building a critical mass of design-literate government talent, the program aims to institutionalise a culture of proactive planning and citizen-first design within Dubai's public entities. The initiative reflects Dubai's ambition to set the highest international standards of next-generation governance — and to develop the national talent capable of delivering it.
