Emirates NBD, working in conjunction with GlobalEnglish and Xpert Learning, a UAE eLearning consultancy, has implemented a blended learning solution for the Dubai Municipality that involves combining traditional classroom training with the GlobalEnglish web-based service for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

The decision to improve English communication skills within the Dubai Municipality follows the recently announced $10-billion investment from His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashad Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The goal of the long-term initiative is to facilitate learning and knowledge, specifically among young men and women.

The rapid growth of Dubai as a major business hub for the Gulf region has driven the expansion of the Dubai Municipality, which is now one of Dubai's largest employers. As English is the business language of the UAE, all employees need to have effective English communication skills in order to be productive in their work and to provide the highest level of customer service.

Ahmad Ibrahim Al Zarouni, Head of Human Resources at the Dubai Municipality, said, "English language communication skills are essential for working in the UAE. We believe that improving English will enable Dubai the Municipality to achieve its Strategic Plan Objectives 2007-2011, which focus on developing services and enhancing competencies.

"We are a rapidly growing organization, and we need to leverage economies of scale", Mr. Zarouni continued. "Previously, our English language instruction was done in the classroom, which was expensive and had varying levels of quality. The blended learning solution offered to us by Emirates NBD, working in conjunction with Xpert Learning and GlobalEnglish, provides us with a consistent and measurable solution that has a proven track record of success in improving English communication skills and productivity."

With the GlobalEnglish Corporate Learning Service™, Dubai Municipality employees will have access to productivity tools--directly from their web browser--to assist them with communicating in English every day. These performance-support aids are designed to improve daily productivity and include a text-to-speech tool, a writing center with sample correspondence, a vocabulary center with customer service and other industry word lists, business skills courses for just-in-time training on common workplace interactions, and more.