Opening the path from learning to earning
Youth across the Arab Region are ambitious, capable, and eager to contribute. As economies evolve and new technologies reshape the nature of work, the path from learning to meaningful employment is becoming increasingly complex, making clarity and access to opportunity more critical than ever. At the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, this is framed through the Learning to Earning framework, which focuses on creating demand-led pathways designed for rapid workforce entry, positioning the private sector at the center and aligning with national priorities.
Established in 2015 by prominent Emirati businessman and philanthropist Abdulla Al Ghurair, the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF) drives a range of initiatives that support youth in navigating the journey from education to employment, particularly in response to evolving labor market demands. As the largest privately funded Arab philanthropic foundation, AGF empowers Emirati and Arab youth through transformative education opportunities, so they can shape their future and uplift their communities. To date, the foundation has reached more than 424,000 young people.
Navigating the changing labor market
The United Arab Emirates offers one of the most dynamic and globally connected labor markets in the world. As the country transitions towards a knowledge-based economy, the demand for adaptable, skilled talent continues to grow, reflecting rising expectations from employers for a workforce that is agile, digitally fluent, and capable of continuous learning.
Roles are evolving faster than traditional career guidance models that can keep pace. Skills requirements are shifting, new roles are emerging, and employers increasingly seek talent that combines technical capability with strong human skills. For youth, this means that success is no longer about a single qualification or job choice, but about understanding how skills translate across roles and how careers can evolve over time.
The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation recognized that enabling youth success in this environment requires more than isolated programs. It requires a system-level solution; one that connects learners, educators, and employers through shared skills language and real-time labor market insights.
This is a great platform that can help youth explore different learning and career opportunities. It will make life easier for job seekers and young Emiratis that want to advance their careers, because it has everything in one place.
Mohammed AlAwadhi
Cloud Sales Representative, AWS I Al Ghurair Foundation Youth Advisory Council Member
From insight to action: Massar Al Ghurair
In response, the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation conceived Massar Al Ghurair – Massar, the Arabic word for pathway. Based on an open-access, AI-powered platform, Massar Al Ghurair supports Emirati and Arab youth aged 18–35 in navigating learning and employment pathways with greater clarity, confidence, and direction.
At its core, Massar Al Ghurair leverages skill-based AI and real-time labor market intelligence to provide personalized, data-driven guidance, helping users understand their skills, identify relevant opportunities, and access targeted learning pathways aligned with evolving market demands.
Massar Al Ghurair was conceived as an ecosystem, one that evolves alongside the labor market and supports lifelong learning. By integrating AI-driven insights with data intelligence, the platform continuously adapts to changing skills needs and employer expectations, ensuring that learning pathways remain relevant and actionable over time.
To bring this vision to life, the Foundation sought a partner with technological capability, advanced AI infrastructure and value alignment to build a scalable and future-ready platform. That search led to Cornerstone.
The power of partnership
Advancing a skills-based ecosystem at national scale required more than technology; it required a partner capable of co-creating a future-ready model aligned with shared values.
Through Skill Passport, Cornerstone enabled Massar Al Ghurair to integrate real-time labor market data, skills intelligence, and AI-driven insights into a single, seamless platform. This allows learners to understand their skills, explore emerging roles, and identify concrete steps for progression while enabling employers to connect with talent based on verified skills rather than credentials alone.
The growth of Massar Al Ghurair has also been enabled by the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation’s role in building and activating partnerships across the education and employment ecosystem. Through expanded collaborations with universities, industry partners, employers, and youth-serving organizations, Massar Al Ghurair has reached more than 3,500 learners, strengthening the connection between learning, career readiness, and employment opportunities.
A defining factor in AGF’s decision was Cornerstone’s commitment to ethical and responsible AI. The platform’s skills models are independently verified and audited as free from racial and gender bias, ensuring that Massar Al Ghurair provides equitable and trustworthy guidance to all users.
This platform is exactly what we were looking for as Emirati youth. As someone who just started working two years ago, I’m often struggling to define my career path and to gain the necessary skills to be able to advance in my career, so Massar Al Ghurair can be of great help.
Fatima Bin Ofai
Industrial Engineer & Facilities Coordinator, Sharjah Education Academy I Al Ghurair Foundation Youth Advisory Council Member
What Massar Al Ghurair makes possible
Massar Al Ghurair empowers learners with a personalized, skills-first journey, while extending beyond the platform through AGF’s broader ecosystem of partners, employers, and learning providers:
- Personalized Skills Analysis: Users receive a detailed analysis of their unique skills and goals, drawing from their education, background, and interests. The platform recognizes that skills are not solely acquired through formal schooling but also through hobbies, volunteering, and community involvement.
- Realistic Career Path Identification: Massar Al Ghurair provides users with real-time analysis of in-demand skills, available jobs, and clear pathways for career advancement. Crucially, it highlights the specific skills required for progression, enabling users to plan strategically for a lifelong career.
- Connection to Education and Training: Once skill gaps are identified, Massar Al Ghurair connects learners with relevant educational and training opportunities, on and beyond the platform, through AGF’s network of academic and training partners.
- Direct Employer Connections: Employers partnered with AGF can engage through Massar Al Ghurair by posting job opportunities and accessing a pool of skilled talent, enabling more efficient matching based on learner profiles and workforce needs.
- Proactive Employer Engagement: Beyond job postings, Massar Al Ghurair facilitates a two-way matching process, enabling employers to identify and reach out to potential candidates whose skills align with their needs, even if the candidate has not directly applied.
Early momentum, long-term vision
Launched in 2025, Massar Al Ghurair is built with a five-year goal to reach 50,000 young learners, with plans to expand its model across the Arab Region.
Early momentum demonstrates growing engagement:
- Learners engaged: More than 2,500
- Employer partners onboarded: 13
As adoption grows, Massar Al Ghurair is positioned to strengthen the Emirati talent pipeline, support employers with skills-based matching, and enable young people to build resilient careers over time.
The road ahead
Massar Al Ghurair reflects a broader shift from fragmented career guidance to enabling skills-powered opportunity ecosystems. For AGF, the partnership with Cornerstone represents a strategic investment in systems change; one that helps young people move from uncertainty to direction, from learning to opportunity, and from opportunity to impact.
Looking ahead, Massar Al Ghurair is preparing for its next stage of growth, with plans to expand regionally, starting with Jordan. This launch will build on the platform’s UAE experience while adapting Massar Al Ghurair’s learning-to-earning model to new markets, local youth needs, and country-specific workforce priorities. The expansion reflects the Foundation’s broader ambition to support Arab youth across the region with access to relevant skills, career guidance, and pathways to opportunity.
In parallel, Massar Al Ghurair is integrating a new Learning Management System to enhance the learner experience and improve how learning pathways are delivered, tracked, and scaled. The LMS will support better access to learning content, stronger learner engagement, improved reporting, and more efficient management of programs and partner-led learning journeys.
The journey has just begun. And together, the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation and Cornerstone are helping shape a future where skills open doors and opportunity is within reach.
