New initiative addresses soaring demand for data scientists in the UAE and GCC, as global data science jobs estimated to reach 1.5 million by 2018

Dubai, UAE, March 5, 2017:  SAS, the leader in analytics, and the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Dubai, a leading business school, have inked a groundbreaking partnership to embed analytics into IMT’s MBA program.

The partnership is designed to equip the Institute’s students with relevant analytical and data science skills needed to operate in the ever-evolving business environment of the 21st century.

As Dubai continues to establish itself as the world’s smartest city, Internet of Things (IoT) spending across the Middle East and Africa is expected to reach USD 7.8 billion in 2017, according to a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC). Consequently, vast amounts of collected data are heightening the demand for a skilled workforce that understands how to analyze data and derive data-driven insights that effectively and efficiently achieve goals, and create more business opportunities in both the public and private sectors. 

“Understanding data to make sound business decisions has become a key commercial and strategic enabler for organizations across both the public and private sectors. In partnering with IMT, we look forward to developing a new-age workforce skilled at both management and IT expertise,” said Yigit Karabag, Information Management & Analytics Practice Manager at SAS. 

“SAS has successfully executed similar programs globally and now aims to mirror those successes in the UAE and across the GCC. The company has embarked on an ambitious program to close the skills gap in analytics by ensuring all the necessary analytical and data science skills are met at the grassroots, educational level.”

Dr. Francios Therin, Director-IMT Dubai, added: “In collaborating with SAS, our objective is to prepare our students with the analytics knowledge, capability and skill sets required as they enter an increasingly competitive job market. By providing hands-on analytical experience during their courses, our students will be ready to apply their knowledge and skills, meet everyday business challenges and deliver an intrinsic, problem-solving approach as soon as they enter the workforce.” 

The SAS-IMT collaboration provides a framework to meet the growing demand for data scientists in the UAE and GCC, and provide a regional counter-attack to the forecasted 50 percent global demand-supply gap, as an estimated 1.5 million data science jobs are created worldwide by 2018. 

Furthermore, the collaboration includes the creation of a joint certification program that paves the way for future initiatives, as well as an advanced analytics lab at IMT to support the Institute's analytics program and other research projects. 

Under its partnership with IMT, SAS will provide its complete Academic Program suite to help IMT faculty members and students create an ideal environment for data science labs, as well as the use of advanced business analytics processes.