The Creative Media Authority celebrates the success stories of CNN Academy Abu Dhabi graduates
ABU DHABI, 17 JUNE / WAM / The Creative Media Authority highlighted the success stories of a group of graduates of the CNN Abu Dhabi Academy, celebrating the positive impact of the Academy in preparing and qualifying a new generation of talent in the field of creative media in the UAE.
As the Academy prepares to receive participants in its sixth session, the Authority called on content creators, media professionals, and aspiring professionals to apply to join the program, benefit from the learning and development opportunities it provides, and contribute to shaping the future of media in the UAE and the region.
The application period for the sixth session of the CNN Academy Abu Dhabi continues until June 30, 2026. The program, which is completely free, targets students and emerging professionals aged 18 years and above, and provides practical training in media work environments, narrative skills across various platforms, and an opportunity to learn directly from an elite group of experts and media professionals within the global CNN network.
Since its launch in 2021, the academy, which is organized in partnership with the Creative Lab of the Creative Media Authority, has provided hundreds of participants with the practical skills and experience needed to succeed in the media sector.
By the end of its fifth session in 2025, the program attracted 583 participants, including 206 participants residing in the UAE and 377 international participants, while 105 Emiratis benefited from the practical training and professional experiences provided by the academy.
The program comes within the Creative Media Authority’s long-term commitment to developing national competencies in the creative media sector, through strategic partnerships with academic institutions in Abu Dhabi, including the Higher Colleges of Technology, Zayed University, and a number of other educational institutions.
These partnerships contribute to providing clear paths for students and aspiring professionals to acquire specialized skills and build promising career paths in the creative media sector.
A number of academy graduates were able to obtain various professional opportunities in the fields of media and government communication, newsrooms in international media institutions, media education, entrepreneurship, media production, and other areas of creative media.
Aisha Al-Junaibi, Director of the Talent Development Department at the Creative Media Authority, said that the success stories of the academy’s graduates are one of the most prominent indicators of the impact achieved by the program. We have witnessed graduates move to roles in government media, international newsrooms, entrepreneurial projects, and many career paths related to the creative media sector. These achievements reflect the importance of investing in talent development and providing practical learning opportunities led by sector experts.”
She added that through our partnerships with educational institutions and sector leaders, we continue to build paths that enable the new generation of content makers and storytellers to build a sustainable professional future within the growing creative media system in the UAE.
For her part, Becky Anderson, broadcaster and managing editor at CNN Abu Dhabi, said: “The true legacy of the CNN Academy lies in its graduates and the impact they achieve in their fields of work. During the past five years in Abu Dhabi, we have witnessed many exceptional talents from storytellers and narrative content makers join our programs, and we feel great pride as we see these talents continuing to flourish and develop in their professional paths, contributing to establishing a promising future for journalism and creativity in the region.”
The list of graduates celebrated by the Authority includes a number of talents who succeeded in transforming their experience at the academy into tangible professional opportunities, which included training in international media institutions, launching creative and pioneering projects, joining government agencies and media institutions, in addition to continuing to develop their professional skills through specialized initiatives and programs.
Elizaveta Vartanyan moved to practical training at CNN Abu Dhabi after participating in the academy, before continuing her career in the field of media education, and in cooperation with Emirati graduate Fatima Al Kaabi, she founded the “AI Emirati” project, which employs storytelling and modern technologies to preserve Emirati heritage and enhance its presence among new generations.
Aliza Ahmed continued her career through practical training at CNN Abu Dhabi in parallel with her graduate studies, while Omar Al-Shami benefited from the skills he acquired at the academy to enhance his presence in the fields of media and community participation, leading to representing people of determination in international forums and joining national media programs.
At the same time, Heba Al-Junaibi’s experience embodies the role the academy plays in connecting participants to the broader talent development system provided by the Creative Media Authority, as she continued her participation in a number of initiatives and specialized training programs that supported the development of her skills in the fields of production and content creation.
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