The Dubai Natural Gas Company (Dugas) has confirmed that it has reached an agreement with the Dubai Industrial Academy (DIA) for the future specialist training of oil and gas sector employees.

Under the new joint initiative, workers within the industry will be offered on-site training aimed at giving them a greater appreciation of the mechanisms of gas processing plants, with a particular focus on fault diagnosis and troubleshooting.

Alongside this, students will benefit from classroom-based training, with the DIA making use of plant manuals and technical drawings to illustrate a number of the higher-risk challenges facing gas industry operators.

Commenting on the initiative, Rashed Al Ansari, vice-president of Dubai Industrial City – of which the DIA is a division – stated: "We consider this an imperative necessity given the hazards that plant operators are exposed to in the industry.

"This programme also reflects our objective to support the industrial sector through enhancing the competencies of professionals working in Dubai and across the region, and eventually creating a talent pool of technically qualified personnel."

The DIA currently runs more than 250 separate courses covering all aspects of the oil and gas industry, including health and safety, logistics and electrical engineering.

Oil & Gas Directory: Training & Development