Black & Decker has announced the official opening of its training facility in Dubai, the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and only the third that the company has opened.

The Black & Decker University (BDU) – Middle East and Africa has been set up as part of the company’s strategy for Europe, the Middle East and Africa aimed at delivering learning solutions that will “support the achievement of our business goals through people development,” a company statement said.
“After the US and Europe we are delighted to open a third facility in Dubai – the BDU Middle East and Africa – thus encompassing the whole of EMEA in our development and training initiatives,” it said.
“Based in Jebel Ali, close to the company’s MEA headquarters, the BDU will prove an invaluable asset as we look to structure a curriculum tailored to both individual and business needs - in a vein similar to the Black & Decker University in Towson, where they have proved that a structured learning forum enables individuals to develop their personal skills and knowledge, while achieving corporate goals.”
The facility, with total floor area of 500 sq m, has been designed with a fully equipped workshop area of 250 sq m for both internal and external customer product training. The remaining area includes two training rooms, administrative space and a presentation room. The company also considered skills training, with a larger conference room measuring 150 sq m, which can also be divided into two training rooms. Furnished with the latest technology of built-in audiovisual and Internet connections, the BDU-MEA is fully equipped with all the tools necessary to deliver first-class training, the statement said.
While the primary function of the BDU-MEA is for conducting training courses, there has been certain consideration given to accommodating internal meetings as well as external customer presentations.