Five Top HCT Graduates Drive Away in New Chery Cars at Record Abu Dhabi Ceremony

Some graduation gifts are a framed photograph and a handshake. Five of the brightest graduates of the Higher Colleges of Technology left Etihad Arena this week with the keys to a new car.

AWR Automotive, part of AW Rostamani Group, and Chery UAE presented Chery vehicles to five top performing graduates at the HCT Class of 2026 ceremony in Abu Dhabi. It was a fitting gesture for a class that has already made history: more than 6,700 graduates from HCT campuses across the country, the largest graduating class the colleges have ever produced, with numbers up around 43 per cent on last year.

A record class, and a room full of leaders

The ceremony, held under the theme Strong Roots. Lasting Impact., was attended by H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, alongside H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chancellor of HCT, H.E. Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and H.E. Dr. Faisal Alayyan, President and CEO of HCT.

In all, 18 vehicles were awarded to HCT’s highest achieving graduates, and Chery UAE handed over five of them. The standout performers included 14 graduates who finished with a perfect 4.0 GPA, three with 3.99, and one graduate from among People of Determination with a 3.58 GPA.

Why it matters

“We take pride in our longstanding partnership with AW Rostamani Group, which demonstrates the vital role of collaboration between educational institutions and the business community in developing national talent,” said Dr. Faisal Alayyan. He added that HCT wants to expand training and apprenticeship opportunities with partners across the economy, so that graduates step into jobs that match their abilities.

Zaher Sabbagh, Director of Chery UAE, put it simply. “Graduation is an exciting turning point, when years of hard work open the door to new possibilities,” he said. “Many of these graduates will go on to shape the UAE’s industries, including the technology and engineering fields that are transforming mobility.”

The gesture builds on an existing relationship. HCT and AW Rostamani Group recently announced an automotive technical training programme delivered through the AWR Automotive Academy, giving students hands on industry experience and a clearer route into work.

Chery entered the UAE in 2023 through AW Rostamani Group, its official sole distributor here, a group with more than 70 years in the Emirates. For five young Emiratis, that partnership now comes with a set of keys and a very good start to the next chapter.