Community Associations Institute (CAI) and the Dubai Real Estate Institute (DREI) have formalized an agreement that will increase the number of CAI professional development courses available to community association managers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

DREI and CAI agreed to customize CAI's internationally respected community association manager education for professionals in the UAE. The partnership establishes a professional roadmap for community association managers and supports Dubai homeowners by ensuring that the professionals who manage their communities are trained with global best practices and superior professional and ethical standards.

CAI member instructors have taught several CAI professional development courses in the UAE during the past few years.

DREI and CAI will work in partnership to customize programs and train faculty to meet CAI standards of excellence. 

“We are very pleased to have this relationship,” said Mahmoud El Burai, managing director of DREI. “CAI has created the best and most-respected education curriculum for professionals who serve community associations. The benefits are obvious—more educated and effective community managers, better and more successful communities and more satisfied residents. As a pioneer in real estate education, DREI is delighted to partner with CAI to educate association managers in the Gulf Cooperation Council nations. Thanks to CAI’s support, Dubai is investing to create a distinguished generation of managers.”

“This agreement affirms the strong partnership between CAI and DREI, and that speaks to our mission of strengthening professional association management around the world,” said CAI Chief Executive Officer Thomas M. Skiba, CAE. “We are gratified that leaders in the UAE recognize the value of our education programs. We look forward to building our partnership in the years ahead.”

Successful completion of CAI professional education courses gives students credits toward earning career-enhancing credentials, including the Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designation, the pinnacle of professionalism for community managers.

Credentials leading to the PCAM are the Certified Manager of Community Association (CMCA) credential awarded by the National Board of Certification of Community Association Managers and the Association Management Specialist (AMS) offered by CAI. Managers who have the PCAM are eligible to earn CAI’s Large-Scale Manager (LSM) designation.

With more than 32,000 members dedicated to building better communities, CAI works in partnership with 60 domestic chapters, a chapter in South Africa and housing leaders in a number of other countries, including the UAE, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. CAI’s mission is to inspire professionalism, effective leadership and responsible citizenship—ideals reflected in communities that are preferred places to call home. Visit www.caionline.org or call (888) 224-4321.

DREI is an industry-founded learning community providing comprehensive, high-quality graduate and professional development programs on real estate. DREI provides a broad spectrum of educational programs in a dynamic environment for students to engage in research, learning and intellectual endeavors. Visit www.drei.ae/.