A centre to deliver professional development services and capacity building to businesses is launching in Dundee.

The Dundee Centre of Business Excellence (DCBE) at the Al-Maktoum College, is aimed at helping companies foster executive growth.

Nine initial courses will focus on fund-raising, marketing, business excellence, organisational learning, leadership, employee empowerment, fashion design start-up and entrepreneurship.

Two partnerships have been developed with the Lisbon Business and Government School and the International Customer Experience Institute.

Dr Alaa Garad, chief executive at the centre, said: “DCBE is aiming to become the industry arm of Al-Maktoum College, focusing on applied and impactful research that helps the community, contributes towards innovation, and keeps Dundee at the forefront of business.

“We are building on a legacy of 22 years of hard work and collaboration with our national and international partners.

“The Centre will include a wide pool of subject matter experts who will work as collaborators on projects. There will also be an advisory board to guide and support the centre and provide further industry access.”

DCBE will run summer and winter schools, an academic training programme, masterclasses, workshops, conferences and open lectures. It will also deliver language courses in Arabic and English and provide consultancy services for businesses.

An official launch for the new centre will take place at Al-Maktoum College on Friday, with a networking event and talks by Vincent Desmond, CEO of the Chartered Quality Institute and Alison Henderson, CEO of Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce.