Al Jadaara Leadership Program - Horse-Guided Coaching at the Royal Stables, Abu Dhabi

FeelQuest was invited to facilitate a remarkable day of experiential leadership development for the Al Jadaara program in February 2026 - a year-long initiative for UAE government leaders, designed to build the capabilities needed to navigate the future with clarity, presence, and impact.

The Program

Al Jadaara is a comprehensive leadership development journey for senior and mid-level government officials in the UAE.
The year-long program is designed and delivered by BTS Middle East, the regional arm of BTS - a global consultancy specialising in turning strategy into action through experiential learning, leadership capability building, and mindset change.

As part of the program, BTS Middle East brought us in to facilitate an immersive morning session at the Royal Stables in Abu Dhabi - using horse-guided coaching to surface real leadership dynamics in a setting that is both deeply culturally resonant and profoundly effective.

What FeelQuest facilitated

In a country where horses are woven into the heritage and identity of its people, the Royal Stables offered more than a beautiful venue - it offered a mirror.
Horses respond not to titles or authority, but to presence, intention, and trust.
That makes them extraordinary teachers.

Working with the second cohort of this program, our facilitators led participants through hands-on experiences with the horses designed to bring leadership behaviours into sharp, honest focus.
The workshop explored how leaders show up - how they give direction, build trust, manage uncertainty, and create safety for the people around them.

Participants reflected on core leadership qualities including strategic thinking and vision, initiative and decision-making, accountability and learning from failure, empowering teams and building trust, and the "non-verbal conversation" - reading what is felt but rarely said.

Connecting the Experience to Leadership in Government

In the afternoons and on Day 2, Laszlo Tsonio Avramov, PhD - INSEAD Professor and Advisor in Leadership Development and Human Transformation - joined the program to help participants connect the morning's experiences with the realities of leadership in government roles.
His sessions bridged the felt, embodied learning from the horses with the frameworks, language, and practical application that government leaders need in their day-to-day roles.

The combination of experiential coaching and academic rigour made for a genuinely powerful learning journey - one that participants described as unlike anything they had experienced before.

Partners

Program Design: BTS Middle East
Experiential Facilitation:  Monica Kubik / FeelQuest and Jessamine Ihrcke Dorsey / Royal Stables
Leadership Development & Human Transformation Session:  Laszlo Tsonio Avramov, PhD / INSEAD Professor and Advisor
Venue: Royal Stables, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Video: Al Jadaara