Dr Saeed Al Hassani, Under Secretary, Ministry of Education opens Al Ain Education & Career Fair 01.05.2012: Three day event in Garden City attracts major organisations and educational institutions looking to meet country’s brightest graduates and school

Three day event in Garden City attracts major organisations and educational institutions looking to meet country’s brightest graduates and school leavers



Dr Saeed Al Hassani, Under Secretary, Ministry of Education, has officially inaugurated the fourth edition of the Al Ain Education & Career Fair today.



Taking place from 30 April – 2 May at the Al Khabisi Wedding Celebration Hall under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research, the three-day event brings together some of the country’s largest organisations and prestigious educational institutions with young Emirati graduates and school leavers contemplating their future career direction and educational aspirations.


Supported by the Emirates National Development Programme (ENDP), and strategically located in Al Ain due to its large population of Emirati school leavers and university graduates, Al Ain Education & Career Fair is the only event in the Garden City that provides a unique platform for leading employers in the UAE to search for talented UAE Nationals in an effort to support their Emiratisation initiatives.


The event’s organisers, Informa Exhibitions have signed up major organisations from a wide range of sectors for the show, including aviation, oil and gas, telecommunications, healthcare, industrial and manufacturing, hospitality and insurance.


The UAE Presidential Guard – Diamond Sponsor of the event – and Gold Sponsors Etihad Airways, ADNOC, Etihad Rail, and Etisalat, will all have a number of positions available for UAE Nationals as they look to keep their Emiratisation targets for the remainder of 2012 well in their sights. 


Etihad Rail will have a strong presence for the first time, as plans for the 1,200km railway network connecting the entire UAE and onto the rest of the GCC are well underway, and aims to have UAE Nationals comprising 40 per cent of the total workforce by the end of 2012.


Etisalat, meanwhile continues to cement its position at the forefront of national institutions supporting Emiratisation. The global telecommunications service provider currently hires more than 3,200 UAE Nationals, taking up 35 per cent of the total workforce, and will use the Al Ain Education & Career Fair to highlight its national training programmes, tailored specifically to train and develop UAE Nationals in preparation for leadership roles.



Other major employers signed up this year include the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, Mubadala Aerospace, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi Farmers Services Centre, and General Holding Corporation, the UAE’s largest industrial conglomerate, which companies include Emirates Steel, Arkan, Agthia and the National Petroleum Construction Company.


Meanwhile, thousands of Emirati school leavers descending upon the Al Khabisi Wedding Halls this week exploring higher education opportunities can expect to meet several major universities and training institutions from across the UAE and further afield from as far away as UK, Turkey, India and USA.


Federal universities The UAE University and Higher Colleges of Technology – Official Education Partners for the Al Ain Education & Career Fair – will continue to highlight their expanding list of under graduate and post graduate degrees at the event.


At the same time, the University of Wollongong in Dubai, Kaplan University USA, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, University of Lincoln UK and RIT Dubai, along with local private universities University of Jazeera, Al Hosn University, University of Sharjah, and Al Ghurair University, will also underline the benefits of an internationally accredited private degree.


Hanan Khamis, Director of Admissions at RIT Dubai said: “RIT’s Dubai Campus is the only university campus in the UAE that offers a real American degree upon graduation, and the same curriculum and educational experience as offered in our home campus in Rochester, New York. Moreover, students can have this experience here at about half the cost of the US experience.”


With more than 7,000 visitors attending in 2011, the Al Ain Education & Career Fair returns this year with regular show features, the AIESEC Assessment Centre, and the Advice Clinic delivered by Summit Career Management Services, where qualified Emirati counsellors will be on hand to provide advice and guidance to visitors on the career paths most suitable for them.


Essa Al Mulla, Executive Director for the National Work Force Development at ENDP said: “The ENDP is a strong advocate for Emirati job seekers to join the private sector and as such, is a keen supporter of initiatives such as the Al Ain Education & Career Fair, which place an emphasis on integrating UAE Nationals into private sector work forces.”


“The event is a the perfect opportunity for UAE National job seekers to meet with some of the country’s leading private organisations across a broad range of sectors, while also providing a platform to educate UAE Nationals about the different career directions available to them through intensive career guidance and assessment centers.”


The Al Ain Education & Career Fair is partnered with NAJAH Education, Training and Careers, taking place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 16-18 October 2012, and is open from 10:00am – 7:00pm daily from Monday 30 April to Wednesday 2 May. Ladies only timing will be from 10:00am – 2pm on Tuesday 1 May, 2012. For more information, visit www.alaincareerfair.com or www.facebook.com/alaincareerfair.



- Gareth Wright, Total Communications Dubai also photos