Education Fair gets underway at Expo Centre Sharjah

Reflecting the vibrancy of the sector and the importance the regional governments are placing on its improvement, the International Education Show got off to a positive start at Expo Centre Sharjah on February 20, 2013.

It was opened by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and will continue until February 22, 2013.

Others present at the opening ceremony included H.E. Humaid Al Qutami, Minister of Education Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Mr. Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General, Expo Centre Sharjah, among other government dignitaries and guests.

The response to the ninth International Education Show from regional and global educational institutions endorses the projections of a study by Alpen Capital, which revealed that the regional education sector is poised to grow at a CAGR of 2.7% between 2011 and 2016.

At the core of the development is the increasing GCC national population, which is expected to rise at a CAGR of 2.5% between 2011 and 2013; while the share of expatriate population is also likely to increase from 47.8% to 48.4% during the same period, it said.

"The education sector is the true barometer of a country's growth potential. The UAE has realized this and its focus on the education sector is seen from the budgetary allocations for this fiscal, which stands at 22% of the total allocations. This is much higher than the past year and speaks volumes about the concern of our leaders in shaping a new generation that is well trained to handle the task cut out for them in shaping the nation's future," said Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who was present at the inauguration ceremony.

For 2013, the budget allocated to the Ministry of Education is about Dhs6bn, which constitutes 13.6% of the total federal budget and will help implement the ministry's development plan. The higher education's budget is Dhs3.9bn, which will be used for the development of higher education and scientific research, and scholarships for Emirati students abroad etc, among others.

The total allocation of Dhs9.9bn is in comparison to Dhs8.2bn in the 2012 federal budget and points to the priority given to education in the UAE along with health and social benefits.

"Measures adopted by regional governments to improve the quality of education in their respective countries are fuelling the growth of the sector in a big way. This is backed by increasing population, rising private sector participation, and increased willingness of parents to ensure high-quality education for their children," said Mr. Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah, who also present at the opening function.

"For the first time in the history of the International Education Show, we are focusing on higher education opportunities in emerging India. For this, we have tied up with AFAIRS Exhibitions & Media to bring India's most popular education event to the UAE — the Great India Education Fair is being held alongside the International Education Show and will add tremendous value to exhibitors and visitors," said Mr. Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.

While more than 100 leading regional and international higher educational institutions are participating in the International Education Show, the Great India Education Fair is featuring 65 top boarding schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions from India.

Through the participation of institutions from several countries and varied branches of learning, the International Education Show aims to offer students and their parents the most extensive range of innovative, high-quality programmes that are supplemented by excellent academic and welfare support.

The International Education Show is a joint initiative of the UAE Ministry of Education and Expo Centre Sharjah and supported by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

The International Education Show is also being held alongside the 15th National Career Exhibition for the first time, which will enable national graduates visiting the career fair for banking and financial institutions to check out higher educational options at International Education Show. The National Career Exhibition is showcasing employment and training opportunities for Emirati youth at more than 100 leading financial institutions in the country.