TRA signs two new agreements worth AED 42 million with Dubai University

Signing held during first day of GITEX 2016

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has announced the signing of two new agreements worth over AED 42 million through TRA’s financing entity, ICT Fund, in line with its commitment to support the UAE’s education sector.

The agreements fall in line with TRA’s continuing commitment to help in the growth and development of the UAE’s academic segment, especially universities and colleges. The signing of the agreements also follows the TRA’s efforts to qualify national human resources to support the economic sectors in the country with distinctive qualified professionals and build a competitive economy led by national youth who are fueled with a creative and innovative spirit.

The first agreement is aimed towards funding the efforts to establish an engineering college in Dubai University covering key specialties like ICT engineering and electronic engineering with a value of AED  35 million dirhams. The second agreement is to provide 12 scholarships in addition to scholarship from a previously signed agreement in 2015 with Dubai University through the “Betha” program, which is one of TRA’s initiatives to promote the role and position of the national education sector. A total of AED 7.1 million worth of scholarships will be offered.

H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director General, said that the TRA is planning to sign various agreements related with high education during GITEX 2016. The agreements aim to achieve TRA’s goals and enhance its social responsibility in terms of building an Emirati generation that is able to keep pace with the large global changes.

Eng. Omar Mohammed AL Mahmoud, Acting CEO, ICT Fund, said, “TRA’s strategy is continuing at a steady pace to develop specialized human resources and support high education sector, because we believe that investing in the youth ensures the country with a stable development and leadership for the country. This is why the TRA is investing AED 1.2 billion dirhams to provide scholarships for 1,000 Emirati students until the end of 2018.”

Dr. Essa Bastaki, president of University of Dubai said: “We celebrate today signing those two agreements with ICT Fund as a part of its development journey to support and attract students to invest in their education and develop their scientific qualifications serving UAE. We believe in the importance of communication between the government and private entities to support the scientific trends especially the ones related with ICT sector which provides the major requirements to build the global economies, smart cities and people’s future towards more prosperity, luxury and happiness. We would like to thank the people in charge in ICT fund for their support to Dubai University’s academic brightness local and international journey”.

The agreements are two of the planned various agreements and partnerships signed by TRA with various high education entities over the last few years--aiming to develop the educational infrastructure in the universities and provide scholarships for students to complete their education in the required specialties, which is at pace with the business sector’s developments and meet the work market needs in UAE.