The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), through its financial arm, ICT Fund, has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Presidential Affairs’ Scholarships Office on Thursday (October 20, 2016), the last day of GITEX 2016, to finance 15 semesters outside the country for the Scholarships Office total AED 37.5 million.

The agreement aims to provide more opportunities for students to take up several semesters in the best universities in the world in disciplines that serve the information and communications technology (ICT) sector and develop highly qualified professionals for the country. It aims to contribute to the development of the ICT sector and make the economy more competitive, led by the creativity and innovativeness of UAE citizens.

His Excellency (H.E.) Ahmed Mohamed Al Humairi, Secretary-General, Ministry of Presidential Affairs and Deputy CEO, Scholarship Office, praised its collaboration with TRA, sharing that the agreement will ensure Emiratis with the opportunity to be trained and qualified while also helping in the move to meet the needs of the ICT sector, which has witnessed accelerated development and has created a demand for ICT professionals in the country. H.E. cited TRA’s role in supporting and encouraging Emirati students to continue their education.

H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General of the TRA, stated that the TRA’s strategy to develop the specialties of the country’s human resources and support the higher education sector is part of a continuing program. The TRA believes that investment in the youth ensures the country’s long-term development and leadership. The TRA will invest AED 1.2 billion to provide scholarships for 1,000 Emirati students until the end of 2018.

H.E. Eng. Majed Al Mesmar, Deputy Director General, TRA and member of the ICT Fund’s Board of Trustees, said: “The TRA continues to support students to improve the ability of youths to innovate through ‘Be'tha’ and other programs that the TRA has launched through our corporate social responsibility initiatives which seek to enhance social development and enable people to lead the future and continue the development of the UAE."

H.E. Mohammed Khalifa Al Hameli, Director, Scholarship Offices, praised the agreement, explaining its significant role that will highly benefit the students and enhance their opportunities and education options, especially in term of telecommunication technology. It reflects the important collaboration between the national organizations and shapes the social responsibility of serving the future and developing national human resources.

The agreement provides an opportunity for deserving Emirati students to complete their studies and specializations in top-performing universities worldwide and return to the UAE to serve the needs of various sectors and take on leadership roles in major transformations within the sector.

The Ministry of Presidential Affairs’ Scholarships Office is one of entities responsible for providing scholarships to students studying abroad. It has coordinated with the TRA to tap its ICT Fund ‘Be'tha’ program to financially support 15 Emirati students seeking to study abroad.

The agreement is one of several initiatives and partnerships which the TRA has signed with other universities and organizations in the higher education sector during its participation at GITEX which totaled AED 100.6 million. The agreements were designed to develop the education sector’s infrastructure in universities and provide scholarships for students looking to further their studies in various specialties and keep pace with the development of the business sector and job market needs in the country.