(MENAFNEditorial) H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth, and Community Development, has today inaugurated NAJAH 2013, the UAE's leading education, training and careers exhibition.
Taking place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre until Thursday 31st October, the showpiece event will host more than 160 international and local higher education institutions and employers looking to recruit thousands of UAE high school leavers and graduates.
The three-day event arrives as recent reports state that private western higher education institutes are growing in the UAE at a rate of 15 per cent annually, while 24 per cent of total UAE government expenditure is earmarked for the education sector – more than twice that of what European governments set aside for education.
The focus on UAE higher education should come as no surprise; 49,000 high school students graduate every year according to the UAE National Bureau of Statistics, while more than 15,000 will be expected to enter NAJAH's exhibition doors over the next three days.
Organised by Informa Exhibitions, the event is now in its seventh edition, and has been steadily growing every year since its inaugural edition in 2007.
Khurram Saeed, Exhibition Director for NAJAH said: "Higher education is growing exponentially in the UAE, reflecting a rapidly increasing local and expatriate population coupled with ambitious government objectives to develop a stronger knowledge economy.
"The sector has an estimated market size of US$7.31 billion, and the demand for universities and training institutions will continue to grow, as more and more high-school graduates and parents seek quality higher education options. This year NAJAH has attracted the largest participation of universities yet, not only from the UAE, but also internationally."
The UAE currently hosts 37 international university branch campuses – more than any country in the world, and many of which are participating at NAJAH, including University of Wollongong In Dubai, Heriot Watt University, New York Institute of Technology Abu Dhabi, and Manipal University from India.
Meanwhile, a dedicated pavilion for Education USA headlines a score of international exhibitors out to entice UAE high-school leavers into pursuing their higher education abroad. The US pavilion will host 20 US universities, while other major international pavilions include Education Malaysia and the Japan International Cooperation Centre, both with 15 universities each, along with the Lithuanian Pavilion and Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
NAJAH 2013 is held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, and supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Abu Dhabi Education Council and Dubai International Academic City.
Headline sponsors for the free-to-attend event include ALHOSN University, Ajman University of Science and Technology, Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), Be You International, Berkeley Middle East and Masdar Institute.
Opening hours are from 10:00am to 7:00pm, with the morning of Wednesday 30 October dedicated for female visitors. On the last day there will be extended opening hours until 8:00pm. Up to date information on the exhibition can be found at www.facebook.com/NAJAHonline or www.najahonline.com.
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