Dr. Tayeb Kamali, Vice Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) have signed a memorandum of understanding that will help position UAE as a centre of academic excellence.

The agreement will see the two organisations cooperate on bids to attract international academic conferences and events.

Particular attention will be paid to events that help promote the UAE as a centre for excellence for research, and which contribute to the wider development goals of the region.

The MoU is one of the first agreements of its kind to unite a major exhibition and meetings group like DWTC with a pioneer in innovative learning like the Higher Colleges of Technology.

“This agreement will provide a solid basis to further grow and develop the knowledge resources of the UAE. Attracting international research conferences will support our goal of ensuring that all graduates are exposed to the highest standards of learning and development,” said Dr. Kamali.

Under the terms of the agreement, DWTC and the Higher Colleges of Technology will collaborate on major bids, sharing information about potential opportunities and networking with government and non-governmental bodies in the UAE to ensure an integrated effort.

They will also support local initiatives by academics and other professionals to attract global events.

“Through this MoU, we are confident that we will be able to encourage a rising number of specialist academic congresses to host their landmark events in Dubai, and firmly believe that the community and society will benefit significantly as a result,” said Al Marri.

“International academic congresses contribute significantly to Dubai’s knowledge economy, which further improves our competitiveness and drives the level of local innovation,” he added.

As Dubai increases its profile in the world of international events, a rising number of global groups are considering it as a potential host destination, particularly because of its advanced infrastructure, world-class hotels, public safety record and wide range of attractions.