Under the patronage of H.E. Ahmed Mohamed Al Haumairi, Ministry of Presidential Affairs Secretary General, and H.E. Abdelqader Al Khayat, ICT Chairman of the Board of Trustees, H.E. Majed Al Mesmar, UAE TRA Director General and Mohammed Khalifa Fadel Al Hamli, Scholarships Co-ordination Office Director sign an MoU to support 15 students under the “Betha” program. This was driven by the directives of H.E. Sheikh Manousr Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Affairs Minister to provide skilled Emirati students with the opportunity to join esteemed international universities with the aim of enhancing the UAE caliber. The MOU will contribute in developing and empowering the comprehensive development process that was established by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the scholarships will open the gate for 15 students to join the most prestigious ICT universities in the world.

H.E. Ahmed Mohamed Al Humairi, Scholarship Office Deputy CEO, praised the cooperation between the office and the TRA, and stated that This MoU will enhance the Emirati caliber to cater to the needs of the rapidly growing ICT sector. We also acknowledge the vital role that the TRA is playing in empowering skilled students and supporting them in attaining qualitative education. I would like also to express my gratitude to those in charge of the “Betha” program and, would like to call for more cooperation between national and private sectors in driving the localization project in sensitive and vital entities, in addition to contributing in achieving Abu Dhabi vision 2021.”

In this context, H.E. Dr. Abdulqader Al Khayat, ICT Fund Chairman, said, “This MOU is in line with our wise leadership’s vision to build a competitive economy led by Emiratis who are characterized by knowledge and innovation. It also comes in line with the directives of High Highness Sheikh Zayed, President of the UAE, to build a leading Emirati generation that is capable of overcoming future challenges and supporting national growth in various fields. We believe that ICT as a sector is an indispensable requirement to achieve the goals of vision 2021, as ICT is one of the economy pillars and is a vital driver of development. Driven by this belief, ICT Fund is striving to utilize “Betha” in improving national calibers that are able to develop the ICT sector in UAE.”

“We are on the threshold of a new era of changes and technological developments, therefore, it is imperative that we equip our next generations to compete in a world that is evolving at a rapid pace. We must arm them with science and technology and open to them avenues of creativity, excellence, and constructive contribution in a civilized society that can keep up with scientific advancements.” H.E added.

H.E. Majed Al Mesmar, UAE TRA Director General, said, “Betha” is one of TRA’s initiatives that aims at achieving TRA’s strategy to build and develop human capacities to empower the UAE ICT sector, and contribute in fortifying the national education position through supporting skilled students. TRA evaluated the current status of our Emirati ICT specialized human resources. This evaluation resulted in realizing that the current graduates don’t cater to the needs of the sector’s growing demands. In light of these results, TRA kicked off the Betha project to support distinguished Emirati students in attaining education from prestigious international universities to support the advancement of UAE and its ICT sector”.

Mohamed Khalifa Fadel Al Hamli, Scholarships Co-ordination Office Director “The office was established in 1999, and since then it is managing all internal and external scholarships in addition to supervising sponsors and strategic partner scholarships such as TRA’s Betha program. The program strives to attract distinguished high school graduates and provide them with academic guidance and strictly following up on their affairs from the first day to the graduation day.

It is noteworthy to mention that ICT plays a vital role in building a knowledge-based economy, and that is why we launched the Betha program in 2013. The program aims at achieving 2021 vision through contributing in providing the finest education for our next generations through financing and providing consultancy services to companies, institutions, and individuals with the aim of empowering them with financial and ICT capital that UAE enjoys. It achieves this through providing researches, knowledge, and financial feasibility. ICT Fund also aims to enhance ICT in UAE and pave the way for it to lead the Middle East, and that is through enabling and adopting sustainable innovation.