Dubai and the UK have held talks to consider establishing a joint university based in the emirate, reports said on Wednesday.
The specialized university would focus on higher studies in the fields of economics and business administration, the Gulf News reported.
Ahmed Al Banna, an official at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), said that work on the proposed university would be implemented in phases with stage one expected in 2003.
According to the Dubai-based paper, the idea of the university was recommended by the Dubai-UK Trade and Economic Committee (Duktec) last year, and the full proposal was forwarded to Dubai by the same committee at Tuesday’s 10th biannual meeting in the emirate.
The idea of establishing a BBC world news broadcasting unit in the Dubai Media City was also suggested, but will need further study by committee members and the British embassy, said Banna.
The meeting was co-chaired by Abdullah Saleh, National Bank of Dubai managing director, and Sir David Gore-Booth of the UK. It will meet again in April 2002.
Duktec delegates discussed cooperation in economy, education, tourism and IT. A seminar on investments at Dubai Internet City held in London earlier briefed UK's IT companies on the benefits of setting up businesses in the city, added Banna.
The UK's exports to Dubai, he noted, reached £669.8 million from January to August this year. In 2000, they were £986 million.
Dubai has set out to make itself the hub of education, new media and IT in the Middle East, luring businesses to its mushrooming high-tech facilities – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
