Special educational visits organised by Dundee’s Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies for students from the United Arab Emirates are a major boost to the local economy.
The Institute, which has 29 female students from the UAE and Qatar just starting an Academic Training Programme, estimates their visit will inject around £100,000 into the Dundee area – and that will be doubled when another group visit in the summer.
Last year, two sets of students from the UAE also visited Dundee and when transportation, hotel accommodation, meals, and shopping are taken into account, it represented spending of about £200,000 in total.
“These are considerable sums when you add it all up, “ said Professor Malory Nye, Principal of the Institute. “It’s a good boost for the local economy and, as we will continue to feature two visits a year, it is welcome and regular income.”
Professor Nye also said, following a recent trip to Dubai, that Dundee was now widely recognised as an increasingly important centre for education and trade.
“In some ways, Dundee is regarded in some ways as the capital of Scotland with a small ‘c’ to business and educational sectors in Dubai,” he said. “The Institute is becoming more and recognised as an international college in its own right and that is good for Dundee, as well as the Institute. It will mean more students coming here in the future, staying longer with students also going from here to the UAE for courses. The links between the Institute, Dundee and Dubai are strengthening, I would say and that is very positive and pleasing.”
The latest group of 29 students is the seventh to visit the Institute, bringing the total numbers who have come to Dundee to 230 in six years. The third and fourth-year students are from Zayed, Abu Dhabi and Qatar Universities along with the Higher College of Technology and the British University in Dubai.
They are being trained for future potential leadership in the Emirates, where women are more involved in Government, the law and politics than ever before. Their three-week visit forms a key part of their degree course studies and the various activities arranged by the Institute have been tailored to advance their overall learning and understanding of Scotland and the challenges of global dialogue and exchange.
“There is an increasing role for Emirati women in today’s UAE where there are already two female Government ministers and the first female judges have been appointed,” said Professor Nye.
“They are, rightfully, becoming increasingly involved in Government, the law and politics, and this is a trend that is clearly set to continue, strongly encouraged by their nations’ leaders. It is fair to say that the Al-Maktoum Institute is playing a significant and on-going role in this development. This year’s Academic Training Programme builds on the excellent work we’ve been undertaking at the Institute over the past six years with young women regarded as potential leaders in their society. We are working to educate the next generation of scholars – both nationally and internationally – in the study of Islam and Muslims and multiculturalism to enable them to face the challenges and opportunities of today.”
Following the City Chambers tour, the students will visit the University of Aberdeen, which validates the courses at the Institute.
