The UAE’s leading higher education fair, Najah, kicked off in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, with hundreds of high school students, parents, teachers and counsellors attending the opening day of the event.

Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the UAE Minister of Education, inaugurated Najah, which is held alongside Tawdheef, the leading recruitment exhibition for UAE nationals at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). It reinforces the rapidly increasing opportunities for Emiratis in both the public and private sectors.

Supported by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Abu Dhabi Chamber, the 15th edition of the annual exhibition, which runs until Friday, October 29, is aligned with the government’s progressive Emiratisation drive across the UAE employment landscape.

Organisations from a number of industries in the public and private sectors are participating at Tawdheef, including cover industries such as telecommunications, hospitality and investment.

Some of the key exhibitors include Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, Dubai Investments PJSC, Etisalat, and Schlumberger, underlining the high level of employment opportunities available for UAE nationals at the event.

Tamer Nahas, portfolio director of Najah and Tawdheef, said: “As we open the doors to both Najah and Tawdheef once again, it is exciting to see students and jobseekers engaging with some of the top universities and companies taking part in this year’s edition as they start planning the next big journey in their lives."

“Our new education-recruitment event offering supports some key priorities of the UAE Vision, and we urge the many students planning to attend over the next three days to make the most out of their visit and engage with as many universities as they can to find out what suits them best in terms of studies and location."

Major-General Salem Shahin Al Nuaimi, director of the Human Resources Sector, stressed Abu Dhabi Police’s keenness to attract national cadres in the scientific and professional fields within police and security jobs.

“Our priority is to support the UAE’s long-term vision, which can be achieved through participation in recruitment fairs like Tawdheef," he said.

The force, he added, is committed to increasing Emiratisation rates across all sectors by equipping qualified Emiratis with necessary skills.

In addition to attracting hundreds of visitors, Najah also welcomed more than 70 local and international universities on site, including Abu Dhabi University, Mohammd Bin Rashid University, Canadian University and Middlesex University.

Jill Hiendl, student enrolment adviser at Canadian University Dubai, said: “It has been an exciting day so far, as we had the pleasure of meeting the Minister of Education in the UAE, Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi; Marcy Grossman, the Ambassador to Canada in the UAE; and many eager prospective students.”

In Dubai, Najah will run from October 31 to November 1 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo 2020.