The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education Doubles Its Annual Scholarship Offering for Emirati & Arab Youth

The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education (AGFE) has responded to the overwhelming number of applications from tens of thousands of Emirati and Arab youth by increasing the number of scholarships offered through its programs from 700 currently, to 1,500 in the next year. 

The Foundation supports the most vulnerable youth from the UAE and the region in gaining access to an education that has the power to change the course of their lives. Al Ghurair scholarships are both achievement and needs-based, targeting academic achievers who have demonstrated resilience in the face of hardship including conflict and financial need. Scholarship recipients are selected through a highly competitive process. Al Ghurair scholars are expected to be job-ready upon graduation, and to show a strong commitment to giving back to their communities and to the region as a whole.

Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, AGFE Chairman said: “It is fitting that our Foundation is taking this leap during the ‘Year of Giving’ in the United Arab Emirates. We are fortunate to live in one of the most generous countries in the world and it is our duty to give back, in line with the vision of the UAE’s leaders.”  He added: “Strategic philanthropy has an important role to play in investing in the future of our country and region and we believe that there can be no better philanthropic investment than educating our brightest youth.”

Launched in 2016, Al Ghurair scholarships are now available in 16 leading universities in 10 countries across the Arab world, Turkey, Canada, the US and the UK. Supported degree programs are fully accredited, and fall under the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The scholarships include leadership exposure for the recipient, skills development, community service, and a set number of practical training hours.

Regionally, the new partner universities added to the 2018 scholarship cycle are Al Akhawayn University in Morocco, Princess Sumaya University of Science and Technology in Jordan and Al Quds University, An-Najah University and Polytechnic Palestine University in Palestine. 

The Foundation also partnered with the University of Edinburgh to co-fund Arab refugees and conflict-affected youth in pursuing Master’s degrees. 

Maysa Jalbout, Chief Executive Officer of AGFE: “We value the partnership between the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education and the University of Edinburgh. We appreciate the University’s initiative in welcoming young refugees from this region, and in aiding the financial burden of tuition.  Our goal is to encourage more universities to step up and share in the collective global responsibility for alleviating the refugee education crisis.’  

The new university partners are now part of the Al Ghurair network of regional and international universities which include: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, American University of Beirut, American University of Sharjah, American University in Cairo, Koc University, McGill University, University of Waterloo, Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Arizona State University and Minerva Schools at KGI.

Application to the STEM Scholars Program is now open for Fall 2018 university enrollment.  The deadline is January 14, 2018.  For more information about the Foundation’s different programs, visit: www.alghurairfoundation.org.