Sharjah24: The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) received a high-level delegation from the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Estonia, discussing ways to strengthen bilateral relations, especially in the educational sector.
During the meeting held at the SCCI’s headquarters, both sides discussed the prospects of organizing joint events to provide an opportunity for educational institutions from the two countries to exchange experiences and explore investment opportunities.
His Excellency Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), and HE Kristina Kallas, Minister of Education and Research of Estonia, attended the meeting.
Also present were His Excellency Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI; Abdulaziz Mohammed Shattaf, Assistant Director-General of the Communication and Business Sector at the Sharjah Chamber; and Fatima Khalifa Al-Muqrab, Director of the International Relations Department in the Chamber, as well as other senior officials from both sides.
During the gathering, the two sides explored avenues of bolstering collaboration, focusing on increasing the involvement of educational institutions in Estonia, such as colleges, universities, and institutes, in educational events and exhibitions organized by Expo Centre Sharjah.
Welcoming the Estonian delegation, His Excellency Abdullah Sultan Al Owais emphasized that the UAE in general and Sharjah in particular share historically strong relations with Estonia.
He emphasised the importance of the meeting, describing it as a platform to exchange insights and experiences in the education sector, thus reinforcing cooperation between the Sharjah Chamber and the Ministry of Education and Research in Estonia.
Al Owais further highlighted the substantial economic contribution of the education sector to Sharjah's GDP, which reached approximately AED 3.5 billion in 2021, marking a 4.8% increase compared to 2020 and a 9% growth compared to 2019.
For his part, His Excellency Al Awadi stressed that the Sharjah Chamber is making every possible effort to support the educational sector through specialized initiatives such as the Sharjah Chamber Award for Innovators.
He added that the Chamber is committed to backing educational events hosted by Expo Centre Sharjah, particularly the International Education Show. Al Awadi urged the Estonian delegation to encourage their universities, colleges, and institutes to participate actively in educational exhibitions hosted in the Emirate of Sharjah.