DUBAI, 20 November 2006 — A young Emirati woman is now able to fulfill her dream of studying for a Masters degree thanks to a scholarship funded by the British Business Group (BBG).
Shaikha Al-Mazmi has embarked on an M.Sc. in Information Technology Management at the British University in Dubai (BUiD) after being awarded the scholarship worth 40,000 dirhams and which will cover half her tuition.
The 24-year-old, who currently works as a buyer in the Procurement Section of the Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority, helps support her family in Ajman and would have been unable to afford the course fees without the award.
She is the first student to benefit from an annual BUiD scholarship to be funded by the BBG and needed to meet a series of demanding criteria to qualify for it. The scheme is just one of a range of awards that the BBG provides each year to help young Emiratis pursue further education.
“This is a great opportunity and a dream come true for me. I have been trying to secure a scholarship for at least a year and, as I help support my family in Ajman; I would not have been able to continue my studies without it,” said Al-Mazmi.
David Lock, registrar and acting chief executive of BUiD, said, “The support of organizations like the BBG in the form of scholarships is vital as it helps us to attract the best students.”
The BBG also funds a scholarship scheme which allows Emirati students from disadvantaged backgrounds undertake a course at Dubai Men’s College. Each student sponsored under the scheme receives 36,000 dirhams a year for the duration of their course. Five students have benefited from the scheme that was set up in 2001.
