'UAE to continue extending help in education sector'

Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research on Friday said his country would continue to help Pakistan meet its targets in the educational sector by executing projects at different levels.
UAE education minister told APP that his country has undertaken several projects including building several educational institutions particularly in the areas that witnessed devastating natural calamities or had no quality schooling facilities.
He observed that education plays a key role in building bridges among the people and strengthening societies. He said the relations between the two countries have strengthened over the period of time and vowed that UAE would continue to extend support to Pakistan in diverse fields.
The UAE has recently opened its first school in Swat as part of its Pakistan Assistance Programme directed by the President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Government High School Aingaro Dheria, that was severely damaged by floods was rebuilt by the UAE at a cost of USD 26 million. A total of 51 schools in Swat will get the assistance for building basic facilities. Drilling of water-wells and equipping hospitals with necessary medical facilities is also included in the assistance programme.
Earlier, Sheikh Nahayan told a group of foreign journalists here at his palace that the UAE is at the crossroads of east and west and could serve as a bridge between civilisations and religions. "We believe in globalisation and have the honour to host every nationality of the world." He stressed the need of better understanding between different communities and religions of the world with the objective of serving the humanity.
He said one calamity impacts all and also cited scarcity of food, poverty, shortage of water and exploding population as common challenges. He called for creating a culture of reaching out and helping those in trouble. He regretted that there were more obese people in the world than the hungry ones, and stressed concerted efforts for remedial measures to ensure food security.
He also called for respecting each other. "Lets erect bridges and demolish barriers and only then can we hope to make the world a better place to live," he said. "Let's work together and fight poverty, hunger and disease," he said. A number of UAE-based public and private sector programmes are helping Pakistan in education. A philanthropic organisation - Dubai Cares is already working on a Dh6 million (US $1.6 million) primary education programme in Pakistan, particularly aimed at improving girls' enrolment and retention.
The programme in Pakistan is being implemented by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA), a local non-governmental organisation and will benefit 70,000 girls, 500 teachers, 4,500 mothers and over 15,000 community members in four districts in South Punjab and Upper Sindh. Dubai Cares, founded in 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is working to improve children's access to quality primary education in developing countries.
A UAE project to assist Pakistan was launched in January 2011 at a total cost of US $100 million for the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by devastating floods and natural calamities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Bajaur and South Waziristan districts of the tribal belt to create jobs. The project is to focus on four major sectors: education, public health, roads, bridges and supply of water treatment plants and networks. The work on 98 percent of 51 educational projects and 85 percent of 64 water-related projects has already been completed.