Al Gharbia students return from educational trip in Spain
Nine students from the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) campuses in Madinat Zayed and Ruwais have just returned from their visit to Spain where they acted as envoys for the UAE and strengthened their cultural understanding of the Islamic and Arabic ties between the two countries.
The trip sponsored by the Western Region Development Council (WRDC) – the central coordinating body leading development and promoting opportunity in Al Gharbia, the Western Region of Abu Dhabi – lasted 10 days. During their time they visited the famous Cordoba Mezquita (Mosque), the sprawling Alhambra Palace, the Spanish Museums, Madrid University and the International Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies.
In his comments, H.E. Mohamed Hamad Bin Azzan Al Mazrouei, Director General of WRDC, said: “The youth of Al Gharbia are our region’s future. Therefore, it is imperative that we invest in their education and development. We at WRDC believe such trips help to broaden their minds and offer life-long experiences that we hope will benefit them and Al Gharbia in the future.”
He added “This is the second trip that WRDC has sponsored and we will continue to sponsor such trips for region’s students that are proving invaluable, time and time again.”
The students ended their trip with a visit to the UAE embassy in Madrid where they met the UAE Ambassador, H.E. Dr. Hessa Abdallah Ahmed Al Oteibah.
Fatema Al Hamadi, a HCT student who visited Spain said “this trip has meant so much to me and my fellow students. We were given a hands-on learning experience about the culture and development of the Spanish community. We were also able to talk with our Spanish peers and teach them about the UAE and our accomplishments as a nation.”
Another HCT student, Ayesha Ahmed said: “I am still overwhelmed having visited and paid tribute to all the memorials and buildings aging back to Islamic history in Spain. We were so lucky to have been given the opportunity to visit the country but especially the Hamraa Palace, the city of Toledo and Kurtuba Mosque.”
All the students expressed their sincere gratitude to WRDC for their generous sponsorship and also thanked their families for allowing them to go on this once in a lifetime experience.
WRDC is continuing its work towards helping the local community of Al Gharbia evolve and build the region. WRDC’s development plan includes involving and informing the local community in the development of the region and developing the capability of the public to play an effective role in the development process.
