The Gulf Education & Training Exhibition is making its Abu Dhabi debut from 16th – 18th November, 2005 at the Abu Dhabi Rotana Beach Hotel at the request of visitors and exhibitors at several past GETEX Dubai shows.
According to Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, IC&E, the organisers of GETEX, “Visitors from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain at the past few shows of GETEX Dubai have repeatedly expressed the need for exhibition to be held at Abu Dhabi. This demand was supported by a majority of exhibitors. The decision to hold the show in Abu Dhabi is in direct response to this demand.”
According to a survey conducted by MECORP at the 17th GETEX, 72 per cent of the students surveyed said that they found the university they were looking for at GETEX. On the other hand, 85 per cent of the respondents found the course they were looking for at the show, albeit not necessarily in the university of their initial choice. The survey covered respondents from the UAE, other Arab nationalities, other Asian nationalities, Europeans, Americans, as well as students from the rest of the world.
The overwhelming success of GETEX in networking students and world class higher education providers for the past 17 years had resulted in the demand for a second edition of the show reaching into hitherto untapped student communities, as well as highlighting the spring intake of most international universities.
Over the past six years, the education sector has grown rapidly in Abu Dhabi. With a total of 300 public schools and 180 private schools, the search for quality higher education options is pressing for the graduating students. While many students do travel to the Dubai edition of the show, the Abu Dhabi location is expected to boost both the number of visitors from the Emirate, as well as the time spent per visitor exploring study options.
On the other hand, GETEX Abu Dhabi is timed to highlight a second admission cycle, which begins in autumn and culminates in actual sessions starting in spring. The spring intake is a lesser known admission option, with most students targeting the autumn intake. In fact, with most international universities offering two intakes of admissions – in autumn and in spring – the show opens a second opportunity for students who might have missed the autumn intake.
GETEX Abu Dhabi will bring special focus on Higher Education courses such as MBA, Human Resource Management, IT and e-Learning and Medical education, amongst others. It will also highlight new methods of study including real time e-learning solutions that will be promoted by various exhibitors. The event is expected to feature exhibitors from various countries including U.S.A., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, United Kingdom and the entire Middle East among others.
The Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX) is the largest education fair in the Middle East region. Organised by International Conferences & Exhibitions (IC&E), GETEX is held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Education, and enjoys the support of Dubai Knowledge Village, the region’s biggest ensemble of institutes of higher education, and the British Council in Dubai.
In the 17th successive year of showing, GETEX is providing a forum to educational and training institutes from almost every region of the world. The 17th GETEX, held in April 2005 in Dubai, attracted 438 institutions from 38 countries and an audience of over 27,000 students, parents, teachers and education professionals.
At GETEX Abu Dhabi, will be a dedicated section on education for students with special needs, as well as a focused drive to spread awareness about the importance of planning higher education, including carrying out accurate self-assessment and identification of career options before choosing under-graduate and post-graduate courses. For further information on GETEX, please visit the official show website: www.gulfeducation.com
