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A delegation from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) visited the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) to discuss cooperation between the two bodies. His Excellency Dr. Ali Rashid Al Noaimi, Vice Chancellor of UAEU, met with the visiting delegation, headed by Mr. Ad Spikers, Director of the FAO’s Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen. This meeting was held in the presence of faculty from the College of Science and the College of Food and Agriculture.

Dr. Al Noaimi welcomed the delegation and added that this visit confers prestige upon the scientific research status of UAEU. He went on to stress the university’s contribution to dealing with global environmental problems and talked about the research infrastructure at UAEU that enables the conduct of high quality research and experimentation in an atmosphere conducive to innovation, creativity and excellence.

The Vice Chancellor added that UAEU is very concerned about agriculture, green projects and the preservation of the natural environment. The late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan sought to turn the UAE from an arid desert to a greener oasis. Dr. Al Noaimi also pointed out that the university supports agricultural research related to food security and livestock.

Dr. Ahmed Murad, Vice Dean of the College of Science, stressed the importance of a visit from a high level delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It is significant that international organizations, such as UNESCO and the FAO, invite UAEU faculty and experts to cooperate in technical studies and consultations related to the environment.

Dr. Ahmed Murad himself participates in the assessment of water sources in the UAE as a direct result of concerns regarding regional water scarcity. This research is supervised by the Food and Agriculture Organization and Dr. Murad presented a detailed explanation of the work done so far on this project. Dr. Ayesha Al Dhaheri of the College of Food and Agriculture also cooperates with the FAO in the school gardens project, which helps to reaffirm the role played by UAEU in these organizations.