In line with the government trends,

On Sunday, November 20, 2016, the United Arab Emirates University launched Innovation Week at the Information Technology Theater. The event aims to make the UAE a destination for innovation. This is part of a week celebrating innovation, held annually, and directed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai.

Professor Ghaleb Al Hadrami, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, said: "The United Arab Emirates University continues to meet the directives of the leadership in formulating a national strategic framework for innovation. This will give added value to the national economy". He also noted that these innovation events held by the University are in line with the national strategy, which is an effective tool to spread the culture of innovation among all segments of the UAE society. This will make the UAE among the most innovative countries in the world by 2021.

This Week’s events include a "Challenge for Innovation", which will be held annually under the patronage of the UAEU Science and Innovation Park, as part of the Business Incubator program. It seeks to transform ideas into realistic models, and aims to provide the participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to write and submit an action plan in one week. Workshops and guidance sessions will be held to achieve this as part of the Challenge.

This week also includes the Innovations Exhibition 2016, which will display the latest inventions registered at the United Arab Emirates University. Researchers will present their innovations and areas of use. In addition, the UAEU Annual Research & Innovation Conference will be launched on Monday, November 21, 2016, for two days, in order to exchange further experiences on the topic of innovation.