In light of the problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has investigated options of partnership with the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce (AACC) to enhance existing connections in the fields of healthcare and education.

Both parties addressed the current local and global events, and numerous economic problems of mutual interest, throughout a webinar titled “Adjusting to New Normal in Education and Healthcare Sectors in UAE and Austria.” The virtual event is the first in a sequence of forums conducted by the chamber as part of its "Sharaka Experts Talk" initiative.

Ibrahim Salim Al Musharrakh, UAE Ambassador to Austria, Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI, and Senator Dr. Richard Schenz, President of AACC and Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, all joined the online meeting.

Mudar Al Khoja, Secretary-General of the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce, and Fatima Al Mokarrab, Director of the SCCI's International Relations Department, and other senior representatives from key government and commercial entities from both countries, were also part of it.

Al Musharrakh praised the deeply established Austro-UAE connections, emphasizing the UAE's eagerness to develop communication bridges and embrace attractive measures that would push the country's bilateral, regional, and international contacts to new heights.

“In addition to evaluating current areas of collaboration in the educational and health care sectors, we had the chance to explore ways to strengthen our connections in the context of the COVID-19 ramifications, which touched everything, including the educational process,” he added.

Abdullah Al Owais stated that now the UAE health sector is receiving special attention and is at the peak of the government's goals and strategies during the next 50 years.

“Thanks to its economic policies and legislation that encourage investments in the health sector, the UAE has been professionally and effectively able to contain the COVID-19 pandemic; because it ranked first regionally and globally in many indexes, particularly in terms of executing the greatest international standards while undertaking COVID-19 tests and inoculating the majority of the population.”

“Even though the pandemic has kept nothing untouched, the UAE has managed the educational system remarkably well owing to the digital learning system, which is currently supported and fostered by the government to catch pace with the projected developments in this field.

Unsurprisingly, the UAE's educational sector has lured quality investments, which would have a positive impact on the UAE's educational technology market, which is anticipated to reach $40 billion by 2022, as per a report published by the Dubai Future Foundation titled “Life After COVID-19: Education,” Al Owais added.