One industry that was untouched by the global financial crisis and its fallout is the higher education sector.

In fact the crisis has encouraged students to go the extra mile in acquiring the right qualification from leading institutions so that they can confidently join the workforce.

The leaders of the UAE are in the forefront of the call for developing the education industry and they have put in place enough measures to boost the sector. One such key step is the top priority given to the sector in the UAE budget for the fiscal year 2010.

About 22.5 per cent of the total budget of Dh43.6 billion has been allocated to the education sector, reflecting the strategic priorities of the country. The amount will be used to establish projects in schools and higher education institutions.

The public and private sectors have been laying emphasis on the need to prepare youth to take up responsible positions in a diversified economy that is generating good employment opportunities.

Factors such as a rise in student intake in public and private schools, the Emiratisation drive, and the country’s growing expatriate population are also fuelling demand for quality education.

As a result, higher education institutions are upgrading their programmes and entering into tie-ups with foreign institutions and specialised bodies to expand the scope and scale of the programmes they offer.

The International Education Show becomes a significant event for such institutions to make their presence felt in the country and present their programmes to the right audience.