After the largest and most successful edition yet of Najah, exhibiting educational institutions and businesses received an extra boost of optimism from the UAE government and various economic reports. Unveiled a week after Najah, the leading education and careers event in the region, the UAE Federal Budget 2010 reinforced its continued dedication to investment in primary, secondary, and higher education with 22.5 percent of the entire budget allotted for the education sector. The total education budget is Dhs9.8bn, a Dhs100m increase from the amount given in the 2009 budget. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund recently raised its economic outlook for the UAE, forecasting 3 percent growth in GDP in 2010. The optimism was compounded by HSBC's recent survey of GCC firms, showing that the Gulf Business Confidence Index rose 81.4 points in the third quarter with 34 percent of respondents predicting revenue growth in the final months of 2009. Inaugurated by Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Najah was held on Oct. 20-22 and played host to nearly 11,000 students and job-seekers, a 49 percent increase in visitor numbers from last year, eager to explore employment opportunities and higher education offerings from 110 exhibitors. Education was one of the primary focuses, as busloads of students engaged with officials from leading universities such as UAE University, Abu Dhabi University, and Zayed University. The Australian International Student Accommodation Service was launched on opening day.
