Sultan and Saudi Prince Nawaf sign MoU on cooperation in technology

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), stressed the importance of collaboration and technology and knowledge transfer in the region between reputable institutions.

The Ruler of Sharjah stated this after he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with His Royal Highness Prince Nawaf Bin Abdallah Bin Saud Bin Abdul Aziz, Chairman of Directors of the Jubail Pearl Group today, Monday at the university's main building. The purpose of the MoU is to provide a framework of cooperation and facilitate collaboration between the parties, on a non-exclusive basis, in areas of mutual interest.

The MoU between AUS, a leading higher learning institution in the UAE and the Jubail Pearl Group, a leading engineering, procurement contracting and general trading supplier worldwide, aims to facilitate cooperative ventures for mutual benefit and the development of new initiatives. The agreed initiatives relates to the technology transfer of knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of manufacturing and facilities developed by AUS; building the American University of Sharjah Technology Park; and other future joint ventures. 

"As a leading institution in the GCC region, cooperation in areas of technological development and knowledge transfer is very important for AUS as it will directly impact the future advancement of our knowledge economy," said the Sharjah Ruler on the occasion. "Our ongoing cooperation will serve as a launching pad for new ideas and innovation in the fields of engineering," he added.

"We are glad to have reached an agreement with a reputed institution such as AUS. We hope that our cooperation will benefit not just our own institutions, but our respective countries and the entire region," said His Royal Highness Prince Nawaf. "We are extremely pleased with this cooperation and sincerely hope it will result in many successful accomplishments now and in the future."

Sheikh Sultan and Prince Nawaf also attended the signing ceremony of an additional partnership agreement by Dr. Peter Heath, AUS Chancellor, and Dr. Saaran Athab Al-Shammari, Chairman of Jubail Pearl Group. Signed alongside the MoU, the purpose of this agreement is to join the two organizations in a partnership for the further development and commercialization of product derived from the solid waste of palm trees. This product is an invention by Dr. Ahmad Aidan, Dr. Nabil Abdel Jabbar and Dr. Rachid Chebbi, faculty members from the AUS College of Engineering. The team is led by Dr. Yousef Al Assaf, Dean of the College of Engineering. Jubail Pearl will sponsor the patent application to be filed by the inventors.

In a statement on the occasion, Dr. Al Shammari expressed satisfaction over the sponsorship and supports of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah for this collaboration. He also thanked the AUS administration and the faculty involved in the important project which he dubbed as the "Pearl of Sharjah." He said the project will be commercially executed in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE.

"This agreement is an excellent example of AUS leadership in supporting industries and the region in developing technologies that will contribute to the future of the regional economies," said Chancellor Peter Heath. "Our College of Engineering is reputed throughout the region for its excellent faculty. This has played an important part in allowing us to collaborate with key industry leaders to develop substantial partnerships. This is a significant step between AUS and the Jubail Pearl Group and will provide a framework of cooperation between our two institutions. AUS has and is always looking to partner with prominent regional organizations and this agreement will help us discover and develop areas of mutual interest and benefit," he added.