The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate on organizing a number of CEM (Certified in Exhibition Management) Learning Program courses in 2018.

The MOU states that a minimum of 9 IAEE CEM Learning Program courses will be organized, in cooperation with Expo Centre Sharjah. The various locations of the courses will include 7 Arab countries: United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan.

The MOU was signed in the presence of HE Abdulla Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI; David DuBois, President and CEO of IAEE; HE Khalid Bin Butti Al Hajri, Director-General of the SCCI; HE Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah and Member of the Board of Directors of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) for the Middle East and Africa; in addition to a number of other officials from both sides.

The signing ceremony coincided with the Global Exhibitions Day which is celebrated around the world on 6^th of June, every year.

HE Abdulla Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the SCCI, stated that signing the MOU with the International Association of Exhibitions and Events comes as part of the chamber’s efforts to support the exhibitions and conferences sector at the local and regional level. He stressed that the main goal of signing the Memorandum of Understanding is to develop a highly qualified workforce that possesses the necessary skills to elevate the exhibitions sector, especially in light of the upcoming international exhibitions such as Expo 2020.

David DuBois, President and CEO of IAEE, praised both the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Expo Centre Sharjah for their support and cooperation in elevating the exhibitions sector and for developing the workforce that is employed by the sector.

He stated that the signing of the MOU represents a positive step towards elevating the performance and services of the exhibitions sector in a number of targeted Arab countries. He stressed that the association is keen to provide all the necessary knowledge and information to the participants from various Arab countries through the CEM courses, as part of its efforts to develop the exhibitions industry in the Middle East.

Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, stated that the organization of the training courses by both the SCCI and IAEE, with support from Expo Centre Sharjah, comes as part of the efforts to develop the best specialized workforce in the exhibitions sector at the regional level, and to raise the level of the exhibitions industry in accordance with the international best practices.

Al Midfa stressed the importance of this initiative that provides students and participants that are hoping to work in the exhibitions sector with the necessary knowledge and expertise. He added that participants who complete the courses will be awarded with accredited certificates from the International Association of Exhibitions and Events.

The two sides have agreed to set the dates for the courses at a later time, and to organize the courses within the guidelines set by the MOU. Students who will register for the courses must pass a test in order to obtain the certificate from the association.

The Sharjah chamber will provide a single meeting room for each on-location course, in addition to being responsible for all travel and associated expenses for each faculty member for on-location courses. The association will administer the CEM courses in accordance with the CEM Learning Program Manual of Operations and provide CEM Commission-approved faculty to teach the courses, in addition to providing access to all course materials online for students.