United Arab Emirates, 13 September 2021: Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, is supporting public schools near its Al Taweelah site to reopen safely as in-school learning resumes for the 2021-2022 academic year.

In collaboration with the Emirates Schools Establishment, EGA is giving masks, bottles of sanitiser and COVID-19 prevention awareness posters to Al Samha, Al Falahiya, Al Rahba, and Al Bahia schools, which together educate over 4,600 students from different age groups.

The initiative is part of EGA’s supporting for local communities near its operations, in both the UAE and Guinea.

EGA’s Chief Executive Officer, Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, said: “Our goal is to enable students to return to their classrooms safely as the new academic year kicks-off, and we are delighted to be working with the Emirates Schools Establishment to facilitate the resumption of face-to-face learning in the communities surrounding our Al Taweelah site.

“This initiative is one of many ways in which we support local communities across the UAE and Guinea, and we look forward to continuing to engage with students and academic institutions to ensure our youth have access to safe and enriching learning environments,” added Bin Kalban.

Her Excellency Dr. Rabaa Al Sumaiti, Director-General of the Emirates Schools Establishment, said: “At the Emirates Schools Establishment, we seek to build strong partnerships with various entities and companies, whether in the private or public sector, to strengthen the efforts made in light of the current circumstances for the sustainability of in-school learning in our schools across the country. EGA’s contribution achieves this partnership and supports our efforts in the education sector, benefiting the continuity of the academic year in cooperation with everyone.”

In January, EGA collaborated with Emirates Foundation and Tadweer to hold a virtual workshop for members of nearby communities in Abu Dhabi to share best practices for healthy living during COVID-19. Around 150 people from EGA and the local community participated in the workshop.

EGA’s Ambassador Programme has supported UAE university students’ distance learning during the pandemic through virtual seminars on science, technology, engineering and mathematics in industry. Young EGA engineers and professionals have held 26 online seminars so far, reaching more than 1,500 university students in total including from the American University of Sharjah, UAE University, Khalifa University and the Higher Colleges of Technology.

In June, EGA held virtual workshops during career fairs with the Ministry of Education, Khalifa University and UAE University for over 400 students to help them better prepare for their professional lives. Since 2020, EGA in collaboration with INJAZ UAE also reached around 300 students from Khalifa University, Rosary School, University of Dubai, and HCT Ras Al Khaimah to foster their knowledge around STEM professions.