Diana Farah

DUBAI: Arida City’s Mayor Yoshio Mochizuki signed a cooperation agreement on behalf of the Yuwa Junior High School in Arida with Dubai’s GEMS Al Barsha National School to promote educational exchange and cultural understanding between the students and both schools.

Mochizuki told Arab News Japan that the agreement covered three areas of cooperation, including: Joint educational projects; exchange programs; and cultural exchange events.

With the newly signed deal, the two schools will prioritize their mutual interests and celebrate each other’s cultures and traditions.

“We are convinced that the MoU with GEMS Al Barsha National School will improve the quality of education in our city and provide an opportunity for the young people of the future to develop an ‘international perspective’ that will enable them to play an active role in the world,” he said.

Mochizuki, who was in Dubai earlier this month, said that the UAE was a “very modern country” with “amazing development” in a short period of time.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by GEMS Al Barsha National School (@gems_gns)

He explained that Dubai and Arida were quite similar in some ways.

“At a time when the global trend is towards decarbonization and clean energy, Dubai’s policy of growth that doesn’t rely on oil is highly compatible with the situation in Arida City, where we are moving forward as a ‘Future Environmental Supply Base’,” he said.

With the focus being moving away from fossil fuels, Mochizuki said that it was important to “create new learning opportunities for children through energy and other subjects, and to cultivate an international mindset.”

He said that both Dubai and Arida City’s interests in green energy, despite the UAE being an oil-producing country, will bring the two cities closer together and foster higher collaboration.

The mayor told Arab News Japan that as Arida started as an oil-producing country, there was some interest in other countries in the Middle East, who are also oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia.

“Saudi Arabia, which currently holds the world’s second largest proven oil reserves, is aiming for a major shift away from underground resources,” Mochizuki said. “It has a great impact that Saudi Arabia has been able to set such a policy, and we would like to keep a close eye on its future policy and use it as a reference.”

At the signing ceremony of both schools, Japan’s Consul-General in Dubai JUN Imanishi was present to witness the promotion of cultural exchange.