Islamabad (Ghulam Murtaza): Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar, on Monday met with the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Pakistan, Salem Al Zaabi, at the UAE Embassy in Islamabad. The meeting focused on further strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of education, technical and vocational training, skills development, and human resource exchange.

During the discussions, Wajiha Qamar emphasized that Pakistan is placing special focus on aligning youth employment-related skills with international standards to enable young professionals to effectively meet the demands of the global labor market. She highlighted the importance of collaboration in joint certification programs, teacher and student exchange initiatives, and capacity-building projects.

The meeting also reviewed opportunities for enhanced cooperation between Pakistan’s higher education institutions and the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Key areas discussed included mutual recognition of academic qualifications, research collaboration, and the promotion of academic mobility between the two countries.

Both sides expressed strong interest in developing an effective and coordinated mechanism for the structured exchange of skilled manpower in priority sectors. It was noted that such a system would benefit the workforce of both Pakistan and the UAE while contributing to shared economic growth.

UAE Ambassador Salem Al Zaabi reaffirmed his country’s commitment to expanding education- and skills-based cooperation with Pakistan. He stated that such partnerships would play a vital role in strengthening long-term bilateral relations and supporting human resource development.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to work on developing concrete frameworks for cooperation in education and technical training, along with joint initiatives aimed at further strengthening people-to-people contacts between Pakistan and the UAE.