Scene of the MOU signing announcement. From left to right: H.E. Mr. IWATA Kazuchika, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Mr. Yaser Almazrouei, Executive Director of People, Commercial and Corporate Support Directorate, ADNOC, H.E. Mr. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (Co-Chairman, ADJEC), Mr. TOTSUKA Nobuo, Executive Director of JICE, and Mr. KODAIRA Nobuyori, President of Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East (Co-Chairman, ADJEC).

　JICE announced that it had concluded a Memorandum of Understanding（MOU）with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) regarding the cooperation in the internship program at the Japanese companies for the university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the sidelines of the 10th Japan-Abu Dhabi Economic Council (ADJEC) held in the country’s capital Abu Dhabi on March 7, 2024.

　Under the MOU, JICE and ADNOC will cooperate in recruiting applicants to the internship program and matching them with the relevant Japanese companies.  

　On March 5, 2024, prior to the signing ceremony, Mr. TOTSUKA Nobuo, Executive Director, JICE had an honor to join the high -level meeting between H.E. ISOMATA Akio, Ambassador of Japan to the UAE, and H.E. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), where H.E. ISOMATA and Mr. TOTSUKA stressed the importance of the internship program and discussed the possibility of further cooperation with MOHRE to promote it.

　MOHRE is the UAE’s ministry, partly consolidated from the former Ministry of Labour, which is spearheading the country’s signature policy for Emiratisation aimed to increase the employment rate of the UAE nationals in private-sector companies. The internship program is mutually beneficial because it will not only contribute to the Ministry's policy but also help Japanese companies find talented UAE nationals and increase the rate of UAE nationals in their employ.

　JICE will be committed to work with ADNOC and MOHRE on the internship program to ensure that both the UAE and Japan will move forward together in the field of human resources development.

INOUE Noriko
International Cooperation Division
International Training Department