U-MART Comes to UAEU
Dr. Abdulrahman Al Shayeb, Dean of Students at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and Prof. Robert Whelan, Deputy Provost at UAEU, inaugurated a number of new facilities at some of the UAEU’s residential campuses. The facilities included a library and two student coffee shops at hostel buildings "E6 & E7", one designed with a traditional style serving traditional foods and drinks and the other a more modern style. A third coffee shop was also inaugurated at the female students’ hostel in Maqam 2.
During the inauguration, Dr. Al Shayeb stated, "We, at UAEU, strive to provide the best for our students not just in the form of education but also to ensure our students have adequate facilities to enjoy the university atmosphere while on campus. These university co-op societies are as competitive on price and quality as other retail stores around Al Ain."
"There are further plans to open an additional 4 facilities including two co-op societies and two coffee shops in addition to renewing the old facilities. The new co-op societies will be called "U Mart", giving them a branded modern and attractive feel”, Dr. Al Shayeb added.
Prof. Robert Whelan, Deputy Provost, expressed his enthusiasm, "It is delightful to see such facilities in UAEU especially in the student hostels. The students will no longer need to look outside the campus for such requirements. I'm glad to be involved in the opening of these traditional coffee shops which serve Emirati food and promote the traditional Emirati culture to other nationalities at UAEU."
Mrs. Samira Eissa, Director of Student Co-op Societies Department at UAEU, said "UAEU has 6 Co-op Societies plus 6 student coffee shops inside the campus. These facilities are organized by the By-laws approved by UAEU Chancellor, H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan. The Board of Directors is chaired by Dr. Abdulrahman Al Shayeb, Dean of Students, along with a group of students usually from the College of Business and Economics giving them the chance to gain work experience whilst encouraging and preparing them for the job market. 50% of the society's profit is contributed to the Student Support Fund and the other 50% is distributed among the student stakeholders. Students are allowed to buy shares to obtain profits at the end of the year. The more students that shop from these societies, the more profit goes into the Student Support Fund which is used to support low income students and sponsor student activities."
