The Chartered Institute for IT, BCS, has honoured H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, at his palace in Abu Dhabi.

Philip Parham, British Ambassador to the UAE, and Eng. Adel Alkaff Al Hashmi, Chairman of the Chartered Institute for IT, Middle East Section, were present at the ceremony.

"Honouring our 2016 BCS ICT Conference with the generous patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan is a confirmation of his determination to make IT good for society, awaken in each individual the desire and the ability to interact and participate in the progress of the nation, and make IT knowledge spiritual food for citizens’ awareness and consciousness of the community," Al Hashimi said.

He lauded the leading role of the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development in spreading awareness among the Emirati youth in particular and across the society in general. As the Ministry helps educate the society about the use modern technologies for useful, constructive purposes, it contributes to promoting innovation, creativity and knowledge enhancement.

H.H. Sheikh Nahyan emphasised the importance of science and technology sector for the UAE economy, and expressed his satisfaction over the successful achievements of the conference objectives, and its efforts to keep pace with best international practices in the domain of information and communication technology, smart applications and quality initiatives.

"This is considered a link between economic growth and social progress, and one of the most important pillars towards realising the UAE Vision 2021," he added.

The Chartered Institute for IT is one of the top pioneering professional educational institutions worldwide. These institutions specialise in developing national leaders, and help the UAE achieve progress and prosperity under its wise leadership.