AGU, a unit of UAE-based diversified conglomerate Al Ghurair, said in his new role, Prof Alzahabi will oversee the development of the university in terms of elevating the standard of education and adopting global best practices for advanced learning.

He joins AGU from Kettering University in Michigan, US, where he had been director of the office of international programs and chair of engineering design since 2011.

In his previous position, he provided leadership and support for relationships with international universities, companies, governments and other institutions, and working in developing international programs.

He also officially represented Kettering to US and foreign government agencies concerning international and cultural issues while developing new funding opportunities for the university.

Alzahabi initially joined Kettering as Professor of Mechanical Engineering in 1998.

On his new role, Prof Alzahabi said: "I am thrilled to be entering a new stage in my career as president of one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the Gulf region. AGU has made a name for its progressive approach to education while staying connected to the heritage that makes it utterly unique."

Educated to doctorate level, Prof Alzahabi holds a Ph D in Civil Engineering and two MS degrees in both Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics and Engineering Science from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Ibrahim Al Ghurair, a board member at Al Ghurair, said: "We are absolutely confident that Prof Alzahabi’s esteemed career in education will be a tremendous addition to the university. AGU will surely be leveraging his experience in further raising our institution, together with our students and faculty, to new levels of academic excellence."

"With his arrival, we will see a fresh new approach to training and educational collaboration that will elevate AGU’s global competitiveness," he added.

In support of the local and expat talent in the UAE, over 50 renowned Emirati and expatriate artists featured a "time capsule" view of the UAE, from ageless desert landscapes to modern representations of Burj Al Arab and other iconic symbols – marking the unrivalled urban development of the UAE since its formation on December 2nd, 1971.

The move to organise this campaign was necessitated by a report released at the Eco-Waste conference hosted by Masdar, the Abu Dhabi sustainable energy company, which revealed that waste generated by the UAE will increase from 6.6 million tonnes to 8.4 million tonnes by 2017.

In 2015, there were more than 2.8 million women with a history of breast cancer in the US. This included women under treatment and women who had finished treatment. With breast cancer cases growing at an alarming rate, healthcare stakeholders and corporate and business entities have been joining hands to reduce the threat of breast cancer in the UAE.