Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) of Dubai has partnered with Dubai Government’s labour welfare initiative, Taqdeer, to unite the local community in a day of sports and entertainment at the first-of-its-kind campus Spring Fest. The event was inaugurated by His Excellency Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, Chairman of Dubai’s Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs and Chairman of the Taqdeer Award.
Featuring corporate games, family fun zones, and an exhibition of rare and luxury cars, the Spring Fest took place across the University’s 129,000 square meters state-of-the-art campus in Dubai Silicon Oasis. The event brought together over 500 participants, including representatives of corporate partners, the labourer community, university staff and students, as well as members of the general public.
In collaboration with Corporate Sports, the day featured an action-packed program of competitive corporate games, with contests in basketball, volleyball, football, badminton, squash, and dodgeball. Following his official opening of the event, His Excellency Major General Obaid joined the Taqdeer team on the football pitch to take part in the opening match of the competition. Other participating teams represented several of the University’s strategic partners including Nestle, FAB, Salesforce, du, W Motors, and Daikin.
Speaking about the event, His Excellency Major General Obaid appreciated RIT’s role in organizing this event that represents a valuable chance to bring people together to enjoy the different activities, which helps workforces to flourish together. “We are grateful to RIT Dubai for hosting this wonderful community celebration.”
Vice President of Finance and Administration for RIT Dubai, Saleh Yammout, added, “This event is about bringing together our partners and the wider public in an informal way as part of our commitment to strengthening our relations with the local community. We have been joined by over 40 companies to take part in a range of competitive sports, and with the support of our partners, Taqdeer, we have been able to reach out to labourers and other local workforces to join us in a program of events that aims to empower individuals, promote employee wellbeing, and create a sense of community across our neighbourhood.”
Among the participants in the corporate games was RIT Dubai alumni, Laith Al-Shuha, who graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 2021 and is now a content engineer with corporate partner, Odoo. A member of Odoo’s volleyball team at the event, Al-Shuha said, “RIT is where I first began to play volleyball, so it has been great to return and compete as a graduate representing the business where I interned and was subsequently employed. The university always created new opportunities for us to develop and grow as students, and it’s exciting to see these activities extending into the local community.”
Throughout the day, families were entertained in the kids’ zone with carnival games, musical performances, and arts and craft, with a range of food and beverages to fuel the activities. For car enthusiasts, there was an impressive exhibition of precision-crafted automobiles. The day concluded with an awards ceremony and presentations to the winning sports teams.
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About RIT Dubai
Established in 2008, RIT Dubai is a not-for-profit global campus of the esteemed Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, one of the world’s leading technological-focused universities with a storied 185 year history. Entering its next stage of growth in the region, RIT Dubai is now operating from phase one of its new $136 million state-of-the-art campus development, which will provide interactive learning space set over 129,000 square meters.
RIT Dubai offers highly valued Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in business and leadership, engineering, and computing. The curriculum provides students with relevant work experience through an innovative cooperative education program that helps students stand out in today’s highly competitive job market. RIT Dubai offers American degrees, and all of RIT’s programs are UAE Ministry accredited. Students of RIT Dubai also have the unique opportunity to choose to study abroad at the main campus in New York or at one of its other global campuses.
