WAM Swat, 23rd June 2012 (WAM) -- Upon the directives of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of UAE, the UAE Project to Assist Pakistan has accomplished 40 world-class schools and institutes and handed them over to the local authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan.

Nearly 21,000 boy and girls have already started classes.

A grand opening ceremony was held at one of the boys' school in the presence of Abdullah Khalifa Al Ghafli, Director of the Project, Major General Zahir Shah, Commander of the GOC 45th Engineers Division of the Pakistani Armed Forces, a group of Pakistani army commanders and senior government officials.

Al Ghafli and the senior accompanying civilian and military attendants unveiled the memorial plaque declaring the official opening of the school and then paid tribute to President Khalifa for the grant which constitutes a necessary, qualitative addition for improving and upgrading the education sector infrastructure in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. They also took a tour of the school building where they inspected classes, scientific and computer laboratories, sports facilities and other support services.

They also met with the school principal and teaching and administrative staff.

Al Ghafli also opened another school for girls and toured its various sections.

The Project, which focuses on four major sectors: education, public health, roads and bridges, comes within the framework of the good efforts by the UAE to help Arab and Islamic countries as one of the leading donors in the field of humanitarian aid and international development around the world.

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