The winners of HSBC's annual English Language Programme travelled to the United Kingdom to start English courses at schools in Cambridge, Oxford and Hastings.
A total of 14 UAE national secondary level students from public schools in have been selected to attend specialised language courses in the United Kingdom for five weeks during the summer vacation.
HSBC's English Language Programme is sponsored through the HSBC in the Community Middle East Foundation.
Candidates for the programme are selected through a competition run in conjunction with the British Council in Dubai. The courses, together with flights, accommodation and living expenses, will be paid for by the HSBC in the Community Middle East Foundation. As well as improving their spoken and written English, the programme will also provide candidates with an experience of family life in Britain, in addition to the chance of visiting some of London's famous landmarks.
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Notes to Editors
1. HSBC in the Community Middle East Foundation
The HSBC in the Community Middle East Foundation was launched in 1996 to fund opportunities for youngsters in the community. The English Language Programme was the first programme run by this scheme when the Bank sent 14 national students to attend English Courses in 1997. The Bank has repeated the programme on a yearly basis since then, and to date has sent over 150 students to the UK. The Foundation also supports other educational programmes such as Train the Trainers (in UAE and Lebanon), and the Rashid Paediatric Centre's library and schools' projects in different emirates. The Foundation has also supported a number of environmental projects such as the Crown of Thorns Starfish Clean Up Campaign with the Emirates Diving Association and Recycling Centres in 15 schools with the co-operation of Emirates Environmental Group.
2. HSBC Bank Middle East Limited
HSBC is the largest and most widely represented international bank in the Middle East. HSBC Bank Middle East Limited has 33 branches throughout the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Autonomous Area, including an offshore banking unit in Bahrain. This extensive regional coverage is strengthened by another member of the HSBC Group HSBC Bank Egypt SAE, and by its associated companies, The Saudi British Bank and British Arab Commercial Bank Limited. In addition to its Middle Eastern network, the Bank has a representative office in Tehran, Iran.
3. HSBC Holdings plc
HSBC Bank Middle East Limited has been a principal member of the HSBC Group since 1959. Serving over 110 million customers worldwide, the HSBC Group has approximately 9,800 offices in 77 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With assets of US$1,277 billion at 31 December 2004, HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organisations. HSBC is marketed worldwide as 'the world's local bank'.
Media enquiries to
Maitha Al Qader,
Community Affairs Officer,
HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, on
3906636 or
email: maithaalqader@hsbc.com
© Press Release 2006
