Doha, 24 September, 2008: French oil giant Total has made the commitment to collaborate with Education City for executive training and development in Qatar and the Middle East. Education City will be the regional hub of Total for executive education and training in the Middle East.

Total and Qatar Foundation will collaborate in identifying leading French and European universities offering highly ranked post-graduate executive degrees and training programmes that can be implemented at Qatar Foundation's Education City.

The educational areas being targeted mirror the ambitions of Qatar Foundation in building a knowledge-based economy, and cover a broad range of disciplines, including Finance, Management, Science and Technology, Engineering and Culture. Selected institutions will be encouraged to join North American Universities already in Education City and so enhance the campus' global coverage and enrich the academic and cultural experience enjoyed by EC students.

Total has a long tradition of supporting educational initiatives in the territories in which it operates, and so brings with it a wealth of experience and contacts in academia and industry.

The deal, sealed with a memorandum of understanding (MoU), was welcomed by Dr Mohammed Fathy Saoud, President of Qatar Foundation, who said:

"This important initiative demonstrates our commitment to work with Qatar's partners in Industry to build a sustainable future for Qatar's economy, built on a rich pool of highly trained talent. We are very pleased that Total recognises the importance of such an undertaking and look forward to the fruits of this cooperation".

The President of Total E&P Middle East, Ladislas Paszkiewicz, welcomed the initiative in saying :
"Education has always been a priority within Total. We highly value the confidence given to us by Qatar Foundation not only in the field of industrial development and research, but also in bringing our experience of talent development by highly-ranked educational institutions."

For further media information please contact Omar Chaikhouni at Qatar Foundation 4540967.

About Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development
Founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, and chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned, Qatar Foundation is a private organization committed to the principle that a nation's greatest natural resource is its people. The headquarters of Qatar Foundation are located within its flagship project, Education City. A fourteen million square-meter campus, Education City is home to numerous progressive learning institutions and centers of research, including branch campuses of six of the world's leading universities, plus a cutting-edge science and technology park, QSTP. Qatar Foundation also works to enhance the quality of life in Qatar by investing in Education, Science, Technology and Community Health and Development. http://www.qf.org.qa