Author: Web Desk

ABU DHABI: The remote work system in the United Arab Emirates has become a safety valve contributing to the preservation of the safety of society members and enabling them to perform their daily tasks and duties with ease and convenience.

Due to the weather conditions witnessed by the country, the UAE has implemented the remote work system for the third consecutive day on a wide scale, with great efficiency and success in maintaining business continuity and services at the highest level.

At the same time, remote learning has contributed to achieving sustainability in the educational process in all state schools and continuity in implementing curriculum plans to the fullest extent. The UAE has succeeded in building a flexible and future-oriented remote work system, becoming a global example in efficiency, effectiveness, and high readiness for any circumstances or changes.

Three main reasons stand behind the success of the remote work experience in the UAE, including legislative flexibility, the use of moder
n technology in performance monitoring and productivity, and the readiness of integrated digital infrastructure and the availability of smart electronic government services that help maintain communication continuity and service delivery.

Legislation and regulations

The UAE has prepared itself early on for the changes that the world may witness in terms of work methods and systems, whether remote or in-person, or concerning workdays and methods. To achieve this, it has equipped itself with the strongest and most effective digital systems to remain at the forefront of countries in this field. The UAE began implementing the remote work system in the federal government sector since 2017, initially through its trial application in some federal entities, and managed to measure its impact on productivity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cabinet Decision No. (27) of 2020 was issued regarding the remote work system in the federal government, under which remote work is also applied by federal entities under normal cir
cumstances. In 2021, the UAE introduced the first-of-its-kind virtual work residency visa in the region, allowing foreigners to enter the country under their personal sponsorship and stay for one year to practice their virtual job, subject to conditions and regulations issued with the visa.

Monitor performance and productivity

The Guide of Remote Working System in the Federal Government, issued by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, emphasises the need to monitor the implementation of remote work and document achievements by measuring the productivity of employees working remotely. This involves ensuring the quality and accuracy of outputs, setting time-frames for service delivery, task execution, and project delivery, and adhering to governance standards and cybersecurity controls when using various technological means to implement the remote work system, as well as any other controls deemed appropriate by the employer in this regard.

The performance of employees working remotely is eval
uated based on several criteria, including productivity, which is determined by the number of completed tasks out of the total targeted tasks and the quality of outputs in terms of accuracy in delivery and adherence to task completion within the specified time-frame. Additionally, the satisfaction rate of the direct supervisor and stakeholders with the completed work outputs is assessed based on agreed-upon criteria.

Advanced digital infrastructure

The government of the United Arab Emirates has launched the UAE Government Services Strategy, the Unified Digital Platform Policy, and the Digital User and Government Service Policy as part of its efforts to provide advanced digital services around the clock and anywhere.

The UAE government offers more than 6,000 federal and local online services across various sectors and areas related to daily life for community members.

According to the “Digital UAE – Facts and Figures 2023” report by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, the in
ternet user ratio in the country reached 99% of the population, enabling a high level of digital solution usage, whether in daily life or in government services.

The report highlights the performance of the official portal of the Government of the United Arab Emirates (U.ae) as the main reference for all information and services provided by all government entities. The portal is linked to 221 government entities offering 2,630 digital services, with the number of portal visitors reaching 19 million visitors during the year 2022.

It is worth mentioning that the United Arab Emirates ranked first regionally and fourth globally among the leading destinations for remote work attracting “digital nomads,” according to the classification of the “Visa Guide” website, which specialises in monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of visa systems supporting remote work patterns and the level of progress in providing a nurturing, enabling, and attractive environment for talents and minds in the digital field.

Sourc
e: Emirates News Agency

The Meteorological Center on Thursday said the forecast weekend weather would fluctuate between warmness and hotness, amid moderate humidity and upcoming rain expected by Sunday.

The center director, Abdulaziz Al-Qarawi, said in remarks to KUNA the country is under the effect of a high altitude, coupled with warm and relatively wet winds, along with unsteady southeasterly blows.

Heat will range between 34 to 26 degrees and the weather at night will be moderate amid some humidity.

On Friday, the forecast heat is at the level of 35-37 degrees and the night conditions will be largely identical to those of the night before.

The weather on Saturday will be hot amid unsteady winds and the temperature will jump to 39 degrees, one degree below the high heat threshold (40 degrees). But the night brings with it lower heat, forecast at 22-24 degrees.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Riyadh, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received Foreign Minister of Montenegro Dr. Filip Ivanovic at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh today.

The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the two countries in various areas. Additionally, they discussed the latest regional and international developments and relevant diplomatic efforts.

The Director of the Southeast Europe Department, Yasser AlGhanim, attended the meeting.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

SHARJAH: The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has introduced a new ‘Young Adults’ category for the Sharjah Children’s Book Illustration Award. Nominations are now being accepted, with submissions open until 1st May.

Young talents from across the UAE are invited to submit artworks that creatively interpret a book of their choosing to awards@scrf.com. The winners will be unveiled during the 15th edition of the Sharjah Children Reading Festival (SCRF), taking place from 1-12 May at the Expo Centre Sharjah.

The ‘Young Adult’ category of the Sharjah Children’s Book Illustration Award is designed to emphasise the importance of book illustrations and their impact on children’s reading experiences. By deepening their understanding of the written word, these illustrations encourage young readers to engage more deeply with the content of books.

The award aims to inspire young artists to showcase their talent by participating in a competition that not only enhances and complements the content of children’s and adolescent
books but also recognises and supports exceptional talent. By giving them opportunities and integrating these young artists into the publishing industry, the award seeks to foster a new generation of illustrators who can contribute to the development of high-quality books for the youth.

Commenting on the new category, Khoula Al Mujaini, General Coordinator of SCRF, said, ‘We believe that young artists have a unique ability to understand and visually interpret the essence of stories in a way that speaks directly to the hearts and minds of their peers. Their perspective on the events of a story is distinct, allowing them to engage with the material in a deep and meaningful way. As a result, their illustrations are not only reflective of their personal experiences and insights but also add authenticity and allure to the books they illustrate. By encouraging young artists to participate in the Sharjah Children’s Book Illustration Award, we hope to provide a platform for them to showcase their talent and contribu
te to the development of high-quality children’s and adolescent books that resonate with young readers around the world.’

‘Illustrations have been found to play an extremely important role when it comes to literature catered to the youth, going beyond mere aesthetic enhancement. They serve as essential educational and entertainment tools, significantly enhancing the reading experience for young readers. These visuals help develop comprehension and analytical skills, simplify complex storylines, and make the reading experience more engaging and enjoyable. By recognising and nurturing young talent, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering the abilities of young talents and future leaders in the publishing sector. The award aims to support the development of high-quality children’s and adolescent books that not only entertain and educate young readers but also contribute to their personal and intellectual growth,’ Al Mujaini added.

The award provides a platform for young artists aged 12 to 18 to showcase their
talents in creating and designing book illustrations, and is divided into two age categories: 12 to 15 and 16 to 18, with a strict condition on the work being 100 percent original and not conflicting with the intellectual property rights of others.

To enter, participants must submit three illustrations for a book of their choosing, created using either manual or digital tools and techniques, and presented on paper no larger than A3 size. The award offers attractive prizes for the winners in both categories, with the top winners receiving AED 3,000, second-place winners receiving AED 2,000, and third-place winners receiving AED 1,000.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Madrid, The Saudi Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing, Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail, participated in yesterday’s Saudi-Spanish Business Forum launch in Madrid. The Federation of Saudi Chambers and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce organized the forum to discuss investment opportunities between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Spain. The participants reviewed ways to strengthen partnerships in areas such as construction technologies, smart cities, and urban planning.

At the forum, Al-Hogail expressed gratitude for the launch of the Saudi-Spanish Business Forum. He highlighted that the forum reflects the deep historical relations between Saudi Arabia and Spain as two friendly countries. He pointed out that the forum aims to discuss and explore investment opportunities and ways to enhance practical cooperation and partnership between the two countries in several vital fields and sectors, including municipal and housing sectors.

Al-Hogail noted that the mutual relations between the Kin
gdom and Spain, spanning over seven decades, have achieved many positive outputs that have reflected their impact on development, investment, and service development, including the construction sectors, civil engineering, financial activities, energy, and water desalination. He also pointed out that Saudi Arabia and Spain are witnessing a rapid development renaissance and tangible development in all fields. This makes investment and trade exchange opportunities between them a catalyst and attractant.

The Saudi minister affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is working according to clear plans and targets set out by its Vision 2030 that have constituted a roadmap for all development sectors contributing to the economic and social sides and tangible results. The goal is to achieve more successes and achievements for a vibrant society, an ambitious nation, and a prosperous economy.

He elaborated that investments between the two countries are witnessing a significant development movement. The value of Spanis
h investments in the Kingdom exceeded $3 billion during the past ten years, 40% of which is related to the real estate sector. The minister stressed the importance of continuing cooperation and exchanging expertise to serve this vital sector as the Kingdom welcomes any extending bridges of cooperation with successful international expertise and benefiting from the distinguished houses of expertise.

Al-Hogail announced the signing of a real estate development agreement next month with one of the Spanish development companies. The agreement aims to implement residential units within integrated residential communities and suburbs that take into account the quality of life standards. The goal is to contribute to raising the homeownership rate to 70% by 2030. He expressed the ministry’s aspiration to strengthen partnerships with developers and investors in the construction, roads, and recycling sectors, in addition to engineering and consulting companies.

After the forum, Saudi Minister Al-Hogail met with the Th
ird Vice-President of the Government of Spain and the Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera. They discussed ways of cooperation in the fields of humanizing cities, urban development, and employing artificial intelligence technology in sustainable urban development. The minister highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts to apply quality-of-life standards in municipal and housing projects. He also discussed the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing projects, including the “Bahjah” project, which aims to raise the quality of life in Saudi cities, and the Green Suburbs Project, which aims to plant more than 1.3 million trees in 50 housing projects.

Al-Hogail also met with the President of the Spanish Association of Infrastructure Contractors and Concessionaires, Julián Núñez. They reviewed the most prominent investment opportunities in the Saudi real estate sector.

The forum was attended by the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the Kingdom of Spain, Princess Haifa bint Abdu
laziz bin Ayyaf Al Muqrin, Chairman of the Saudi-Spanish Business Council Eng. Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail and several other officials and leaders of Saudi and Spanish investment companies.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

His Highness the Caretaker Prime Minister, Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, has sent a cable of congratulations to the President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa on his country’s national day.

Source: Kuwait News Agency