Day: May 17, 2021

ABU DHABI, The UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth has announced the opening of registration for the 16th edition of Al Burda Award from 17th May to 17th June, 2021, in the main award categories – decoration, classical and modern calligraphy, Nabati and classical Arabic poetry, and Arabic typography.

The Ministry will receive the nominations of artists and poets from all over the Islamic world through a registration form available on www.burda.ae.

Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Cabinet Member and Minister of Culture and Youth, held an online media briefing, which was attended by artists, poets, and media representatives and discussed the main updates on the Award and its role in strengthening the culture of Islamic arts.

Al Kaabi, said, “The UAE leads many international initiatives aimed at the preservation of Islamic arts as part of its extensive efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of humanity. This springs from our commitment to preserve human creativity and pass its products on to the next generations. The Award has established its presence and preeminent position among prizes focusing on the promotion of Islamic heritage over the past years globally.

“The award is more than just a prize. It is a noble message of principles consistent with the occasion of its launch – the memory of Prophet Mohammed and what it means for mutual tolerance between and coexistence of all civilisations.”

Al Kaabi underscored the Award’s objective of highlighting the aesthetic finesse of Islamic arts and its contributions to the global cultural scene.

“It will help disseminate the message of Islamic moderation whose central pillars are tolerance and creativity. The UAE always strove to promote Islamic heritage and arts. It is part of our staunch cultural commitment, especially since the country has now become an incubator and catalyst for a variety of cultural activities,” she added.

After receiving nominations for participation, the Ministry will send emails to all applicants specifying the modalities of completing the procedures in terms of the steps required, the criteria for the artworks in each category and other details. The criteria for the four categories are explained on the Award’s website.

The Ministry has determined the number of winners for each category in the current edition. Five winners will be honoured in decoration and traditional calligraphy, four in modern calligraphy and poetry (Nabati and classical form), and one winner and 10 finalists in Arabic typography. One application can apply only in one category.

Arabic typography is the new category added to 16th edition of the Award to support and encourage talented people in this field, integrate Islamic artistic heritage into modern design, and produce Arabic fonts that enhance the link between youth and Islamic heritage, in addition to introducing modern technologies and means to enhance innovation in Arabic typography.

The jury will meet next November to conduct a final evaluation of the participating artworks. All participants will be notified of the results of the Award, which will be announced in parallel with the Burda Festival held in December during Expo 2020 Dubai.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, has reiterated the UAE’s commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 70 percent and increase clean energy use by 50 percent by 2050 during the inaugural Middle East Energy virtual event.

“Today, renewables alongside new technologies and services are transforming the business of supplying and delivering power. For this energy transition, a more responsive and interconnected power system is emerging. This changing energy landscape offers new opportunities for both leadership and action,” Suhail Al Mazrouei told the audience.

“Over the past 50 years, the UAE has been at the forefront of the ongoing energy transition in the region and among leading nations worldwide. We were among the first nations to ratify the Paris Agreement, thereby showing our commitment to the efforts toward a low carbon economy, which requires a low carbon energy system,” he added.

Yousif Al Ali, Assistant Under-Secretary – Electricity, Water and Future Energy Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, who discussed the UAE carbon capture programme, said, “The UAE is well-positioned to be one of the top producers of hydrogen in the world. The UAE is committed and working with confidence to reduce the nationwide carbon footprint, by working on the demand side, supply-side and working on our different energies and future technologies to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Other notable speakers included Mohammed Angawi, Regional Climate Change Coordinator, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) West Asia; David Rennie, Global Head of Energy, Scottish Development International (SDI); Eva Ramos Torreblanca, Director – Environmental Analysis and Economics, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi; and Farid Al Awlaqi, Executive Director – Generation, TAQA Global – with all underscoring a commitment to low carbon, renewables and clean energy through solar, wind and tidal as well as green hydrogen.

Elsewhere on the agenda on the opening day were high-level discussions and presentations, including ‘Realising the potential of green hydrogen – will this be the game-changer for the energy transition’. The use of solar was highlighted in the session ‘Increasing output of solar panels: latest innovations in PV module design and installation’, which was led by Daniel Barandalla, Solar Advisory Lead EMEA, UL Renewables.

Rounding out the panel discussions on day one was the ‘Introduction to Utility Connected PV System and Design’ led by Kristopher Sutton, Middle East and Africa program Manager, Solar Energy International.

Claudia Konieczna, Exhibition Director, Middle East Energy, said, “The breadth of discussion on the opening day has underscored the eagerness of the energy industry to come together and plan for the future with clean and sustainable alternatives. Insights from around the world are reiterating the commitment of countries to diversify their energy portfolio and reduce carbon emissions.”

The Renewable and Clean Energy Sector week continues until 19 May. Discussions on the agenda on day two include ‘Enabling the adoption of Green Hydrogen in the region, Opportunities for floating solar, Latest developments in rooftop solar and Financing the energy transition’.

Rory McCarthy, Chief Commercial Officer at Yellow Door Energy, who is participating in the ‘How will the corporates transition towards the “New Energy” scenario session’, said, “Yellow Door Energy is proud to contribute our thought leadership to Middle East Energy 2021 and share how rooftop solar and energy savings initiatives can help corporations save money and achieve net-zero objectives. We look forward to the engaging talks by esteemed leaders in the industry. Together, we can accelerate the sustainable energy transition for a cleaner planet.”

The final day of the sector week, which takes place on 19th May, will include a deep dive into the ‘Middle East Solar Industry Mid-Year’ report by Ahmed Nada, Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESAI). An interview with Frederic Wishart, General Manager – Steam Power Projects, General Electric, will discuss nuclear power’s role in energy transition.

He said, “As today’s most dependable source of carbon-free power, nuclear will play a key role in the transition to a carbon-free future. I am excited to join the conversation at MEE and discuss how nuclear energy can contribute to a low-carbon energy mix in the Middle East.”

Other sessions include exploring the opportunities around the growing wind sector across the UK, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, PV modules post-shipment inspections & claims assessment in PV power plants. The final session will be ‘Island Microgrid, a Philippines Case Study’.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The panellists during the opening session of Day 2 of Arabian Travel Market’s (ATM) Global Stage, shared their thoughts on the importance of government and the private sector, domestically and internationally, working collaboratively to ensure that travel and tourism rebound to boost economic recovery across the Middle East.

In collaboration with the Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council, the region’s largest travel and tourism shone a spotlight on improving traveller confidence and building resilience to get the global travel industry moving again.

The session began with an interview with Madame Ghada Shalaby, Vice Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for the Arab Republic of Egypt, who explained how collaboration between ministries during the pandemic has resulted in a formula for other countries to follow to ensure destinations, and their visitors, have the best possible experience.

With tourism traditionally generating more than 15 percent of Egypt’s gross domestic product (GDP), and with the country targeting between six and seven million visitors in 2021, the road to recovery of the travel and tourism sector in Egypt is well underway, with tourism and health ministries working in tandem to ensure the health and safety of both visitors and residents.

Madame Shalaby was joined by fellow panellists from the private sector, including Clive Bourke, President, DAON, EMEA and APAC; Dr. Edem Adzogenu, Co-Founder, AfroChampions; Kashif Khaled, Regional Director Airport Passenger Cargo Security and Facilitation, Africa and the Middle East, IATA; Stephanie Boyle, Head of Industry and Partner Communications, Skyscanner; and Ernesto Sanchez Beaumont, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf.

Also speaking about the importance of sector collaboration to improve traveller confidence, Scott Hume, Senior Vice President, Operations, Global Rescue, said, “There needs to be significant industry and international governmental collaboration to solve information gathering and distribution efforts across the globe to get travel started. On a national level, everyone is well aware of the complexities of the systems that need to be brought online to make travel easier and safer. However, we also need to address the issue of what happens when travellers get to their destination and how nations can instil a sense of confidence in travellers’ minds.”

The second-panel session of the day on the ATM Global Stage saw aviation leaders including Wizz Air’s CCO George Michalopoulos, Embraer’s General Manager for Special Projects for the Middle East and Africa, Hussein Dabbas, and John Brayford, President, The Jetsets, convened to discuss the role of aviation in restoring confidence and building solutions for international travel.

Meanwhile, the ATM Travel Forward explored topics such as the future of entertainment and technology at mega-events, including the World Expo, and how to restore travel trust and confidence to kick-start the industry’s recovery. An expert panel with Boston Consulting Group and Google assembled on stage to discuss how Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) can prepare for the eventual resumption of travel despite the unexpected changes on the horizon.

Commenting on the path forward for DMOs as they navigate a COVD-19 world, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “Developing tourism strategies based on annual planning and predicted travel behaviour has been challenging during this period. ATM is pleased to support destination marketers with this specialist panel hosted by BSG and Google as they share their insights into how consumers’ attitudes toward travel have changed in response to the pandemic and how DMOs can prepare for the eventual resumption of travel.”

ATM 2021 continues on 18th and 19th May at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). ATM virtual will run the following week from 24th to 26th May, which will complement the live event by accommodating visitors who may be unable to travel to Dubai.

Source: Emirates News Agency