Day: July 28, 2022

ABU DHABI, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to President Pedro Castillo of Peru on the occasion of his country’s Independence Day, which is observed on 28th July.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, sent similar messages to President Castillo and to Prime Minister Aníbal Torres Vásquez, on the occasion.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution UAE (C4IR UAE), a collaboration between Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) and World Economic Forum (WEF), has launched the second Smart Toys Competition.

The competition aims to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in smart toys to boost children’s learning, critical thinking, social engagement and creativity. It supports the development of smart toys that help children overcome challenges through creative and entertaining AI-based content and promotes toys that adhere to ethical standards. By promoting innovative toys that adhere to ethical guidelines that protect children, alongside their data and privacy, C4IR UAE seeks to position Dubai as a leading child-friendly city.

The competition will award seven winners across seven different categories, all open to local and global start-ups, as well as toy developers. The competition seeks toys in categories such as “Creative Play”, “Learn-to-Code”, “Robotics”, “Smart Companion”, “Smart Speakers for Kids” and the “Most Innovative Take on AI for Kids”.

The winners will be announced on World Children’s Day, celebrated on 20th November each year, during a special ceremony at the Museum of the Future. Beyond the honour of winning this award, companies will also receive a “website badge”, which indicates that the toy won the Smart Toy Award in a specific category in 2022. In addition, winners will have additional opportunities to engage with the WEF on future initiatives related to their toys and AI governance, and the opportunity to display their toy at the Museum of the Future in Dubai.

“The Smart Toys Competition reflects Dubai’s belief in fostering global partnerships to develop innovative solutions for key sectors, including education. These partnerships leverage Dubai’s crucial position as a global innovation hub to continue to test new technologies as effective tools for growth and development while also ensuring that the right guidelines for regulation and ethics are implemented along the way. Since we believe in the potential of AI, even in sectors such as education, we also need to ensure that we work with key partners in the field to harness this potential in a responsible manner, without curbing innovation,” said Mariam Al Muhairi, Head of C4IR UAE.

“We are honoured to partner with the World Economic Forum to host 2nd edition of Smart Toys competition following the previous edition’s success and collaboration with local and global partners,” she added.

Kay Firth-Butterfield, Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum said, “We are delighted to partner with C4IR UAE to create a unique way of protecting and empowering children. This sets an appropriately high bar for innovative uses of AI with kids across the world enhancing their development; and affirming fundamental values of accessibility, autonomy, and inclusivity for toys children play with and learn.”

A jury comprising experts from the public and private sector, including NGOs, will evaluate the entries based on the WEF’s collaborative report “Artificial Intelligence for Children Toolkit”, which includes a set of principles governing AI, called the FIRST principles (fairness, inclusiveness, responsibility, safety and transparency).

Submitted applications and toys will undergo a series of assessments to ensure that each toy provides clear value to the child and meets the competition’s standards and principles. Companies looking to participate in the competition have until 31st August, 2022, to submit their projects and ideas via Dubai Future website.

Source: Emirates News Agency

CAIRO, The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure held a meeting with Egypt’s Ministry of Transport on the sidelines of its participation in the General Assembly of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, which was attended by around 20 Arab States.

The two sides discussed proposed development projects and plans that will benefit the maritime economy and enhance investment opportunities in several vital areas, including developing ports and logistics services through scientific research and artificial intelligence (AI). They also discussed key plans to enhance the global position of Egypt and the UAE and consolidate their competitiveness in the maritime sector.

Hassan Mohamed Juma Al Mansouri, Under-Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said, “The UAE’s Blue Economy Strategy is based on several pillars, including innovation, creativity, research and development, as well as an effective system of links with academic institutions, universities and research centres that can keep pace with the scientific and technological developments, adapt them to local needs.”

“The Strategy also depends on training and practical education, which is one of the main requirements to increase productivity and competitiveness for sustainable national economic development. During the meeting, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure presented the UAE experience, especially in innovation, adopting digital solutions in the shipping and maritime transport and logistics sector as well as investing in the latest digital solutions,” he added.

Al Mansouri underlined the robust relationship between the UAE and Egypt and their leaderships. He noted that the UAE is looking forward to strengthening bilateral cooperation in all key areas, especially the maritime sector to encourage joint investments and develop existing investments. He commended the major development Egypt is witnessing in all economic fields.

The UAE has over 20 leading seaports and some of the largest oil export terminals in the world. It ranks 3rd in the Bunker Supply Index and is home to the headquarters of Abu Dhabi Ports Group, the developer of Maqta Gateway, which is the UAE’s first digital port community powered by blockchain. The UAE is also home to DP World, a leading smart trade enabler, that has launched several innovative solutions that have revolutionised the global supply chain. These solutions include Dubai Trade, a one-stop shop for cross-border trade, and SeaRates, which provides instant and live rates for container shipping.

The company also launched CARGOES.com, a platform that provides integrated solutions for financing and shipping goods around the world. DP World has also transported more than 10,000 containers through BoxBay, an intelligent High Bay Storage (HBS) system, and is developing ‘Cargospeed’ in partnership with Hyperloop One, a high-speed system for transporting goods in pods that move inside vacuum tubes at a speed that is equal to planes, but on land.

Hessa Al Malek, Advisor to the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure for Maritime Transport Affairs highlighted the key developments in the UAE’s maritime sector and its state-of-the-art capabilities. She emphasised the UAE’s keenness to cooperate with the most important regional maritime centers development.

Al Malek explained, “The UAE’s wise leadership emphasises immensely on the maritime sector and is keen to enhance the contribution of the blue economy to comprehensive and sustainable development. The UAE plays a significant role in raising awareness about the importance of protecting the environment and water resources, as they are the most important pillars for developing the blue economy. The UAE encourages coordination among world countries protect rivers, seas and oceans from the factors that cause marine pollution. At the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, we are keen to share our experiences and best practices with regional and global maritime centres. We are proud of the constructive discussions with Egypt, which is one of the leading countries in the maritime sector to enhance our strategic partnership and achieve significant development in maritime operations and shipping in the region.”

The two sides discussed the most significant investment opportunities in the maritime sector, which could constitute a strong beginning for joint cooperation. There are investment opportunities in maritime transport in all Egyptian ports, including of Sokhna, Alexandria and Sharm El Sheikh. Egypt’s Ministry of Transportat is implementing a comprehensive plan to upgrade and develop the maritime transport system according to the best international systems. This includes developing Egypt’s ports to achieve the goal of transforming Egypt into a centre for global trade and logistics.

Admiral Reda Ahmed Ismail, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Head of the Maritime Transport Sector emphasised that Egypt has a 3,000-kilometre-long coastline along the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea, containing huge wealth of fish, petroleum and gas as well as several coastal cities.

He noted that the Egyptian Government is investing heavily to develop the blue economy and enhance its contribution to the country’s GDP. He commended the development in the UAE’s maritime sector, pointing out that the UAE has become a leading maritime hub, and that the integration between the maritime sectors in Egypt and the UAE would enhance the region’s competitiveness globally.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) hosted the third National Dialogue for Climate Ambition (NDCA), dedicated to the finance industry.

It was held under the theme ‘Financing the transition of the UAE to net zero by 2050’, and brought together over 80 representatives of relevant public and private sector entities, including financial regulators, financial centres, banks, insurers, and asset managers.

The participants discussed the global sustainable finance perspective, reviewed the status of the local sectoral landscape, and explored innovative tools and mechanisms necessary to support the UAE’s journey to climate neutrality.

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, said, “The UAE government is committed to translating the sustainable development vision of its wise leadership into reality, and this includes fulfilling the objectives of the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative. However, the scale of the investment required is massive, and the partnership with the private sector is critical. Therefore, we have invited stakeholders from the financial sector to the table as part of our NDCA to explore opportunities to accelerate the decarbonization of high-priority sectors.”

The UAE is making great strides in developing the sustainable finance sector. In 2021, the country launched the UAE Sustainable Finance Framework that seeks to step up cooperation between the public and private sectors, and channel capital towards climate-resilient and environment-friendly investments.

Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Sustainable Finance Agenda sets out a roadmap to develop a sustainable finance hub in the UAE with the aim of promoting green and sustainable investments in the region.

Boosting the role of the private sector in this space, the Dubai Declaration on Sustainable Finance and the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Declaration commit UAE-based financial institutions to contributing to the country’s green economy transition through financing sustainable projects.

In addition, the Dubai Sustainable Finance Working Group brings together financial regulators and financial markets in the UAE with the aim of creating a conducive ecosystem for sustainable finance. At the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021 in Glasgow, the Group issued the UAE High-Level Statement on Sustainable Finance that cements the commitment of the country’s financial regulators and exchanges to supporting its net-zero ambition.

Running from May to October 2022, NDCA serves as a national platform to raise climate ambition and foster decarbonisation efforts in hard-to-abate sectors, including manufacturing, cement, waste, transport, and energy. The finance sector has been added to the agenda as a key enabler of the net-zero transition. The Dialogue aims to establish a national sustainability outlook and inform the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative.

Source: Emirates News Agency