Breaking News and Latest News of UAE
ABU DHABI, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a congratulatory cable to Ibrahim Traoré, the President of the transitional period and President of the Republic of Burkina Faso, on the occasion of his country’s Republic Day.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, sent similar cables to Ibrahim Traoré and to Burkinabe Prime Minister Apollinaire Kiélem.
Source: Emirates News Agency
DUBAI, The Arab world’s first lunar rover successfully blasted off to space on Sunday.
The UAE-built Rashid Rover, the first Emirati mission to the surface of the Moon, today lifted off on board a Space X Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, US, at 11.38am UAE time.
With this successful launch, the UAE has become the first Arab country and the fourth country in the world to land on the lunar surface after the United States, Soviet Union, and China.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) said once launched, the integrated spacecraft will take a low-energy route to the moon rather than a direct approach, which means the landing will take about five months after launch, in April 2023.
Source: Emirates News Agency
NEW YORK, An international delegation composed of the permanent representatives of more than 10 countries to the United Nations and their deputies has concluded a visit to the UAE.
The members of the delegation were received by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
They also met with H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment; and Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Advanced Science and Technology.
The UAE hosting the international delegation, which included representatives and their deputies from Belize, Costa Rica, Georgia, Haiti, Israel, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Thailand and the United States, comes at a time in which the delegation has assumed an expanded role within the UN system, holding elected seats on the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council.
The delegation also met with Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Political Affairs and Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN.
Ambassador Nusseibeh stated, “Our diplomatic work in New York is reinforced by these kinds of trips, because they establish deeper ties and nuanced understanding. As an elected member of the Security Council, which has a global mandate to discuss and address pressing international concerns, we believe these exchanges lead to better cooperation and progress.”
She added, “The delegation saw firsthand the extent of the UAE’s commitment to an effective and inclusive multilateralism, including its preparation to host COP28 next year.”
In this context, the delegation met with the team supervising the UAE presidency of COP 28.
The group of UN representatives also toured cultural sites and key political and civil society institutions in addition to doing some media interviews.
The delegation visited the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) in Abu Dhabi, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Hub 71, a global ecosystem for entrepreneurial innovators and tech startups in the UAE. The group visited also Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Source: Emirates News Agency
DUBAI, Under the directives of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, the ‘Dubai Destinations’ winter campaign returns this year to showcase the attractions and experiences that make the emirate a top pick among global destinations in the cooler months of the year.
The collaborative campaign, implemented by Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), highlights an array of activities and experiences that people can enjoy amidst the wonderful winter weather.
This season, Dubai offers residents and visitors amazing adventure, entertainment, food, art, culture, sports and fitness experiences and more.
Featuring engaging content from diverse stakeholders, the campaign tells the story of Dubai’s emergence as one of the world’s best winter destinations.
To mark the launch of the campaign, Brand Dubai hosted an event for the media, influencers and content creators at the GDMO to showcase the activations and experiences the latest campaign will be highlighting to local and global audiences.
Brand Dubai also announced the launch of the Dubai Destinations website, which will share content, videos and guides related to the campaign.
Vindicating Dubai’s strengths, a global study released late last month named the emirate the “world’s best winter-sun destination”. According to The Winter Sun Index issued by travel package provider ParkSleepFly, Dubai has been tagged on Instagram more than 111 million times and has the most winter-related ‘things to do’ Google searches in the world, reaching 55,000. Another study by Remote, a global talent consultancy, issued last month, ranked Dubai the second-best winter destination for digital nomads.
Mona Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council and Director-General of the GDMO, said, “The Dubai Destinations campaign once again brings together government entities, industry stakeholders, the creative community and media to offer a new window into Dubai’s exciting winter destination experiences.
The campaign is a celebration of the places, activities and attractions that provide memorable experiences in the season. The initiative will showcase the covetable culture, fascinating food, pristine beaches, stunning mountain landscapes, unique modern lifestyle, exciting adventures, centuries-old heritage and futuristic cityscapes that Dubai offers.”
“The campaign will weave together compelling narratives from diverse sources about what makes Dubai a truly unique place to visit and explore. Content creators of all nationalities can participate in the campaign by contributing their unique stories and creative content about Dubai’s attractiveness as a winter destination. The campaign aims to convey Dubai’s distinctive character that combines its modern spirit and cosmopolitan ethos with its rich history and heritage,” she added.
The Hatta region will be a key focus of the campaign, whose current season will run until February 2023. The region’s picturesque mountain scenery, archaeological sites and other tourist attractions will be prominently featured in the campaign.
Shaima Al Suwaidi, Director of Brand Dubai, said, “The creative initiative will highlight an array of top-rated experiences for people of different tastes and age groups at its beaches and waterfronts, public parks and entertainment venues, world-class hotels, restaurants, and natural attractions in the Al Marmoom area and Hatta. The collaborative storytelling campaign will share compelling content on Dubai’s winter destinations and events through guides, creative videos and social media as part of Brand Dubai’s objective to enhance Dubai’s profile as a must-visit destination.”
Al Suwaidi added that as part of the winter campaign, Brand Dubai will continue to launch a series of guides to raise the visibility of the emirate’s various winter attractions. The guides will cover must-try winter activities, outdoor sports activities, camping journeys, winter pop-ups, outdoor dining options and other attractions.
Source: Emirates News Agency
ALGIERS — Morocco’s World Cup heroics have won it support from across Africa and the Arab world, but in its neighbor and geopolitical rival Algeria, things are a little more complicated.
The Atlas Lions have become the first African or Arab team to reach a World Cup semifinal after knocking out a procession of higher-ranked European teams, winning accolades from Dakar to Dubai.
Many ordinary Algerians have also cheered their neighbor’s success, whether in a genuine spirit of North African solidarity or from the universal instinct of soccer fans around the world to seek a share in sporting glory.
“I feel like I must support Morocco — neighbors, brothers and Muslims,” said Mehdi Belkassam, 25, a kebab seller in Algiers.
But after years of icy relations and a long, difficult history marked by recriminations, Algeria’s government has ignored Morocco’s soccer exploits this winter, with television channels even censoring some of the team’s victories.
As other Arab and African countries have offered formal congratulations, Algeria’s government, which broke off ties with Rabat in 2021 after years of worsening relations, has been notably silent.
The two countries differ most bitterly over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, seen by Morocco as its own but where Algeria backs an armed independence movement.
There have been other disputes too, including over Morocco’s normalization of ties with Israel and allegations of spying. This year there were even arguments over the design of an Algerian soccer shirt.
One people
“If we focus on politics, Morocco is an enemy after choosing Israel as its friend. But soccer is not about politics. That’s why I’ve supported Morocco this World Cup,” said Miloud Mohamed, a taxi driver in Algiers.
With Morocco now due to play France, the former colonial power that ruled both countries and is home to hundreds of thousands of people claiming North African heritage, the stakes for North African soccer fans have risen once more.
For the kebab seller Belkassam, the Algerian heritage of several leading French players did create a dilemma for his choice of support, he said. “But I will support Moroccans against France,” he added.
For Abdallah Shikh, 65, the colonial history meant the choice was clearer. “We are all with Morocco,” he said.
Among the many Algerians and Moroccans who have spent time in France, sharing an experience of life in a foreign land where they are sometimes exposed to racism, there was camaraderie in the idea of a semifinal against “Les Bleus.”
“You can’t find a difference between Moroccans and Algerians in Paris because it’s a city that mixes Casablanca and Algiers, a city of at least a million people from the Maghreb region,” said Rachid Oufkir, from Morocco, who had lived there for 12 years.
In Rabat, where ecstatic Moroccans have been basking in the triumph of their team and the congratulations of fellow fans across Africa and the Middle East, people were glad to think that soccer might bring them and Algerians closer together.
“This win and the spontaneous celebrations that followed are strengthening Moroccan-Algerian brotherliness,” said Oumar Id Tnain, a museum employee.
“For us, Algerians and Moroccans are one people,” he said.
Source: Voice of America
DUBAI, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has completed 93% of the 829 megawatts (MW) 4th phase of the H-Station power plant in Al Aweer with investments totalling AED 1.1 billion. This phase will increase Al Aweer Power Station Complex total capacity to 2,825MW under climate conditions of 50 degrees Celsius and 30% relative humidity. Key testing and commissioning operations have started in Q4, 2022. The project is expected to be operational in Q1, 2023.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, said that this project is one of DEWA’s key projects to meet the reserve margin criterion set for peak electricity demand in Dubai. It will add to DEWA’s current installed capacity of 14,317 MW of electricity.
“We work in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to provide a robust infrastructure that keeps pace with rapid developments in Dubai and the increasing demand for electricity and water in the Emirate according to the highest standards of quality, efficiency, reliability and availability. This contributes to enhancing the sustainable development in its social, economic, and environmental aspects,” said Al Tayer.
Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation (Power & Water) Division at DEWA, said that the station is equipped with the latest systems and technologies to reduce emissions to the minimum. He noted that the project’s work is progressing according to schedule, while maintaining the highest levels of health, safety, quality, and efficiency.
The project is being implemented by a consortium comprising Siemens Energy and Elsewedy Power. It includes supplying, installing, testing, and commissioning three Siemens gas turbines with a total capacity of 829MW. The project also includes installing sub devices and equipment from major international companies such as natural gas compressors from Germany’s “MAN” and a natural gas treatment station from Dutch company “Petrogas”. Other local and regional companies are also contributing to this project.
Source: Emirates News Agency