Day: February 25, 2023

AMMAN, The Baynouna Solar Energy Company (BSCE), a joint venture between the UAE’s world-leading renewable energy company, Masdar, and Finnish investment and asset management group Taaleri, has announced the formal inauguration of the 200-megawatt (MW) Baynouna Solar Park – the largest clean energy project in Jordan.

The inauguration was held in the presence of Bisher Al-Khasawneh, Prime Minister of Jordan, and was attended by Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, COP28 President-Designate, and Chairman of Masdar; Dr. Saleh Al Kharabsheh, Jordan’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources; and Sheikh Khalifa bin Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the UAE to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The ceremony was also attended by other high-level officials from the government of Jordan and senior executives from Masdar.

Commenting on the occasion, Al Jaber said, “In partnership with the Jordanian government, the Baynouna Solar Park will contribute to Jordan’s climate targets, provide access to clean energy, create jobs and ensure economic growth. Along with our other project here – the Tafila Wind Farm – Masdar is already helping Jordan to produce 29 percent of its electricity from renewable sources and will support its goal of increasing that to 50 percent by the end of the decade. Ambitious, transformative partnerships like these are precisely what we need if we are to deliver on the promise of the Paris Agreement and continue to ensure that we are holding back emissions, not progress. COP28 will focus on moving from goals to implementation, with a clear focus on demonstrable action on mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, and finance, as we aim to keep the objective of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees alive.”

The Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources said, “Under the directive of His Majesty King Abdullah II to make Jordan a regional centre for green development, the Ministry is focused on developing local energy sources to achieve energy security, enhance self-reliance and limit the effects of climate change. If we look at the world today, we see that renewable energy, especially solar and wind energy, are the fastest growing and widespread renewable energy sources and the time has come to maximise the benefits of renewables.”

Developed through a power purchase agreement between Masdar and National Electric Power Company, Jordan’s state electricity provider, the Baynouna Solar Park produces over 560 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy annually – enough to power 160,000 homes. The plant also displaces 360,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to taking nearly 80,000 cars off the road.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan said, “This inauguration is a landmark moment in the history of our two nations and will serve to strengthen the already powerful relationship between us. The UAE is committed to helping our brother nations in the region achieve their clean energy objectives and we stand ready to share our expertise further with the Government and people of Jordan and to help deliver sustainable economic development.”

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer, Masdar, said, “We are proud to witness the inauguration of this project, which is one of the fruits of Masdar’s long collaborative partnership with Jordan. We would like to thank our partners in Government, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the National Electric Power Company of Jordan, and also the financial institutions that helped to make this project possible. We stand ready to support Jordan in its energy transition and will look to increase our presence in the Kingdom through the development of further clean energy projects that will drive economic growth for the nation.”

Financial institutions that supported the Baynouna project include the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), the KfW Group’s DEG, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Peter Ramsay, Chief Executive Officer, Taaleri Group, said, “We are very excited to be inaugurating the largest solar park in Jordan. This impressive project is a testament to the strength of cooperation between Masdar and Taaleri, two pioneers who have been active in the renewable energy field for a long time. We are proud to advance our common global climate change mitigation goals together with our partners and investors.”

Masdar also operates the 117 MW Tafila Wind Farm, which was completed in 2015 – the first commercial utility-scale wind project in the Middle East. In November 2022, Masdar signed a memorandum of understanding with the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to explore the development of a further 2 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy projects in the country.

The energy transition is a central component of the UAE’s priorities as it prepares to host the 28th Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in November-December. The Conference, the largest annual gathering of policymakers and practitioners focused on climate change and sustainability, will see well over 70,000 officials from across the public and private sectors gather at Expo City in Dubai.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, has sent a congratulatory message to H.H. Sheikha Sharifa Sulaiman Al Jasem, wife of H.H. Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, on the occasion of Kuwait’s National Day and Liberation Day.

She extended her kindest wishes to Sheikha Sharifa and Sheikh Nawaf and wished them good health and wellness, and commended the deep-rooted relations that their countries share.

Source: Emirates News Agency

LATAKIA, The Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defence, in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), has presented Syria with 10 state-of-the-art ambulances, as part of Operation Gallant Knight 2 and the UAE’s ongoing efforts to aid the quake-hit Syrian people.

Dr. Salem Al Falasi, who is in charge of following up on the needs of the health sector in Syria, said that this initiative is a continuation of the UAE’s humanitarian support for the Syrian people in the recovery state, in line with the UAE leadership’s vision to launch such initiatives.

Dr. Al Falasi added that this support will continue to ensure meeting the basic humanitarian needs of the Syrian people, as these ambulances are equipped to go off-road into rugged terrain and deliver medical services to quake-affected.

He stressed that the UAE continues to support Syria’s health sector, as part of Operation Gallant Knight 2, and to identify and meet the needs of Syrian hospitals and health authorities.

For his part, Dr. Samer Ahmed, Associate Director of the Health Department in Latakia, praised the UAE’s ongoing efforts to support the health sector in Syria by providing state-of-the-art ambulances, which make it easier for the medical staff to carry out their duties.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The ATP 500 event at the 31st Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is shaping up to be an exhilarating week of top-class tennis after the official draw produced a tantalising spread of intriguing first round matches, and teased some an eye-catching potential ties between top seeds, big-name veterans, and rising stars.

The ATP 500 field is headed by World No. 1 and recent Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic and features four of the world’s Top-10, including multiple Grand Slam winners with a collective 26 big four titles between, as well as the next generation of tennis icons.

Saturday’s official draw saw 16 matches confirmed for the opening Round of 32 (R32). With players contesting a maximum of four matches before the final on March 4, a host of mouth-watering pipeline clashes came to light as the ties unfolded.

At opposing ends of the draw, Djokovic will start his quest for a sixth Dubai title against a qualifier or lucky loser, while defending champion and second seed Andrey Rublev will face Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic, the World No. 67 in R32.

Fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland will face 2017 Dubai winner Andy Murray in the opening round, with Djokovic a potential quarterfinal opponent should either of the two progress from their Round of 16 tie. With all five qualifiers sitting on Djokovic’s half of the draw, third seed Daniil Medvedev, who could meet Djokovic in the semi-finals, will also face a qualifier in R32.

“Over the years, this tournament has created terrific excitement in Dubai, and grown to become one of the world’s best-regarded tournaments,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free. “We have a very strong line-up this year and the draw has produced some fascinating matches that will excite our loyal fans. Every year, we strive to make the event more compelling, and give tennis fans from both the UAE and overseas the maximum amount of fun. We look forward to an exciting week of tennis and wish all the players the best of luck.”

Elsewhere in the opening round clashes, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, the World No.16 and seventh seed in Dubai, will play World No.52 Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic, while Canadian fourth seed and World No.9 Felix Auger-Aliassime – who could face Zverev in the quarterfinals – opens against French-born American Maxime Cressy, the World No.37. In the same half of the draw, sixth seed Karen Khachanov, who could face Rublev in the quarters, starts his Dubai run against Botic Van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands.

British No.1 Daniel Evans will play Croatian eighth seed and world No.20 Borna Coric in the first round.

Speaking during the draw, Salah Tahlak, Joint COO of Dubai Duty Free, and Tournament Director of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, said, “The draw has opened the door to some thrilling confrontations between elite players and we cannot wait for the competitions to begin.”

Finally, Tahak also named the final three players to receive wildcards into the main draw. The first was Australia’s Thannasi Kokkinakis, who memorably partnered Nick Kyrgios to Doubles glory at the 2022 Australian Open. Kokkinakis will face a qualifier in R32. Veteran Malik Jaziri was the second wildcard, with Tahlak confirming the Tunisian – who will play Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in R32 – is set to retire after the Dubai tournament.

The final wildcard went to Alexei Popyrin, a 23-year-old Australian national and Dubai resident who starts his maiden Dubai appearance against a qualifier in R32, before Murray or Hurkacz lie in wait in the Round of 16.

Source: Emirates News Agency

RAS AL KHAIMAH, H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah said that advancing the Emirate’s higher education system is at the forefront of sustainable development plans.

This came as the RAK ruler received a delegation representing the University of Bolton at Saqr bin Mohamed City here today where he affirmed the importance of forging a constructive partnership with the leading university, noting that its presence in the emirate represents a qualitative addition to academic education in Ras Al Khaimah, strengthening its place on the map of cities that prioritise education.

Source: Emirates News Agency

VATICAN CITY, Peace without justice is not true peace, it has no solid foundations or possibilities for a future, Pope Francis stressed as he addressed on Saturday judges and magistrates for the opening of the 94th Judicial Year of the Tribunal of the Vatican City State.

According to Vatican News, Pope Francis reflected on the close link between justice and peace.

He referred specifically to the “tragic evolution” of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Indeed, “every commitment to peace implies and requires a commitment to justice” which, said the Pope, “is not an abstraction or a utopia” and “is not only the result of a set of rules to be applied with technical expertise”. It is, rather, “the virtue by which we give everyone what they are entitled to”, which is “indispensable for the correct functioning of every area of common life and for everyone to lead a peaceful life”.

“Justice is a virtue to be cultivated through the commitment of personal conversion, and to be exercised together with the other cardinal virtues of prudence, fortitude and temperance.”

Pope Francis went on to highlight that the Tribunals of the Vatican City State operate in this perspective, “playing a precious role to the benefit of the Holy See” in settling civil and criminal cases.

He referred in particular the to the financial criminal trials conducted in recent years against Vatican officials. In this regard the Pope remarked that what should be of concern are not so much the trials per se, but the investigated facts and criminal misconduct by members of the Church, which, he said, “have seriously harmed its effectiveness in reflecting the light of God.”

Bringing his remarks to a close, Pope Francis dwelled on the importance for Vatican Justice “to find a balance between justice and mercy” when ascertaining cases of misconduct “that obscure the face of the Church” and cause scandal.

The Pope suggested that “the exercise of rigorous discernment”, as well as the “prudent recourse to the canon of equity”, can help reach this balance.

He said, “Mercy and justice are not alternative, but walk together towards the same goal, because mercy is not the suspension of justice, but its fulfilment.”

Attending the inauguration were also Italian Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio and the Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister Alfredo Mantovano, along with several representatives of the highest judicial bodies of the Italian state.

Source: Emirates News Agency