Day: March 8, 2023

DUBAI, 8th March, 2023 (WAM) Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and Dubai Future Foundation have honoured the winners of the Emirati Futurism Award, which aims to motivate creative talent and innovative ideators to present their perceptions and visions of the country’s future, in support of its global leadership aspirations and preserve its values, traditions and culture.

This came during a ceremony held at Etihad Museum, honouring 22 winners, divided into the award’s seven categories. In the ‘Architecture and Urbanism’ category, Aya Muhammad and Jumana Muhammad won first place, followed by Yara Salama and then Nella Carolina. Noura Al Serkal and her colleague Ahmed Al Attar won in ‘Fashion and Jewelry’, followed by Nahir Zain and Azhar Aziz Al-Bayati. In the field of ‘Film and Animation’, Anas Muhammad came in first place, with Muhammad Al-Hardan second, and Rohit Jagadesha third.

s for the ‘Photography and Graphic Design category, Alexandra won, while Donelle Gummeran took second place, and Dana Al-Khatib and Nada Al-Dash came in third. In ‘Music and Performing Arts’, Faisal Al-Malik and Amira Tajdeen won, while Philip Jamal and Aline Vazquez took the second and third places. For the ‘Product and Industrial design’ category, Aya Khourifi claimed the top prize, with second place going to Mohamed Neuer, followed by Romain Lalier.

Hala Badri, Director-General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), affirmed the importance of developing cultural and creative industries, and empowering talent to contribute to consolidating the presence of local culture globally using innovative methods, saying, “Through the Emirati Futurism Award, we celebrate a group of creatives who presented qualitative ideas capable of highlighting the UAE’s ambitions and its quest for global leadership.”

Badri added, “The award generated high competition among talents who sought to show their various capabilities. This shows the sustainability of the creative development process in the country, and fulfils Dubai Culture’s commitments aimed at creating a competitive environment that motivates creatives to continue presenting their visions for the UAE’s future and global position.”

Badri stressed that Dubai has, and always will, contribute to supporting talent through its initiatives and strategies, adding, “It is crucial to support and empower talent, especially youth, and develop their skills and capabilities, by creating an educational environment capable of attracting them to advance the local creative scene, in line with Dubai’s cultural vision to cement its position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.”

Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, said, “The Emirati Futurism Award signifies the importance of spotlighting creative talents, giving them the opportunity to contribute to Dubai and the UAE’s future foresight, which is supported by the leadership’s confidence in youth talents and their creative abilities.”

Belhoul added, “Thanks to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai has become a global hub for culture, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, and a global destination for future shaping. The partnership between Dubai Culture and the Dubai Future Foundation is integral to designing the UAE’s future, while preserving its culture and heritage.”

Source: Emirates news Agency

HONG KONG, 8th March, 2023 (WAM) — Hong Kong’s stock market ended lower on Wednesday with the benchmark Hang Seng Index down 2.35 percent to close at 20,051.25 points, the Chinese news agency, Xinhua, reported.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 2.68 percent to end at 6,727.18 points, and the Hang Seng Tech Index lost 3.23 percent to close at 3,989.28 points.

Muhammad AamirAmjad Saleh

Source: Emirates news Agency

ABU DHABI, 8th March, 2023 (WAM) — The sixth edition of the National Service Career Fair (NSCF 2023), concluded today at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), resulting in the hiring of approximately 1,650 national service graduates.

Organised by the Ministry of Defence, represented by the National and Reserve Service Authority (NSR Authority), in cooperation with INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions Organisation LLC, the exhibition, in which more than 50 companies from the private and public sectors participated, provided many professional opportunities and attracted more than 15,250 service cadets and graduates, crossing the expected 12,000-visitor target.

dditionally, over 3,750 job applications were collected to store in national recruitment databases.

The final day of NSCF 2023 received Brigadier-General Obaid Ali Al Mansoori, Director of the Directorate of Information and Corporate Communication at NSR Authority, who commended the efforts and achievements of the career fair this year.

He stated that the success of this edition of the fair aligns with the directives of the UAE leadership to support and empower NSR cadets and graduates, as it provides a direct channel of communication between government and private institutions, and NSR members, adding that the initiatives and incentives provide great benefits to Emirati youth.

Dr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, Chairman of INDEX Holding, said, “Like every year, the National Service Career Fair succeeded in providing opportunities for national service cadets and graduates to meet and communicate with several private and public organisations, in addition to presenting very important and useful workshops lectures. We stress the importance of such events that support our service members as we believe in their abilities, and the need to secure a future that supports the vision of the United Arab Emirates and its economic agenda.”

The 6th edition of National Service Career Fair held a prestige line up of partners and sponsors, led by the strategic partner; Mubadala Investment Company. Furthermore, the official media partner was Abu Dhabi Media, and the supporting media partner was Emirates News Agency (WAM).

Source: Emirates news Agency

ABU DHABI, 8th March, 2023 (WAM) Today, on March 8th, the UAE is celebrating International Women’s Day to recognise the realities and challenges that women face, as well as to acknowledge the ongoing efforts towards women’s empowerment. The UAE has leveraged its global stature to support women’s issues by launching a series of initiatives, programmes, and plans to promote women in all communities, strengthen their status, and defend their rights, drawing on its local experience in women’s empowerment.

In recent months, the UAE has hosted events and launched initiatives to address the gender gap, domestic violence, social and economic marginalisation, and intellectual and cultural obstacles facing women’s empowerment globally and in the Arab region. The UAE hosted the 2023 Global Summit of Women on February 21st and 22nd, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote and run for elections. The summit was attended by international female leaders who discussed several challenges affecting women and ways to build bridges of peace, integration, and prosperity.

The Arab Declaration Summit was held two months after Abu Dhabi hosted the official launch of the Arab Declaration to End All Forms of Violence against Women and Girls. The declaration called for the adoption of strategies to address violence against women and ensure security, wellbeing, prosperity, and peace in Arab communities.

Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Social Affairs Sector at the Arab League, stressed the importance of adopting effective legal frameworks to address related issues and lauded the role of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), the “Mother of the Nation,” in supporting the efforts to protect and ensure the rights of women.

The UAE continues to prioritize women’s participation in peace and security through the Fatima bint Mubarak Initiative for Women, Peace and Security. In November 2022, the initiative graduated its third batch of 140 female trainees from Arab and African countries, organised by the General Women’s Union (GWU) in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and UN Women. The third batch’s students came from various countries including the UAE, Yemen, Bahrain, Liberia, Senegal, Gambia, Niger, Pakistan, Chad, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Mauritania.

The UAE has made progress in empowering women economically, politically, and socially, and considers women to be key partners in sustainable development. The recent cabinet reshuffle on 7th February included 10 female ministers, increasing women’s participation in the government to 28.5%. The country also issued a law prohibiting workplace discrimination based on gender, race, colour, and nationality. It adopted the UAE Gender Balance Council Strategy 2022-2026, aimed at making the country a global model of gender balance, with four pillars and objectives: economic participation, entrepreneurship and financial inclusion, wellbeing, quality of life and protection, and leadership and global partnerships.

The UAE was ranked first in the Arab region in the Gender Balance Report 2022 issued by the World Economic Forum, and moved up four places globally to reach 68th place. Emirati women are preparing to participate in the UAE’s hosting of COP28, with Shamma bin Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Development, appointed as the COP28 Youth Climate Champion, and Razan Al Mubarak as the conference’s climate champion. In March 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the GWU and the UN Women Communications Office in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Region launched the “Climate Change and Gender Balance Initiative.”

Women in the UAE hold 50 percent of seats in the Federal National Council (FNC), 60 percent of staff in the Emirates Youth Council and local youth councils, and 24 percent of members of boards of directors of federal and local authorities. In the education sector, 76 percent of female teachers work up to high school level, and women account for 37 percent of educational cadres in higher education. In the health sector, women make up 63 percent of the labour force.

Source: Emirates news Agency

DUBAI, 8th March, 2023 (WAM) — Dubai Municipality crossed several milestones in 2022, receiving six new Certificates of Conformity (CoC) with international ISO standards and British specifications, and renewing 22 international certificates in different fields and activities.

These achievements highlight Dubai’s commitment to achieving operational excellence and offering world-class services, supporting the leadership’s vision of making Dubai the world’s best city to live, work, and visit.

The Municipality’s milestones include obtaining two certificates for its exceptional management of sewage services and rainwater drainage, respectively. These certificates mark the first time that these distinctions have been awarded to an entity in the MENA region. To earn these certificates, the Municipality underwent rigorous evaluations and audits conducted by specialised international firms from the UK and Germany.

In addition, Dubai Municipality was awarded a Global CoC for Outsourcing Management, which supports the leadership’s vision of promoting public-private partnerships. It also received two certificates for its exceptional management and governance of Human Resources Recruitment and Learning and Training Services. These accomplishments demonstrate the Municipality’s commitment to achieving excellence in all areas of its operations.

Dawoud Al Hajri, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, emphasised that the Municipality’s achievements, including receiving new CoCs for meeting international benchmarks in Administrative Systems, are a testament to its vision and ambition to continually make conscious efforts towards enhancing Dubai’s global position.

“The Municipality pursues this aim by implementing strategies aimed at applying global standards across our operations, thereby enhancing institutional performance. Such strategies are aligned with the leadership’s vision and the goals of the Dubai Government Excellence Programme, and the promotion of leadership goals in the government sector.”

In addition to the CoCs, the Municipality was also awarded a global ISO Certificate for Project, Programme, and Portfolio Management, as well as the ‘Project Management Office (PMO) of the Year Award 2022’ from the Project Management Institute (PMI), which serve as further testaments to the Municipality’s exceptional project management practices.

Source: Emirates news Agency

DUBAI, 8th March, 2023 (WAM) — Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, met with Brad Smith, Vice Chairman and President of Microsoft, to explore strategies for strengthening digital infrastructure and advancing cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence (AI).

The meeting discussed the importance of keeping up with the rapid-pace in developments that the technology and AI sectors are witnessing worldwide. The meeting also addressed various facets of fostering the bilateral partnership between the UAE government and Microsoft.

During the meeting, Al Olama emphasised the UAE government’s commitment to fostering collaboration and partnerships with various leading global technology companies, in recognition of the significant value of sharing successful experiences and implementing the best digital practices developed by technology pioneers globally, as well as integrating these ideas into the UAE’s efforts to enhance digital infrastructure and drive comprehensive digital transformation initiatives.

l Olama further said that the technological revolution necessitates a heightened focus on talent development and investment, along with ensuring talent development and empowering future generations, through equipping them with the necessary skills, which are a crucial component for driving innovation and shaping the future.

The meeting deliberated on several strategies aimed at integrating digital solutions into the work systems of government entities and different companies. The discussions revolved around the need to develop highly advanced applications of artificial intelligence that are continuously trained in programming languages.

In addition to a review of the digital transformation projects that the company is currently undertaking, aligned with the UAE’s comprehensive digital transformation agenda, the discussions also underscored the significance of accelerating progress in the domains of AI and the digital economy, while highlighting the essential future skills required to keep pace with global and technological advancements.

Source: Emirates news Agency