Day: March 18, 2023

DUBAI, Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, underscored that horse racing is not just sports that ”we encourage and celebrate”, but an authentic component of the heritage of the UAE and the Arab region.

Mariam Almheiri was speaking yesterday at the inaugural session of the Dubai International Equestrian Conference, which is being held along with the 20th Dubai International Arabian Horse Championship from 17th – 19th March at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

”His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, inspires us to love horses which has an enduring charm,” she said.

This year’s conference is being held under the theme ”A touch of loyalty and gratitude .. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid: 50 years of giving to equestrianism”.

Sheikha Hessa bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum, Executive Director for Sports Development Sector at the General sports Authority, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Saif Al Sharqi, President of the Emirates Federation of Body Building and Fitness, and a number senior equestrian officials, attended the opening ceremony.

The conference brings together horse owners and breeders, stables and clubs, businessmen, professional investors, experts, scientists, veterinarians, stylists, feed specialists and others to discuss the latest trends in the equine sports and industr

Source: Emirates News Agency

SHARJAH, The House of Wisdom (HoW) kicked off a pioneering initiative to expand the reach of books to a wider cross-section of the community, called the “House of Wisdom Network.”

The smart platform enables readers to borrow and return books at Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) destinations connected to the HoW Network, thereby promoting seamless access to resources for the community and increasing the visibility of specialised libraries. The overarching goal of the initiative, overseen by the HoW, is to provide seamless access to resources for the community and increase the visibility of specialised libraries.

hmed Obaid Al Qaseer, Shurooq CEO, launched the pilot phase at the Maraya Art Centre. Art lovers could access specialised books and resources, and this initiative has already made significant progress. All books have been catalogued, re-shelved, and new books procured from the Sharjah International Book Fair.

Commenting on the initiative, Al Qaseer said: “The ‘House of Wisdom Network’ initiative represents a significant step towards supporting the cultural sector in Sharjah, which is considered as one of the emirate’s top priorities and facilitates access to a wide array of specialised resources and books under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed AlQasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Shurooq to bolster the emirate’s status as a leading force in the creative industries that enrich the cultural landscape.

He added, “The initiative is a testament to Sharjah’s ambitious vision and commitment to providing the public with diverse resources and tools to broaden their knowledge. This initiative supports the emirate’s efforts to provide a platform for continuous learning, creativity, and innovation, consolidating Sharjah’s position as a premier destination for cultural development. By investing in modern technologies that employ smart platforms across all branches of the network, it ensures access to available resources and promises a rich and fulfilling experience for the public.”

Marwa Al Aqroubi, Executive Director of HoW, expanded on this, saying, “The idea behind this innovative project builds on the original House of Wisdom in Baghdad, where it became a beacon for knowledge exchange and an incubator for science that influenced the Islamic world. Therefore, the diverse libraries that this initiative will provide will enable the public to easily access titles and knowledge sources they seek from various locations. There is no doubt that this will encourage broadening knowledge and reading in various fields of expertise and in different languages.”

The HoW plans to expand the libraries network to other Shurooq destinations in Sharjah to promote libraries as a hub for lifelong learning. Similar libraries will be coming up at Mleiha Archaeological Centre, Chedi Al Bait and Kalba’s Kingfisher Retreat. This will enable visitors of these destinations to explore the heritage and history of Sharjah and discover a selection of titles on a variety of specialised topics.

The HoW’s Libraries Network is a revolutionary project that aims to provide easy access to educational resources and promote lifelong learning for the Sharjah community. It represents a significant step forward in promoting cultural institutions’ cooperation and library management standards and sets a new benchmark for digital transformation in the library sector.

Source: Emirates News Agency

KAHRAMANMARA, An earthquake of 4.6 magnitude today struck the Kahramanmara Province, south-east of Turkiye, according to data released by Turkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority. There were no injuries, casualties or damages reported.

The Authority pinpointed earthquake’s epicentre in the Galksun district, stating that it occurred at a depth of 7 km.

mjad Saleh

Source: Emirates News Agency

TBLISI, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, led on Friday a UAE delegation of more than 30 business leaders on a visit to the Republic of Georgia, during which they participated in the first ever UAE-Georgia Business Forum in Tbilisi to promote bilateral investment and trade opportunities and private-sector collaboration.

The forum was inaugurated by Dr. Al Zeyoudi and Levan Davichihvili, Georgia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, and attended by senior officials and leading representatives of the business communities in both countries.

ddressing the Forum, Dr. Al Zeyoudi heralded the new chapter in the countries’ relationship and pointed to greater trade and investment flows that both sides can now look forward to. “Over the last six months, the UAE and Georgia have been committed to pursuing a deeper, stronger partnership, to accelerate bilateral trade, boost investment and develop opportunities in priority sectors such as artificial intelligence, agriculture, tourism, transportation, energy and climate change. We have certainly laid strong foundations, sharing non-oil bilateral trade of AED1.7 billion (US$468 million) in 2022, which is 110 percent more than 2021. It is now important we create a platform for private-sector collaboration, in particular to enable startups and entrepreneurs to benefit from new markets.”

He highlighted the UAE’s beneficial investment climate that can offer Georgian enterprises a supportive ecosystem as well as unrivalled global connectivity to enable them to scale and expand. He highlighted the Ministry’s NextGenFDI initiative, which is offering a package of market-entry incentives including fast-track businesses licensing, bulk visa issuance and access to banking to companies operating in new economic sectors such as advanced technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and fintech.

On the sidelines of the UAE-Georgia Business Forum, Dr. Al Zeyoudi met with a number of ministers and officials in the Georgian government, beginning with a bilateral meeting with Davichihvili and Ilia Darsiashvili, Georgia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. The two sides discussed the roadmap for the CEPA and pressed for more joint economic and commercial cooperation.

l Zeyoudi also held discussions with Ottar Shamioga, Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, to discuss food security and renewable energy projects, and Irakli Karsiladze, Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, to pursue investment opportunities in logistics and energy.

In addition to Dr. Al Zeyoudi, the UAE delegation to Georgia included Ahmed Ibrahim Al Nuaimi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Georgia; Rashid Abdul Karim Al Balushi, Under-Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED); Juma Muhammad Al Kait, Assistant Under-Secretary for International Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Economy; Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Jamal Jarwan, Secretary-General of the Emirates Council for Investors Abroad, and a number of representatives of federal and local government agencies, businessmen and the private sector.

Source: Emirates News Agency

RIYADH, The world credit rating agency SandP Global Ratings updated its credit report for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, raising its long and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings to ‘A/A-1’ with stable outlook, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported today.

The agency indicated in its report that this rating upgrade is a result of the Kingdom’s significant reforms efforts in recent years and its realisation of structural improvements that contributed to supporting a sustained development of the non-oil sector, in addition to improving public finance management and maintaining balanced public debt level.

The agency highlighted the strong real GDP growth of 8.7 percent in 2022, the highest among the G-20 economies. It expects moderate economic growth, averaging 2.6 percent in 2023-2026 with GDP/capita averaging US$31,500 (significantly above pre-pandemic levels).

The agency forecasts the non-oil sector to remain strong through 2026 due to service sector growth supported by the significant ongoing social reforms and female workforce participation. It also expected the continuity of fiscal surpluses through 2024 (after reaching 2.5 percent of GDP in 2022).

The report indicated that inflation in the Kingdom is relatively low compared to its peers. It expected that it will remain under control thanks to the government efforts in subsidising fuel and food, as well as the currency peg to the relatively strong U.S. dollar.

Source: Emirates News Agency