Day: February 18, 2024

The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for the Administration and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and International Cooperation, Ibrahim Al-Hamli, met on Sunday with the Executive Director of the HandiCup International Organization, Manuel Patrouillard.

In the meeting, which was attended by the head of the International Cooperation Department, Faisal Modhesh, and the director of the organization’s office in Yemen, Duncan Pall, the general framework for aspects of coordination in the humanitarian and development fields was discussed, which contributes to improving the conditions of those affected and alleviating their suffering.

The meeting discussed mechanisms for joint cooperation in the humanitarian fields and ways to accelerate the implementation of agreed upon projects and activities in a way that alleviates the severity of the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

The Secretary-General stressed the importance of continuous coordination to overcome any difficulties that may arise in the field and
to enhance the positive role of the work of UN and international organizations.

He pointed out the importance of making more efforts by organizations working in Yemen to implement development projects that contribute to alleviating the human suffering that the Yemeni people are experiencing as a result of the aggression and siege.

He stressed the necessity of adhering to the controls of humanitarian work, national laws, and respecting the customs and culture of the Yemeni people, which would facilitate work and move towards achieving humanitarian goals. He reiterated the Council’s readiness to provide facilities to humanitarian organizations operating in Yemen to enable them to carry out their humanitarian, development and relief tasks and activities.

For his part, Manuel Patrouillard appreciated the efforts made by the Council to facilitate the work of the organizations, stressing full concern for the continuity of work in order to achieve common humanitarian goals that meet the actual needs of the benefi
ciaries.

The meeting was attended by the Director General of UN and International Organizations, Turki Jamil.

Source: Yemen News Agency

Prime Minister of the National Unity Government, Abdul Hamid Al-Dbaiba, honored the government’s emergency teams that carried out relief work in the city of Derna, after it was exposed to flood disaster last year.

This took place during the celebration held yesterday in Martyrs’ Square on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the February 17 Revolution.

Source: Libyan News Agency

SHARJAH: H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the University of Sharjah, attended the annual ceremony of the University of Sharjah (UOS) Alumni Association 2024, under the slogan “Our Graduates, Our Pride”, held in the outdoor area of the student colleges.

During the ceremony, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed inaugurated the Media Club for the graduates as a new initiative by the Alumni Association, and he was granted honorary membership in the club.

At the beginning of the ceremony, the attendees watched a visual presentation highlighting the achievements of the Alumni Association. Several officials of the association spoke about the association’s strategy, goals, and the digital transformation in its communication with its members inside and outside the country.

Dr. Hanadi Obaid Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the University of Sharjah Alumni Association, delivered a speech emphasising the importance of the annual gathering of the gradu
ates and its role in enriching their diverse knowledge. She said, ‘Every time we gather at our annual association ceremony, we breathe a great sense of nostalgia and memories, and a long history of discoveries and first experiences of more than 45,000 male and female graduates that our prestigious university has produced over a quarter of a century. They form a miniature society that creates impact and change in their communities across the Arab world and perhaps even globally, armed with its scientific and humanitarian values.’

The Chairperson of the association also presented the achievements of the Executive Committee during the previous time, including expanding its activities and events and establishing new branches in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Oman, reflecting the extended influence from the heart of Sharjah to the Arab world. She also highlighted the efforts in assisting new graduate members and preparing them for professional practice through various specialised workshops.

The Chairperson of
the University of Sharjah Alumni Association concluded her speech by sparking light on the importance of exerting unlimited efforts to serve the future generations of graduates in the coming years.

On the occasion of the launch of the Media Club for the graduates, Dr. Nawal Asker Al Naqbi, the Director of the club, delivered a speech sparking light on the initiative of launching the club, which is coordinated with the College of Communication at the university to enhance connections and collaboration with the graduates of the college and the university, affirming that the aim of the initiative is to provide a platform for exchanging experiences, opportunities, and developing media practices skills.

She added, ‘We firmly believe that learning does not stop after graduation, and therefore, our club is designed to continue the journey of acquiring the cornerstones of knowledge and keeping up with developments in this field.’

Dr. Nawal Asker concluded her speech by emphasising the Media Club’s commitment to en
hancing skills and sharing experiences, inviting the graduates to join the club and engage with its activities and events.

At the end of the ceremony, the President of the University, along with the attending graduates, enjoyed a dinner held on the occasion of the annual ceremony of the University of Sharjah Alumni Association.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Amman: The electrical load recorded Saturday evening reached 3,860 megawatts, while the maximum load recorded this winter reached 4,050mw, National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) said.

In a statement Sunday, NEPCO said the highest electrical load recorded in the Kingdom’s history hit 4,220mw last August.

Source: Jordan News Agency

SHARJAH: A delegation from the Bahrain Ministry of Youth and Sport Affairs has visited Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Future Leaders and Innovators in the Emirate of Sharjah to learn about its pioneering role in preparing generations capable of leading the future.

The delegation included Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfiqi, Minister of Bahrain Youth Affairs, and Marwan Fuad Kamel, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Affairs.

The delegation met Dr. Abdulaziz Al Noman, Member of the Board of Trustees of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Future Leaders and Innovators, along with Khawla Al Hawai, Director of Sharjah Children, Sheikha Al Shamsi, Director of Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah, Dr. Abdulrahman Al Yasi, Director of Sharjah Youth, and Khaled Al Nakhi, Director of Sharjah Capability Development – Tatweer.

The agenda of the Bahrain Ministry of Youth delegation included a visit to Sharjah Children in Al Qarayen, Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah in Al Qarayen, the Wasit Youth Centre, and the Rubu’ Qarn Music
Centre, where the delegation was briefed on the prominent pioneering role of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation and its affiliated institutions in creating an integrated programme for children and youth to practise their hobbies, in fulfilment of the directives and visions of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation.

The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation according to the age groups targeted by Rubu’ Qarn institutions to acquire new skills in different fields.

Minister of Bahrain Youth Affairs praised Sheikha Jawaher for her support and care for young women and youth, stressing the importance of expanding the framework of cooperation between the ministry and the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation by launching joint initiatives and cooperation between the two sides, ensuring the maximum benefit for young people in youth empowerment.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said that the UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has reached unprecedented heights in its non-oil foreign trade figures, surpassing AED3.5 trillion.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said, ‘Today we announce that the UAE non-oil foreign trade of goods and services, surpassed AED3.5 trillion in 2023 for the first time in the country’s economic history despite the global downturn in international trade movement according to reports by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.”

His Highness added, ‘We indicated at the beginning of 2023 that it would be a record economic year. The UAE has established new bridges of cooperation through comprehensive partnership agreements. Thus, our foreign trade with the top ten trading partners jumped by 26 percent, with Turkey by more than 103 percent, with Hong Kong-China by 47 percent, and with
the USA by 20 percent.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said, The UAE today lies at the heart of international trade movement. Our economic commitments to everyone continue.’

Overcoming the challenges of global trade

The record growth of the country’s non-oil foreign trade coincided with a continuous increase in the value of non-oil exports in 2023, exceeding AED441 billion (US$120billion), with a growth rate of 16.7 percent compared to 2022, and that 2023 exports more than double the exports in 2018 and are close to achieving double the exports of 2019, as they increased by 28 percent compared to 2021 as well as 66 percent compared to 2020, and by 84 percent compared to 2019.

The contribution of non-oil exports of goods to the country’s overall foreign trade increased to 17.1 percent, up from 14.1 percent in 2019 and 13 percent in 2018.

The record growth in both total foreign trade and non-oil exports was accompanied by a similar increase in re-exports, which hit AED 690 billion (US$188billion),
a growth of 6.9 percent compared to 2022 and a growth rate of 27.7 percent compared to 2021. Re-exports continued their upward trend of growth over the recent years, excepting 2020, which is considered an exceptional year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the accompanying closures around the world.

Imports also increased to AED1.4 trillion (US$380billion), a growth of 14.2 percent compared to 2022. The top 10 imported commodities achieved a growth of 20.9 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, and the rest of the commodities grew by 6.3 percent. The most important imported commodities are gold, telephones, petroleum oils, cars and diamonds.

Recovery of UAE Trade in Services

In 2023, the UAE’s services trade surplus grew to AED207 billion, up from AED96.26 billion in 2021, indicating a continued increase in its share of global service exports. Key sectors such as travel and tourism, ICT, professional and financial services, education, medical tourism, Islamic financial services, the creative economy, and logistic
s saw a significant contribution to this growth.

UAE trade growth with top 10 trading partners

In 2023, the UAE’s non-oil trade with its top 10 partners grew significantly. Trade with Trkiye, which contributed 5.1 percent to the total, grew by 103.7 percent, the highest among the top 10. This followed the September implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries. Other notable increases were with Hong Kong-China (47.9 percent), which now ranks eighth among the UAE’s top ten trading partners, the US (20.1 percent), and China (4.2 percent). Trade with India, which has a similar agreement since May 2022, grew by 3.9 percent, accounting for over 7.6 percent of the total trade.

Non-oil exports to the top 10 partners grew by 26.9 percent, with Trkiye accounting for nearly 60 percent of UAE’s exports in the last five months of 2023 – and underlining the impact of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement which came into force in September. India was the second-l
argest recipient of UAE exports.

China remained the UAE’s leading trading partner, followed by India, the US, Saudi Arabia, and Trkiye. The next five were Iraq, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Japan, and the Sultanate of Oman.

Leading goods exports

Gold, aluminum, oils, cigarettes, jewelry, copper wire and ethylene polymers topped the list of the country’s most important exports of goods.

Quarterly performance promises further growth

In Q4 2023, the UAE’s non-oil foreign trade of goods reached a record AED710 billion (US$193billion), a 16.3 percent YoY and 12.4 percent QoQ growth. This marked the first time non-oil trade exceeded AED700 billion (US$190billion) in a quarter. Non-oil exports of goods amounted to AED132.2 billion (US$36billion), a 39.3 percent YoY and 26.9 percent QoQ increase. Since Q1 2023, non-oil exports have consistently surpassed AED100 billion (US$27.2 billion).

Source: Emirates News Agency

Amman: Amman Group for Future Dialogues (AGFD) praised His Majesty King Abdullah II’s efforts in serving Arab issues and the Palestinian cause.

In a statement on Sunday, AGFD said the King has been the only Arab leader for years to defend Palestinian cause in international forums and demand rights of its people.

The statement added that His Majesty’s recent tour came in the context of His Majesty’s efforts to defend and restore the historical Palestinian rights, foremost is establishment of their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Since outbreak of the Israeli aggression, AGFD said His Majesty has continued to make unrelenting efforts to call on the international community to take serious action to stop war on Gaza, stop war crimes there, and prevent conflict escalation, aimed to spare the region from further violence.

Additionally, AGFD noted His Majesty highlighted danger of stopping funding and support for UNRWA, which would suspend its relief role in Gaza, aimed to alleviate humanitarian
catastrophe in the coastal enclave, adding that His Majesty also warned of consequences of an Israeli attack on Rafah.

Source: Jordan News Agency