Author: Web Desk

DUBAI, The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature has announced that the inaugural day of the Festival, 3rd February, will showcase top Emirati writers and speakers in a series of talks, panel discussions, workshops and poetry performances.

Presented in collaboration with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the Emirati Cultural Day will uncover important topics, including sessions looking at the careers of the future, preservation of the past, and the stigma of working in the Arts. It will feature some of the UAE’s most sought-after speakers such as Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs; business leader Khalaf Al Habtoor; counsellor, artist and author Hala Kazim; and Freej-creator Mohammed Saeed Harib, as well as dynamic literary talents including Salha Obaid, Jamal Matar and Nadia Alnajjar.

The 14th edition of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, one of the world’s leading literary Festivals and the largest celebration of the written and spoken word in the Arab World, will take place 3rd-13th February 2022 in Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City and Habtoor Palace Hotel.

Dr Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, affirmed the importance of Emirati Cultural Day in supporting the creative industry and creative talents in the UAE by highlighting Emirati cultural talents and allowing them to learn about the creations from other global talents. He said, “At Dubai Culture, we are keen to support Emirati Cultural Day as an important interactive cultural platform that provides the opportunity for a group of distinguished Emirati talents to share their visions and experiences with a wide and diverse audience. Through this platform, we also contribute to making culture and art accessible everywhere to everyone, enhancing the prosperity witnessed by the culture sector in the emirate, and supporting the creative industry and creative talents, in order to cement the emirate’s position on the global cultural and creativity map.”

Ahlam Bolooki, Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, said, “A day dedicated to Emirati literature is the best possible start to another fantastic Festival celebrating the written and spoken word. Arab and Emirati literature is rich in intellectual wealth, reflecting our diversity and heritage. It is wonderful to see the audiences grow along with the appetite for unique literary and cultural experiences.”

The majority of the sessions on Emirati Day will take place in Arabic, with the exception of a panel exploring what the future of work will look like, titled Careers of the Future, including Saeed Al Nizari, Director General of the Federal Youth Authority, and others.

The evening will also welcome a not-to-be-missed session with Omar Saif Ghobash in a wide-ranging conversation about life, writing and his new book, a work of fiction about his father’s last day.

Conversations taking place in Arabic include the Emirati readings panel with Ibrahim Ali Khadim, Nadia Al Najjar and Salha Obaid; Dr Aisha Bilkhair and Dr Saeed Al Dhaheri will discuss preservation of the past; and the evening ends with beautiful Emirati poetry performances by Abdulrahman AlHumairy, Amal AlSahlawi, Mohammed Yousef and Sheikha Al Mutairi.

The first Festival weekend will go on to welcome book club favourite and author of The Henna Artist, Alka Joshi; children’s favourite, Be Miller; jeweller to the stars, Azza Fahmy; Demon Slayer animator, Ken Arto; and acclaimed literary star, Brit Bennett. There is also the not-to-be-missed Saturday Supper with Nadiya Hussain, and a three-course feast with Italian TV chef Alessandro Borghese.

The first weekend will also see the announcement of the 10 winners of First Chapter: the ELF Seddiqi Writers’ fellowship, the announcement of the winners of the Emirates LitFest Writing Prize, and the launch of the second anthology of winning stories for Voices of Future Generations for the Middle East.

The Festival is held with Founding Partners Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for heritage, arts, and culture.

The Festival will comply with all current COVID-19 regulations, and visitors will be asked to wear masks and provide proof of vaccination, or a negative PCR taken within the previous 72 hours.

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The human fraternity project aligns perfectly with the values of Costa Rica, said Costa Rican Vice President Epsy Campbell Barr during a meeting with Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF) Secretary-General Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam on Thursday in Dubai.

Judge Abdelsalam stressed the HCHF’s commitment to advancing women’s empowerment and rights, and thanked Campbell Barr for her participation in the HCHF 2021 Women’s Forum held virtually last March.

For her part, Vice President Campbell Barr – an economist by profession – emphasised the urgent action needed from both men and women to advance gender equality, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened to set back economic development for women.

“This is the time to make decisions that generate different solutions and work with women-specific policies in all areas of development,” she said.

Vice President Campbell Barr said that the Document on Human Fraternity – co-signed by His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb on 4 February, 2019, in Abu Dhabi – is very crucial to the world today. She noted that the Document comes at an extremely critical time in human history and said that the Document opens new doors of hope, calling for genuine cooperation and mutual understanding between peoples around the world. She promised to do her best to promote human fraternity values and support the mission of the HCHF.

During the meeting, the two parties also expressed their appreciation for the support and care provided by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and patron of human fraternity, to the HCHF and his belief in this humanitarian project that transcends differences in order to promote fraternity and peace.

For his part, Judge Abdelsalam reiterated the Document on Human Fraternity’s call for the recognition of women’s rights including the right to education, employment, and political involvement.

Judge Abdelsalam also praised Campbell – Costa Rica’s first woman of Afro-descent to become vice president – for being a role model to young men and women.

“Women around the world face immense challenges, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic, and we need more distinguished female leaders like yourself, who are committed to advocating for effect solutions to help women,” Judge Abdelsalam told Campbell Barr.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, Dubai Customs kicked off 5th UAE Customs Week 2022 today under the slogan “Customs Digital Transformation Pioneers”.

The virtual ceremony was attended by Sultan bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman and CEO and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, Ahmad bin Lahej Al Falasi, Acting Director-General of Customs at the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director-General of Dubai Customs, CEO of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, Hamad Al Mansoori, Director-General of Digital Dubai Authority, and Fahad Ghareeb Al Shamsi, Executive Director of Support Services Sector at Abu Dhabi Customs.

The events are running throughout the week from 24th to 28th January. There are 32 initiatives and activities organised by 13 customs departments and centers and the event will see the launch of four major projects.

In his opening speech, Sultan bin Sulayem said, “The UAE is a leading country that plays a noticeable role in promoting global economy and trade. The 5th UAE Customs Week culminates our active participation in developing government plans and policies that will consolidate economic recovery and strengthen the UAE’s position as a global hub for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). These plans will advance our global model by adopting ground-breaking innovations and technologies and better support sustainable economic development.

“Dubai has gained substantial experience and set a benchmark in developing global Customs work. This work is guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to provide traders and investors from across the world with business-friendly customs services. These services sustain the emirate’s competitive advantage in the global trade landscape, enhancing economic diversification as the non-oil sectors’ contribution in our economy increased to 83 percent in 2020. By driving innovation in the customs sector, Dubai has reduced the time, cost and effort of doing business. This has attracted more traders and investors to the emirate thanks to the advanced logistics and regulatory infrastructure and the excellent capabilities of its ports, airports, free zones, transportation, telecommunications, and customs services.

“Our achievements in the advancement of customs work propel us towards the next phase of growth and progress in line with the five-year plan, which seeks to boost Dubai’s foreign trade to AED 2 trillion over the coming five years. Dubai’s foreign trade increased tenfold in value during the period 2000-2019, and the emirate’s foreign trade maintained its strength in 2020, totalling AED 1.182 trillion, despite economic headwinds and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In his speech, Musabih said, “The last two years posed a new and a different challenge to all customs administrations around the globe due to the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. This required additional efforts from different customs organisations to secure supply chains and ensure the continuous flow of goods and passengers.

“Customs sector in the UAE was up to the challenge and managed to deliver uninterrupted services including 24/7 clearance of goods and medical supplies.

“Customs transactions in the first half of 2021 skyrocketed 53 percent to 11.2 million transactions compared to the first half of 2020, and this, among other factors, has enabled Dubai Customs win the DGE Elite Award 2020-2021.”

For his part, Al Falasi said, “We, in the UAE Customs sector, have every reason to be proud of our leading achievements that have contributed to supporting the security and stability of society and facilitating trade. These accomplishments have made the UAE a global model in systems innovation, technology localisation and Customs work development, following which the UAE topped the rankings in several international indicators.

The global Customs administrations announce their directions for the current year, consistent with the WCO’s chosen theme for the year 2022, which focuses on “Scaling up Customs Digital Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem.”

Hamad Al Mansouri, Director-General of Digital Dubai Authority said, “Looking back, we clearly see that the story of Dubai Customs is an embodiment of the story of Dubai itself. Dubai Customs applied the latest and best world standards until it became a model to follow in the sector. The leading Government Department became fully digital applying the most sophisticated technologies to serve its partners and clients in the best possible way and to add value to their business.”

Fahad Ghareeb Al Shamsi said, “We are developing an ‘Undercover Customs’ concept in line with the latest international standards. Best exploitation of data is among the major challenges that necessitate cooperation with different partners in the supply chain to ensure safe and effective exchange, analysis and governance of data. We look forward to having security integration between government departments in the UAE towards a common goal: digital transformation, in fulfilment of the vision and directives of our wise leadership.

“We have integrated more than 60 communication points with our strategic partners, and we have generously invested in innovation and HR system automation while developing an integrated inspection platform and adoption of advanced blockchain based systems, and latest customs practices in risk and control.”

Mr. Guo Zhenjun, Manager of Huawei’s Dubai Supply Centre, said, “According to the World Economic Forum, more than 60 percent of global GDP will be digitised by 2022. Digital technologies are transforming industries as well as how individual enterprises and governments operate, faster than ever. Dubai Customs invests a lot in innovation. It develops and upgrades customs procedures, including the world’s best integrated customs system: Mirsal 2; which introduces the best services and trade facilities, and The Virtual Corridor project, which facilitates movement of goods.”

The opening ceremony included a video on Dubai Customs and its vital role in securing the borders and facilitating trade. In the event, the second phase of the Cross Border e-Commerce Platform was launched.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The e-Trader licence, launched by the Business Registration and Licensing (BRL) sector at the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai, has seen overwhelming response with 16,409 licences issued since its launch in March of 2017 till end of 2021.

The BRL sector also reported that the total number of e-Trader licences issued in 2021 reached 6,217, a 6% increase compared 2020 as the total number of licenses reached 5,848 licenses. This reflects the continuous focus on promoting e-commerce and the competitiveness of Dubai’s economy, as well as the commitment to realising the vision of the government to drive digital transformation and build awareness about the e-platforms that facilitate commercial activities.

This shows the growing momentum of e-shopping in Dubai, as the emirate has become a platform for the largest e-commerce companies in the world, led by its flexible business and investment environment, government integration with the private sector and its logistical advantages, as well as strategic location that facilitates global trade.

The growth also reflects the ongoing efforts to consolidate the emirate’s position as a global platform for e-commerce, based on its importance in driving growth and supporting economic diversification policies. The ‘UAE eCommerce Landscape’ study, conducted jointly by DET and Visa in 2020, showed Dubai leading the list of the fastest-growing and developing e-commerce markets in the Middle East and North Africa, as a result of conducive policies, strategic plans and smart government initiatives initiated under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. This digital transformation has enhanced the confidence of investors in the sector and its opportunities for growth and development.

e-Trader aims to licence startups and business activities that operate from their place of residence, online or on social networking sites. The licence, which is issued electronically, aims to guide traders towards the right path to enter the business world.

According to the BRL sector’s report, 79% of the e-Trader licences issued in 2021 were professional, and 21% were commercial. Information Technology, Ready made garments, Women’s tailoring and design, Handicrafts, Men’s tailoring and design, Publishing and printing services, Facility management, Marketing services, and Preparation of Food, topped the list of activities of the licences issued in 2021.

Through e-Trader licence, DET seeks to regulate and enhance ease of doing business electronically, find a platform that supports and develops trade as well as connect customers with traders. The licensee cannot open a shop/store but can avail of three visas if the ownership is 100% Emirati and legal liability falls under the licence holder.

The BRL sector focuses on providing support to e-Trader licence holders by signing partnerships with government and private sectors, providing facilities for their business growth as well as opening new channels by enhancing cooperation with major sales outlets.

The benefits of getting the e-Trader licence include: getting Dubai Chamber membership for commercial activities, benefitting from bank facilities, getting Customs Client Code, which facilitates import and export via dubaitrade.ae, temporary employment services, participation in exhibitions and conferences and training workshop, displaying of products in consumer points of sale and providing work space.

Source: Emirates News Agency