Category: News

DUBAI, A selection of 30 innovative agritech and foodtech start-ups from around the world, working to address food security challenges, were today named as shortlisted teams vying to win the global FoodTech Challenge that has a pooled prize of US$2 million.

 

The second edition of the FoodTech Challenge seeks to find the next wave of technology innovations on the cusp of transforming traditional agriculture practices efficiently and sustainably. Officially launched at Expo City in Dubai in March 2022, the competition is organised by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Tamkeen, with ASPIRE as the lead partner.

 

The shortlisted start-ups have been selected from 667 submissions across 79 countries, representing a 52 percent increase in entries compared to the first edition of the competition, which saw 437 applications from 68 countries, with previous winners announced from Australia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the UK.

 

Of the shortlisted start-ups, 50 percent of proposals were focused on tackling food production – with a heavy focus on insect farming and aquaculture, farm management, plant-based solutions, and precision farming. Applications addressing food loss and waste solutions account for the other 50 percent of the shortlisted start-ups, which featured food waste tech, food sharing platforms, supply chain monitoring, and traceability as key themes.

 

Silal and ADQ have supported the food production track of the competition with their industry expertise, and Emirates Foundation has supported the food loss and waste track, which aligns with Ne’ma, the national food loss and waste initiative that aims to promote positive consumer behavior to preserve and sustain food resources for future generations and contribute to the UAE’s commitment to eradicate 50 percent of food waste by 2030 in line with Target 12.3 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

 

Underscoring the global nature of the competition, the 30 shortlisted candidates are from a diverse range of countries. This year, the largest number of shortlisted start-ups came from the UK, the UAE, Israel, Spain, USA, and Singapore. The FoodTech Challenge also saw an encouraging increase in youth participation, with 47 percent of the teams being between 18-35 years old.

 

The shortlisted candidates were selected by a strong multi-sector bench of 28 technical and commercial judges. In the next phase of the competition, they will be assessed by the competition’s partners in panel interviews, and then by nine finale judges to ensure that each entry is rigorously analysed from an array of perspectives. The list of finale judges includes Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment and Co-Chair of the FoodTech Challenge; Rima Al Mokarrab, Chair of Tamkeen and Co-Chair of the FoodTech Challenge; HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, Founder and CEO of KBW Ventures; Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary-General of Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC); Badr Al Olama, Acting CEO of Hub 71; Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA); David Rosenberg, CEO and Co-Founder of AeroFarms; Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO of UPSIDE Foods; and Danielle Nierenberg, President of Food Tank.

 

Salmeen Al Ameri, CEO of Silal, one of the agricultural entities involved in the judging process, said, “This competition provides an ideal platform where innovative agritech start-ups come together to develop effective solutions that help us build a robust agriculture system for future generations. We are proud to be part of this far-reaching competition and support the challenge’s food production track. We will continue to work closely with our partners, invest in the latest agritech solutions, and look forward to working more closely with the successful teams.”

 

Khuloud Al Nuwais, Chief Sustainability Officer, Emirates Foundation, a technical judge for the FoodTech Challenge, stated, “The shortlisted teams have all demonstrated a passion and dedication for addressing food supply chain issues and increasing food security. It will be interesting to see these concepts progress as they move from lab to market both in the UAE and beyond.”

 

The next stage of the competition will identify 10 finalists. From these finalists, four winning teams will be selected to take away prizes from a US$2m prize pool, which includes up to US$400,000 in cash, and eligibility for support programmes available through the competition’s enablement partners that include acceleration support from newest entity Hub71 – valued up to US$540,000, an acceleration from Catalyst valued up to US$760,000, as well as grants from the Authority of Social Contribution valued up to US$500,000 for social impact-related projects. The winners will not only receive financial rewards, but the partners will also collectively provide a critical community and support network to help the winners to set up in the UAE and scale up their concepts. Abu Dhabi Global Market and Abu Dhabi Residents Office, for example, will provide support for UAE commercial registration with ‘Golden Visas’. The Competitiveness Office of Abu Dhabi will provide technical, legal, and financial support for patent registration, and the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development will help with mentorship and go-to-market support for local agri-tech experts.

 

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, flydubai, the Dubai-based airline, continues to grow its operations in Uzbekistan with the launch of a twice-weekly service to Namangan International Airport (NMA). The carrier’s inaugural flight touched down in Namangan to a traditional water cannon salute as part of a warm welcome by local officials, airport representatives and members of the media.

 

flydubai is the first UAE carrier to offer direct flights between Dubai and Namangan, the third largest city in Uzbekistan after Samarkand and Tashkent. Flights will operate from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

 

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the local authorities and the Khokim of Namangan, Shavkatjon Abdurazakov for their support in launching our operations in Namangan. We are committed to growing links with Uzbekistan and we are confident that these new direct air links will further stimulate travel and trade opportunities between our two countries. We look forward to enabling more passengers from the UAE and the region to visit this historically and culturally rich country through any of the three gateways in Uzbekistan.”

 

In 2019 the UAE and Uzbekistan expanded their partnership that would enhance government modernisation and promote relations between the two nations, closely collaborating on sectors including education, finance, food security and agriculture.

 

Uzbekistan is known for its iconic Islamic architectural landmarks, its location on the east-west Silk Road and it is one of the world’s biggest producers of cotton. Passengers from Uzbekistan can enjoy easier access to Dubai on flydubai’s direct flights, as well as more convenient connections beyond Dubai on the carrier’s network including the GCC.

 

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announced that Saturday, 8th October 2022, 12th Rabi Al-Awwal 1444, will be a paid holiday for the private sector in honour of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday.

 

Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, issued a circular in the implementation of the UAE Cabinet’s decision on official holidays for the public and private sectors in 2021 and 2022.

 

“We congratulate President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Their Highnesses Members of the Federal Supreme Council and Rulers of the Emirates, and the citizens and residents of the UAE on this dear occasion,” the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

 

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, Dubai Metaverse Assembly is set to kick off tomorrow, 28th September, at the Museum of the Future and AREA 2071, Emirates Towers, Dubai.

 

The two-day event supports the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, for technology and innovation to drive positive change for humanity.

 

Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), affirmed that the global event aims to help governments, technology companies, and international organisations explore the opportunities, capabilities and applications of the metaverse.

 

“Dubai Metaverse Strategy, launched by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the DFF, represents a leading and innovative model for governments in implementing initiatives and strategies that employ technologies and future innovations, developing digital and legislative infrastructure, and supporting innovative ideas based on the Metaverse,” said Al Gergawi.

 

“Dubai Metaverse Assembly will contribute to the international efforts aimed at harnessing Metaverse applications. It will help to enhance the readiness of governments, companies and society for the major transformations that we will witness in the coming decades, which will impact how we live and work,” he added.

 

The event will host more than 300 experts and specialists as well as 40 local and global organisations and technology companies participating in more than 25 sessions and workshops with more than 30 international speakers.

 

Many international organisations and companies will participate in the assembly, including the World Economic Forum, META, Binance, MasterCard, The Sandbox, Bedu, PwC, Accenture, BCG Digital Ventures, Dubai Blockchain Center, and DeCentraland, among others. The assembly will also witness participations from government entities and local organisations, such as the Dubai International Financial Centre, VARA, Majid Al Futtaim, DAMAC and Dubai Digital, among others, with the aim of evaluating national projects and exchanging experiences on the Metaverse.

 

The sessions on the first day of the assembly will witness the participation of many UAE ministers and senior officials, including Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy; Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Teleworking Applications; and Sultan bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World and the Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation.

 

The Dubai Metaverse Assembly offers an exceptional and unique experience to Dubai Government employees where they can attend its sessions and various activities in the new metaverse world.

 

Speakers will highlight the most prominent trends associated with designing and building the virtual worlds of the Metaverse worlds, as well as virtual training and education, e-commerce, virtual medical technology, arts, electronic games, organising events and conferences in the metaverse, and digital assets such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

 

During the first day, insightful sessions will discuss topics such as the economic size of the metaverse opportunity, the future of the new world, opportunities in virtual real estate, metaverse impact on supply chain and enabling people and operations, maximising the potential of ecosystems on the metaverse, building the responsible metaverse, augmented reality and its impact, and the Dubai Metaverse Strategy.

 

The second day will discuss several interesting topics including diving into the metaverse by META, the future of nations in the metaverse, the role of governments in virtual worlds, opportunities in aviation, sectors impacted by the metaverse, the UAE metaverse contributors, aging in the metaverse and the building blocks for web 3.0 and the metaverse.

 

The assembly will also feature specialised workshops on various future technological sectors to be held in the Ministry of Possibilities, Coders HQ, Government Accelerators, and Youth Hub at AREA 2071. Those workshops will be organised by several global organisations such as the World Economic Forum Accenture, Emirates Airline, META, The Economist, Asiarath, Outlier Ventures, EVERDOME, VERSE, MasterCard, MetaDecrypt, MetaCon, Crypto Oasis, SiaPartners.

 

The workshops will discuss topics such as accelerating value creation in the metaverse, aviation in metaverse, road to the metaverse and innovating governance, decoding metaverse, taking the leap from web 2 into the metaverse, brands in the metaverse, metaverse as a game changer, how shopping, banking, and gaming are spearheading the metaverse, immersive learning experiences in the metaverse, and venture capital for the metaverse, among other topics.

 

The Dubai Metaverse Assembly will host activations showing real experiences of the metaverse and latest digital technologies by global specialised organisations such as Microsoft, Meta, MasterCard, Accenture, Bedu, Binance, and Metamall, and others. The activations will host topics such as augmented reality training, future of medicine, building the social gaming metaverse, space tourism, NFTs, and virtual retail and real estates.

 

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, As part of its mission to share Abu Dhabi with the world, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has joined forces with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Abu Dhabi Maritime to participate in this year’s Monaco Yacht Show.

 

The government departments will combine efforts and work together to position and promote the UAE as a leading superyacht destination at Europe’s leading industry event.

 

The four-day event will take place from 28th September to 1st October, with expected participation from 580 exhibitors, including destination representatives, yacht management companies, superyacht designers and builders, alongside luxury consumer and automotive brands and over 30,000 visitors.

 

The presence of the UAE superyacht industry regulators, stakeholders, and service providers will command attention and draw the audience in to discover the UAE’s destination offerings, superyacht products and services.

 

At the show, DCT Abu Dhabi, DET and Abu Dhabi Maritime will highlight the UAE’s industry legislation improvements, including cruising permit extensions and charter permit processes, immigration and customs clearance updates. They will also promote the UAE’s ever-exciting calendar of clustered industry events such as Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2022, Abu Dhabi International Boat Show, Gulf Superyacht Summit 2022, and Dubai Sail Grand Prix Presented By P&O Marinas, which all take place in November 2022.

 

Saeed Al Dhaheri, Tourism Products Development Department Director, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “As a place of exciting and restoring experiences across a landscape of possibilities that can be explored at your own pace, Abu Dhabi is an alluring destination for all types of visitors. With its hundreds of desert islands, unspoilt beaches and stunning waters, it is especially attractive to yacht owners. This is why in recent years we have strengthened our efforts to regulate, promote and build the yachting industry. So, in appearing at the Monaco Yacht Show, we aim to create a larger brand presence, encourage greater engagement and strongly showcase our stakeholder products and services to the international yachting community.”

 

Yousuf Lootah, Executive Director of Tourism Developments and Investments, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, commented, “The pace of development not just in Dubai but in neighbouring emirates like Abu Dhabi serves as a catalyst for attracting superyachts to the UAE and the opportunity for all of us to capitalise on a lucrative tourism product that can increase the number of tourists and further strengthen our respective industries. We will also be able to highlight the vast range of Dubai’s world-class maritime infrastructure and facilities, as well as its tourism offering to owners of superyachts and yachting enthusiasts. We look forward to highlighting many more exciting projects and initiatives in the pipeline for Dubai’s yachting industry, as well as industry developments that will be beneficial to the international yachting community, including state-of-the-art refit and shipyard maintenance, professional yachting and maritime academies for future crew, and qualified training centres for staff, in addition to upgrades to marina facilities, that will further support the pivotal role being played by Dubai to promote the UAE as an international superyacht hub.”

 

Capt. Saif Al Mheiri, Managing Director, Abu Dhabi Maritime, AD Ports Group, said, “Under the guidance of our wise leadership, Abu Dhabi has developed a bold strategy to position the emirate as a destination of choice for the global superyacht community, leveraging our strategic location, attractive coastline, temperate weather, and wide range of cultural and leisure attractions. AD Maritime is working with the broader maritime community to showcase the incredible infrastructure and welcoming regulatory environment that is now available in Abu Dhabi, and to highlight the progress that has been made in recent years. For the Monaco Yacht Show, we are confident that we have a compelling value proposition that will distinguish the United Arab Emirates on the global stage.”

 

Source: Emirates News Agency

The 8th World Green Economy Summit will host several local and international VIPs and a large number of international speakers, officials, representatives of government organisations, major corporates, experts, academicians and leaders of sustainability funding from around the world. The participants will discuss several themes, such as energy, finance, food security, youth, and other topics that accelerate the transition towards a green economy and drive sustainable development.

 

The Summit is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It is organised by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO), and the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy on 28 – 29 September 2022, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The Summit will be held in conjunction with the 24th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) and Dubai Solar Show, which is also organised by DEWA from 27 to 29 September 2022.

 

The 8th World Green Summit brigs together a large number of officials, experts, and specialists from around the world. These include Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, CEO of Alliances For Global Sustainability; H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar); HE Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade; HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO, DEWA and Chairman of the WGEO; HE Dr. Muawieh Khalid Radaideh, Minister of Environment, Jordan; HE Ahmed Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy; HE Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt, COP 27; HE Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, Egypt’s Climate Action Champion, COP 27; HE Michal Kurtyka, President of COP 24; Dr. Dena Assaf, United Nations Resident Coordinator for the UAE; Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNFCCC; Nigel Topping, High-Level Climate Champion for Climate Action, COP 26; Omnia El Omrani, President Envoy on Youth, COP 27; Dietmar Siersdorfer, Middle East and UAE Managing Director, Siemens Energy; as well as prominent experts and specialists from around the world.

 

The Summit will also feature a Ministerial Roundtable with about 25 ministers from around the world. These include HE Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, the UAE; HE Dr. Muawieh Khalid Radaideh, Minister of Environment, Jordan; HE Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, India; HE Dr. Nasser Yassin, Minister of Environment, Lebanon; HE Hussein Makhlouf, Minister of Local Administration and Environment, Syria; HE Ivete Joaquim Maibaze, Minister of Land and Environment, Mozambique; HE Naseer Ahamed, Minister of the Environment, Sri Lanka;  and other experts and specialists from around the world.

 

“The World Green Economy Summit will bring together key decision-makers, experts and specialists to explore avenues to accelerate the transformation towards a green economy. The Summit supports the proactive approach adopted by the UAE in the climate action process to achieve sustainable and comprehensive economic development. The Summit will build on the progress made since the seventh Dubai declaration and the ambitions contained in the framework of the declaration. The eighth Dubai declaration, which will be launched at the conclusion of the Summit, is of great importance, given that the region will host the 27th and 28th sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCC. COP 27 will be held in Egypt next November and COP 28 will be held in the UAE next year. This spearheads our efforts to shape the sustainability agenda by promoting effective adaption and mitigation strategies. The WGES is a key supporter of the UAE’s efforts as well as the global efforts to adopt innovative green solutions, and support sustainable development whilst balancing economic growth and environmental sustainability,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, MD & CEO of DEWA and Chairman of WGEO.

 

“Since its launch in 2014, WGES has succeeded in mobilising global efforts to promote the shift towards a green economy. It has provided a strategic platform to support international cooperation to face global challenges, promote sustainable development and investments in the green economy, encourage adoption of effective policies, plans, and initiatives in this area, and discuss pressing issues including climate change and global warming. WGES helps align energy policies with the Sustainable Development Goals, exchanging views on successful sustainability strategies, systems and policies, and using available opportunities to support the transition to a green economy. WGES brings together a large number of leaders, experts and specialists in various areas related to a green economy and sustainable development,” said Waleed Bin Salman, Vice Chairman of WGEO.

 

“The World Green Economy Summit focuses on strengthening cooperation among countries and between public and private sectors in innovation, technology, and finance. It offers an exceptional platform to move forward on green recovery and to discuss the best ways to develop low-carbon economies and combat climate change,” said Abdul Rahim Sultan, Director General of WGEO

 

Source: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority