Emirates Press

DUBAI, Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, stated that the vision of the UAE leadership focuses on future projects that promote social stability and support wellbeing sustainability of all the members of the community following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to consider wellbeing as the top priority of the UAE government.

This was announced by Hessa Buhumaid, who chaired the First Wellbeing Council Meeting 2022 held by the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing remotely to discuss the most prominent initiatives that promote wellbeing in according to the aspirations of the leadership and the directives of the government. The meeting was attended by members of the Wellbeing Council, under-secretaries of ministries, officials of government authorities and executive councils all over the country.

Hessa Buhumaid, said, “Wellbeing is the supporting foundation, safe and stimulating cornerstone for sustainable development in the UAE due to its importance in our daily and professional lives. I encourage all the members of the Wellbeing Council to select creative initiatives and qualitative ideas that keep pace with the promises and requirements of individuals and the community in social, health, educational, security and economic fields in light of the recovery phase and return to normal life.”

She spoke about the competitive ranking to provide the best Initiatives and achievements in support of the comprehensive development process. For the fourth year in a row, the UAE is leading the MENA region in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2020, which puts it at 9th place among the most competitive countries in the world. The UAE maintained its position among the top ten competitive countries in the world in 2020, to be the only Arab country that succeeded in asserting itself in the competitiveness yearbook.

Minister Buhumaid added that the performance excellence was achieved in four major indicators: third globally in government efficiency, fourth in economic performance, seventh in business efficiency, 28th in infrastructure, there is continuous improvement in several indicators and global leadership in a large number of sub-indicators.

This first meeting reviewed government efforts, highlighted pioneering models and targeted wellbeing initiatives, shared experiences and benefitted from the expertise at both federal and local levels.

Furthermore, Saeed Al Nazari, Director-General of the Federal Youth Authority, emphasised that they studied the privileges provided to young Emiratis and residents to enhance their wellbeing such as the launch of a report which monitors the privileges of youth and a survey to monitor the opinion of young residents about their wellbeing, and short videos documenting the privileges of youth in various languages.

Al Nazari noted that the youth are privileged to have free education, health insurance and free healthcare services, housing allowance, marriage grants, services provided by youth centres, membership in the boards of directors of federal institutions, and travelling to more than 118 countries without a prior visa.

During the meeting, Dr. Aisha Al Muheiri, Director of Wellbeing Office at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, spoke about the Health Wellbeing Strategy Plan 2026 based on the National Wellbeing Strategy 2031, health programmes, initiatives and projects related to physical, mental or social health.

Dr. Heba Shehadeh, Leader of Foresight time in Dubai Future Foundation, delivered a speech about the future opportunities as a source of thought and inspiration to determine the prospects for growth, prosperity and happiness in different sectors over the next 50 years.

Members of the Wellbeing Council discussed the updates of the “National Wellbeing Survey 2022” under the theme “Knowledge for Prosperity” which includes six themes: wellbeing of individuals, connected community, advanced country, cities and residential communities, sustainability, culture and arts.

The meeting also discussed the idea of hosting “Wellbeing International Dialogue” to learn about inspiring experiences in the field of wellbeing that serve human beings and affect the future, strengthen global partnerships, share pioneering experiences, review the world’s achievements in Expo 2020 Dubai, and highlight the UAE advanced role in wellbeing.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, Since the first running back in 1996, no horse has won the Group 1 Dubai Turf (sponsored by DP World) more than once, so history is against British raider Lord North when he defends his crown on Saturday.

Five other Group 1 winners lie in wait for John Gosden’s six-year-old, who was the impressive winner of the 1800-metre contest last year by three lengths from Vin De Garde, who takes him on again in 2022.

Since that win 12 months ago, however, Lord North has been seen only once, when chasing home G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic contender Alenquer in the G3 Winter Derby over a mile and a quarter at Lingfield. He is joined in the race by fellow six-year-old and stablemate Harrovian, fourth to Authority in the G3 Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh last time out.

Lord North’s win last year came at the expense of compatriot and three-time Meydan Racecourse winner Lord Glitters, trained by David O’Meara, who could only manage sixth. Since then, the almost-white nine-year-old has been in brilliant form, landing the G3 Bahrain International Trophy in November, as well as the G2 Singspiel Stakes over the Dubai Turf course and distance.

“He had a good breeze on Sunday and Tuesday on the main track,” said Matt Ennis, who rides Lord Glitters every morning. “He felt really good and all seems well with him; he seems fresh too. We’ll just tick him over now between now and Saturday with a few quiet canters on the training track.”

A strong British team also includes two for Derby-winning trainer William Haggas, who will saddle Mohaafeth and My Oberon. Arriving in Dubai on Wednesday, the trainer revealed that Mohaafeth, who has an impressive four from eight strike rate, has had surgery since his last start in August.

“When Mohaafeth was purchased he was a rig – meaning they only have one descended testicle – and we didn’t think in his last races he was running as well as he possibly should have. We investigated and decided to take it out,” he explained.

“My personal feeling is that in his last few races his last furlong over a mile and a quarter was weak and it certainly looked like it could be that which was troubling him. He’s got one less excuse now! “He’s got a nice draw (five) in a very strong race, but he’s got a chance. He’s got a bit to find with the top-rated horses, but he’s certainly got the scope to improve on his rating.”

There are two other British-based runners in the capacity field of 16; G1 Sun Chariot winner Saffron Beach, for trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam, and five-time winner Sir Busker, for William Knight.

It could be a case of the United Kingdom taking on Japan, with the latter sending out a strong team of three, including favourite Schnell Meister. Winner of four of his seven starts, including the G1 NHK Mile Cup in May, he was second to the retired Gran Alegria in the G1 Mile Championship last time out in November and is one for one over this 1800-metre distance.

Also coming here with impressive form is the Yoshito Yahagi-trained Panthalassa, who warmed up for this with a win in the G2 Nakayama Kinen a month ago, giving him a fitness edge over some of his rivals.

The US is yet to win this race, but Todd Pletcher aims to change that with dual G1 Pegasus Turf winner Colonel Liam, who has an eye-catching three-from-three record over this distance.

“We feel that this year, while he’s in his prime, let’s go ahead and take a shot,” said the trainer of the five-year-old. “The spacing suited us really well after the Pegasus, which is another reason we decided to come to Dubai.”

The UAE’s home defence is headed by Alfareeq, winner of the G1 Jebel Hatta over course and distance last time out for trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri. Third home that day, the Ahmad bin Harmash-trained Ursa Major, re-opposes.

Haqeeqy, formerly trained by Gosden in the UK, also lines up and will be a first World Cup day runner for former Shadwell pre-trainer John Hyde.

The Dubai Turf is race seven on the card, with a scheduled off time of 7:20pm UAE time.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, Expo 2020 Dubai began its final week amidst expectations of record visits, due to the World Government Summit and the spring break holiday.

This week, Expo 2020 Dubai witnessed useful discussions and creative initiatives to promote international cooperation in preserving water resources and protecting their sustainability, in line with population growth.

In this report, titled, “Expo in a Week”, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) will highlight the key events and occasions taking place in the 25th week of the major international event.

Water Week Expo 2020 Dubai hosted Water Week, which changemakers from the public and private sectors attended to explore ways to promote the protection of water resources and ensure their sustainability on Earth.

Four Initiatives On the sidelines of Water Week organised by the UAE at Expo 2020 Dubai, Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, launched four national initiatives aimed at ensuring the sustainability of national water resources, which are called “Digital System for Water Management in Infrastructure Assets”, the “Integrated Management of Dams and Water Facilities”, the “Hydrogeological Map Project” and the “Water Future Hackathon”.

Water Generation Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, announced the launch of a pilot programme to install 15 water generation machines around the country, noting that some 700 additional machines will be installed.

During the main session held on the occasion of World Water Day, Almheiri said increasing demographic habits and non-sustainable water consumption add significant pressure on limited water resources.

Water Business Forum Expo 2020 Dubai hosted the “Water Business Forum”, which discussed the key challenges facing the global water sector. The event’s speakers stressed the importance of taking urgent action to ensure the sustainability of water resources.

Happiness Survey On the International Day of Happiness, Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, launched the second edition of the National Quality of Life Survey, one of the initiatives of the National Wellbeing Observatory carried out by the National Happiness and Wellbeing Programme of the Ministry of Community Development, in partnership with the Federal Competitiveness Authority.

The event took place under the framework of the launch of a range of events and initiatives organised by the ministry at Expo 2020 Dubai celebrating the annual International Day of Happiness on 20th March, with the attendance of Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to the UAE President, and Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), and several officials and experts.

Knight Mothers of Human Fraternity Expo 2020 Dubai also hosted the international conference, titled, “Mothers as Champions of Human Fraternity”, held on the occasion of the celebration of the UAE and Arab region of Mothers’ Day on 21st March.

The conference addressed several key topics, which are motherhood in a changing world, the role of mothers in a coherent family and the achievements of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation.

International Organisation of la Francophonie’s Honour Day The International Organisation of the Francophonie celebrated its honour day at Expo 2020 Dubai, attended by Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary-General of the Organisation.

Visits The number of visits witnessed by Expo 2020 Dubai reached 20,819,155 over 172 days since its opening on 1st October, 2021, until 21st March, 2022, while the number of virtual visits via digital platforms exceeded 197 million, driven by a series of entertainment events available through the Live@Expo platform.

AC Milan Expo 2020 Dubai witnessed an eventful day of football activities during the visit of AC Milan club, the current leaders of Italy’s Serie A league.

Team manager Stefano Pioli and first-team players Brahim Diaz and Fikayo Tomori took part in a training session for children, in addition to a live question-and-answer session attended by hundreds of fans.

National Days Expo 2020 Dubai hosted several National Day celebrations for various countries, including Estonia, the Czech Republic, Sudan, Congo, Greece, Namibia and the Holy See.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The 2022 edition of the International Property Show (IPS 2022) saw the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Dubai Land Department (DLD) and National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Signed between Majida Ali Rashid, CEO of the Real Estate Promotion and Investment Management Sector in DLD, and Leslie Rouda Smith, President, NAR, the MoU is aimed to enhance mutual cooperation and enhance the expertise of real estate service providers in Dubai to ensure the best services for investors, as part of Dubai’s relentless endeavor towards providing an advanced real estate environment that consolidates its position on the global map and meets the growing investment demands in the emirate.

Among the most important terms of the agreement is exchanging experiences, as well as increasing real estate knowledge, qualifying and continuing education for brokers, and coordinating cooperation between real estate brokers in Dubai and USA to strengthen relations and provide real estate opportunities.

To keep pace with the needs of the real estate market in the emirate, IPS 2022 is committed to providing leading real estate education and training, in accordance with international standards, by strengthening partnerships between various stakeholders in the real estate sector and bringing the best global practices to the region.

NAR expressed its delight at signing the MoU with DLD during IPS 2022, which established itself as a leading international platform, not only for real estate transactions, but also for training and qualifying real estate experts, which ultimately serves the interest of the real estate sector as a whole.

The ceremony was attended by Teresa King Kinney, President, Miami Realtors Association; Daniel Vasquez, President, CILA; Francisco R. Cheng Leon, President, ACOBIR; Andrea Almeida, President, CFBACC; Tim Hur, President, AREAA Global and Jolio Teodoro Da Silva, President, COFESI.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, Emirates announced that it will re-introduce pre-pandemic flight frequencies to its destinations in India from 1 April 2022. The airline will be operating 170 weekly flights to nine cities in the country.

The move comes on the back of the decision by the Indian government to restore international flights to and from the country in line with established bilateral agreements from the end of March 2022.

Emirates will be operating the following flights: 35 weekly flights to Mumbai, 28 weekly flights to New Delhi, 24 weekly flights to Bengaluru, 21 weekly flights to Chennai, 21 weekly flights to Hyderabad, 14 weekly flights to Kochi, 11 weekly flights to Kolkata, 9 weekly flights to Ahmedabad, and 7 weekly flights to Thiruvananthapuram.

Emirates has also brought back its customer-favourite Airbus A380 on a daily basis between Dubai and Mumbai in March 2022. Emirates flight EK 500/ 501 is operated by the iconic double decker aircraft.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The 3 kilometres ‘Walk for People and Planet’ will be hosted by Expo 2020 Dubai on Tuesday (29th March).

The event will celebrate the collective six-month contribution of stakeholders from across the World Expo in fostering a safer, cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future, working towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Setting off at 07:30 GST on Tuesday from the Expo Sports Arena, the walk is a culmination of activities under Expo 2020 Dubai’s Programme for People and Planet, which has inspired collective and meaningful action to address the world’s most critical challenges and opportunities.

Across event-time, the programme featured 229 events and involved more than 14,000 participants from 143 nationalities, with women making up 45 percent of the total speakers.

Nadia Verjee, Chief of Staff, Programme for People and Planet, Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “Expo 2020 Dubai has brought the world together for six months and affirmed commitment to people and planet, and a sustainable future for all. Through our efforts, Expo has provided a powerful platform for people’s voices to be heard to trigger new ideas, stimulate new perspectives, and map a transparent path forward for effective action.”

“As Expo 2020 Dubai comes full circle, we’d like to invite everyone to continue to build upon this momentum as we walk together to take the necessary steps as individuals, as businesses and as policy makers towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” she added.

Source: Emirates News Agency