Emirates Press

DUBAI, Under the patronage of Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and David Spears, Minister of Environment and Water of South ?Australia, the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) ?is organising the “Water Resources Management ?and Sustainability: Solutions in Dry Areas” ?conference from 22nd-24th March 2022 in ?cooperation with Australia Pavilion at Expo 2020 ?Dubai.

The conference is co-organised by the ?UAEU National Water and Energy Centre in ?collaboration with the South Australian Institute ?for Water Research.? Prof. Ahmed Ali Murad, Associate Provost for ?Research and Conference Chairman, stressed that ?the conference comes in line with the university’s ?vision to support development and priority of ?UAE, and in accordance with country’s agenda for ?advanced sciences 2031 and its water ?security strategy 2036.

He explained that there ?are several factors including, among others, ?population growth, urbanisation and climate ?change that contribute to the scarcity of fresh ?water resources in arid and semi-arid regions. The ?water shortage problem constitutes a major ?constraint to sustainable development, and poses ?significant challenges to the use and management ?of water resources.

“This conference aims to ?discuss global water issues and address future ?challenges in line with the theme of Expo 2020 ?Dubai – Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. ?This vision also adopts the theme of World ?Water Day this year,” he noted.

He added, this conference ?represents an important platform for exchanging ?and presenting new visions and introducing ?innovative techniques and unconventional ?practices that would improve the future of water ?management and sustainability in arid and semi-?arid regions around the world. The conference ?will help to discover appropriate solutions for ?the future challenges in the field of water resource ?management and sustainability.? Dr. Mohsen Sharif, Director of the National ?Water and Energy Centre, explained that the ?conference programme expands for four days, ?including 6 interactive workshops to be delivered ?by international experts, on several topics such ?as: applications of modern water technologies, ?geographic information systems, remote sensing ?and artificial intelligence, climate change impacts, ?water sustainability and others.

In addition to ??132 keynote and oral presentations, 32 poster ?presentations will be made on water harvesting, ?groundwater recharge, desalination technologies, ?wastewater treatment and reuse, and climate ?change. In collaboration with the Ministry of ?Energy and Infrastructure, a field visit to the ?Rafisah Dam in Khor Fakkan ?will be organised.?

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, Zimbabwe is planning to build a US$1 billion media industry and looking forward to the Global Media Congress to be held in Abu Dhabi in November to find new ideas, partners and collaborators from across the globe, a senior official told the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

“Zimbabwe’s ‘Vision 2030’ envisages uplifting the country’s 15 million people into a middle and upper middle-income population by 2030. This will be a gamechanger and the plans to build a $US1 billion media industry will contribute to realise that vision,” said Monica Mutsvangwa, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting.

In an exclusive interview with WAM during her official visit to Dubai, she said the media sector in Zimbabwe is looking forward to collaboration with media organisations across the globe, especially in the UAE and the Arabian Gulf, in digital content creation, website hosting and film production.

“There are also many other opportunities, especially in TV and radio. I think the Global Media Congress in Abu Dhabi will be a golden opportunity for us to present the potential of Zimbabwe’s media sector and seek partners and investors to join our efforts for further growth,” Mutsvangwa stressed.

Global Media Congress

The minister was referring to the first edition of the Global Media Congress, to be held in Abu Dhabi from 15th to 17th November 2022 and organised by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) in a strategic partnership with the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the event will include a media conference and exhibition, which will enable various media organisations to discuss partnership and cooperation agreements.

Prominent media leaders and global influencers, in addition to academics and students, will attend the Congress, which will discuss several key topics such as digital communication, artificial intelligence, advanced technologies and innovation in the media sector. It will host specialist sessions covering journalism, radio, television, internet, social media and international influencers.

The event will serve as a platform for international companies interested in engaging in media markets in the Gulf region, the Middle East and North Africa, according to the organisers.

Radio, TV and media digitalisation

The minister said Zimbabwe is very keen to participate in the Congress to present US$1 billion worth opportunities in its media sector. There was only one TV channel and six radio stations for the past 40 years in Zimbabwe. However, the present government has licensed seven commercial TV channels and more than 38 radio stations. “Still there is a lot of potential,” she pointed out.

Zimbabwe started a digitalisation project in media sector in 2015, but unfortunately, due to lack of financing, it was not completed, Mutsvangwa revealed.

“We would like to complete it. We are still growing. This is an industry which is still almost in its infancy. It can grow many times. So, there are lots of opportunities in digitalisation. We would like to get investors who can come on board to get licences or work together with local companies to make sure that our media sector grows further,” she explained.

Zimbabwe’s media sector is also looking for training opportunities, modern studios and the latest equipment for broadcasting and film production, and digitalising the existing analogue television channels, the minister said.

Media event, National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai

Major Zimbabwean media organisations presented such opportunities at a media event organised by Zimbabwe on Friday at the Expo 2020 Dubai, Mutsvangwa said.

“Media has benefited a lot from this Expo 2020. So, we are excited about Expo. Hence our media came here. Some of the biggest media partners in our country participated in the media event.”

Zimbabwe will celebrate its National Day at its Pavilion at the Expo on Monday in the presence of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.

The president and senior officials in his official delegation will also address a business forum in Dubai on Monday, which will be “another opportunity for Zimbabwean businesspersons to meet with their UAE counterparts and others from the 190 countries participating at this very special Expo,” the minister said.

“The UAE is our very good partner, as a gateway to the middle Eastern, Asian and European markets.”

Zimbabwe seeks investments and partnerships in farming, mining, pharmaceuticals, energy sectors. “There are many win-win opportunities between both countries,” Mutsvangwa said.

Source: Emirates

DUBAI, New data from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) of the 2021 edition of the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) shows how the initiative has positively contributed to societal well-being over the last five years.

Since its inception in 2017, Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC), the initiative launched by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, has played a crucial role in encouraging a more active lifestyle and positioning Dubai as one of the best cities in the world to live in, work and visit.

This growing reputation was recently validated by a new study from United Kingdom (UK)-based Lenstore, which cited Dubai as one of the world’s top cities in its Healthy Lifestyle Cities Report 2022. The report evaluated 48 cities to determine which were the best for healthy living, based on ten metrics which included outdoor activities and cost of a monthly gymnasium membership – both significant areas of focus for the DFC.

Established in 2017, the DFC has grown year on year, and has seen the number of participants more than double from 786,000 in its inaugural year to 1,650,000 people in 2021, which represents nearly half of the population of Dubai. Major events such as Dubai Run and Dubai Ride, which began in 2019 and 2020 respectively, saw record numbers in 2021 with 146,000 runners and 33,000 cyclists taking to Sheikh Zayed Road.

The 2021 edition saw an increase in the number of people completing their 30×30 target, with 88 percent of participants committing to a minimum of 30 minutes of daily exercise for 30 days – up from 85 percent in 2020. Many also went beyond, with 36 percent dedicating more than 60 minutes to their health and fitness and 12 percent spending more than 90 minutes exercising each day.

Female participation in the Challenge remained strong in the 5th edition, with women making up two in five (41 percent) of overall participants’ numbers, and while the DFC attracted all age groups, the report revealed that participation levels peaked at ages 18 to 39.

Research amongst participants showed the significant impact of physical activity on mental wellbeing, with 28 percent reporting an improvement in self-esteem and one in four (25 percent) stating that taking part in the DFC enhanced their mental well-being. The Challenge also benefited participants by reducing anxiety (24 percent) and encouraging higher levels of relaxation (22 percent).

There has been an emergence of more free outdoor spaces to work out, hundreds of kilometres of running and cycling tracks and the introduction of many sporting events. The fitness community has also benefitted from their presence at the DFC Fitness Villages and fitness events.

Commenting on the report, Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said, “The vision of His Highness has always been to make Dubai one of the most active cities in the world and instil healthy habits in our community. Today, we are proud to share that the number of DFC participants in 2021 represented almost half of Dubai’s population – an increase of 110 percent since the Challenge began five years ago. This incredible achievement demonstrates the community’s commitment to a more active lifestyle, with almost nine out of 10 participants achieving their 30×30 goals and reaping the benefits of the Challenge for both their physical and mental well-being.

The participants’ overall satisfaction was extremely high for the 5th edition with 93 percent extremely happy with their experience – up from 78 percent in 2020. The diversity of activities (88 percent) and access to information about the events (88 percent) resonated most strongly with participants, whilst energetic ambience (87 percent) and easy accessibility to fitness activities and classes (82 percent) also contributed to their satisfaction with the Challenge in 2021.

The initiative was heavily supported by several partners from the government and private sector who helped strengthen the spirit of the community.

The 6th edition of DFC will return from 29th October to 27th November 2022

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The Knowledge Summit is set to begin tomorrow (Monday March 14, 2022) at the EXPO 2020 Dubai, to examine the challenges to building a knowledge society.

The Summit has been organized by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

The five-day summit, running under the theme ‘Knowledge: Protecting Humanity and the Planet in the Pandemic’ will include live sessions on 14 and 15 March, and virtual conferences from 16 to 18 March.

The summit will focus on facilitating broad and detailed discussions on several issues of common global interest and impact. It will bring together speakers from an internationally renowned pool of elite experts, academics, and decision makers to examine the challenges to building a knowledge society, and review the various opportunities and options offered by knowledge. Another crucial aim is to formulate effective solutions and tools that would enable countries to achieve their development plans within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The launch of the Knowledge Summit is in line with the UAE’s ambition to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge. It will also highlight the opportunities and challenges involved in the building of knowledge societies in light of the changes brought about the COVID-19 pandemic. The EXPO 2020 has been chosen due to its international audience and global reach that would allow for an intersectional perspective on various topics. It will serve as the ideal platform to engage in constructive debates and discussions on the knowledge industry and its role in addressing current and future challenges, while also exploring human intelligence and achievement.

The main sessions address broad themes, most notably ‘Knowledge Drives the Future’, ‘Web Education 3.0 – The Metaversity’, ‘The Role & Impact of Media During Crisis: COVID-19 (as an example)’, ‘Pandemics and Their Impact on Climate: A Double-Edged Sword’, ‘Food Security: Between Sustainable Supply Chains & Self-Sufficiency’, ‘Creative thinking: Working Towards poverty free societies’, ‘Mental Health and Pandemics’, ‘Young Entrepreneurship’, ‘Epidemiology & Public Health: A Profound Impact on How We Live Our Lives’, and ‘How COVID-19 Is Reshaping the Legal Landscape?’ Parallel sessions under the ‘Knowledge Space’ banner will also discuss several topics such as ‘Scaling up resilience in times of uncertainty’, ‘A New Model for Education’, ‘Disseminating knowledge in non-traditional ways: The Researcher’s experience’, ‘Fostering collaboration and innovation mechanisms to manage risks’, ‘Promoting science and policy dialogues: Science–policy interfaces’, ‘Growing the knowledge economy in an age of intangibles’, and ‘Data availability and access: The key to resilience.’ The sessions will also display the results of the Arab States in the Global Knowledge Index 2021, and the results of the Social Progress Index, which measures the level of social progress in the countries. The report is based on several criteria aimed at measuring well-being, opportunities, and basic human needs. It is considered the most comprehensive measure of social and environmental performance.

In addition, the Summit will also witness the launch of the third edition of the Future of Knowledge Foresight Report. This report will review the future knowledge landscape and analyze differences in the transformative capacities of various countries in the face of major global risks. Created utilizing large data over two years, this report will also provide new insights into countries’ readiness to face future risks.

For the first time, the Knowledge Summit events will also continue virtually, through conferences on the website platform from 16 to 18 March. These sessions will examine various topics such as ‘Effective Leadership During Crisis: Transforming Cultures & Driving Innovation’, ‘Reinventing Jobs and Employment’, ‘Resilient Infrastructure: A Long-Term Profitable Investment’, ‘Water Security: A Cornerstone for Economic, Social and Environmental Development’, ‘SDG-Based Learning: Qualifying Young Changemakers’, ‘Knowledge Management and Big Data in Business: An Industry 4.0 Perspective”, and ‘Co-Existence and Synergies in the Marine Space.’ The MBRF’s key priority is to promote knowledge among societies of the region and the world that will aid empowerment. The foundation strives to implement a plan of action that will create faster and more accurate solutions to health, environmental, economic, and social challenges, and aims to provide a better future with a clear path to sustainable development.

Source: Emirates News Agency