Category: UAE News

The UAE government is currently in the process of designing and launching specific initiatives to drive this transformation, and partnerships with leading international organisations such as the IMF ….Reports Asian Lite News

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, has held a virtual meeting with Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, with the aim of discussing an integrated partnership between the UAE and IMF to develop and analyse economic policies.

Moreover, the partnership focuses on drawing comparisons between macroeconomic models; formulating scenarios and forecasting growth trends; and developing and qualifying national talents in these fields.

Al Marri said, “Under the guidance of the UAE’s wise leadership, the country is currently working towards building a new economic model that serves its future vision. . Qualified and capable national talents will have a major role in achieving this ambitious development vision.”

He continued that the establishment of a long-term partnership with IMF and benefiting from its global expertise and practices would add significant value to the Ministry’s economic research and analysis tools, in addition to qualifying people and developing Emirati talents’ capabilities in this field.

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Al Marri confirmed that the UAE’s priorities are to accelerate economic recovery and shift to a new economic model based on technological advancements and Fourth Industrial Revolution’s applications. The UAE government is currently in the process of designing and launching specific initiatives to drive this transformation, and partnerships with leading international organisations such as the IMF are important to support the government’s efforts.

Kristalina Georgieva commended the distinguished model presented by the UAE for governments and other economies in the region with regard to the way it managed the global crisis, the speed of its response and its efforts to contain its impact on the health and economic sectors.

She highlighted that this significant partnership between the UAE and IMF is another example of pioneering measures taken by the UAE as a model for governments and countries in the region.

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The Director-General of the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, NCEMA, Obaid Rashid Al Shamsi, has said that the UAE is a pioneering global model in the way it responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the government’s foresight and proactive approach in managing the crisis.

In a speech on the occasion of International Day for Disaster Reduction, observed on October 13th, Al Shamsi said that while the pandemic ravaged many countries around the world, the UAE has demonstrated how having a clear strategy and handling this imminent danger with professionalism, has allowed it to contain its repercussions.

“On International Day for Disaster Reduction, we are proud to be among the ranks of developed nations in our response to crises,” he said. “The UAE has become a pioneering model and its achievements are being witnessed by all regionally and globally,” he added.

He went on to say that having a clear strategy, that relies on communication and coordination, with no room for rivalry, opposition or dissonance, has allowed the UAE to rise to the forefront of effective decision-making.

The Director-General congratulated the country’s leadership for its achievements and the people for their part in the success and for overcoming this challenging time.

Al Shamsi said that at the end of 2019, and as governments all around the world were put under the test, “Everyone wondered, who will overcome this ordeal?”

He also noted that “despite this storm that hit all countries,” the UAE has proven its effective handling of the crisis by strengthening work between governmental and non-governmental bodies, pulling together a national effort to manage the pandemic. “This created a path which led to safety, so that the UAE society was able to enjoy peace and stability.”

He concluded by saying that this success was not just due to government efforts only but also the UAE community which has shown immense responsibility in dealing with the crisis.

Also Read: UAE tops regional Covid Economic Recovery Index

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Khalifa University of Science and Technology has announced the successful development of a fully ‘biodegradable’, ‘biocompatible’, environment-friendly and novel anti-viral adaptive face mask with nanofibers that will have strong anti-microbial properties.

The researchers, who have made the first working prototypes of NavaMASK, have already filed for a patent license for the mask’s bio-material.

NavaMASK will offer excellent breathability with strong anti-microbial properties and can be washed and reused several times prior to eventual disposal. In addition, the mask is a great candidate for safe disposal to the environment because of its biodegradability and biocompatibility.

The project was the fruit of collaboration between Khalifa University and University of Salerno, Italy.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “The innovation of biodegradable NavaMask reflects not only Khalifa University’s continuous commitment to finding solutions that directly contribute to serving the society, but also the result of the University’s funding of 14 research projects directly related to mitigating the pandemic.”

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“This innovation reaffirms our research efforts to develop areas that focus on issues related to the community in general, especially those that help find a solution to COVID-19. Research initiatives at Khalifa University are directed by prominent faculty experts, with the help of state-of-the-art labs and advanced on-campus facilities,” he added.

Prof. Vincenzo Loia, Rector, University of Salerno, Italy, said: “The University of Salerno has a consolidated experience in interdisciplinary research at an international level. The quality of our international research and its ability to serve the real needs of the society, yearly reconfirm the accreditation of the University of Salerno in prestigious academic rankings.

NavaMask is an additional effective example of a research idea that was born in a laboratory capable to support accurately and promptly the big challenge associate to the complex period we are experiencing, combining innovation and environmental sustainability.”

The face mask will have perpendicularly arranged nanofibers with a diameter ranging between 100 and 600 nm to pass air through but reject particles, bacteria, and viruses. Its strong anti-microbial properties will ensure 99 percent removal efficiency of bacteria, thus NavaMASK is expected to compete and outperform many of the existing facemasks in the market.

The Khalifa University researchers are currently planning to start Phase II, which will aim to introduce a new second-generation design for the NavaMASK and maintain high removal efficiency, high comfortability, easier breathing, and fewer layers. Most importantly, it will reflect the UAE’s efforts in advancing the field of innovation.

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Also Read: UAE tops regional Covid Economic Recovery Index

The Index assesses how 122 countries are positioned for recovery, based on their overall health resilience, and the pre-existing structural strengths and weaknesses at the core of their recovery capacity..Reports Asian Lite News.

The United Arab Emirates is leading the Arab region in the COVID Economic Recovery Index Ranking issued by the Horizon Research Group.

The Index assesses how 122 countries are positioned for recovery, based on their overall health resilience, and the pre-existing structural strengths and weaknesses at the core of their recovery capacity.

Thanks to its long-term economic agility, robust, adaptive institutional system, and high literacy rate, the UAE occupies prominent places among advanced countries assessed by the Group in terms of health resilience, highly educated workforce, low debt levels, governance & social capital, and digital economy, where it comes 5th, 15th, 17th, 19th and 21st respectively.

“While they may have been deeply affected initially, countries…. including the United Arab Emirates, Luxemburg, Singapore, Israel, Malta, or Ireland, display stronger economic resilience, which will support recovery.

These countries are mostly relatively small, open economies, highly dependent on international trade and/or flows of capital, and on sectors that are vulnerable to COVID containment measures. Most of these countries have strong institutions and well-educated populations and are digitalised,” reads the Index.

Also read:UAE chairs meeting of GCC ministries of justice

The meeting’s agenda consisted of various topics such as an extradition agreements between the GCC countries…Reports Asian Lite News

The UAE, represented by the Ministry of Justice, chaired a meeting of under-secretaries of the ministries of justice in the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC, via video conferencing.

The meeting’s agenda consisted of various topics such as an extradition agreement between the GCC countries; discussion on directors and heads of legal and judicial training centres in the GCC committee; development of the agreement on the execution of judgments, letters and judicial announcements, in addition to the identification of legislative principles in the laws and regulations.

It also included reviewing the meeting reports of the international relations, and cooperation between officers in the ministries of justice in the GCC committee in 2020.

In his speech, Advisor D. Saeed Ali Bahbouh Al Naqbi, Acting Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice, stated that the meeting was taking place amid exceptional circumstances, as the world was still facing a pandemic that had disrupted the lifestyles and activities of people. It had forced a change in the work plans, programmes and strategies in all institutions, especially legal and justice establishments, whose job it was to provide services to people and implement the process of justice.

The UAE delegation also included Obaid Al Dhaheri, Assistant Under-Secretary of State for Justice Services at the Ministry of Justice and Abdul Rahman Murad Al Balushi, Director of International Cooperation Department.

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