Leaders around the world expressed concern about the escalating violence in Gaza, calling on both sides to show restraint….reports Asian Lite News
The UAE will host a virtual emergency meeting of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque.
The meeting will include speeches by speakers and representatives of Arab parliaments, and a closing statement.
The development comes as the cross-border violence, which erupted on Monday following weeks of rising tensions in the contested city of Jerusalem intensified exponentially over the last several hours.
More than two dozen Palestinians have been killed in the last day, including several children. Three Israelis died from Gaza rocket fire on Tuesday, DPA news agency reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks on Gaza, which have targeted some 500 Hamas and Islamic Jihad positions since Monday, would intensify.
Israel-Gaza violence spirals
“This operation will take time, but we will bring security back to the citizens of Israel,” he said late Tuesday.
Hamas, which rules the coastal strip, would “receive blows it did not expect,” Netanyahu had said hours earlier in remarks after a meeting with military officials.
An Israeli military spokesperson said that at least 20 members from the two groups have been killed so far in Gaza, including senior officials, and some 150 missile-launchers had been destroyed.
Officials indicated that the cannons have been set up in Zabeel Grand Mosque, Al Salam Masjid in Al Barsha, Al Mamzar Street, Burj Khalifa area, and the praying ground in Al Mankhool…reports Asian Lite News
The Dubai Police has recently announced the locations of Eid Al Fitr in five different areas across the emirate of Dubai.
Major General Abdullah Ali Al Ghaithi, Director of Organisations Protective Security and Emergency at Dubai Police, pointed out that the Dubai Police strives to keep the tradition alive as the shooting of cannons marks the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan and announce the beginning of Eid Al Fitr.
Major Abdullah Tarish Al Amimi, Commander of the Artillery Unit in the General Department of Protective Security and Emergency, indicated that the cannons have been set up in Zabeel Grand Mosque, Al Salam Masjid in Al Barsha, Al Mamzar Street, Burj Khalifa area, and the praying ground in Al Mankhool.
“Every year families gather to watch the Eid cannons. However, due to the ongoing pandemic and as per the announced precautionary measures against COVID-19, firing Eid cannons could be viewed only on TV as no one would be allowed to gather at the locations” Al Amimi added.
This step also underscores the determination of the leaderships of the two countries to facilitate the movement of individuals and achieve the goals of their vaccination campaigns…report Asian Lite News
The UAE and Bahrain have adopted a safe travel corridor for travellers vaccinated against COVID-19, as part of their joint cooperation and coordination, and their joint efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The travel corridor will enable people to travel between the two countries starting from the first day of Eid al-Fitr without the need to quarantine. They will be required to adhere to the precautionary measures adopted by the destination country, which were recently updated to ensure safer travel for everyone, the two countries said in a joint statement today.
This step also underscores the determination of the leaderships of the two countries to facilitate the movement of individuals and achieve the goals of their vaccination campaigns for all segments of the community.
Citizens and residents who wish to benefit from the quarantine exemption in both countries will be required to present proof that they have received the full dose of the COVID-19 vaccine through approved applications and certificates, most notably the Al Hosn app in the UAE and the BeAware Bahrain app in Bahrain. Moreover, passengers can also save their PCR test results on the two apps.
The strategic partnership between the UAE and Bahrain is important, in light of the significant challenges facing the world caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting their efforts to address and overcome the crisis, added the statement.
Gatherings, shaking hands among other advisories issued; parents told to monitor children and educate them not to accept Ediya from strangers, reports Asian Lite News
Stressing that UAE is continuing its battle against the pandemic and highlighting the achievements if its national strategic plans, Dr. Saif Al Dhaheri, said that returning to normalcy is an effort from community awareness and leadership.
Al Dhaheri, the official spokesperson of the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA), said Eid al-Fitr prayers can only be performed for 15 minutes and must follow relevant precautionary measures, such as wearing facemasks and maintaining physical distancing.
People infected with Covid-19 who are being under treatment, those exposed to infected people, and people with chronic diseases are prohibited from going to Eid prayers, he added, that gatherings and shaking hands are also prohibited.
Prayers will take place in approved mosques and musallas around the country and services facilities will be closed, he noted, affirming that elderly people over the age of 60 and children under the age of 12 should not go to mosques for their own safety.
He noted that relevant authorities will supervise the process of entry and exit from mosques to avoid overcrowding and organise prayers, adding that mosques will open 15 minutes before prayers and will be closed immediately after prayers.
Dhaheri stressed the importance of adherence to precautionary measures during Eid al-Fitr, including avoiding visits and family gatherings, wearing face masks and maintaining physical distancing with the elderly and those with chronic diseases.
He urged the public to exchange Eid greetings with friends and families via virtual platforms and to refrain from exchanging gifts and food between neighbours, and not give children Eid presents and cash bonuses.
Meanwhile, Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson of the UAE Health Sector, said that a study conducted on the efficiency of the national vaccination campaign, had revealed that non-vaccinated persons were vulnerable to severe complications caused by Covid-19.
Al Hosani added that the National Vaccination Campaign in the UAE continues to achieve its goals, with over 72.03 percent of the eligible criteria of the population (people over 16 years), and 79.03 percent of those over 60 years having been vaccinated.
She said that the UAE has provided over 11 million doses of the vaccine, at a rate of 113.10 doses for every 100 persons, while the number of Covid-19 tests carried out in the country exceeded 46 million.
”This makes the UAE one of the world’s most efficient examples in managing and curing the spread of the virus.” Al Hosani stressed that the country’s health authorities are closely monitoring the efficiency of vaccines, by observing the developments of clinical trials and their effectiveness in the community and tracking positive cases registered in the country.
Dubai Police urges precautionary measures
Lieutenant-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-chief of Dubai Police, urged the public to abide by the precautionary measures against Covid-19 during the Eid holidays when visiting tourist places, beaches and commercial centres, as well as to practice social distancing and wear masks when in public.
Al Marri said that Dubai Police have stepped up their readiness to secure Eid Al Fitr and patrol internal and external roads of the Emirate, as well as markets, commercial areas and locations of intense congestion.
He also advised motorists to drive safely and to refrain from committing serious violations, such as speeding, overtaking and reckless driving that leads to serious accidents.
He called upon members of the public to stay informed about the latest safety tips and traffic updates published through the Dubai Police smart app and social media accounts.
Al Marri further urged parents to monitor their children and educate them not to accept Ediya from strangers. He also called upon the public to adhere to the safety and security regulations at homes to avoid accidents of fires, wishing them a safe and happy Eid.
Arrivals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka will be suspended for all incoming passengers on national and foreign carriers, as well as those carrying transit passengers, starting from 23:59 on Wednesday, 12th May, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced it will bar entry of travellers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka from May 12 amid a sudden surge in COVID-19 infections in these countries.
According to General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), the entry from these four countries will be suspended for all incoming passengers on national and foreign carriers, as well as those carrying transit passengers, starting from 23:59 on Wednesday, 12th May, 2021, the state news agency WAM reported.
“Flights between the four countries will continue to allow the transport of passengers from the UAE to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka,” the NCEMA said.
“This decision also includes extending the suspension of entry for travellers who were in these four countries in the 14-day period prior to arrival in the UAE,” it added.
Flights between these countries and the UAE will continue to operate, allowing the transportation of passengers from the UAE to those countries. It will also allow the transfer of some exempted groups from the four aforementioned countries to the UAE, with strict enforcement of precautionary measures.
These groups include UAE citizens, diplomats appointed by the UAE in these countries, official delegations, businessmen’s chartered flights, and those holding golden residency visa, provided that they undertake preventive measures that include quarantine for 10 days and a PCR test at the airport, as well as on the fourth and eighth days following the entry into the country.
Moreover, the validity of PCR test period has been reduced from 72 hours to 48 hours prior to travel from accredited laboratories that issue test results carrying a QR code.
The authority also confirmed that it is required for those coming from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka through other countries to stay in those countries for at least 14 days before being allowed to enter the UAE.
However, Cargo flights will continue to operate between the UAE and these countries.
The authority called upon all travellers affected by the decision to follow up with the relevant airlines to change or reschedule their flights and to ensure their safe return to their final destinations without delay.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced 1,507 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the country to 537,524.
According to the ministry, the infected individuals are from various nationalities, are in a stable condition, and receiving the necessary care.
The ministry also announced two deaths due to COVID-19 complications, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 1,615.
The ministry called on all members of the society to cooperate with health authorities, adhere to the instructions and physical distance to ensure the health and safety of all. It also noted that an additional 1,476 individuals had fully recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 517,805.
Meanwhile, the UAE has announced that 40,414 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered during the past 24 hours.
The total number of doses provided up to today stands at 11,186,348 with a rate of vaccine distribution of 113.10 doses per 100 people.
Ecoppia, an Israeli world leader in robotic cleaning solution for solar scripted history with a multilateral collaboration with UAE-Israel-India, reports Asian Lite News
Ecoppia, an Israeli world leader in robotic cleaning solution for solar with its manufacturing base in India and over 2,700MW of global projects in its portfolio, became the first-of-its-kind success story of a multilateral collaboration with the UAE-Israel-India Trilateral by signing its first landmark deal in the UAE with the support of the International Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce (IFIICC).
The deal includes a multilateral collaboration with a leading global renewable energy partner of IFIICC.
Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin, President of the State of Israel; Dr. Ron Malka, Ambassador of Israel to India; Pavan Kapoor, Indian Ambassador to the UAE; Dr. Ahmed Abdul Rahman AlBanna, UAE Ambassador to India; Sanjeev Kumar Singla, Ambassador of India to Israel, who are all founding patrons of IFIICC, and Jonathan Miller, Special Envoy for Energy, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs congratulated Ecoppia’s CEO Jean Scemama and IFIICC Founder & Chairperson Merzi Sodawaterwala for this landmark achievement.
Ecoppia’s innovative fully autonomous, water-free robots will allow this arid region to achieve optimal productivity while saving precious water resources.
The announcement comes as the Abraham Accords peace agreement signed between Israel and the UAE have certainly paved the way for friendships and business partnerships across the region. India being a friend of both the UAE and Israel is clearly the preferred partner to leverage the global potential of the UAE, Israel and India Trilateral.
Israel's NSC Meir Ben-Shabbat spoke with NSA Sh. Ajit Doval, assuring him that #Israel stands united with our friend #India in its fight against #COVID19 & is committed to providing any support needed during these tough times. 🇮🇳🤝🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/UuAJuAqPzo
Dr Ron Malka, Ambassador of Israel to India and founding patron of IFIICC, who was the first to identify and highlight the potential of Israel-UAE-India Trilateral congratulated Ecoppia and IFIICC for the success and said that he was proud to witness that the seeds sown by us are bearing good fruit.
He added, “This confluence of Israeli cutting-edge technology, manufactured in India, and imported from India to UAE for the benefit of its citizens, have so much potential, and this is only the beginning of it. I applaud the vision, determination, leadership and commendable achievements of the IFIICC by creating such landmark multilateral partnerships that will result in significant impact for all nations.”
Dr Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Banna, Ambassador of the UAE to India and founding patron of IFIICC, said, “There is tremendous potential in the trilateral cooperation between Israel, the UAE and India and multilateral cooperation with other countries and I welcome such great success stories of Ecoppia through the IFIICC led by Merzi Sodawaterwala, who is leading from the front in harnessing the innovation and international business potential of the Abraham Accords that will benefit the world.”
Pavan Kapoor, Ambassador of India to the UAE and founding patron of IFIICC, who was the Ambassador of India to Israel from March 2016 to September 2019, said, “Global goals of sustainable development can only be achieved through international cooperation. This requires players to come together to share know-how and efficient manufacturing techniques. The project by Ecoppia, involving collaboration between Israel and India and the UAE, exemplifies how such efforts can bear fruit in this direction. Full credit to Merzi Sodawaterwala and IFIICC for making this happen.”
Sanjeev Singla, Ambassador of India to Israel and founding patron of IFIICC said, “The project by Ecoppia can go a long way in realizing the potential of collaborations among India, Israel and the UAE, and in advancing the goal of sustainable development. My felicitations to everyone who is working to make it a success.”
India, UAE, Israel’s trilateral trade could reach $110 bn by 2020
Tapping into the mutual strengths of India, Israel and the UAE could propel the trilateral trade between the countries to a high of $110 billion by 2030, top diplomats and members of the business community have said.
The comments were made at an event organised by the International Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce (IFIICC) to discuss the ongoing business collaborations being pursued through IFIICC’s leadership across sectors.
The international business potential backed by Israeli innovation, UAE’s visionary leadership and strategic partnership of both nations with India could be $110 billion by 2030, Ambassador Ilan Sztulman Starosta, Head of the Israeli mission in Dubai, said in a press release issued by IFIICC.
Echoing similar sentiments, AlBanna, said that UAE and India’s bilateral trade is projected to grow from $60 billion in 2020 to $100 billion by 2030. UAE is a gateway to the world and this trilateral with India and Israel could benefit the world.
The researchers germinated the seeds, conducted whole genome sequencing of the germinated samples and used this genome data to examine the genetics of these Judean date palms….reports Asian LIte News
Researchers from New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi’s Centre for Genomics and Systems Biology have successfully sequenced the genome of previously extinct date palm varieties that lived more than 2,000 years ago.
They did so using date palm seeds that were recovered from archaeological sites in the southern Levant region and radiocarbon-dated from the 4th century BCE to the 2nd century CE.
The researchers germinated the seeds, conducted whole genome sequencing of the germinated samples and used this genome data to examine the genetics of these Judean date palms.
This study marks the first time researchers have sequenced the genomes of plants from ancient germinated seeds.
By examining the genome of the (Phoenix dactylifera L.) species that thrived centuries ago, Professor of Biology Michael D. Purugganan and his NYUAD colleagues, along with research partners in Israel and France, were able to see how these plants evolved over a period of time.
— Global Plant Council (@GlobalPlantGPC) May 4, 2021
In this case, they observed that between the 4th century BCE and 2nd century CE, date palms in the eastern Mediterranean started to show increasing levels of genes from another species, Phoenix theophrasti, which today grows in Crete and some other Greek islands, as well as southwestern Turkey, as a result of hybridisation between species. They conclude that the increasing level of genes from P. theophrasti over this period shows the increasing influence of the Roman Empire in the eastern Mediterranean.
Their findings have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA.
“We are fortunate that date palm seeds can live a long time – in this case, more than 2,000 years – and germinate with minimal DNA damage, in the dry environment of the region,” Purugganan said. “This ‘resurrection genomics’ approach is a remarkably effective way to study the genetics and evolution of past and possibly extinct species like Judean date palms.”
He added, “By reviving biological material such as germinating ancient seeds from archaeological, paleontological sites, or historical collections, we can not only study the genomes of lost populations but also, in some instances, rediscover genes that may have gone extinct in modern varieties.”
This significant achievement adds one more feather to the UAE’s cap…reports Asian Lite News
The UAE leads a global mobile index as the country with the fastest mobile network speed in the first quarter of 2021, according to the latest data from Ookla, a global leader in fixed broadband and mobile network testing applications, data and analysis.
This significant achievement adds one more feather to the UAE’s cap, and comes at an opportune time with the recent declaration of 2021 as “Year of the 50th” as the nation celebrates its milestone Golden Jubilee.
With a download speed of 178.52 Mbps in March, the country overtook South Korea and Qatar in the mobile broad speedtest. The UAE also overtook both countries in January and February, with download speeds of 183.03 Mbps and 177.10 Mbps, respectively.
The Speed Test Global index, which assesses over 135 countries, compares internet speed data from around the world on a monthly basis. Data for the index comes from the hundreds of millions of tests taken by real people using the speed test every month.
Mobile network speed is a major contributing factor to the well-being, economic wealth and social prosperity of a nation. This achievement has a lot of favourable implications for a enabling environment for future aspirations, country’s ICT agenda, productivity of businesses, amongst others.
MBRGI, the region’s largest philanthropic foundation, carried out AED1.2 billion worth of humanitarian, social and developmental projects amid pandemic…reports Asian Lite News
More than 83 million people in 82 countries benefited from Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives’ (MBRGI) humanitarian and social projects in 2020, the foundation’s annual report has revealed.
Amid the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, MBRGI, the region’s largest philanthropic foundation, carried out AED1.2 billion worth of humanitarian, social and developmental projects to aid the vulnerable and empower disadvantaged communities in the face of the biggest health crisis of the century.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the Year in Review 2020 in a special event, held at The Union House in Dubai, to highlight the far-reaching influence of MBRGI’s initiatives and activities during 2020.
He said, “the global COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that strategic and sustainable humanitarian work is the best way to serve people in times of crisis.”
He added, “despite the obstacles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our projects and initiatives rose to the challenge and, in line with our expectations and ambitions, touched over 83 million lives in 82 countries.”
“Besides its influential economic and political role, the UAE is also a humanitarian entity and a beacon of hope in the region.”
Praising the team’s efforts, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, “Over 121,000 volunteers and personnel showed competence, courage and determination in the face of the pandemic.” He stressed that “we will continue creating hope across the world, regardless of any circumstances. We will heed the call of humanity wherever it takes us.”
During the event, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid reviewed the key achievements of MBRGI’s 35 entities in 2020. He also reviewed the latest campaigns, programmes and initiatives that were launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dubai gears up to host largest in-person tourism event
This year, for the first time in ATM history, a new hybrid format will mean a virtual ATM running a week later to complement and reach a wider audience than ever before, reports Asian Lite News
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021 has reconfirmed that Dubai will host the largest in-person travel & tourism event in the world, since the onset of the pandemic last year.
Now in its 28th year, ATM 2021 will go-ahead at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from May 16 to 19, as final preparations are being put in place.
“The theme of this year’s show is ‘A new dawn for travel and tourism’ and the spotlight will be focused on the very latest ‘Covid’ news from around the world – vaccine rollouts, the current state of the industry and more importantly, what the future holds,” said Claude Blanc, Portfolio Director, WTM & IBTM Portfolios.
ATM 2021 features 67 conference sessions with over 145 local, regional and international speakers overall. Onsite, there is a Global Stage which will include a hotel industry summit, dedicated buyer forums for Saudi Arabia and China, an International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC), as well as an aviation panel and a special session on Gulf-Israeli ties.
Other features this year will include Travel Forward at ATM, which has world-class technology experts, providing industry-leading insights about the latest technologies and trends that will undoubtedly shape the future of travel and tourism.
A total of 62 countries are being represented on the exhibition floor this year such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Germany, Cyprus, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the US.
“This underscores the importance of ATM, connecting destinations with their source markets,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market.
▶️ Health and safety is more important right now more than ever before. Dubai has adapted and adjusted to the pandemic, ensuring people feel confident and safe to travel there and stay there. Issam tells us more… #TogetherWeRecover#SafetyinDubai#ATMDubaipic.twitter.com/J3qrxNZYie
ATM 2021 will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, spread across nine halls. Consistent with the existing density restrictions and social distancing guidelines and regulations, there will be 11,000 people in the halls at any given time.
The event will once again play an integral role in Arabian Travel Week, a 10-day long festival of travel and tourism events taking place in Dubai and online. In addition to the in-person Arabian Travel Market event, the travel events that are part of Arabian Travel Week are: travel technology exhibition Travel Forward, ARIVAL Dubai for the tours and attractions sector, GBTA’s half day virtual business travel conference, ITIC’s Middle East Tourism Investment Summit, speed networking events for digital influencers and regionally focused buyer groups including China, and of course ATM Virtual, the online edition of the ATM exhibition.
This year, for the first time in ATM history, a new hybrid format will mean a virtual ATM running a week later to complement and reach a wider audience than ever before. ATM Virtual, which made its debut last year, proved to be a resounding success attracting 12,000 online attendees from 140 countries.
“It is imperative that we include a virtual element, many industry professionals from around the world, may not be able to attend in-person every year, particularly this year with travel restrictions changing rapidly around the globe,” said Curtis.
“Due to Dubai’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of health and safety and its effective citywide management of the pandemic, it was awarded a ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC),” added Curtis.
Dubai is one of the safest cities in the world to visit with a wide range of precautionary measures in place to ensure the safety of tourists at every stage and touchpoint of their travel journey, from arrival to departure. Over 10.6 million doses have already been administered in the UAE, which is also a major achievement.
ATM 2021’s strategic partners include Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) as Destination Partner, Emaar Hospitality Group as Official Hotel Partner, Emirates as Official Airline Partner and The Vision as Official Destination Management Partner.
