Women in Engineering, Science and Technology Forum starts today in Dubai

H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, inaugurated the ’Women in Engineering, Science and Technology’ Forum under the banner of ’A Better Planet’ at Raffles Dubai Hotel under the auspices of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

H.E. Al Qasimi highly praised the efforts and role of organizers of the event considering it a robust and perfect step on the way of empowering woman in Arab societies.

H.E. Al Qasimi said: “Despite our extensive heritage and technology, we women have historically been under-represented in the IT and other scientific and technical fields. Fortunately for us, this situation has been changing rapidly over the past few decades through a growing global appreciation of our contributions to society. We have also benefitted from our enhanced access to educational and employment opportunities, support from government and the help of professional societies such as IEEE that encourage women to join technical fields. I would thus like to take this opportunity to advocate a larger role for women in the IT domain particularly the development of E-government”.

“A supportive society and visionary leadership are key drivers for the empowerment of women. I am proud to say that here in the UAE with both. Our constitution grantees equality between men and women, and the Emirates continues to be involved in many international treaties upholding the right of women. None other than founding father of the Emirates, H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, constantly emphasized the need for women to occupy an equal place in our nation’s growth. In the 2010 UN Human development Report , we ranked 1st regionally and 45th globally among 138 countries in terms of reducing gender gaps in reproductive health empowerment and employment, thus fulfilling our father Zayed’s vision” added Al Qasimi.

This Forum is an initiative of "Gulf Engineering Conference" to be held tomorrow ”Sunday“ at Grand Hayatt Dubai entitled “Towards Comprehensive and Sustainable Technology”.

Dr. Eesa Bastaki, conference chair and president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers "IEEE", UAE section, gave a speech on the inauguration of the event. Dr. Boutheina Telili, chair of the Forum made the speech of the "Women in Engineering, Science and Technology” Forum.

Many world spokesmen took part in the Forum. In their speeches, they discussed the mechanisms of supporting the women working in Engineering, Science and Technology as well as the means of enhancing joint world woman cooperation in addition to praising woman leaders working on this field to be an example for all women to follow.

Dr. Bastaki said: “This Forum plays an important role in stressing woman’s leading role in the technological, economic and social development in our civilized world. It also enriches the participations of women working in Engineering, Science and Technology to let their organizations in particular and their society in general make use of their contribution and participation.”

Dr. Telili said: “This Forum is an important event as we look for the best ways to encourage and inspire girls who aspire to effective participations in developing the society and who are eager to play outstanding roles in finding the best solutions for the challenges of human development in this field within our societies.”

“The Forum is a platform providing the perfect environment for sharing knowledge and experience among all participants in a serious attempt to discuss the key issues of concern to the whole world including sustainable development, constructive discussion of the best possible means to overcome the obstacles facing woman effective participation in this field.” She also added.

A Choice Of Childrens Films And Powerful Social Commentaries Today At Gulf Film Festival

The second day of the fourth Gulf Film Festival, today (Friday, April 15, 2011) gives reason enough for a fun family outing with the little ones, as the festival screens a selection of ‘Cinema for Children’ as well as compelling social commentaries that will appeal to the serious movie-goers. Later in the night, join for the first ‘Gulf Nights’ session where film makers and industry veterans interact with the audience for a stimulating discussion.

The Festival, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), is screening 153 films from 31 nations until April 20. Today, a choice of over 50 films awaits audiences, who can watch them for free at Grand Cinemas in Dubai Festival City.

Among the compelling views of the day is the feature film, Al Raheel Min Baghdad (Leaving Baghdad), to be screened at 9.30 pm at Grand Cinemas 8. The Emirati-UK-Iraqi production, directed by Koutaiba Al Janabi, is a road movie shot in Iraq, the UK and Hungary, following Sadik, the personal cameraman to Saddam Hussein. Sadik is trying to escape the grip of the regime, being pushed from country to country by events around him, and smugglers and crooks on his journey.

There are nine fascinating tales screening today in the ‘Cinema for Children’ segment at 2.45 pm at Grand Cinemas 7. The films from France, US, Canada, Switzerland, Taiwan, Brazil and Greece will appeal to all cross-sections of audiences, and together have a running time of only 73 minutes.

The selection in ‘Cinema for Children’ include the globally acclaimed Fly Me Out directed by Li Qian, Fabrice Lau-Tim-Ling, and Florence Bichon from Taiwan; the award-winning Aleksandr by Remy Dereux, Maxime Hibon, and Juliette Klauser from France, and the Swiss production Ronaldo, directed by Jan Mettler, an action adventure focused on a boy who dreams of being a great soccer star, among others.

In the Intersections segment, today, at 6.30 pm at Grand Cinemas 9, watch the entry from Cameroon, The Cassava Metaphor directed by Lionel Meta about a cab driver who picks up a passenger from hell. Another acclaimed entry is the Spanish film, Fabrica De Munecas (Dolls Factory), directed by Ainhoa Menéndez Goyoaga about Anna whose life revolves around performing mechanical motions to put eyes into dolls at a factory.

In addition to a selection of documentaries and shorts that are competing for the top honours at the festival, GFF 2011 today will also screen a cross-section of International Shorts. Audiences can also watch a selection of films from the GCC region in the Lights segment.

The Gulf Film Festival box office is open from 10.30 am to 10 pm daily at the Grand Cinemas Dubai Festival City. All patrons are welcome to up to two tickets per person on a first-come, first-served basis. The full schedule of films is also available online at www.gulffilmfest.com.

GFF 2011 is being held at the InterContinental Hotel, Crowne Plaza and Grand Cinemas at Dubai Festival City. The festival is supported by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and is held in association with Dubai Studio City. More details on the festival are available online at www.gulffilmfest.com.
 

GEC 2011 Starts Today In Dubai

Under the auspices of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai, H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, inaugurated today the sixth session of the Gulf Engineering Conference "GEC" that will last for three consecutive days at Grand Hayatt Dubai Hotel. The event is entitled "For Sustainable Ubiquitous Technology".

UAE hosts this event for the first time. H.E. Andrew Shaw, Managing Director of Ducab, H.E. Saleh Ahmed Janeeh, Chairman of Dubai Quality Group, and many UAE prominent figures, CEOs of public and private organizations, experts and specialists as well as representatives of civil society organizations attended the event.

Dr. Essa Bastaki, Chair of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers “IEEE”, said: “We highly commend the kind sponsorship and attention given by H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to the GEC and we appreciate his continued efforts intended to support science and knowledge in general and electrical and electronic engineering in particular”. “We have reached this advanced stage of scientific, technical and technological development due to the insight of our visionary leadership that permanently pays attention to everything new in all fields.” he also added.

Dr. Bastaki indicated that UAE researchers are 131, and thus they form the greatest majority of participants, and they present around one third of the work papers. Iranian researchers are 47, Indian researchers are 30, Egyptian researchers are 25, Saudi Arabian researchers are 23, Omani researchers are 17, Pakistani researchers are 15, USA researchers are 14, UK researchers are 10, Kuwaiti researchers are 9, Malaysian researchers are 9 and five researchers from other GCC states and the rest of the world including France, Canada and other European countries.

The GEC chaired by the UAE in its sixth session includes eight focal hubs. The first hub discusses Electrical Energy and Power. This concentrates on renewable energy, how to maximize its technical role and efficiency in operation and how to improve such efficiency, in addition to discussing future horizons in developing this kind of energy, the methods of reducing pollution rates by technological and technical means and finding power alternatives at large.

 The second hub tackles industrial technological application as well as focusing on the relative importance of developing technical sciences to improve industry and developing industrial areas to enhance countries’ economies.

The third hub addresses the sciences of communications, including mobile, radio, digital and optical fiber communications and the next generation for future communications. This hub will also address the problems of the third generation of “GSM” system and how to avoid such problems in the fourth generation.

The fourth hub tackles IT and computer focusing on program engineering, software architecture, horizons of developing networks, means of securing data and databases and efficiency computer service.
The fifth hub is meant to discuss the electronics sector, current and future development in electronic chips and their various uses as well as optoelectronics. The sixth hub discusses engineering education and accessing the best experience as well as creativity in education.

The seventh hub discusses electronic control systems and showing the most important theories in this field, basics of working with smart systems and how to utilize them in the overall and sustainable development locally, regionally and internationally in addition to accessing scientific progress in the remote sensing systems.
The eighth hub discusses digital signals processing as well as addressing steganography techniques and machine learning, known in this field by balanced and multiple operations.

Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research is presenting 39 work papers, i.e. 45% of the total work papers submitted by the UAE in the conference. The University will discuss these papers through workshops and lectures held throughout the conference to extract the best results and practices.

The event is sponsored by (Etisalat) as the corporate sponsor, Dubai Aluminum Company Ltd. (Dubal) as the primary sponsor, Huawei Company Ltd as the platinum sponsor, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Dubai Cable Company Pvt. (DUCAB) and Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research share the golden sponsorship. Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) and AMD company share the golden sponsorship. Megger Co. and Projacs are participating sponsors. United Arab Emirates University, Petroleum Institute – Abu Dhabi, American University in Dubai, Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research participate as supporting universities. Dubai Quality Group (DQG) and IEEE participate as supporting organizations.

 

Seventh Dubai International Film Festival Opens Today Offering Audiences Glamour, Glitz And Best Of World Cinema

Dubai will once again roll out the red carpet for the world’s luminaries in cinema to mark the opening of the seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival. Billed as ’the most exciting and accessible DIFF ever,’ the eight-day feast of world cinema includes a line-up of 157 films from 57 countries from South America to South Korea, a robust competition segment, a thriving film market and greater public interaction than ever before.

The Sunday night opening of the leading and largest film festival of its kind in the Arab world, Asia and Africa will be marked by a glittering red carpet event at the Madinat Jumeirah to be headlined by British actor Colin Firth, the star of The King’s Speech. Fresh from significant awards sweeps in Toronto and Britain, the Oscar favourite also stars Geoffrey Rush, Guy Pearce, and Helena Bonham Carter.

In a significant first, audiences across Dubai will be able to watch the glitz and glamour of the red carpet as well as the opening film live and for free at DIFF’s newest outdoor venue, The Walk at JBR. The venue will also host the Festival’s popular Rhythm & Reels segment, featuring music-linked films and a series of open-air concerts featuring Rima Khcheich, Massar Egbari, Y-Crew and a mariachi group flown in from Mexico. The beachfront venue is open from 6pm.

Subsequent red carpet events over the next week include the Arabian gala screening of Six, Seven, Eight, one of the most anticipated films from Egyptian cinema; the controversial Egyptian love story Cairo Exit from the DIFF Cultural Bridge segment; the Polish film Tomorrow Will Be Better from the festival’s Cinema of the World programme; The Nutcracker in 3-D from its Cinema for Children segment; Emirati short The Philosopher from its Muhr competition; and Chinese martial arts extravaganza Reign of Assassins from the Festival’s Cinema of AsiaAfrica slate.

Abdulhamid Juma, Chairman of the Dubai International Film Festival, said: "The DIFF team has spent the last 357 days planning the opening night and the following week, and we are very proud of what we have been able to achieve. The seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival will be extra special not only for the powerful showcase of movies from around the world and impressive talent line-up of globally acclaimed actors and directors, but also for the largest selections of quality, contemporary Arab cinema anywhere in the world."

This is a compelling testament to the success of the Festival in building the definitive space for Arab talent, providing a platform for them to achieve their ambitions and also giving them the opportunity to stand tall alongside their international counterparts."

The Festival’s standout Arab films, representing the length and breadth of the Arab world from Iraq to Morocco, are primarily distributed among its in-competition Muhr Arab and Muhr Emirati Awards segment and its out-of-competition Arabian Nights and Gulf Voices segments. All screenings are open to the public.

The Festival also features the best of cinema from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Australia, including 41 world premieres and 13 international premieres. Every genre, from thriller to comedy, drama to documentary, is included.

Masoud Amralla Al Ali, DIFF’s Artistic Director, said: "I believe that our programming this year not only offers something for everyone, it also offers new, very interesting, unusual and surprising films. If I could choose one word to describe our 2010 programme, it would be "discovery." We have discoveries of new talents, new styles and new collaborations."

DIFF has also created a series of new box office packages to help filmgoers identify films of interest, and debuted new public-friendly features include a redesigned and fully interactive website, a free new mobile application that provides up-to-the-minute information on the Festival including schedules, news, and the ability to purchase tickets for screenings, and up-to-the-minute coverage of the Festival on YouTube, enabled by Zayed University.

From the Arab world, celebrity guests include Khaled Abol Naga, Menna Shalab, Bushra, Nelly Kareem, Majed Kidwany, Saba Mubarak, Mohammed Qabbani, Ayman Zeidan, Samar Sami, Marah Jabr, Fares Al Helo, Nabil Toume, Mohammed Ramadan, Maryhan, Sanaa Muzian, Hala Sarhan, Sherine Adel, Raghda and Rima Khcheich.

GCC stars Khaled Amen, Khaled AlBreki, Dawood Hussein, Shojoon AlHajri, Lamia Tareq, Maraam AlBlooshi, Hind AlBlooshi, Elham Alfadalla, Ali Algreer, Haifa Hussain Yousif, Shahed Alyaseen, Ahmed Al Jasmi, Habeb Gholom, Mare’e Al Halyan, Jamal Salem, Juma Al Leem, Ahmed Alansari, Abed Almhasan Alnmr, Naseer Al Qassbi, Najwa Alqbesi, Abdul Aziz Jassim Al Jassim, and Buthayna Alraesy will also make an appearance.

Hollywood, Asia, and Africa, stars expected to grace the carpet this week include Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jean Reno, Andrey Konchalovskiy, Julia Vysotskaya, Kelly Brook, Emma Caulfield, Maya Sansa, Carey Mulligan, Beau Garrett, Jim Sturgess, Peter Weir, Karan Johar, Johnnie To, and Aparna Sen.

DIFF’s will honour Lifetime Achievement Honouree from Africa, Souleymane Cisse, Hollywood A-lister Sean Penn, and Arab icon Sabah with Lifetime Achievement Awards this year.

DIFF 2010 box office locations are: Cinestar Mall of the Emirates, Madinat Souk, the CNN Building in Dubai Media City and The Walk at JBR. Tickets can also be purchased through DIFF’s Dial-a-Ticket service at (04) 391 3378 and from the website www.dubaifilmfest.com.

The seventh edition of Dubai International Film Festival 2010 is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, the home of the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The event is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.

For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com

British Council Skills For Employability: Working Together Today For The Entrepreneurs Of Tomorrow

"Entrepreneurship" is the key word in the partnership between the National Institute of Vocational Education (NIVE) in Dubai and Stevenson College, Edinburgh. The partnership aims to integrate entrepreneurial skills throughout the curricula of both institutions.

Under the framework of the British Councils Skills for Employability programme, the link will help develop professional and leadership skills, as well as create exchange visits for students and staff, work placement opportunities and also produce joint teaching materials.

Dr. Naji Al Mahdi, Executive Director of National Institute for Vocational Education said: "We are honoured and delighted by the British Council’s approval for the partnership project with Stevenson College, Edinburgh. This partnership will support our aim to develop the skills of young Emiratis."

The aim is to run a joint entrepreneurship project between NIVE students and Stevenson College students. Working together the students will share ideas, network, develop concepts, discuss approaches, work in teams, formulate business ideas and finally propose the establishment of small businesses.

Kate Own, Deputy Director , British Council, UAE said’ One of the key elements of Skills for Employability is to help provide opportunities for the next generation and one of the key ways to do this is through encouraging would-be young entrepreneurs. We hope that this project will help to highlight the importance of entrepreneurial skills by integrating them into both curricula.’

Staff from NIVE and Stevenson College will work together to create entrepreneurship courses. The programme also aims to increase the teaching of English, integrate new technologies and introduce quality assurance schemes that will endeavour to continue to raise the standards of the courses delivered to the students.

 

Smart Grids Middle East 2010 Commences Today In Dubai

Spintelligent, a division of Clarion Events, today inaugurates the annual edition of Smart Grids Middle East – a key forum for the region’s utility and power sector.

The Smart Grids Middle East 2010 conference has brought together over 200 senior executives – from the utility and power sectors, and from Government energy authorities.

The event taking place at Dubai’s Shangri La Hotel from 5–7 December, 2010 has attracted over 20 utilities and 20 countries. The conference consists of panel discussions and presentations about the smart grid from three perspectives: technological, commercial, and regulatory.

Inspired by the need to reduce carbon emissions, save money and improve customer service, the event will highlight intelligent technologies seeking to improve the efficiency, functionality and flexibility of the current power infrastructure.

His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), said: “We have already implemented a number of smart technology measures on our electricity networks such as using the latest SCADA systems, intelligent asset monitoring, control and automation. We have improved the distribution network efficiency by conversion of most of our 6.6 kV networks to more efficient 11 kV networks.

“We have succeeded in reducing substantially our electricity network losses and our unaccounted-for water through network rehabilitation and more optimal network design, engineering, maintenance and procurement. Additionally, on our SmartGrids journey, we have interconnected our electricity grid with neighbouring utilities.”

The conference features keynote speeches on topics of vital importance, including the smart metering revolution, by thought leaders and key players in the utilities and power sector from the Middle East, Europe and the USA. Discussions dwell on changes in the utilities and power industry, and how companies can benefit from this change.

In response to the growing green building and smart city concepts in the Middle East, the conference aims to introduce innovative methods and technologies for greener and more efficient future. The event offers delegates informative sessions on how to build a smart grid city, technologies for intelligent buildings, smart metering and automated metering infrastructure.

Alongside the conference, Metering International, the world’s foremost authority on smart metering will host an exclusive workshop by Dr. Howard Scott on Managing your Smart Meter/ AMI project.

Dr. Howard Scott, Managing Director, Cognyst International, said: “The Middle East is the ideal place to start an AMI or Smart Grid project. The need to move utility plants to the next generation clearly exist. More importantly, the business case in the Middle East is probably more compelling than anywhere else in the world. This workshop will address these and other related themes.”

Intelligent buildings and smart, connected cities form important components of the smart grid. According to Pike Research, approximately $200 billion will be spent on smart grid projects by the year 2015. The Smart Grid is a reality for nearly eight per cent of utilities in the world which have begun to implement smart grid projects, and an estimated 37 per cent that are conducting experiments and pilot studies into smart grid projects.

For the second consecutive year, the annual excellence awards will be presented to local industry leaders, utilities and projects that stand out in the region for their quality, innovativeness and efficient use of resources.

Smart Grids Middle East provides an arena where current and future leaders can network with utilities’ and government officials, and develop an understanding of how the smart grid will impact and revolutionise the utility sector in the Middle East region.
 

Emaar Properties EGM To Be Held Today (Nov. 8)

Emaar Properties PJSC (Emaar) will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the company’s shareholders today (November 8), 5pm, at The Address Dubai Marina Mall hotel, Constellation Ballroom.

The EGM has been called to consider and approve the issue of US$500 million Convertible Notes due in 2015.

Resolutions to be proposed at the EGM include authorising the Board of Directors to implement the issue of the Convertible Notes, authorising the increase(s) in capital which may be required from time to time in connection with any conversion of the Convertible Notes into shares in Emaar and to authorise certain amendments to the Articles of Association of Emaar.

The proposed issue of US$500 million of Convertible Notes due in 2015 is intended to contribute to the conversion of Emaar’s short term liabilities into long term debt, and has received overwhelming response from investors with demand in excess of US$3 billion.

Subsequent to the approval at the EGM, the Convertible Notes will be issued and listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
 

‘Premier’ Reel Cinemas Opens Today At Dubai Marina Mall

The first boutique cinema in the UAE, the premier Reel Cinemas in Dubai Marina Mall, opens doors to film-lovers tomorrow (July 22, 2010).

Emaar Retail LLC, a pioneer in innovative entertainment, leisure and retail concepts, is offering unprecedented levels of luxury and privacy to movie-goers with the six-screen Reel Cinemas cineplex at Dubai Marina Mall.

The cineplex has 544 seats, all recliner and of the highest ergonomic standards. Pushing the scope of service to the next level, visitors can opt for the pampering choice of gourmet food & beverage choices delivered to their seats. They will also be provided blankets and soft pillows for a nominal extra charge.

Addressing the felt-need of residents in New Dubai including the established Dubai Marina, Emirates Living and Jebel Ali Village neighbourhoods, Reel Cinemas in Dubai Marina Mall is priced competitively for the advanced amenities it offers.

Tickets are AED 50 for the ‘Premier’ cinema experience of watching movies in total luxury. An online booking function is operational to pre-purchase movie tickets.

Mr Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Retail LLC, said: “Today, the appeal of malls is not only in offering superior shopping choices but also providing a range of world-class leisure and entertainment options for visitors. With the opening of the boutique Reel Cinemas cineplex at Dubai Marina Mall, Emaar Retail is further strengthening the mall’s retail and leisure mix, making it a complete family destination and a mall of choice for the Dubai Marina and neighbouring communities.”

Reel Cinemas is located on level 2 of Dubai Marina Mall, which can be accessed easily from Sheikh Zayed Road, thus appealing to visitors from Abu Dhabi too.

Dubai Marina Mall has 160 stores with an exciting mix of tenants including a supermarket, fashion wear, accessories, jewellers, boutiques, book and toy shops and music centres.
 

2nd Middle East Waste Summit Opens Today To Address Gulf’s Growing Waste Menace

Rapid economic and industrial growth and an expanding population have been the major forces driving up the amount of waste generated by Gulf states. Countries in the region produced over 22.2 million tons of municipal solid waste and 4.6 million tons of industrial solid waste in 2009, reflecting the need for more efficient waste management strategies. Viable solutions for the waste management issues of the Gulf and other Middle Eastern territories will be extensively discussed during the 2nd Middle East Waste Summit (MEWS) which opens today (Tuesday, May 18, 2010) and runs until May 20, 2010 at the Palladium in Dubai Media City.

The Dubai Municipality developed the Summit as a platform for governments and businesses in the region to discuss the growing threat posed by improperly managed waste. Last year’s inaugural edition was attended by 2,691 industry professionals from 53 countries. Participants commended the agenda and goals of the Summit and expressed their eagerness to return to the succeeding editions, with 92 per cent of exhibitors affirming that they were able to meet their event objectives. The 2010 Summit will once again be held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and Industry and Chairman of Dubai Municipality.

“The huge turnout witnessed during last year’s inaugural Summit reflected how waste management has become a priority concern among Middle Eastern societies. The issue of uncontrolled waste affects the entire Arab community and so we need to engage in continuous and comprehensive dialogue to come up with unified strategies for addressing this growing threat. MEWS is an important venue for Middle Eastern Governments and international businesses to team up and build long-term solutions to waste management, and we appreciate the commitment shown by its participants,” said Chris Fountain, Managing Director of event organizers, Turret Middle East.

Hassan Makki, Director of Dubai Municipality’s Waste Management Department, will chair today’s VIP Opening Ceremony entitled ‘Global climate change and the waste industry.’ The session will include a keynote speech by H.E. Obaid Bin Essa Ahmed, Executive Director of the Municipalities Coordination Office and In-Charge of Environment Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water. He will discuss major government initiatives and positive trends affecting the Emirates’ waste management efforts such as the upcoming creation of the National Centre for Cleaner Production and plans to rehabilitate the nation’s landfills on behalf of H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment and Water.

Presentations from Dubai Municipality, the German Association for Waste Management, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and Hong-Kong based Environmental Resources Management will follow.

Other sessions on the first day of MEWS will focus on waste avoidance and resource management; policy, regulation and enforcement issues; waste to energy; municipal waste and recycling; construction and industrial waste management, and waste procurement, among others.

Round tables on topics ranging from waste oil and medical waste treatment to electronic waste solutions and composting will be held tomorrow onwards. More than 200 business leaders will attend the conference proper and the break-out sessions. The exhibition portion of the event is free for all trade visitors and students over the age of 18. Registration can be made at the Palladium, Dubai Media City.

Complete details on sessions, speakers, round table discussions and exhibitors can be viewed at the website www.wastesummit.com.
 

The ’1st Seminar On The Future Vision Of The Government’ Kicks Off Today At The Etisalat Academy In Collaboration With The Ministry Of Environment And Water

Under the patronage of H.H Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, the Etisalat Academy today organised the ‘1st Seminar on the Future Vision of the Government’ in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water. His Excellency Dr. Rashed Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, delivered the keynote speech at the seminar, which kicked off under the theme of ‘Reinforcing the Concept of Competitiveness across the UAE Public Sector’.

During the first day speakers discussed the modern concept of competitiveness and how it is linked to the ability of the nation to raise the productivity of available human or material resources and how the competitive advantage of a country is now measured by its ability to achieve a high rate and constant standard of living for its citizens. The discussion panels also demonstrated some of the best practices and lessons learned from the international experiences in promoting the competitiveness of organisations and how it deals with the consequences of the global financial climate and participates in developing schedules to ensure the improvement and development of the business.

Speakers also discussed today the organisations ability to achieve organisational excellence while they continue working hard to reach the highest levels of achievement. Finally the speakers discussed the importance of choosing the best activities and maximizing the investment rather than simply competing on price or low wages.

During the second day, the seminar will host six workshops which will discuss the development of business leadership in a way that ensures the organisations’ benefit, the importance of outstanding business practices to achieve business excellence, strategic planning as a way to define the organisation strategy or direction in order to meet certain objectives, the active role of the human resource development managements in achieving organisational objectives, the importance of the customer-centric approach, and at last the innovation in business sector which could improve performance and growth in terms of efficiency, productivity, quality, competitive positioning or market share.

David Brennan, General Manager of the Etisalat Academy, said: “The Etisalat Academy realizes the importance of the UAE government’s vision in the area of developing and supporting the public sector through setting an ambitious growth outlook for the nation, supported by clearly laid out action plans. We are fully aware that maximizing the quality of services provided within the nation cannot be achieved without a real and continuous collaboration between different organisations across the UAE. This step comes as a part of our responsibility as the leading professional training and development centre in the region and through our commitment to play a key role in achieving the government’s strategies.”

Mariam Mohammed, Acting Director of Business Development at the Etisalat Academy and the General Coordinator for the Seminar, explained: “This Seminar is considered an excellent opportunity for business leaders and departments’ managers in the public organisations to network with thought leaders in competitiveness and organisational excellence and benefit from the discussions on the world best practices and models. This seminar comes within a proactive step in which we aim to play a central role in reinforcing the concept of competitiveness in the governmental sector to help these organisations increase their excellence and provide best quality services to their clients. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the organisations and departments that supported us in this mission. I am confident that their participation will create an added value to this series of events we are organising.”

This seminar comes within an initiative of three Seminars that are taking place this year. Each of the three seminars is designed to discuss a different theme. The first seminar which is taking place this week discusses strengthening the concept of competitiveness across the UAE public sector. The second seminar will talk about knowledge economy – the theory and the application, while the third seminar will discuss the strategic leadership development best practice.

For further information please visit the website www.ea.ae.