Day: April 9, 2023

DUBAI, 9th April 2023 (WAM) — Dubai’s Endowments and Minors’ Trust Foundation (Dubai Endowment) today announced the launch of a new ‘Well of Water’ endowment project aimed at contributing to Dubai’s global water aid efforts. The initiative is the Foundation’s second endowment project dedicated to supporting the ‘Well of Hope’ campaign launched in response to a humanitarian competition launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to provide clean water to disadvantaged communities across the world. The inauguration ceremony for the new endowment was attended by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UAE Water Foundation (Suqia UAE); Essa Abdulla Al Ghurair, Chairman of the Dubai Endowment Foundation; Ali Al Mutawa, Secretary-General of the Foundation; and other senior officials. The endowment project includes four residential villas built on 19,880 square feet of land in the Al Rashidiya area of Dubai. Valued at AED9 million, the four G+1 buildings cover a total area of 14,595 square feet. The expected annual returns account for about 10% of the project value. This initiative is a part of independent ‘Well of Water’ endowment projects commenced by Dubai Endowment in 2019. The annual proceeds from the endowment will be dedicated to implementing sustainable projects to provide water to many communities that lack potable water sources in developing countries suffering from natural disasters. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UAE Water Foundation (Suqia UAE), commended the efforts of the Endowment and Minors’ Trust Foundation in Dubai, and its endeavour to generate sustainable revenues that contribute to providing clean water to communities suffering from water shortage and pollution around the world. “The humanitarian initiatives launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, continue to raise the UAE’s global position as a beacon of humanity and extend a helping hand to people in need all over the world. The ‘Well of Hope’ initiative has translated His Highness’s humanitarian vision into unique regional and global projects that bring relief to underprivileged people. Following in the footsteps of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE continues to introduce pioneering initiatives and projects to both help disadvantaged societies facing challenges and promote sustainable development,” said Saeed Al Tayer. “Suqia UAE, under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, contributes to solving the global water crisis by developing practical solutions for water scarcity and providing potable water for communities suffering from water shortage and pollution. Established in March 2015, the initiative has positively impacted the lives of more than 13.6 million people in 37 countries worldwide, through more than 1,000 sustainable water projects,” added Al Tayer. Essa Al Ghurair stressed that the Foundation is committed to supporting the ‘Well of Hope’ initiative as long as the problem of water scarcity exists globally. This commitment is inspired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s values of giving and solidarity and his earnest efforts to extend a helping hand to help underprivileged communities around the world. Al Ghurair added: “This new endowment project will expand the Foundation’s support to the ‘Well of Hope’ initiative, which has raised the profile of the UAE’s pioneering charity and humanitarian projects.” Ali Al Mutawa said that Dubai Endowment is keen to make significant contributions to the UAE’s efforts to introduce unique sustainable charity initiatives that support underprivileged communities. “We continue to enhance innovation and maintain the highest excellence in the fields of charity and humanitarian aid to improve the quality of life of disadvantaged people,” he said. Al Mutawa further said that many countries suffering from water scarcity have benefited from the ‘Well of Hope’ initiative since 2019. The initiative has contributed to digging wells and delivering clean water to communities facing water shortage. Since 2019, the Endowments and Minors’ Trust Foundation in Dubai has been at the forefront of entities supporting the ‘Well of Hope’ initiative through endowment projects. The revenue generated from endowments are used to provide drinkable water to 600,000 people around the world annually, especially in areas lacking sources of clean and safe water Hatem Mohamed

Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM)

SHARJAH, 9th April, 2023 (WAM) — The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has separately received two high-level diplomatic delegations from Bahrain and Cuba to discuss best practices and regulations for serving the interests of its members and the private sector in Sharjah and the UAE. The meetings also focused on enhancing economic relations between business communities and exploring investment opportunities in various sectors. In the first meeting, Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of SCCI, received Saud Hasan Ali Al-Nisf, Consul-General of Bahrain in Dubai, in the presence of Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI. The two sides emphasised the importance of improving coordination to develop programmes and initiatives that would promote and inform the business communities in Sharjah and Bahrain about the available investment opportunities and ways to strengthen economic cooperation within the joint Gulf strategic framework. They also discussed the close and well-established brotherly relations between the UAE and Bahrain and the need to build on these ties to foster greater collaboration in various sectors. Al Owais warmly welcomed Al-Nisf on his first visit to the Chamber, expressing confidence that the visit would yield positive outcomes and contribute to further strengthening of economic and trade relations between the UAE and Bahrain. He also lauded the long-standing partnership between the two nations, which has experienced a notable surge in trade exchange, with a growth rate of over 92 percent in the last ten years. The trade volume reached AED23.7 billion last year, compared to AED12.3 billion in 2012, indicating significant progress. He stressed that the Sharjah Chamber is committed to expanding its collaboration with the Bahraini to foster strategic relationships across various sectors. The Consul-General of Bahrain was given a tour of the Chamber’s various sections and departments, where he expressed his admiration for the high-quality services offered to benefit the local business community. He also commended the Chamber’s advanced and innovative facilities, designed to cater to its associate members’ needs. During the tour, he also spoke highly of the Emirate of Sharjah’s national industries, showcased in the permanent exhibition of national industrial products at the Chamber’s headquarters. The meeting concluded with both sides emphasising their commitment to exploring new avenues of cooperation between Sharjah and Bahrain and utilising all available resources to advance the close economic relations between the two countries’ private sectors and elevate them to more advanced levels. The two sides also called for collaborating on organising joint introductory seminars to familiarise themselves with the business environment and investment opportunities available to both parties. In a separate meeting, Al Owais received Norberto Escalona Carrillo, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, to the UAE. The two sides discussed ways to develop economic cooperation and trade exchange between Sharjah and Cuba. They also discussed several topics of mutual interest, including how to leverage the available investment opportunities and strengthen communication mechanisms to facilitate reciprocal visits of business owners, missions, and trade delegations from both sides. Tariq Al Fahaam/ Hatem Mohamed

Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM)

Prime Minister Najib Mikati said today that “the convening of a cabinet session depends on the completion of the discussion on adjusting public sector wages and possible benefits.” Speaking before his visitors this morning, Mikati stated that ‘the ministerial committee charged with addressing the repercussions of the financial crisis on the functioning of public utilities continues its meetings to carefully study the possible proposals and align them with the proposals submitted by the Ministry of Finance, on the basis of securing the required balance and not falling once again into the spiral of inflation and increasing the deficit to cover the cost of salaries, and this matter is also among the terms of the initial understanding with the International Monetary Fund.” In response to a question, Mikati said: “The issue of retirees is also being studied away from the threat and populist pressures that some rely on, to help support this segment of people who provided basic services in all sectors, especially in the military and security services.” He added that he explained this matter to the delegation of retired military personnel who visited him at the Grand Serail, noting that certain sums were allocated for retirees some time ago, stressing on the importance of allocating the necessary sums to the state employees’ cooperative and the medical fund for the military. Situation in South Lebanon Responding to a quesiton regarding the firing of rockets from the south and the Israeli shelling of Lebanese villages, and the talk about the government’s absence and incapability in this regard, the Prime Minister said: ‘Everything that is said in this context falls within the framework of free media campaigns, particularly since from the first moment the events began in the south, we made the necessary contacts with all the concerned sides and with the international influencers, away from the limelight, because these issues are not dealt with by media clamor or statements…” He added: “I also instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to move on a parallel line and conduct the appropriate contacts, and when the required treatment was done, we made the precise and clear position. During the crisis, I was holding a meeting with the Italian Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, and asked him to put pressure on Israel to stop any operations that would lead to more tension in the south. We also stressed that Lebanon absolutely rejects any military escalation from its land and the use of Lebanese territory to carry out operations that destabilize the existing tranquility.” Mikati continued, “It was revealed from the initial investigations conducted by the army that those who fired the rockets were not organized parties, but rather non-Lebanese elements, and that it was a reaction to the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian territories and the Gaza Strip.” He added, “On the other hand, the continuous Israeli aggression against Lebanon and the persistent violation of Lebanese sovereignty is unacceptable, and we submitted a new complaint in this regard to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and to the UN Security Council…Also, the Israeli attack on worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque and its violation of sanctity is unacceptable and constitutes a breach of all laws and customs, and requires a comprehensive Arab and international stance to stop this blatant aggression.” Government’s work Asked about the campaigns targetting him personally and impacting the government’s work, PM Mikati said: ‘It became clear from the first day the government assumed its responsibilities following the presidential vacuum that there is a political team that does not want this government to operate, and acts on the basis of reaching a complete suspension of the cabinet after the disruption in the parliament’s work, to bring the country to a total collapse…This team is acting on the basis of belated revenge for the Taif Agreement and is working to undermine it by all means; but the strangest thing is that this same team turns the facts around and accuses the government of not paying attention to the remarks and warnings of the International Monetary Fund, while the same team contributes to blocking the projects that the government sent to Parliament.” “In any case, the government will continue its work in accordance with its national convictions and constitutional obligations, and is not about to replace anyone or confiscate anyone’s powers, whereby the objectors must stop obstructing the process of electing a new president and carry out their constitutional duties first and foremost,” he underlined. Mikati concluded by congratulating all Christians on the holy occasions of Palm Sunday and the glorious Easter, praying for the Lord Almighty’s blessings of health and wellness to the Lebanese and hoping for Lebanon’s lasting peace and stability.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

class=”slides SHARJAH, 9th April, 2023 (WAM) — Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) announced that the request for proposal (RFP) for the 90 MIGD Hamriyah IWP project has been issued to the 8 pre-qualified bidders. This project is in line with SEWA’s principle objectives to augments its water production capacity to meet the present and future water requirements in the Emirate of Sharjah. The project is expected to be commissioned by Q3 2026. SEWA has allowed bidders to submit their proposal by the beginning of August 2023. SEWA would select the Preferred Bidder for the project post the evaluation of the proposals received from bidders. Tariq Al Fahaam/ Hatem Mohamed

Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM)

President Bashar al-Assad and the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi discussed in a phone call bilateral relations between the two countries and developments in the region, especially in the light of the prevailing positive political atmosphere.

Presidents al-Assad and Raisi stressed that the stability of the region is based on sound relations between its countries through permanent dialogue, respect for sovereignty and the promotion of common interests.

The two presidents also underlined the continuation of coordination and consultation for the benefit of the two countries and the region in general.

The phone call also dealt with the assaults of the Israeli occupation forces on al-Aqsa Mosque and the worshippers in it, with the two presidents considering that these assaults reflect the aggressive policy of the Israeli entity and they are inseparable from the ones against Syria targeting the civilians.

The two presidents added that these assaults confirm the weakness and failure of this entity in front of the strength of the resistance and the courage of the Palestinian people.

The Iranian president stressed the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, considering that combating terrorism stems from supporting national sovereignty in Syria.

The two presidents indicated that the unipolar system is on its way to disappearing, thanks to the vigilance of the peoples and countries that adhere to their sovereignty and dignity

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency