Category: Green Products

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E) : Mohammad Al Gergawi announces details of ‘Great Arab Minds’ designed to search for exceptional talents among Arabs

 Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Chairman of the Committee leading Great Arab Minds, and Secretary-General of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), highlighted the details of “The Great Arab Minds” initiative.

Launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in January 2022, the initiative is the Arab world’s largest movement designed to search for exceptional talents among Arab scientists, thinkers, and innovators across key fields.

The Great Arab Minds initiative, under the MBRGI, aims to identify, support and acknowledge leading thinkers in the region, amplify their impact and inspire future generations. One of its main purposes is to reduce the emigration of Arab scientists, specialists, intellectuals, doctors, and engineers.

He affirmed that “The Great Arab Minds” initiative reflect His Highness’ vision in reigniting the Arab World’s Civilisation Drive, support great Arab minds and acknowledge their work and achievements, in service of humanity.

Mohammad Al Gergawi pointed out the importance of the Arab Reading Challenge initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, among many other development projects, serving more than 91 million beneficiaries.

A study conducted by KPMG, showed that ignorance costs the Arab world more than US$2 trillion. The Great Arab Minds initiative aims to change this reality and contribute to shaping a brighter future for Arab generations.

During an event organised in the Museum of the Future to announce the details of the initiative, Mohammad Al Gergawi witnessed the signing of four partnerships between “The Great Arab Minds” initiative and KPMG, LinkedIn, Meta, and Majarra.

The initiative’s mission is to search for exceptional talents among Arab scientists, thinkers, and innovators across key fields, aiming to identify, support and acknowledge leading thinkers in the region, amplify their impact and inspire future generations.

Over a 5-year period, “The Great Arab Minds” will reward scientists, thought leaders, scholars, and innovators across 6 categories: Natural Sciences (Physics and Chemistry), Medicine, Literature and Arts, Economics, Technology and Engineering, and Architecture & Design.

The initiative includes the “Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Great Arab Minds”, which will be awarded to 6 winners of six categories each year.

The Great Arab Minds initiative aims to facilitate the recognition of Arab thought leaders, scholars, scientists, geniuses, and transforming their ideas to real-life breakthroughs and solutions. It also aims at empowering cluster of Arab scientists and thinkers and building a network of Arab thinkers, scientists, and exceptional talents in various fields to work as one team to drive the Arab world’s intellectual renaissance.

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

__________

source: youtube.com

____________________________________________

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

IRAQ: Chemistry Scientist and Researcher Dr.Suhad Yasin’s Work on Purifying Water Has Been a Journey of Perseverance

The Iraqi scholar Suhad Yasin has waged a long battle against financial and administrative obstacles to continue her work on purifying polluted water.

Her graduate studies started later than most and became a long journey over 13 years of dropping out and restarting, but she persevered. Two years ago, the University of Duhok awarded her a doctorate in polymer chemistry.

Now Yasin works from an independent laboratory she set up at the University of Duhok, where she and her students use cheap, available materials to treat polluted water.

Iraq, like many Arab countries,  suffers from water scarcity and stress. One study predicts  the Tigris and Euphrates rivers will dry up completely by 2040. 

Apart from the scarcity issue, some Iraqi waterways also face problems with contamination by heavy metals like aluminum, cadmium and chromium, adding urgency to research like Yasin’s.

An Interrupted Academic Journey

In an interview with Al-Fanar Media, Yasin described her career in industry and academe.

After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at the University of Mosul in 1993, she joined a laboratory in a local pharmaceutical factory, eventually becoming production manager.

As violence increased in Mosul over the next decade, however, Yasin was forced to return to her family’s home city of Duhok in 2006. She got an administrative job at the Ministry of Industry of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

But she did not find administrative work satisfying, Yasin said, so she took a competitive exam to study for a master’s degree at the University of Duhok.

By then a wife and mother, Yasin faced challenges in studying at the University of Duhok, both with learning in English and in overcoming the skepticism of some academics. Her thesis supervisor questioned her ability to complete the work. “He told me, ‘I regret being involved in the supervision of your thesis. It will be difficult for you to complete your studies at your age because of your family responsibilities.’”

But Yasin said his words only increased her motivation. “I needed to prove to my supervisor and myself that I was not a problem, but an energetic researcher who had missed an opportunity,” she said.

Yasin got her master’s degree with excellence in 2009 with a thesis on removing chromium from water using modified pomegranate peel .

Starting from Scratch on a Ph.D.

She then applied to transfer from her job at the ministry to work as an assistant teacher in the chemistry department of the University of Duhok’s Faculty of Science.

She taught at the University of Duhok   for six years but was not given an opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. because the university lacked facilities and funds for research in her specialisation. Throughout this time, she continued her research on purifying polluted water.

In 2015, the university offered her an opportunity to pursue a doctorate and she took it. There was considerable opposition to her studying for a Ph.D. at the age of 50, but she managed to convince the head of the department.

Based on the advice of her master’s supervisor, who had changed his mind about her ability, she chose nanofiber technology as the subject of her doctorate. Her new supervisor initially opposed the idea, saying the university could not afford the materials required for research on this topic. But he finally relented when she persisted.

Yasin said she had nothing but the lab walls when she started her doctoral research: no equipment, devices, or “cofactors”, molecular compounds needed in certain chemical reactions. “The resources were almost zero,” she said. “I had to buy everything myself and start from scratch.” 

Lining up Support

Yasin contacted professors and scholars from various Arab countries to ask for help. By chance, she heard of a physics professor at the University of Basrah who had designed a device that would help her with her research. “I contacted the professor at the University of Basrah immediately and she agreed to help me,” Yasin said.

Yasin then had to convince her dean at the University of Duhok to manufacture a similar device so she could work. He agreed, but she still needed funding for her research.

She wrote to several international organisations asking for financial support and eventually received a three-year grant of about $207,000 from the National Academy of Sciences in the United States, in 2018. She used the money to establish an independent laboratory at the University of Duhok to conduct her research on using nanomaterials to treat water.

Yasin acknowledges that funding scientific research is a general problem in Arab countries, but she insists that scholars themselves have a duty to find funding for their research.

“We must not stand idly by. I work day and night to get new financial support,” she said. “With each refusal, I realise that I have to work more.”

source/content: al-fanarmedia.org (headline edited)

__________

Suhad Yasin, of the University of Duhok, overcame many obstacles during 13 years of interrupted graduate study to continue her research on purifying polluted water. (Photo courtesy of Suhad Yasin)

________

IRAQ

SAUDI ARABIA: Inventor Nasser Al-Shemaimry Reveals Method to Harness Energy from Oceans

 Saudi inventor Nasser Al-Shemaimry showed a method to harness energy from ocean currents using turbines at a press conference at the Movenpick hotel in Jeddah on Wednesday.

The press conference was attended by Prince Abdulaziz bin Nasser, who served at the Ministry of Interior for more than 40 years.

Al-Shemaimry, CEO of OceanBased Perpetual Energy, founded in Miami, signed a memorandum of understanding with Prince Abdulaziz.

“This memorandum will be presented to the inventor Nasser Al-Shemaimry for engineering supplies and most office services,” he told Arab News. “And to connect with ministries, and we will help him with anything he needs.”

Al-Shemaimry’s project was first used in south Florida to harness the Florida Gulf Stream current and convert it to clean and renewable power.

“Oceans and seas have some currents that go from one direction to another, the current varies in speed, but the current we are using is 5 to 6 miles per hour,” he told Arab News.

“Five-six miles per hour is enough to make the propellers turn, and our propeller is 64 meters long, so as it turns, it turns the turbines inside of the cowling, and that turbine rotates the generator, which produces electricity,” he said.

He said that his project takes the electricity from the generator to a substation then the substation regulates the electricity to what is needed.

“Then it goes to the shore and we connect it to the main substation on shore, then it is up to the city hall or the people who are in charge of the town, city or country to take it from there and take it to the power lines,” he said.

Highlighting how it compares to other sustainable power sources such as solar or wind, he said the ocean provided a continuous and uninterrupted supply of energy.

For solar energy requirements, he said as long as the sun was up the panels would work and charge batteries.

“Each energy source has its own advantages and disadvantages. Solar energy has been around forever, it works and serves its purpose, it’s inexpensive and on land,” he said.

“Windmills are everywhere, but the difference in my opinion is that our energy is perpetual; it doesn’t stop, it works 24/7 and 365 days a year.”

Since the launch of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in 2016, Saudi Arabia has made effective efforts to protect the environment and reduce the effects of climate change to achieve sustainability.

Extensive studies within the Green Saudi Initiative revealed a reduction of carbon emissions by more than 4 percent, and efforts to provide 50 percent electricity through renewable energy projects by the year 2030.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

___________

Saudi inventor Nasser Al-Shemaimry, CEO of OceanBased Perpetual Energy. (Supplied)

_________________

SAUDI ARABIA

WORLD RECORDS: UAE: Emirates Flight Catering unit opens ‘Bustanica” the World’s Biggest Vertical Farm in Dubai

The $40m Bustanica hydroponic farm near DWC will produce more than a million kilos of greens annually with 95% less water than conventional farming.

Emirates has opened the world’s largest vertical farming plant in Dubai, a $40 million (Dh147m) joint venture with US-based Crop One, as the UAE continues to bolster its food and water security.

Bustanica, the 330,000 square-foot hydroponic farm located near Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), is set to grow more than a million kilograms of leafy greens annually, or about 3,000kg per day, Emirates said in a statement on Monday.

Using 95 per cent less water than traditional farming and saving 250 million litres of water, Bustanica will grow fresh produce without pesticides, herbicides or chemicals.

“Long-term food security and self-sufficiency are vital to the economic growth of any country, and the UAE is no exception,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Group.

“Bustanica ushers in a new era of innovation and investments, which are important steps for sustainable growth and align with our country’s well-defined food and water security strategies.”

Bustanica is the first facility for Emirates Crop One, a joint venture between Emirates’ flight catering unit and indoor vertical farming firm Crop One.

Emirates Flight Catering, a subsidiary of Emirates group, supplies in-flight food for Emirates and other airlines at Dubai International Airport.

Vertical farming is a technique with a significantly smaller carbon footprint than traditional agriculture. This method grows plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water and without soil. They are grown in a fully controlled environment — everything from temperature, humidity, lighting, water and nutrients is precisely monitored, maximising growth and yield.

The new farm is in line with the UAE’s National Food Strategy 2051 agenda for reliable year-round crop production and stable supply chain that is independent of weather and attacks by pests or fungus.

Bustanica will rely on machine learning, artificial intelligence and advanced methods — and a specialised in-house team of agronomy experts, engineers, horticulturists and plant scientists — to grow fresh produce.

Passengers on Emirates and other airlines can start consuming these leafy greens, including lettuces, arugula, mixed salad greens and spinach, onboard flights from this month.

UAE consumers will also soon be able to add these greens to their shopping carts at the nearest supermarkets, according to the statement.

Bustanica also plans to expand into the production and sale of fruits and other vegetables.

Bustanica will secure Emirates Flight Catering’s supply chain and reduce its carbon footprint by bringing production closer to consumption and “reducing the food journey from farm to fork”, Sheikh Ahmed said.

The plant opened after “significant planning and construction” and navigating the unforeseen challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Craig Ratajczyk, chief executive of Crop One, said.

“It’s our mission to cultivate a sustainable future to meet global demand for fresh, local food, and this first large format farm is the manifestation of that commitment. This new facility serves as a model for what’s possible around the globe.”

The UAE has been accelerating its support of AgriTech companies to reduce reliance on food imports, which is thought to make up nearly 90 per cent of food consumed in the country. Abu Dhabi has launched a number of initiatives, including  $41m in grants and incentives worth $545m to support expansion.

UAE residents are already seeing evidence of recent efforts to localise agriculture: locally harvested produce at the market or on dining menus is now a common sight. Much of this has surfaced over the past few years as vertical and hydroponic farming ventures, research and cloud-seeding bear fruit.

source/content: thenationalnews.com (headline edited)

____________

pix; wam.ae
Bustanica Exterior, Emirates Flight Catering Opens World’s Largest Vertical Farm in Dubai. Emirates

____________________________________________

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

UAE / EMIRATES : Emirati Director-General Dr. Tarifa Ajeif Al Zaabi Appointed as the New Director-General of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)  

 Tarifa Ajeif Al Zaabi Ph.D, has been appointed as the new Director-General of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), becoming the first Emirati to hold the position since ICBA’s foundation in 1999.

Dr. Tarifa Ajeif Al Zaabi joined the Centre in August 2019 as Deputy Director-General and has served as Acting Director-General since November 2020.

A graduate of the UAE Government Leaders Programme (Executive Leadership), she has delivered executive training and development programs for government officials in various countries as part of the UAE Government’s initiatives to transfer knowledge and develop executive government capacities.

She holds a Ph.D. in Education from the British University in Dubai and an Executive MBA from the University of Sharjah. She has 25 years of experience in executive leadership and management, strategy development, innovation support, research, and national and international capacity development.

ICBA has become a global center of excellence focusing on developing tailored solutions for marginal environments facing the problems of salinity, water scarcity and drought. The Centre has partners in more than 50 countries, which has allowed it to draw on a wide variety of expertise to achieve a greater impact on the ground. The Centre has also conducted research and development activities and projects in about 40 countries in Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, the South Caucasus and sub-Saharan Africa.

source/contents: wam.ae (headline edited)

________________

International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA),

___________________________________

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

ARABS ABROAD: The Libyan Pharmacologist Mohamed Irhuma and the Tunisian Scientist Mohamed Kheireddine Aroua

A Libyan pharmacologist treating HIV patients in South Africa and a Tunisian scientist purifying water in Malaysia.

This is the story of two world-renowned scientists who left their homelands of Libya and Tunisia and went on to achieve great success in South Africa and Malaysia.

Libyan pharmacologist Mohamed Irhuma studied in South Africa but faced a range of challenges when his home country went through its 2011 revolution. He’s achieved success in South African HIV AIDS pharmacology, including award-winning work on drug treatments.

Tunisian chemical engineer Mohamed Kheireddine Aroua is a world expert in material separation, inventing a life-changing water purification machine which benefits remote villages.

Both stories illustrate some of the complexities of being an Arab abroad, and the journeys of two remarkable scientists.

source/content: aljazeera.com (headline edited)

____________

__________________

LIBYA / TUNISIA

SAUDI ARABIA: Al-Ahsa the World’s Largest Date Palm Oasis, Steals the Spotlight with the Creation of a New Authority the ‘Al-Ahsa Development Authority’

Al-Ahsa, the world’s largest date palm oasis, is generating a new era of prosperity following the launch of a new development authority.

On May 12, the Kingdom formed the board of directors for the Al-Ahsa Development Authority, headed by Prince Ahmed bin Fahd bin Salman, deputy governor of the Eastern Province.

The move aims to enhance the governorate’s potential while helping develop the tourism, heritage and cultural aspects of Al-Ahsa.

The authority will create a balanced and sustainable development environment that supports the governorate’s economy and promotes development, modernization and diversity, according to the state press agency.

“The decision reflects the leadership’s keenness to invest in the comparative advantage of Al-Ahsa and to utilize it in economic projects that will align with Vision 2030,” Ibraheem Alshekmubarak, secretary-general at Al-Ahsa Chamber of Commerce, said in an exclusive interview with Arab News.

The city of 1.3 million people was included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2018.

UNESCO said: “The city has an ancient tradition of handicrafts, considered cultural and social practices passed on from generation to generation.

“Around 50 expressions of crafts and folk art have remained throughout the city’s history and bear witness to Al-Ahsa’s scenic wealth, including textiles from palm trees, pottery, weaving and joinery.”

Boosting tourism

The governorate hosts 36 weekly open markets and stages several festivals a year.

“When we talk about tourism in Al-Ahsa, we are talking about agricultural, heritage and natural tourism,” Alshekmubarak said.

In February 2022, the Ministry of Tourism launched a high-profile investment conference in the city called Destination Tomorrow.
The conference showcased Saudi destinations to local investors and international operators.

“Post pandemic, people are a little bit more conservative internationally regarding cross-border investment. But we are proving to be a destination attracting quite a decent amount of interest,” Mahmoud Abdulhadi, Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister for investment attraction, told Arab News.

The Kingdom seeks to generate 10 percent of the gross domestic product from the tourism sector and to attract over 100 million visitors by the end of this decade, creating an additional 1 million jobs in the sector.

“We want to make the sector stand on its own two feet. So we are keen on large private sector investment to come in, even as we are mindful that the whole sector is built on small and medium enterprises,” added Abdulhadi.

The city’s chamber of commerce led several initiatives to support SMEs, monitoring the sectors most affected by the pandemic to keep them formulating plans and drawing strategies that help them overcome the damage.

“Al-Ahsa Chamber organized a set of development initiatives and advisory services provided to entrepreneurs through the Prince Ahmed bin Fahd bin Salman Center for Business Development,” Alshekmubarak added.

Airport expansion

Al-Ahsa airport’s capacity will more than double the expectations of fast regional growth, Fahad Alharbi, the CEO of Dammam Airports Co., said in an earlier interview with Arab News.

The city’s airport has a capacity of around 400,000 passengers but aspires to reach 1 million, Alharbi added.

Saudi Aramco mainly uses the facility, but before the pandemic struck, there was commercial activity from two or three local destinations and another two or three international sites.

“With the economic and tourism boom expected in Al-Ahsa, the development of Al-Ahsa International Airport is the most in need of projects at present,” said Alshekmubarak.

Business destination

The city is already growing in businesses as the Ministry of Municipal Rural Affairs and Housing announced in June that the investment opportunities in the city increased by 53 percent in 2021, with 362 available options on its online portal.

The total value of these investments exceeded SR275 million, Essam Al-Mulla, the mayor of Al-Ahsa, told Arab News.

The available opportunities in the portal in 2022 already reached 112 investments, said the Saudi Minister of Municipal Rural Affairs and Housing Majid Al-Hogail, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

____________

Investment opportunities in the city increased by 53 percent in 2021, with 362 available options on the ministry’s online portal. (Supplied)

___________________

SAUDI ARABIA

 

ERITREAN-AMERICAN: U.S. Senate Confirms Prof. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe as the Director, Office of Science, Federal Department of Energy

The U.S. Senate today confirmed UC Merced Professor Asmeret Asefaw Berhe to be the new director of the Office of Science in the federal Department of Energy.

The Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental scientific research for energy, and the nation’s largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences.

President Joe Biden nominated Berhe last April. She is a renowned professor of soil biogeochemistry in the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences in the School of Natural Sciences; the Ted and Jan Falasco Chair in Earth Sciences and Geology ; and the interim associate dean for Graduate Education .

“It is an incredible honor for me to be nominated, and now confirmed by the U.S. Senate, to serve as President Biden’s director of the Office of Science at the Department of Energy,” Berhe said. “I thank the president and Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, for trusting me to help lead the next chapter in the great scientific success story of the Office of Science.”

Berhe will serve in Washington, D.C., taking a leave of absence from campus. She will hold the director position for the duration of Biden’s term.

Her research is at the intersection of soil science, global change science and political ecology with an emphasis on how the soil system regulates the Earth’s climate and the dynamic two-way relationship between the natural environment and human communities.

“I hold the Office of Science and DOE National labs with highest regard as since the time I was a graduate student and until now, DOE funding and national labs have played important role in my own scientific training and research, and the training of my mentees. Further, as a soil and global change scientist who has studied and worked in public institutions of higher learning, I have always taken my responsibility to serve the public very seriously. I believe publicly funded science and technology is critical for pushing the frontiers of science forward and inspiring the next generation of scholars,” Berhe said. “I am excited to join the Department of Energy’s Office of Science to contribute to the Office’s mission of expanding human knowledge, driving discovery, and fostering innovation, technology development and economic progress.”

“This is fabulous news and so well deserved,” Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development Marjorie Zatz said. “Professor Berhe is highly respected as a researcher and thought leader by her colleagues nationally and internationally, as well as by those of us at UC Merced. She will be a terrific director for the Office of Science and a strong voice for inclusive excellence within the scientific community and beyond.”

“The School of Natural Sciences is immensely proud of Professor Berhe’s appointment to this important and influential office,” Dean Betsy Dumont said. “She is an immensely talented scientist who will bring a holistic, innovative and practical perspective to the challenges of energy and climate change.”

“Professor Berhe is an international leader in environmental sciences and climate change research, and a champion for underrepresented people in STEM,” Professor Peggy O’Day said. “We are excited by her appointment and the impact she will have on the national agenda in addressing energy and climate issues.”

Berhe is widely recognized for her research, including having been an invited speaker at the TED conference in 2019, and for her advocacy for inclusion, anti-harassment and anti-bullying. She previously served as the chair of the U.S. National Committee on Soil Science at the National Academies; was a leadership board member for the Earth Science Women’s Network; and is a co-principal investigator in the ADVANCEGeo Partnership — a National Science Foundation funded effort to empower (geo)scientists to respond to and prevent harassment, discrimination, bullying and other exclusionary behaviors in research environments. She is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America, and a member of the inaugural class of the U.S. National Academies New Voices in Science, Engineering and Medicine.

Berhe was born and raised in Asmara, Eritrea, and lives in Merced with her husband, Professor Teamrat A. Ghezzehei, and their two children. She earned a B.Sc. in soil and water conservation from the University of Asmara, an M.Sc. in political ecology from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in biogeochemistry from UC Berkeley. In 2020, she was named a Great Immigrant, Great American by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

source/content: news.ucmerced.edu (UCMERCED) (edited)

____________

Professor Berhe. Photo by Veronica Adrover.

________________________________

AMERICAN (USA) / ERITREAN

MOROCCO: Engineering Students Create “S-ILK” Innovative Fabric From Expired Milk

With the newly emerging social entrepreneurship movement, Moroccan youth are keen to develop entrepreneurial solutions to respond to local challenges.

Driven by innovation and the spirit of entrepreneurship, a student-led team from Enactus Club at Morocco’s Mohammadia School of Engineering (EMI) has developed a fabric made from milk to reduce dairy waste.

A team of 10 engineering students took the lead to make a positive impact within Moroccan society after observing the alarming amount of milk waste discharged in rivers and lakes. The dumping of milk waste has severe consequences for the balance of marine ecosystems as well as on the quality of drinking water. 

The “S-ILK” project is a promising alternative to classic fabrics, by focusing on creating a tissue based on casein, a protein extracted from milk. 

So far, the team has been able to develop the first prototype of its biodegradable fabric in the form of textile yarns and now seeks to begin mass production.

Speaking to Morocco World News, S-ILK Project Manager Omar Dirane stressed that synthetic fabrics, made from nonrenewable fossil fuels, are often bad for health and the environment. This became the reason why the team decided to use milk as a fabric to make clothes while reducing the pollution of dairy products.

Research quoted by The Guardian has found that 16% of dairy products, approximately 128 million tonnes, is lost or discarded globally each year; an efficient solution is therefore needed to reduce the environmental impacts of this large-scale food waste.

Ghita Dahhou, a project associate, told MWN that their long-term goal consists of making “S-ILK” a startup in which they seek to develop and sell eco-friendly clothes, while also raising awareness about food waste and making people eco-responsible through what they wear.

“The idea of creating a brand of ecological fibers is present and could be a big step for the textile industry in Morocco,” Dahhou said. As eco-responsible alternatives to fast fashion keep growing worldwide, the industry is significantly becoming more competitive. 

Project associate Taoufiq Saaad spoke on the difficulties they could potentially face in implementing their startup in the future, especially as young students without years of experience in the field.

S-ILK team members, however, are keen to keep their optimism and ambitions to achieve their professional aspirations, noting that “our young age will not stop us from being invested in the engineering field and giving everything we have to improve it.”

Social entrepreneurship: challenges and opportunities

Eager to position their product in the Moroccan market, the team has conducted a market study to identify their niche while focusing on customers that support environmental advocacy and are eco-responsible.

Similar customers that follow the ecological trend are harder to find in Morocco due the “traditional mindset” some people still have, Ghita argued. Such a mindset, in addition to societal pressures, hinder young project holders from “taking risks and exploring what is beyond our comfort zone.”

As part of their market research, they also conducted interviews with people in the streets of Rabat. Taoufiq Saaad highlighted that people were “intrigued by the product especially when we told them that the piece will be cheaper than actual silk.”

“As we have been showing a potential to grow, we have been able to find clients who are interested in purchasing our product,” he added.

Supported by Moroccan hypermarket chain Marjane Holdings and Orange Maroc, one of three major licensed telecommunications operators in the country, the project manager expressed the team’s interest in securing more funds to be able to expand their project.

He explained that “Orange digital center” provides them with the tools needed to elaborate their research while “Orange Fab Lab” is where they experiment on their product and work on improving it.

When asked how they manage to finance projects within Enactus EMI, especially those starting from scratch, Dirane underlined that when a project within the EMI network wins a prize, they split it so that all projects can be able to expand.

Meanwhile, Ghita underlined that in recent years, Morocco has been offering several opportunities for young project holders to show their potential, either through financial aid or other facilities that banks provide, in addition to the support and mentoring from several incubators. 

“With over 300 alumni of Enactus EMI, and 66 current members, we have much expertise, and engineers in different industries across Morocco, all coming together to contribute to the growth of innovative projects,” he added.

For Omar, Taoufiq, and Ghita, the project is helping them become the leaders of tomorrow by.being engaged in extracurricular activities to develop soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, among others, while also seeking expertise in the engineering field.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (edited)

____________

S-ILK: Moroccan Engineering Students Create Innovative Fabric From Expired Milk

_____________

MOROCCO

SAUDI ARABIA: Female Beekeeper Norah Shawi Al-Shimmari Wins Gold Medal in the Prestigious Global Honey Competition the ‘London Honey Awards’

A female Saudi beekeeper is tasting sweet success on the international stage after winning a gold medal for her honey in a prestigious global competition.

Businesswoman Norah Shawi Al-Shimmari, from the Hail region, scooped the accolade for best-quality talah (acacia) honey in the world at the London Honey Awards.

It was the first time the enterprising apiarist had taken part in the awards scheme, and she told Arab News: “Winning was one of my biggest wishes for this year. I could not believe it at first, to win is a wonderful feeling.

“It gave me a great boost to keep the good work up and participate in more competitions.”

The annual London Honey Awards competitions aim to inform honey-growers, producers, beekeepers, processors, and retailers, who distribute their standardized products legally, to preserve and ameliorate the quality of their branded items by promoting high-quality honey products in all aspects of its use and consumption.

Al-Shimmari is the only female honey farmer in Hail and is known in the Kingdom as “the beekeeper of the north.”

She and two other award winners were recently honored for their achievements by Hail Deputy Gov. Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Muqrin.

It was while exhibiting at an event in Riyadh that she was urged to enter the London Honey Awards. “I was highly encouraged by one of my beekeeper colleagues, and I am so grateful for him and his recommendation and all the help he offered.”

Al-Shimmari runs her business from Al-Khita village, on the outskirts of the city of Hail, and moves her hives on a daily basis to different locations in the area to allow her bees access to colorful and nectar-rich athel, sidr, and acacia flowers.

Acacias are distinguished by their small, often fragrant yellow, and occasionally white, flowers, that have many pollen-producing stamens and a fuzzy appearance.

To win her award, Al-Shimmari’s honey was laboratory checked for humidity levels, sucrose and glucose content, texture, and other factors. Samples were then evaluated by a jury panel, with each judge conducting an organoleptic taste analysis and marking the product based on criteria such as appearance, odor, and flavor.

Up against competitors from around the world including the UK, China, Saudi Arabia, and other Middle Eastern countries, she said: “The competition was huge, and my winning was a surprise and a shock.

“Beekeeping is about persistence and being eager to produce distinguished honey. However, my goals do not stop here. I would like to walk a steady journey; I am still dreaming of more success and achievements. This is just the beginning. I want to see my products everywhere worldwide.”

Al-Shimmari has been in the honey trade for more than five years producing 11 different products, and she recently launched a skincare line made of organic honey and honeycomb materials.

Last year, she was the only woman among 33 beekeepers who took part in the Hail Honey Festival. The event helps apiarists market their products, while increasing investment opportunities.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

___________

__________________

SAUDI ARABIA