RECORDS, (WORLD / GLOBAL) – Page 33 – Arabian Records (1st post : Eid Al Fitr – 01st Shawwal 1439 (AH) / 15th June 2018 ) / (BETA testing – Research

YEMEN: Jewish Cemetery Reconstruction hints at Yemen’s True Form

It is in times of crisis and conflict that we reveal our character most clearly. This is true today in Yemen, where even the promise of a truce brokered largely by the UN, the US and Saudi Arabia has yet to cement peace or accelerate reconstruction. To do these things, Yemenis must also rebuild the bonds of faith and community that allow any society to thrive.

Within the context of these challenges, it is all the more remarkable that Yemenis recently started restoring a 160-year-old Jewish cemetery in Aden. What started as a volunteer effort has now garnered the support of local authorities and Yemeni institutions.

It amounts to a project of interfaith tolerance and embrace in a place where such sentiments have been in short supply. In the last couple of years, Yemen’s Jewish community — one of the world’s most ancient — has disappeared. Most of the remaining few fled to nearby countries after facing persecution and even arrest by the Houthi rebels. Just a century ago, they counted in the tens of thousands and could claim a lineage of almost 3,500 years.

Jewish tradition holds that the cemetery in Aden is where the biblical Abel was buried millennia ago. He is part of the tradition of each Abrahamic faith and the collective memory of Yemeni tolerance remains despite the societal havoc of the last decade.

Each of the Abrahamic religions instructs us to act with kindness toward our brothers and sisters of other faiths. It should be inspiring to all of us to see Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the people of Aden acting in this spirit. I hope this renewed focus on a Jewish cemetery can demonstrate how faith and incremental action can help us overcome the tribulations and pitfalls of extremist politics, sects and conflicts of the past — real or imagined.

The Jewish community of Yemen is no longer, but Yemenis are honoring their own shared past and patrimony by preserving its memory. By respecting the role of Jews in Yemen’s long and storied history, Yemeni leaders are showing inclusivity and a will to protect minorities in the nation’s future as it emerges from this tragic conflict.

The contrast with the Houthi rebels and the racist ideology they propagate is stark. The Houthis prey on religious differences of doctrine and ritual to divide once-harmonious communities in Yemen. Children are drilled to hate in schools, while state workers must chant mantras of death for peoples, such as those in the US and Israel, whom they have never met and of whom they have no conception. Their celebration of innocent Yemenis or Saudis killed is reprehensible.

Analysts today speak of the truce in Yemen in terms of money, men and ideology. These things shift and change, but the need for a functioning society to incorporate people of different beliefs holds true.

The Houthis seem to hold a firm grip over large parts of Yemen. But in this land, with its rich and resilient tribal, religious and societal mosaic, intolerance makes any sense of “control” inherently fragile. The history of Yemen shows that cultish indoctrination does not change a people. Some of its most ancient buildings have crumbled and priceless literature has been lost, but the tolerant Yemen of yore remains alive in stories, poetry and prayer, as well as the hearts of its people.

The cemetery restoration effort is a microcosm of what will need to take place to return Yemen to its true form and traditions of tolerance. While some tear down history and desecrate places of worship and commemoration to create a vacuum to fill with hate for their own benefit, reconstruction efforts like the cemetery can remind all Yemenis of the primacy of tolerance in their culture.

We all pray for an end to the war in Yemen, continued peace and rapid reconstruction. Let us add to these prayers that Yemenis remain on the path to rebuild not just brick by brick, but to rebuild and restore the diversity of the Aden of old in the image of tolerance of our Creator.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited) / author below

• Rabbi Marc Schneier is president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and a noted adviser to many Gulf states.

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YEMEN

EGYPT: On the trail of the Holy Family in Egypt

As Egypt promotes the trail of the Holy Family as a major tourist experience, Ahram Online republishes an account of stops and cities where the Virgin Mary, Joseph and Jesus found safety and shelter in the country.

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”

(Matthew 2:1-2)

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The story of the holy family’s journey from Palestine to Egypt has long been recorded with dedication by historians and authors around the world. Many look upon the journey as a mark in the history of Egypt, not merely a religious event. Egyptians look with fondness and pride on the passage of the holy mother and her child through the land of Egypt, and the fact that they found solace here.

The flight to Egypt

The Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem of Judaea in Palestine. Upon his birth, wise men preached to the people of the city, declaring that Jesus was the chosen one, and that, “according to prophecies” they had seen in the stars, he would become the next king of the Jews. Upon hearing the news, King Herod was overcome by terror at the possibility of losing his throne. He decided that killing Jesus was the only way to protect his royal status.

In a dream, Joseph, the carpenter, was ordered by God to escort Jesus and his mother to Egypt, where they would find refuge. Both Western and Eastern traditions agree that the method of transport most likely used by the holy family on their journey to Egypt would have been a donkey. In this situation, the Virgin Mary would have been seated on the donkey, holding the child Jesus in her arms and Joseph would have walked by their side, leading the way.

The holy family in Sinai

Keller writes in his book, The Bible as History (1955): “A day’s journey from Gaza brought the holy family to the ancient township of Jenysos, which is mentioned by Herodotus, the Greek historian.” Today, this village, which is part of the Gaza Strip, is known as Khan Younis. “The next town on the holy family’s route would have been Raphia (Rafah), the frontier town between the Gaza Strip and the province of Egypt.”

Continuing for another 44 kilometres, beyond Raphia, and after almost two days of traveling, the mother and child reach Wadi Al-Arish, a point at which they are safe enough to obtain food and shelter. The holy family passes by other towns in Sinai such as Al-Muhammadia and Al-Farma, located 35 kilometres east of El-Qantara City. Churches from the 5th and 6th century have recently been discovered in Al-Farma.

Route to the Nile Delta

The holy family continued on its trip to the Nile Delta, stopping at the city of Musturod, only 10 kilometres from Cairo. “The Virgin Lady”, a 12th century church, was found in the city.

Keller adds in his book: “The city of Musturod was again visited by the holy family on their return journey to Palestine.” After leaving Musturod and passing by Belbes, the holy family travel west to the Valley of Natroun, crossing the western branch of the Nile (the Rasheed branch).

The holy family in Cairo

The movie Journey of the Holy Family portrays the settlement of the blessed family in Al-Mataraya district near Ein Shams (Old Heliopolis). They find shade under a sycamore tree that came to be known as “Mariam’s Tree,” which has evolved into an engrossing attraction for religious tourists. The holy “Mayron oil,” or the “Chrism,” is nowadays prepared from the oil of the tree.

An ancient church was built in the area by the name of “The Virgin Mary” and is visited by people to this day. Paintings can be found inside the church, including maps of the holy family’s journey, as well as a statue of Jesus and his blessed mother guarded by Joseph the Carpenter.

In his book The Geography of Coptic Egypt (1989), French historian Amelenio narrates some of the stories passed down about the miracles of “Mariam’s Tree.”

One such story tells how “the French army sat by the tree, drank from its well and wrote their names on its stems.” It is believed that some of the wounded soldiers were healed by its oil. Amelenio adds: “Al-Matarya district became the most popular shrine in Egypt; a place where people flooded to for blessings and spiritual remedies.”

The second district visited by the holy family in Cairo was Al-Zeitun, where a church by the name “The Virgin Mary” was constructed in Toman Bey Street. It is said that appearances of the blessed lady were witnessed around the domes of the church up until recent years.

Another spot visited by the holy family was Zowela Avenue on at Been El-Soreen Street in El-Gamaleya district. An ancient church is found there with the same name, “The Virgin Mary”. It is considered one of the largest churches in Egypt and is distinguished by its basaltic style.

The holy family moved on to “Old Egypt” (Al-Fustaat) where they dwelled for a short time in a cave in Abi Serja’s Church, within the walls of the Roman Babylon fortress. “The cave is about 20 feet tall, 15 feet wide and does not have any windows,” as described by Amelenio, who believes the holy family’s stay in the cave did not exceed a week. After leaving Al-Fustaat, they moved to Maadi district and settled at the location where the Virgin Mary Monastery and church were later built by the Nile.

Amelenio explains that during Ottoman rule in Egypt, the church had a marina for boats allocated for the transport of people and soldiers traveling to and from Egypt. Some villages in Upper Egypt were visited by the holy family such as Assiut and Minya. In the book History of the Coptic Nation, author Samy Saleh records that the holy family took the same route on their journey back to Palestine. They first go to Maadi, passing through Old Egypt, then follow the road to Ein Shams, back to the city of Mustorod, and finally El-Arish, and from there to Gaza.

The trail of the blessed

At present, many Egyptian historians and archeologists are calling for a project to track each town or city visited by the holy family, so as to make it easier for tourists to visit the blessed spots, thus reviving the symbolism of the holy journey and its message of peace and goodwill to all men.

*This story was first publised in Christmas 2012.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg (headline edited)

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EGYPT

JORDAN: Pharmacologist Dr.Nancy Hakooz Receives International Honour by the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics’ (ISSX), USA

The Jordanian pharmacologist Nancy Hakooz has been chosen as the first recipient of a prestigious new prize for a scientist from a developing country, given by the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics.

The society, known as ISSX, is the premier scientific organisation for researchers who study how organisms metabolise and dispose of xenobiotics. Xenobiotics are compounds that are foreign to an organism or are not part of its normal nutrition. Examples include drugs, food additives, and environmental pollutants.

The new prize, called the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Xenobiotic Research by a Scientist from an Underrepresented Nation, will honour researchers either for a single major contribution to research in the field of xenobiotics, or for significant sustained contributions over time.

Hakooz, a professor of pharmacogenetics in the University of Jordan’s School of Pharmacy, was chosen to receive the inaugural award “in appreciation of her efforts in studying the effect of genes on drug response, and her studying the genes of genetically isolated peoples such as the Circassians and Chechens in Jordan.”

She will receive the award at the society’s international conference in Seattle in September

In an interview with Al-Fanar Media, Hakooz said it was important for Arab scientists to be represented in international scholarly societies like the ISSX. “We have distinguished research in this field, despite the lack of capabilities,” she said.

A Practical Element in Her Research

During her research career, Hakooz has focused on practical aspects of the topics she studies, such as how genetics affect the appropriateness of certain drugs for specific patients.

“Not all patients benefit from the same drug or the same dose, since there are genetic differences between people,” she said.

“If we can study the effect of these differences on the effectiveness of a drug in patients, then the prescription for each drug will be different from one person to another,” she said. “This is called personalising medicine, meaning that the drug is provided in accordance with each patient’s condition.”

Studying a Subject She Loved

Hakooz says she chose to study pharmacy “out of love and conviction.” She had many choices of what to study at university, she said, because her excellent grades in high school. “However, I was satisfied to study what I really loved.”

After she received her bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Jordan in 1992, Hakooz worked for a year as a teaching assistant in the School of Pharmacy. She then got a scholarship to study for a doctorate at the University of Manchester, in the United Kingdom.

She obtained her Ph.D. four years later, specialising in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, the branch of pharmacology concerned with the movement of drugs within the body.

Challenges for Arab Researchers

After returning to the University of Jordan in 1997, Hakooz tried to work on research similar to her studies at the University of Manchester, but she ran into difficulties for lack of funding and support. She needed lab animals, she said, but their cost was very high, and it was not easy to obtain them in Jordan at that time.

The lack of sustained funding is one of the major challenges facing scientific research in Jordan, she said. Others include the lack of a group research culture, in which scientists exchange advice and knowledge.

When she first returned from abroad, Hakooz said, she found researchers working on isolated “islands”. However, things have become better in the last ten years, with much better collaboration among research groups, she said.

To have a group culture, she tells young researchers, it is not a requirement that all of them do the same type of research, but that they support each other through research participation, each in their own discipline.

Medicinal Clinical Trials in Jordan

Despite these challenges, Hakooz believes Jordan has a great opportunity to become a regional centre for clinical studies of new drugs. Jordan has distinguished, globally recognised research centres that could participate in such studies, she said.

Pharmaceutical companies need to conduct clinical trials of new medicines in more than one place to collect data on a drug’s effectiveness and safety, Hakooz said.

An important question, she said, is, “How similar are the genetics of the people who participate in drug trials?”

Being able to answer that question will allow researchers to say whether the drug will be just as effective when it is widely circulated, she said. “The answer may be positive or negative. In order to be sure, we must participate in those experiments.”

Women in Higher Education

In addition to conducting research, Hakooz has held several administrative positions in her academic career.

She served as the founding dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Zarqa University, in northern Jordan, between 2010 and 2016. She was also a vice president of the university for three years during the same period.

In 2016, she returned to her alma mater, the University of Jordan’s School of Pharmacy. Four years later, she become the head of the college’s department of biological and clinical pharmacy.

On women’s leadership in Arab higher education institutions, she said: “In our country, administrative positions are granted, not acquired, and are not open to competition.”

“At the University of Jordan, for example, we have one female vice president compared to four male vice presidents, and three female deans compared to 21 college deans,” she said.

“Academic leadership positions in public universities are governed by a permanent factor, which is personal acquaintances because they are governed by appointment.”

“Administrative positions in academia come and go,” she added. “My genuine passion is teaching and seeing my students’ eyes shine when they catch a new idea.”

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

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JORDAN

SAUDI ARABIA: With $1.1tn Investment, Saudi Arabia to become the World’s Biggest Construction Site: Knight Frank

Following the launch of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 in 2016, the Kingdom is on its way to becoming the world’s biggest construction site with a total investment of SR4.13 trillion ($1.1 trillion) in infrastructure and real estate projects, according to global real estate consultancy Knight Frank.

The real estate firm projected that Riyadh’s population will reach 17 million by 2030, up from about 7.5 million today. The city has unveiled real estate projects worth $104 billion since the Kingdom’s National Transformation Plan launch in 2016.

“Vision 2030 has lit the embers of excitement across the Kingdom, and with NEOM positioned as a crown jewel in the transformative plans, people are eager to be part of history,” Faisal Durrani, partner and head of Middle East research, Knight Frank told Arab News.

Saudi Arabia will easily become the largest construction site in history, with planned construction projects in the Kingdom being over 555,000 residential units, over 275,000 hotel keys, over 4.3 million square meters of retail space, and over 6.1 million square meters of office space, Durrani said.

The consultancy firm is currently monitoring 15 giga-projects in the Kingdom, many of them new standalone supercities, said Harmen de Jong, partner and head of real estate, Strategy& Consulting in the Kingdom.

NEOM is expected to house 9 million residents across 300,000 new homes once completed, making it the largest giga-project announced to date, Jong added.

Among 1,000 Saudi households surveyed, Diriyah Gate came third in popularity as a place to own a home, behind NEOM and The Red Sea Project.

NEOM is radically redefining urban living in resource-poor regions, Durrani said. At the same time, sub-cities like the Octagon, Trojena and the Line will set new benchmarks for luxury living in the area.

Around 30 percent of Saudi homeowners are prepared to spend more than $800,000 on a second home at NEOM. “Developers have their work cut out to satisfy this pent-up demand,” Durrani added.

De Jong said that the construction progress of part of the projects stands at 29 percent, with only $7.5 billion of subprojects being commissioned.

Riyadh’s rebirth

Another head-turning giga-project is the $20 billion Diriyah Gate which will give Riyadh 20,000 homes when it is completed in 2027, creating a city-sized historic district.

Knight Frank estimated that about $2.3 billion had been spent on Diriyah Gate’s construction.

“Not to be outdone, Riyadh’s repositioning as a commercial nerve center of the Kingdom is well underway. And businesses from the world over are already clamoring to be at the center of the Middle East’s second and much-needed global hub,” Durrani said.

Durrani added that the planned development of 2.8 million square meters of world-class office space could not come at a better time with Grade A office occupancy levels hovering around 97 percent across the city.

According to Knight Frank, an international airport worth $147 billion is also set to open shortly. Nearly 74 percent of the $200 billion national infrastructure investment goes toward the new airport.

“The city is also attracting a huge number of internal migrants, and with readily available support to get on the housing ladder, house prices are rising rapidly and currently stand some 26 percent higher than this time last year,” he said.

Well-being hub

The Kingdom is also improving and providing world-class urban environments for its residents with the $500 million Riyadh Sports Boulevard and the $23 billion Green Riyadh, planting 7.5 million trees in the Saudi capital to transform it into a green, vibrant metropolis.

It also extends to the 19,000 hospital beds planned for $13.8 billion, of which $8.6 billion will be spent in Riyadh Province alone.

According to de Jong, over 80 new educational institutions are being constructed for $82 billion.

“What’s more, healthcare, education and well-being sit at the core of the transformative plans, which will contribute to an extraordinary evolution in the Kingdom’s physical realm, making it unrecognizable from what we see today by the end of the decade,” Durrani said.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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SAUDI ARABIA

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES(U.A.E) :ADNOC Sends First-ever Low-Carbon Ammonia Shipment from the UAE to Germany

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced, today (September 01) that its first shipment of low-carbon ammonia has left the United Arab Emirates (UAE) bound for Hamburg, Germany. This is the first ever cargo of low-carbon ammonia to be shipped to Germany.

The demonstration cargo will be delivered to Aurubis, a leading global provider of non-ferrous metals and one of the largest copper recyclers worldwide, that has its headquarters in Hamburg. On arrival in Germany, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), one of Europe’s leading logistics companies will handle the cargo.

Produced by Fertiglobe, a partnership between ADNOC and OCI, at its Fertil plant in Abu Dhabi’s Ruwais industrial complex, the demonstration cargo is the first of several test cargoes sold to customers in Germany as ADNOC expands its strategic energy partnership across the hydrogen value chain. The cargo follows a number of similar low-carbon ammonia sales that have been made to customers in Asia. Aurubis plans to utilize the low-carbon ammonia as a feedstock in its wire rod plant, testing its application as an additional, lower-carbon energy source for industial ulilization. The hydrogen it contains has the potential to be a low-carbon energy alternative for the energy-intensive processes in multi-metal production.

This is another important milestone in the planned scale-up of hydrogen and low-carbon ammonia production capabilities in Abu Dhabi, where ADNOC is developing a new world-scale 1 million tons per annum low-carbon ammonia plant at TA’ZIZ, the chemicals, industrial services and logistics hub in the Ruwais Industrial Complex.

His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, said: “This demonstration cargo of low-carbon ammonia builds upon the longstanding bilateral relationship between the UAE and Germany and our growing partnership in clean energy. It highlights ADNOC’s expanding role as a trusted exporter of low-carbon fuels, as the UAE focuses on the industrial growth opportunities within the energy transition.

“Our collaboration with customers in Germany also underlines ADNOC’s ambitious growth plans for the production of clean hydrogen, and its carrier fuels such as ammonia, which will play a critical role in decarbonizing hard-to-abate industrial sectors. We are committed to accelerating and deepening private and public sector collaboration in clean hydrogen projects that will reduce carbon emissions and the carbon intensity of the energy that supports our everyday lives.”

Roland Harings, CEO of Aurubis, said: “As the most efficient and sustainable smelter network in the world, Aurubis provides metals that are key for megatrends such as renewable energies, electric mobility and digitalization and hence for decarbonization. To guarantee stable processes at our sites, we are expanding our portfolio of reliable energy sources and thus investing in the decarbonization of our production at the same time. This first trial shipment of low-carbon ammonia from ADNOC represents an important milestone in our long-term vision for hydrogen solutions that will help meet our decarbonization goals.”

Angela Titzrath, CEO of HHLA, said: “With its experience in port handling and logistic of containerized dangerous goods, its vast network of seaport terminals, hinterland connections and intermodal hubs across Europe, HHLA is pleased to facilitate the import of hydrogen and its derivates to Germany and Europe as part of the strategic energy partnership.”

H.E. Michael Westhagemann, Hamburg Senator for Economy and Innovation, said: “I very much welcome the fact that our international and national partners in business and the port are leading the way with these real-world trials for decarbonizing industry. We need these real-world findings and commitment to support the ramp-up of a Green Hydrogen Economy. Hamburg as an industrial location and as a European distribution port is a blueprint for this transformation and is therefore also in the German focus.”

During the visit of H.E. Dr. Robert Habeck, Germany’s Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action to the UAE in March 2021, ADNOC signed agreements with a number of German companies to explore opportunities for collaboration in low-carbon and renewable hydrogen derivatives.

Building on its position as an early mover in the production of hydrogen, ADNOC plans to significantly grow its hydrogen production in support of the UAE’s ambition to supply up to 25% of imported hydrogen in key global markets. Germany’s national hydrogen strategy expects an import demand for clean hydrogen of approximately 3 million tons per annum (mtpa) by 2030 and up to 15 mtpa by 2050 when, according to research from the Hydrogen Council, hydrogen could meet up to 18% of the world’s energy demand.

Low-carbon ammonia is the most promising at-scale hydrogen carrier and potential clean fuel for a wide range of applications, including transportation, power generation and industrial, including steel, cement, and fertilizer production. It is made from nitrogen and clean hydrogen derived from natural gas feedstocks, with the carbon dioxide by-product from hydrogen production captured and stored.

Collaboration with end-user Aurubis and logistics company HHLA underscores expanding role of ADNOC as a trusted exporter of low-carbon fuels as the UAE focuses on industrial growth opportunities within the energy transition

ADNOC plans to significantly grow its hydrogen production in support of the UAE’s ambition to supply up to 25 per cent of hydrogen demand in key global markets.

source/contents: adnoc.ae (headline edited)

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

QATAR: Microsoft Opens First Global Datacenter Region in Qatar, bringing New Opportunities for a Cloud-First Economy

The new cloud datacenter region launches with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, giving organizations access to hundreds of scalable, highly available and resilient cloud services.

Today, Microsoft announced the launch of its new datacenter region in Qatar, marking a major milestone for Microsoft as the first hyperscale cloud provider to deliver enterprise-grade services in the country. The new world-class datacenters are open for business with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 available today.

The continued investment is in response to Qatar’s growing demand for high performance computing, and fast and reliable access to Microsoft services. The new datacenter region will play a pivotal role in providing access to scalable, highly available, and resilient cloud services to accelerate the digital transformation and advance intelligent cloud adoption of businesses, customers, and partners across Qatar.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said: The launch of the Data Centre today is considered an important milestone in the process of transforming the State of Qatar into an advanced and pioneering digital center in the Middle East and the world. This journey was inspired by the Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to establish a diversified and competitive national economy.”

His Excellency continued: “These pioneering projects in the field of digital transformation, communications and information technology would not have been achieved without the ambitions of the country’s wise leadership and its vision to this vital sector, believing in its crucial role in the development of other economic sectors. Legislative and legal regulation of the sector and enhance its attractiveness.

“Microsoft has more datacenter regions than any other cloud provider and today we are proud to deliver the first hyperscale cloud datacenter region to Qatar. This development will increase opportunities for organizations of all sizes and across all sectors to leverage our trusted cloud to innovate, better serve their customers and achieve their business goals – ultimately supporting continued economic growth that benefits all residents.” said Ralph Haupter, President of Microsoft EMEA.

Providing new opportunities for customers and partners

The Qatar cloud data center region will drive growth and scale for Microsoft customers and partners in the country. Microsoft customers across multiple industries, including the Ministry of Communication and Information technology, TASMU PLATFORM, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, and many others, have already embraced the Microsoft Cloud to develop digital capabilities and innovate in their industries. Microsoft partners such as EY, Ooredoo, Vodafone, QDS, PWC, ICT, Malomatia, Intel, Mannai, Meeza, Starlink, and Veeam are delivering transformative solutions across the Microsoft Cloud to drive customer success.

Building future-ready skills for employability

Earlier this year, Microsoft, in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), launched the National Skilling Program, with the goal to upskill over 50,000 people in Qatar through providing digital skills acquisition programs over the next four years. To date, the program had benefited over 14,000 people.

Microsoft has also established a first-of-its kind Digital Center of Excellence to help bridge the skills gap amongst the IT community and help accelerate digital transformation, in collaboration with leading universities such as MIT xPro, the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD) and HEC Paris.

Delivering reliable, trusted, and resilient cloud, securely

Businesses of all sizes and industries can now host their cloud workloads in Microsoft’s Qatar datacenter, taking advantage of enterprise-grade reliability and performance. Customers can begin leveraging Microsoft Azure to develop advanced applications using AI, data and analytics, IoT and hybrid capabilities with advanced digital security and more, as well as Microsoft 365, the world’s productivity cloud that delivers best-of-breed productivity apps delivered seamlessly through cloud services.

With over 100 compliance offerings – the broadest set of compliance offerings and programs of any public cloud provider – the Microsoft cloud significantly empowers customers to meet local compliance and policy requirements. This includes the National Information Assurance Certification issued by the National Cyber Security Agency, which Microsoft received earlier this year.

“With its longstanding history as an early adopter of technology, Qatar has completely embraced cloud solutions and revolutionized entire industries to develop a new, advanced digital economy. Today’s announcement will enable the country to take these groundbreaking innovations to the world, showcase its standing as a leader in digital transformation and cement Qatar’s place as a global hub for innovation,” said Lana Khalaf, Microsoft Country Manager.

To learn more about the Microsoft cloud datacenter region in Qatar, please visit the website.

source/content: news.microsoft.com

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MICROSOFT / QATAR

MOROCCO: Yassine Bounou (aka..Bono) makes History, becomes First Arab to Win Spanish Football League’s ‘Best Goalkeeper Award – Ricardo Zamora Trophy’

Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who plays for Sevilla FC, has become the first ever Arab goalkeeper to win the Spanish football league’s best goalkeeper award, the Ricardo Zamora Trophy.

Morocco and Sevilla FC goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has made history as the first Arab goalkeeper to win the Ricardo Zamora Trophy, which is awarded to the Spanish football league’s best goalkeeper of the season.

The coveted trophy, which has been awarded since 1958, is handed to the La Liga keeper with the lowest goals-to-games ratio, having played a minimum of 60 minutes in at least 28 matches.

Bounou, who has played for Sevilla since 2019, conceded 24 goals in 31 matches during the 2021-2022 season, finishing ahead of Real Madrid and Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois who conceded 29 goals, while 32 goals were scored against Real Sociedad’s Alex Remiro. Bounou also received 13 clean sheets, meaning that no goal was conceded in those matches.

The Morocco international first joined Sevilla on loan for a year, before signing a permanent four-year contract with the Andalusian giants in 2020.

The goalkeeper, who is nicknamed ‘Bono’ by football fans, is also the first ever Sevilla player to win the award.

He also became the second African to win the prize after Cameroonian Jacques Songo’o, who played for Deportivo La Coruna and was awarded the trophy in 1997.

Bounou’s efforts also lead to Sevilla’s fourth-place finish in La Liga, enabling the team to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League, alongside Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

Canada-born Bounou, who has earned 40 caps for the Moroccan national team, will be one of the Arab players to watch in this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the Atlas Lions will be making their sixth appearance.

source/content: english.alaraby.co.uk (The New Arab) (headline edited)

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MOROCCO

QATAR to Build World’s Largest ‘Blue’ Ammonia Plant

QatarEnergy will build the world’s largest “blue” ammonia plant, which is expected to come online in the first quarter of 2026 and to produce 1.2 million tons per year, Saad Al-Kaabi, chief executive and state minister for energy, said .

While conventional ammonia production emits CO2 if it is made with fossil fuel, during the production of blue ammonia any carbon dioxide generated is captured and stored.

The facility, the Ammonia-7 project, will cost $1.156 billion to build and capture and sequester 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide a year through the manufacturing process, he added.

“We see an increasing interest in using ammonia as fuel, driven by the need to reduce CO2 emissions in the energy ecosystem,” Al-Kaabi said.

Ammonia is mainly made from hydrogen produced from natural gas and nitrogen from the air. It does not emit CO2 when burned.

It is principally used as a raw material for fertilizer and chemicals, but it can also be used as a low-carbon fuel in power stations.

Thyssenkrupp and Consolidated Contractors Co. are the contractors of the project.

source/content: arabnews.com

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While conventional ammonia production emits CO2 if it is made with fossil fuel, during the production of blue ammonia any carbon dioxide generated is captured and stored.

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QATAR

MOROCCO: 19-year Salaheddine Benyazide Wins 3000m Steeple Bronze ‘2022 World Athletics U20 Championships, Cali 22’

Moroccan athlete Salaheddine Benyazide won the bronze medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase race on Saturday, as part of the Cali 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships, Columbia.

The young athlete was able to snatch the third place with a time of 8 minutes, 40 seconds, and 62 milliseconds, coming right behind the Ethiopians Samuel Duguna and Samuel Firewu.

Duguna achieved a time of 8 minutes, 37 seconds, and 92 milliseconds, while Firewu’s time came in at 8 minutes, 39 seconds, and 11 milliseconds.

The time is Benyazide’s fourth best in this race category, with his personal best being 8 minutes, 19 seconds, and 63 milliseconds, achieved earlier this year in Rabat.

The medal is Benyazide’s first on the world stage. Having been active in Morocco’s athletic scene since 2021, the 19 year-old athlete started participating in international races in 2022.

Celebrations and support have been pouring in following the young Moroccan’s medal, and many have hailed Benyazide’s success on the global stage as an achievement not only for Morocco, but for Arab athletics in general.

As he is participating in more international events this year, the young athlete is widely expected to represent Morocco more often on the world stage in the coming years, following in the footsteps of other Moroccans to preserve the country’s increasingly stellar athletics record.

Ethiopian athletes took the gold and silver medals in the race.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

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MOROCCO

EGYPT : Veteran Egyptian Diplomat Mohamed Idris Appointed Member of UN Peacebuilding Fund Advisory Group

Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres has appointed Egypt’s former permanent representative to the UN Mohamed Idris as a member of the Advisory Group of the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced .

The appointment is in appreciation of the Egyptian diplomat’s efforts during Egypt’s 2021 presidency of the UN Peacebuilding Commission and as an affirmation of Egypt’s leadership in enhancing the effectiveness of the UN peacebuilding structure since its establishment in 2005, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

This is the fourth time an Egyptian has been appointed as a member of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, representing African countries, it added

The members of the Advisory group have an important role in advising the UN Secretary-General on the programmes and activities of the Peacebuilding Fund in accordance with requests from Member States and overseeing the implementation of the programmes of the Fund, a large part of which is located on the African continent, the ministry said.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg (headline edited)

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EGYPT