Day: August 28, 2022

DUBAI, In line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to reinforce Dubai’s status as a regional hub of media and creativity, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Media Council, issued Decisions No. (4) and No. (5) of 2022, creating the Publishing Advisory Council and Content Creation Advisory Council.

The advisory councils will review and develop strategies for Dubai’s media institutions, overseeing the publishing sector and developing the content creation policy at Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI). The objectives of the councils will include enhancing the competitiveness of Dubai’s media sector and preparing a conducive environment for attracting and nurturing talented local youth.

The move, which comes as part of the Dubai Media Council’s comprehensive strategy to develop the various segments of media in Dubai, including audio-visual, print and digital media, aims to attract talents and develop the emirate’s media establishments to meet Dubai’s strategic objectives in line with the national agenda.

The councils will draft plans to retain local talents and set development and training programmes for the media institutions’ talented professionals and ensure that DMI’s policies continue to align with Dubai’s strategic priorities, in line with the national interest.

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed said, “Modernising the media sector is one of the Council’s top priorities, in line with realising the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and implementing his directives to develop plans and strategies to advance the media sector and to work on attracting talents to achieve a quantum leap in the domain.”

“We work closely with relevant entities to develop plans that meet requirements for technical equipment and human capital. I personally follow up on the outcomes and recommendations of the task forces. I am confident that their efforts will culminate in a comprehensive plan that will contribute to developing the media sector, raise Dubai’s status further, and realise the vision of its leadership,” he added.

Mona Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, said, “The launch of the media advisory councils is a step towards identifying the requirements and learning about the challenges of Dubai’s media establishments. The members of these councils have rich experience and knowledge of the different media sectors, including audio-visual, print and digital media.”

“We have a comprehensive strategy to develop and modernise the media sector to keep pace with Dubai’s leading status in the domain. The strategy aims to support the sector with all the necessary technical equipment and human capital, as well as to grant the opportunity to local talents to contribute to developing this vital sector,” Al Marri noted.

“The Council will now focus on enhancing the competitiveness of Dubai’s media sector to achieve the highest level of distinction and leadership through the use of industry best practices to meet Dubai’s future aspirations and help convey its message to the world,” she added.

Nehal Badri, Secretary General of Dubai Media Council, highlighted the rapid pace of work at the Council, including the formation of task forces and committees for developing the media institutions. She also highlighted the critical role these advisory councils will play in accelerating the process and achieving the objectives to develop the sector.

Decision No. (4) of 2022 issued by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed created the Publishing Advisory Council to oversee the publishing sector at Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI), develop its policies to align with the national interest, draft plans to retain local talents and set development and training programmes for its talented professionals.

The Publishing Advisory Council is also tasked with developing plans to serve the strategies approved by Dubai Media Council and as an advisory body to propose plans in line with Dubai’s objectives and the national agenda. The Publishing Advisory Council will also propose initiatives to boost Emiratisation and attract and retain talents in the sector.

Salem Butti Belyouha, Director of Media Services at the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), will serve as Chairman of the Publishing Advisory Council, while Majid Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President of Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City, will serve as its Vice Chairman. Board members of the Publishing Advisory Council include Noora Al Abbar, Director, International Media, GDMO; Ali bin Thalith, Secretary General of the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award; Reem Al Marri, Director of Emirates News at DMI’s News Centre; Khalifa Al Room, Secretary General of Dubai Police Youth Leadership Council and Head of Marketing & Media Committee for Smart Police Stations at Dubai Police; Ahlam Bolooki, Director of the Emirates Festival of Literature; Abdulla Al Nuaimi, Chief of Marketing & Communications, Dubai Future Foundation; and Dubai Abulhoul, CEO of Fikr Institute.

Decision No. (5) of 2022 issued by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed created the Content Creation Advisory Council to develop the content creation policy at DMI and ensure that it aligns with the national interest.

The Content Creation Advisory Council is tasked with suggesting recommendations for content creation and reviewing the policy related to content and programmes to ensure that it aligns with Dubai’s strategic objectives and the national agenda.

Ahmed Al Mansouri, Advisor at Dubai Media Council, will serve as the Chairman of the Content Creation Advisory Council, while Mahmoud Al Rasheed, General Manager of Arab Media Group, will serve as its Vice Chairman. Board members of the Content Creation Advisory Council include Abdulaziz Al Jaziri, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer at Dubai Future Foundation; Dr. Maitha Buhumaid, Director of Dubai Press Club; Nehla Al Fahd, professional Director and Executive Producer; Mohammed Saeed Harib, professional Animator and Director; Faisal AlHawi, Head of Accelerators at Dubai Future Foundation; Adnan Al Obathani, Entrepreneur and Emirati investor in digital media and content; and Khadija Al Marzouqi, Editor in Chief at Dubai Post.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, Ambassador of the Republic of Malta to the United Araba Emirates, Maria Camilleri Calleja, has hailed the contributions of Emirati women to all aspects of life across the nation.

In a statement on the Emirati Women’s Day, the diplomat said, “I have come across distinguished female models in all sectors in the UAE, including aviation engineers, diplomats, ambassadresses, journalists, businesswomen, doctors, daughters, mothers and grandmothers who have efficiently contributed to the progress and development drive in the country.”

She added that the UAE is a model to be emulated for supporting and empowering women to maintain their contributions to the nation’s development and prosperity.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Teleworking Applications Office, in cooperation with the National Programme for Artificial Intelligence, has successfully concluded the fourth edition of UAE AI Camp, which help hone the skills of 7,750 people participating in its activities and workshops.

Organised in partnership with several local entities and international companies specialised in AI and programming, the workshops covered 77 different topics targeting all community segments, including children, school and university students, developers, and programming experts in the field of AI. Topics focused on enhancing their future capabilities, sharing their practical and academic knowledge with international experts in technology and AI fields, and organising proactive workshops that enable them to foresee the features of the digital future.

Commenting on this success, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Teleworking Applications, stated that providing an environment that invests in future makers and empowering AI experts ensures the digital future, while sharing the knowledge with leading entities and companies contributes to creating the best digital practices in the UAE and implementing AI in vital sectors.

Al Olama said that the number of participants in the UAE AI Camp reflects that people are now aware of the importance of utilising AI and their willingness to learn, execute and flourish in the digital world. “On the other hand, we have an ambitious government that seeks to enable these talents and ensure their growth in the Metaverse, Artificial Intelligence, and programming. That will come through comprehensive programmes, camps, and initiatives to spread the concept of AI and future talents and ensure a strong digital infrastructure in the UAE and its sustainability.”

In this occasion, Mohammed Amin, Sr. Vice President – META, Dell Technologies, said, “We live in a digital world and programming has become a part of everything around us, which imposes major changes on future jobs. Today, coding is an essential skill that school students and youngsters must master to be able to contribute to creating a technology-led future. The Artificial Intelligence for Young People initiative has been a huge success as we enrolled 1,000 students, from 40+ nationalities, aged 9-17, who learnt the basics of AI and coding. We also held 200 coding classes, that focused on teaching the students how to code using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools to keep pace with scientific developments in all areas of programming. Our goal at Dell Technologies is to harness the power of technology to drive human progress, so programmes such as this are in line with our vision to use technology to transform lives. We’re honored to have collaborated with the UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Teleworking Applications Office to support this programme as it played a key role towards building an ecosystem of future coders who can be part of tomorrow’s digital workforce.”

Bashar Kilani, Managing Director at Accenture Middle East, said that Accenture’s participation in the UAE AI Camp aims to cultivate talent through education and training supporting the accelerated transformation to the digital economy. The focus was on skills that prepare the youth to handle advanced technology infrastructure and build capabilities to create and capture economic value.

UAE AI Camp came this year with many opportunities to teach about AI solutions, implementing knowledge in innovating solutions for future challenges, provide in-depth knowledge about Metaverse, and ways to develop technology and imagine the best future.

Local companies and international companies such as Microsoft, Accenture, Huawei, Careem, Dell, Zoom, Le Wagon, Toda, Jeel Code, IBM, Nobel Brog, MContent, Data Tech Labs, Dubai Municipality, Dubai future labs and Oli Oli participated in the organisation of the workshops and activities in the UAE AI Camp.

Workshops were held in Coders HQ and Theatre of Digital Art and adopted an innovative approach to presenting the topic of AI and programming in an educational way, practical way and even a fun way, such as MicroPets, which was for the children to make a pet using AI and technological techniques to identify different inputs (such as light, movement and sound)and respond through different outputs ( Such as showing other facial expressions, making a sound or moving). Other workshops enhanced utilise of VR headsets to simplify the idea of Metaverse for participants and introduce them to Blockchain technologies and its benefits in real life.

Furthermore, some of the workshops were designed for the parents to introduce them to cybersecurity basics and how to ensure safety in the digital life to protect their children from digital challenges and enhance AI utilisation by all society members.

Several workshops focused on how to enter the audio library world, record the podcast step by step, and how to create electronic video games to focus on AI, future skills, and creativity in programming.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, Several female Emirati volunteers who are part of programmes and initiatives of the Authority of Social Contribution (Ma’an) stressed that Emirati Women’s Day is an occasion to celebrate the inspiring achievements of Emirati women and their role in creating a sustainable social impact that enhances the country’s stature.

In her statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Salama Al Amimi, Director-General of Ma’an, said Emirati Women’s Day is a realisation of the empowerment approach established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and highlights the efforts and directives of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, and the “Mother of the Nation”, to enhance the stature of Emirati women and support them.

“In light of the ongoing support of the UAE’s leadership for Emirati women, under the framework of a forward-looking vision aimed at empowering them, Emirati women have utilised all opportunities provided to them in various areas, and have engaged in the process of sustainable development,” she said.

Since the establishment of the authority, it has been keen to offer support and guidance to the projects and ideas of Emirati social entrepreneurs, and the previous years have witnessed a range of distinguished projects led by young Emirati women, she added.

The Ghaya financial literacy programme has witnessed the active participation of Emirati instructors volunteering to correct concepts related to financial administration. They have trained four female batches.

Nada Saeed Abdullah, an accredited Emirati business skills and financial affairs trainer, who works as a financial manager for the Emirates Foundation, has over 20 years of experience. She said the purpose of her participation in the programme and volunteering as a trainer is to share her knowledge to benefit others, and added that she loves to share her knowledge and expertise with members of the community to benefit everyone.

The programme was established at the right time because everyone needs to think about gaining the necessary financial culture skills, she stressed. The UAE’s leadership has empowered women and enabled them to become key partners in the process of comprehensive development, affirming that they need to be influential and efficient and must capitalise on all available opportunities to engage and leave a remarkable mark on the community, she added.

Khadija Al Ghafri, a banking sector employee from Ras Al Khaimah, said that she has been volunteering since 2021 and is keen to attend a wide range of national programmes and activities.

The Ma’an programme has encouraged her to use her professional and volunteering experience. She is an accredited trainer working in the banking sector with a passion for volunteering, she added.

She also stated that she is confident that this distinguished social programme will have a considerable effect on the community, which will not be limited to its participants but will also impact their families, friends and colleagues.

“Solidarity and cooperation will help us address and overcome challenges. I am proud to be a volunteer, training three batches of the Ghaya financial literacy programme,” she said.

Sheikha Al Suwaidi, an employee of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi who volunteers for the programme, said that she is keen to share her knowledge and skills with members of the community, explaining that most young people encounter problems when managing their finances, which is mainly not knowing what you need and what you want.

Al Suwaidi said that Sheikha Fatima is her role model, and as an Emirati woman managing her family’s and children’s affairs, she believes that Emirati women can make a positive impact on the community, adding that she can share her knowledge and expertise through her work and volunteering activities to benefit the community.

The Journey of Generations programme is one of the authority’s leading initiatives, organised in cooperation with the Al Mubarakah Foundation to promote interactions between elderly citizens and residents and the youth in the Abu Dhabi community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Samira Mohammed, one of the programme’s volunteers who is currently retired, said volunteering is a spiritually fulfilling activity, as it brings happiness and enriches people’s skills.

She then explained that volunteering activities in the UAE have witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, but there is still work to be done to raise the public’s awareness about the importance and benefits of volunteering, as part of people’s national duty.

She also noted that Emirati women have demonstrated their ability to produce and give, as well as promote the UAE’s developmental stature. They are capable of leading key sectors and fields, and traditional perceptions about women have changed, in light of the keenness of the UAE’s leadership to empower women and enable them to excel and innovate.

On Emirati Women’s Day, Mohammed is sending a message to all women in the country, telling them to be confident and invest their energies, in serving themselves and the community.

Shuae Al Rumaithi, a student at Abu Dhabi University and a volunteer for the Journey of Generations programme, stated that the youth must be more connected to senior citizens. She was keen to volunteer in the programme to learn from the experiences of senior citizens and explore the country’s traditional heritage.

“Senior citizens are a true wealth for the country’s citizens, and a link between the past and present,” she said. The UAE and its leadership have exerted all possible efforts to empower women and encourage them to achieve many unprecedented achievements and successes. Emirati women have proven that they are worthy of assuming leading positions in all areas, she added.

Source: Emirates News Agency