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Millennium Hotels & Resorts MEA Joins World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

by Madaline Dunn 1 year ago

written by Madaline Dunn

Millennium Hotels and Resorts Middle East & Africa has announced it has joined the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (the Alliance) at Arabian Travel Market (ATM).

This move means that Millennium Hotels & Resorts Middle East & Africa joins nearly 50 other global members in addressing the critical challenges affecting the planet, communities, and the hospitality industry.

It was shared that the Alliance offers resources and programs to assist the sector in operating responsibly and driving forward sustainability.

Fahad Abdulrahim Kazim, CEO of Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA and Lakhraim Group, said: “We are committed to environmental responsibility and believe that the Alliance’s collaborative approach and resources will be instrumental in achieving our sustainability goals.

“Together with like-minded global leaders, we aim to spearhead positive change in the hospitality industry, driving towards a more sustainable future for our planet, people, and businesses. Through our Green Path Brand Playbook and focus on partnering with local businesses, we are actively working to minimize our environmental footprint and create a lasting impact for the environments and economies we operate in.”

Glenn Mandziuk, Chief Executive Officer of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, added: “Announcing Millennium Hotels Middle East & Africa as our latest member at ATM is a fantastic moment for the Alliance. As a truly global organisation, we are increasing our reach across the Middle East and Africa and Millennium Hotels is integral to moving the region towards Net Positive Hospitality.

“Collectively, we will lead the global hospitality industry towards a sustainable, prosperous future that thrives by giving back more than it takes.”

1 year ago 0 comments

Formula E Unveils Charitable Support Programme, Better Futures Fund

by Madaline Dunn 1 year ago

written by Madaline Dunn

Formula E has unveiled its Better Futures Fund, a charitable support programme aimed at directly supporting charities and local causes in all cities where it races.

The Fund focuses on initiatives delivering environmental and social impact aligned to Formula E’s purpose and sustainability strategy, and will also play a key role in the series’ social impact strategy – Formula Equity.

It was shared that the social impact strategy, which tackles social inequalities, is geared towards nurturing resilient and diverse communities where races occur.

For Season 10, the Fund will focus on:

Supporting underrepresented communities in race locations,
Environmental protection, prioritising nature and air quality in urban environments,
Community engagement and their transition to living more sustainable lifestyles.

Formula E shared that for the remainder of Season 10, a fund of $100,000 will be split across the four race locations of Berlin, Shanghai, Portland and London, with local charities receiving up to $25,000 for their respective causes.

Meanwhile, in Season 11, the charitable support programme will support separate charities in all race locations worldwide.

Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, commented: “Formula E leads the world in sustainability initiatives, yet as a competitive sport we always want to do more. The Formula E Better Futures Fund will give us total control in the supporting charities and communities in the markets we bring our sport aiming to leave a deeper, lasting and more targeted impact. This will enable us to have greater ownership and flexibility on helping those most in need and towards a more sustainable and equitable future.”

Julia Pallé, VP of Sustainability at Formula E, added: “With a mission to accelerate sustainable human progress through electric racing, our new Better Futures Fund elevates our ongoing purpose to the next level. Directly aligned to our wider sustainability strategy and Formula Equity that focuses on social impact, we’re taking a more direct approach to target specific causes and communities more closely aligned to our overall vision. This will enable us to have greater ownership and flexibility on helping those most in need and towards a more sustainable and equitable future.”

1 year ago 0 comments

Jobs Latest News Social

Tamkeen updates career development support in Bahrain

by Madaline Dunn 1 year ago

written by Madaline Dunn

The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) has announced updates to its career development support programs for enterprise training and leadership employment in Bahrain.

The initiative, announced late last year, aims to empower 50,000 Bahrainis annually through tailored programs and strategic partnerships. Its “revamped” Leadership Employment Program, for example, introduces a new track designed to incentivise organisations to increase the wages of employees promoted to higher leadership or executive roles.

Here, Tamkeen will support 100 per cent of the wage increment ranging from 5 per cent to 20 per cent for 24 months to Bahraini employees who meet specified criteria, including tenure and experience.

The Enterprise Training Support Program has also been updated to include comprehensive coverage for accredited certificates in specialised technical skills, leadership, or administrative skills, and internal training.

Further, Tamkeen will extend 50 per cent support for accredited certifications related to personal and local skills development.

“Tamkeen’s programs play a pivotal role in developing our national competencies and nurturing partnerships with private sector stakeholders,” commented Tamkeen Chief Executive, Her Excellency Maha Abdulhameed Mofeez.

“Introducing the new leadership track and the enhanced Enterprise Training Support Program underscores our commitment to incentivizing employee growth, while urging institutions to prioritize workforce development.”

Tamkeen’s Chief Executive outlined that these programs both promote employee retention and advance career prospects for national talents.

Since 2023, Tamkeen’s initiatives have facilitated job placements for over 12,300 Bahraini nationals, while 10,700 individuals have benefited from training support, and more than 5,100 institutions have received assistance.

1 year ago 0 comments

Developing Innovation & Education Social

Discussions on IFCC World Lab 204, AI, mental health and more | Interview with Dr. Rachel Stratton

by Madaline Dunn 1 year ago

written by Madaline Dunn

1 year ago 0 comments

Beyond2020 initiative deploys AI-powered mammograms in Costa Rica

by Madaline Dunn 1 year ago

written by Madaline Dunn

Beyond2020, the flagship initiative launched by the Zayed Sustainability Prize, has announced the deployment of AI-powered mammography services across Costa Rica.

These services will support the early detection and treatment of breast cancer for women living in underprivileged communities, it was shared.

Indeed, in 2022, Costa Rica reported 1,344 new breast cancer cases and 423 breast cancer deaths, and studies find that women from disadvantaged communities have lower rates of breast cancer detection, treatment, and survival compared to women from more affluent areas.

Eight thousand tests will be conducted annually using the AI-based mammography services, which have been deployed in Juan Pablo II Medical Centre in Cartago. There are also plans to deploy these services in additional health facilities in the future.

A mobile unit, which is owned and operated by CENRAD, has also been deployed to reach underserved areas across Costa Rica where access to healthcare may be limited. The mobile unit has reached 840 women across 13 locations since January.

The Beyond2020 deployment in Costa Rica was carried out by the 2022 Zayed Sustainability Prize winner Mamotest.

Mamotest is an Argentina-based health-tech SME and Latin America’s first tele-mammography network. It has provided low-cost healthcare to more than 750,000 patients and promoted awareness for millions in the region.

H.E. Rawdha Alotaiba, Ambassador, UAE Embassy in Costa Rica, said: This project will enhance the prosperity and well-being of 8,000 women annually in Costa Rica, particularly women in remote and underprivileged communities. As we extend the UAE’s humanitarian efforts worldwide, we are dedicated to carrying forward Sheikh Zayed’s humanitarian legacy while supporting collective action to improve lives.”

“We strive to overcome hurdles with innovation, perseverance, and a deep sense of purpose, ensuring that every woman receives the timely and accurate care she deserves. Our platform ensures 100 percent traceability of patients and provides continuous follow-up until they receive treatment. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, Mamotest detects anomalies often overlooked by human observation, significantly improving early-stage detection,” shared Guillermo Pepe, CEO of Mamotest.

After winning the Zayed Sustainability Prize in 2022, Mamotest expanded operations of its state-of-the-art diagnostic centres beyond Argentina to Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil and Spain. Now, it works with existing labs to provide high-quality mammograms at low cost, enabling women to overcome geographical, technological, and economic barriers to access healthcare.

Dr. Lamya Fawwaz, Director of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, commented: “Accessible and affordable mammograms have the potential to significantly enhance women’s quality of life. Beyond2020 and its partners are glad to play a part in making Costa Rica more responsive to the health needs of its citizens, particularly women. The deployment also builds community awareness on the power of preventative healthcare to empower individuals, promote early detection, and ultimately save lives, fostering a healthier and more resilient society.”

Beyond2020 brings together a leading number of partners, which include the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, BNP Paribas, Mubadala Energy and Masdar.

1 year ago 0 comments

Innovation & Education Latest News

NYU Abu Dhabi Hackathon centres on tech for social good in Arab World

by Madaline Dunn 1 year ago

written by Madaline Dunn

The upcoming three-day NYUAD Hackathon for Social Good in the Arab World is to be held from April 25-28, hosted by NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) in partnership with Tamkeen. The overarching aim of the Hackathon is to develop ideas that contribute to social good and further UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It will bring together cross-disciplinary teams to solve challenges faced in quantum computing (QC) and artificial intelligence (AI) related to QC.

The international event will see teams of between seven and ten students from across the globe, with a majority from the Arab world, guided by two experts in the field from leading institutions.

Mentors will teach the teams about top practices in QC, AI machine learning applications, and software developments through workshops, keynote speeches, and lighting talks during the marathon.

This includes renowned global computer science professors from the likes of the University of Oxford, ETH Zürich, MIT, and Stanford, with founders of successful startups and technology professionals from Google, Meta, IBM, Qbraid, alongside venture capitalists and other leading institutions such as Core42, and the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA).

Since its inception, the Hackathon has hosted more than 1,000 participants from more than 50 countries.

The event has also been a launchpad for the careers of past participants, who gained scholarships and jobs and even launched their own startups.

Last year’s winners had the opportunity to present their winning project at the GESDA Summit in Geneva, it was shared.

NYUAD Affiliated Professor Sana Odeh, who founded and organizes the event, commented: “The NYUAD Hackathon has successfully empowered generations of students from the Arab world and beyond to use the most advanced quantum hardware to confidently undertake challenges in quantum computing and AI-driven machine learning. It is important to note that this event is about more than technical upskilling.”

Adding: “Equally valuable is the caliber of partnerships and participating experts on hand, which creates unprecedented networking opportunities for students. We have seen over the years how this opens the door to collaborations on future international projects, inspires students to launch their own startups, and further academic research in the quantum computing field. It is our hope that this year’s Hackathon will once again cement the potential and capabilities of technology in making a positive impact on the future of our society and to assist young experts in tackling the challenges of our time.”

On April 28, the final presentations and award ceremony will take place and are open to the public.

The NYUAD Hackathon is supported by top global Quantum Computing experts from both industry and academia, such as NYUAD Center for Quantum and Topological Systems, Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA), Core42, Florin Court Capital, PASQAL, SandboxAQ, Xanadu, qBraid, QWorld, NiEW, Womanium Quantum, ETH Zurich in Quantum Information and Computation, Zurich EPFL Center for Quantum Science and Engineering (QSE Center), MIT’s iQuHACK, QC Hack (Yale, Stanford, and Berkeley QC Hackathon) Quantum Coalition, QUAE, among others.

1 year ago 0 comments

ADSCC and Red Crescent partner for improved bone marrow transplant accessibility

by Madaline Dunn 1 year ago

written by Madaline Dunn

Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC) and Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) have partnered with the aim of enhancing accessibility to bone marrow transplants for patients in need.

Through the partnership, patients will be provided with treatment and support via the centre’s dedicated Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant (ADBMT) Program, which has been accredited a Center of Excellence in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation by the Department of Health Abu Dhabi.

The partnership aims to provide critical treatments to individuals affected by various blood cancers, blood disorders, and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.

ADSCC will provide medical consultations to patients referred by the medical committee of ERC.

The agreement was signed by His Excellency Mohammed Al Fahim, Deputy Secretary General of Support Services Sector at ERC and Dr Maysoon Al Karam, Chief Medical Officer of ADSCC.

His Excellency Mohammed Al Fahim said: “The agreement with Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center embodies the vision of the UAE Red Crescent of enhancing humanitarian partnerships with various local sectors, particularly the healthcare sector, which is currently a priority in the authority’s local and international efforts.”

Adding: “It reflects the shared goal between both parties of alleviating the suffering of patients, supporting their health needs, and strengthening cooperation to achieve better health outcomes for the Red Crescent’s beneficiaries. I would like to express our appreciation for such initiatives that address the health needs of vulnerable groups and commend Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center’s (ADSCC) efforts, and their contributions to advancing treatment and healing. The alignment of visions between the UAE Red Crescent and ADSCC, highlights the importance and potential for strategic partnerships in healthcare.”

Dr Maysoon Al Karam commented: “Through such collaborations, we aim to bridge the gap in healthcare access, ensuring that state-of-the-art treatments are accessible to those in need. As a Center of Excellence in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, our Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Program has been offering holistic care for autologous and allogenic bone marrow transplant for adults and children since 2020. By providing advanced treatments locally, we eliminate the need for patients to seek medical care abroad. This not only enhances convenience for patients and their families but also plays a vital role in reducing the nation’s healthcare expenditures.”

The partnership will also see both entities join efforts in fundraising initiatives aimed at supporting and financing BMT procedures for underprivileged patients.

1 year ago 0 comments

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