From Foreign Waters

  The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has long been committed to promoting sustainable development and protecting the environment. With the country set to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in November 2023, the UAE has been ramping up its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and promote renewable energy. One of the most notable initiatives in this regard is the Dubai Solar Park mega project, which currently accounts for 15% of the emirate's energy production capacity. The project, which is set to be completed in phases, will ultimately generate 5,000 megawatts of clean energy and reduce carbon emissions by 6.5 million tons annually. The park also includes a solar-powered desalination plant, which will provide clean water to the local community. Another initiative is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar project in the world. The park, which is located in Dubai, has a planned capacity of 5,000 megawatts by 2030 and will pro...

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, UN Women lauded United Arab Emirates’s effort to incorporate more women-centric legislations in the recent years to make way for gender equality and empowerment of women. In a statement issued by the UN agency to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), UN Women said, "The UAE has made significant strides towards equality and leads the MENA region in women’s empowerment, particularly given the recent legislations that offered women more rights and better protection.” "UN Women is proud of its longstanding relationship with the UAE Government, the General Women’s Union led by H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak [Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF)] and her remarkable vision for women’s advancement across all sectors," Dr. Mouza Al Shehhi, Director, UN Women Liaison Office for the GCC, said in th...

   A 7-year-old Abu Dhabi girl, Saanvi Chouraria, became the youngest child to complete an internship in artificial intelligence at the University of Oxford. The wiz kid also holds a certification in coding from Google.   Her proud parents, Annu Chouraria and Abhishek Chouraria, said that they wanted to inculcate digital skills in their daughter from a very young age. "Saanvi is a very logical-minded and inquisitive kid. We thought of introducing her to the world of AI as we knew that it would be among the most sought-after skills in future," her mother said.   The young genius made most of the pandemic-induced lockdown. With 'stay home' and e-learning arrangements Saanvi’s parents found that she still had extras hours to learn new things. Hence they decided to introduce her to the world of computing, coding and AI.   About her newly acquired digital expertise, the Grade 2 student of Pearl Academy Abu Dhabi, said, “I find coding very interesting. I love to...

  The first visits by Gulf figures to Jerusalem, encouraged by recent agreements between Israel and the Emirates, stumbled over rivalries around the site, called the Temple Mount by Jews. Palestinians and Jordanians underlined that they are the guardians of the Muslim holy place. On December 14, members of a delegation from Sharaqa platform from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain met with the Israeli Chief Sephardic Rabbi, Shlomo Ammar, in front of the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. King David, with its view of the ancient city walls, is considered one of the most luxurious hotels in Jerusalem. The Foreign Lignitarians usually stay there when they visit the Holy City. Six influential people from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrein were received as heads of state on December 13, in the midst of Hanukkah, the major Jewish winter holiday. The small Israeli delegation is led by Amit Deri, founder of Reservists on Duty, an anti-BDS association, and the BDS movement. T...

The United Arab Emirate displayed a true sprit of humanity, as the Gulf nation stepped forward not only to help its own people but also the citizens of other nations during the distressed times of global pandemic. At the beginning of the month, the Emirates’ Health and Community Protection Ministry issued a warning, urging its citizens and foreign residents not to travel abroad and sent 215 foreigners it evacuated from hard-hit Hubei in China to a quarantine set up in its Emirates Humanitarian City. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed also sponsored the transfer of Yemenis and Sudanese city from Wuhan in China. Yemen’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammed Abdullah al-Hadrami expressed gratitude towards UAE on the minsitry’s official Twitter account for its “cooperation and help” in the evacuation process. The tweet said the students were welcomed in the UAE and were temporarily put in quarantine before they got clearance to return home (Yemen). Wuhan is the Chinese city which was first to b...