Day: August 17, 2021

ABU DHABI, Major electricity projects valued at AED51 million (US$13.9 million) have been inaugurated by the government of the Comoros. Financed by Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), these projects will supply electricity to more than 12,000 homes and are expected to stimulate the economy of the island nation.

Azali Assoumani, President of the Comoros, attended the inauguration of the projects with Saeed Mohammed Murshid Al Maqbali, UAE’s Ambassador to the Comoros, and several Comorian government officials.

The Fund’s support of the initiatives included the supply and installation of seven generators with a total capacity of 12.5MW. Four of them with a capacity of 2MW each have been installed at the Moroni station on the main island, while Anjouan Island received three with 1.5MW capacity each. The projects, which also covered an extension of transmission and distribution lines on the various islands, was implemented by Al Mostajed Technologies, a UAE national company.

Speaking on the occasion, Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General of ADFD, said, “At Abu Dhabi Fund for Development we work to enhance our strategic relations with the government of the Comoros through cooperation to help the country achieve comprehensive and sustainable socio-economic development.”

Al Suwaidi said that the projects exemplify the strong relations between the UAE and the Comoros, as well the commitment of ADFD as a prime financial entity of the UAE to help the nation achieve its socio-economic goals through sustainable development initiatives.

ADFD has played a pivotal role in the development of vital economic sectors in the Comoros, including education, healthcare, water, aviation and energy, he noted.

Hamidi Msidi, Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism in Comoros, thanked the UAE and ADFD for their sustained support to development projects in the Comoros, underlining that the efforts had given the country’s infrastructure a much-needed boost, thereby greatly improving the level and quality of services provided to the people. “It is a matter of great satisfaction and delight for us that the project has benefited more than 75,000 Comorians,” he said.

He added that these projects will also modernise power lines and transmission networks that will bring service reliability for all subscribers to the highest international standards. This modernisation enables the network to meet all subscribers’ needs, delivering electricity to more than 12,000 households on various islands. The projects also contribute to reducing the cost of electricity production and delivery for the general population and commercial sectors.

For his part, the UAE Ambassador, stated, “The UAE and the Comoros enjoy strong relations which have seen great advancement in recent years thanks to directives of the wise leadership of the two countries.”

He pointed out that the UAE has contributed to supporting various development efforts in the Comoros in line with its mission to help brotherly and friendly developing countries achieve prosperity, stability and growth.

He added that the strong, positive relations between ADFD and the government of the Comoros date to 1979. The total amount of concessionary loans provided by ADFD to the country stands at AED436 million to finance sectors such as electricity and water, renewable energy, transport, social services and healthcare.

In line with ADFD’s goal to support UAE companies and create investment opportunities in international markets, Al Mostajed Technologies was appointed to develop and execute these energy sector projects. The UAE-based company is also assisting in building and overseeing a knowledge transfer programme to develop local capacity and expertise to manage ongoing operations and maintenance of the new facilities.

Since its inception in 1971, ADFD has funded development projects in 97 countries, including 39 African nations, with a total value greater than AED150 billion through concessionary loans, government grants and investments. The Fund’s total expenditure in Africa amounts to an estimated AED30 billion. ADFD has also invested in seven companies and two private equity funds to boost a variety of sectors on the African continent.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, The UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) today launched a new campaign and comprehensive plan to raise awareness of the nation’s quality infrastructure system.

The ‘UAE Quality Infrastructure’ campaign is designed to inform local, regional and international manufacturers and consumers of the indispensable role the UAE’s quality infrastructure system plays in ensuring the highest production standards are met across the industrial sector’s value chain.

Designed to complement the objectives of Operation 300Bn, the National Strategy of Industry and Advanced Technology, the campaign spotlights the efficiencies and productivity of the UAE’s thriving industrial sector, which is underpinned by advanced technologies and quality infrastructure.

Due to its in-built resilience and agility, the UAE’s industrial sector has the capability to rapidly adopt and apply international best practices when it comes to specifications, technical regulations and systems to support the highest standards of production quality.

Omar Suwaina Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, said: “The campaign we’ve launched today showcases the UAE’s regional and global experience in developing quality infrastructure and a thriving industrial ecosystem.”

He revealed that there are approximately 26,000 Emirati standards and technical regulations that encompass a range of vital sectors such as health, education, technology, construction, food and agriculture, as well as future industries, information technology (IT), management systems and others, which enhance the competitiveness of the UAE regionally and globally.

He added: “The UAE Quality Infrastructure campaign consolidates the position of Emirati products in key global markets, by highlighting their high-quality and the industrial system that supports their production. It will also help us achieve the main objectives of Operation 300Bn, which seeks to increase the industrial sector’s contribution to national GDP to AED300 billion by 2031.

“It’s another facet of our strategy to transform the industrial sector into a core pillar of our future economy. By putting the right infrastructure in place to foster an innovation-driven industrial ecosystem, we can accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies across the value chain, develop new industrial sectors and catalyze a hub of pioneering research and development.”

The campaign also reflects the role of the specifications and legislation division of MoIAT, whose departments (specifications, technical legislation and metrology) have been integrated to create the requisite legislative and technical environment in the UAE to further enhance its attractive business environment.

The campaign will review the plans and mechanisms applied by MoIAT to enable the industrial sector to achieve continuity in upgrading the quality of its products and services by involving all stakeholders in the development of the quality infrastructure system.

It will encourage innovation programs and the continuous updating of specifications, standards and legislation based on the latest advances in these fields, with the Ministry providing programs to empower industrialists at all levels, while monitoring their commitment to quality, efficiency and standards.

The UAE’s quality infrastructure is based on five main pillars: metrology which ensures the conformity of products to the highest technical specifications; legislations to keep pace with rapid industrial developments; standards that have the greatest impact on the accuracy of measurement results, which support industry; conformity assessment processes to ensure the quality of products and the availability of safety requirements; and finally accreditation, which ensures that conformity assessment bodies operating in the UAE meet the mandatory requirements issued by regulatory authorities.

With the announcement of the new structure of the UAE government in July 2020, MoIAT became the only federal entity responsible for the tasks and powers of quality infrastructure. Under the new government structure, the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology was integrated into the Ministry, and all the responsibilities that were previously related to the authority were transferred to MoIAT.

The integration allowed a greater ability to support advanced policies for research and development within the industrial sector and to introduce advanced legal and procedural frameworks to serve the objectives of promoting the sector, alongside optimal allocation of resources and capabilities in terms of quality infrastructure towards existing vital industries or targeted future industries.

MoIAT pays special attention to specifications, standards, legislation, conformity assessment and accreditation. Specifications, legislation and standards are organized within an independent “Specifications and Legislation” division, which is keen to review and develop technical legislation, specifications and standards on a permanent basis, taking into account the requirements of the industrial sector and in partnership with it, in addition to ensuring that the best international standards in this field are met.

Source: Emirates News Agency