Day: June 15, 2022

ABU DHABI, Two grain silos have been inaugurated in Jordan’s Juwaideh and Aqaba regions following an extensive renovation. The project was carried out by Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) to raise the capacity of the Juwaideh silo to 120,000 tonnes, and the Aqaba granary to 100,000 tonnes.

The aim was to support the Jordan’s National Food and Security Strategy for 2025.

Abu Dhabi Fund financed the AED258.7 million (US$70.5m) projects from an AED 4.6 billion (US$1.25m) grant allocated by the UAE to Jordan as part of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND).

The revamped granaries were inaugurated by Nasser Al Shuraida, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and Acting Minister of Industry and Trade. The ceremony was attended by Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD; Dana Al Zoubi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, and many other officials from both sides.

The silos are mainly used to hold essential food grains such as wheat and barley. The Juwaideh silo store grains in 24 vertical storages. Each main silo has a 5,000-metric-ton capacity. A 1-megawatt solar plant has also been up to supply energy to the granary.

The Aqaba granary got 28 additional vertical warehouses, each with a capacity of about 3,800 tons. Together the two silos are expected to reduce food imports, while also generating hundreds of jobs and contributing to Jordan’s economic development.

Nasser Al Shuraida said that the silos expansion project in Juwaideh and Aqaba underscored the scale of efforts of the UAE and ADFD to support Jordan over its development programmes.

He thanked the UAE and its leadership for enabling Jordan to achieve sustainable development.

He emphasised that the UAE through ADFD financed many projects in vital sectors that had a significant impact on the Jordanian economy, which uplifted the standard of living.

He called ADFD a strategic partner and a global model in terms of driving sustainable development around the world.

Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi said, “Our participation in the inauguration of expansion project of Juwaideh and Aqaba granaries reflects the depth of the strategic relations between the UAE and Jordan, as these pioneering projects represent a priority for Jordan’s development programs.” He pointed out that the two silos with an expanded capacity will enhance boost security and ensure that the country meets its food needs for an increasing population, in addition to keeping food price in check. “All this will further strengthen Jordan’s economy and support the government’s developmental objectives,” he said.

Imad Ali Al-Tarawneh, General Manager of Jordan Soils and Supply General Co., said, “The mega projects reflect the vision of the wise leaderships of the two countries and their keenness to strengthen strategic relations to achieve common economic objectives. Abu Dhabi Fund for Development’s contributions to upgrade the silos will help Jordan to maintain strategic stockpile of food staples, with the quantity being one of the highest in the Arab world. These projects also help meet local market requirements for essential food grains and enhance Jordan’s food security and sustainability.”

Since 1974, ADFD financed development projects worth AED 6.5 billion, mainly in strategic sectors such as energy, transport, water and agriculture, health and education. These projects supported the Jordanian government to drive socioeconomic development in the country.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), continues to receive local and international submissions for the first edition of the recently launched ”Kanz Al Jeel Award”.

Even more are expected in the coming weeks, with the call for entries to open until 30th July, 2022.

The award, launched by the ALC recently, celebrates the rich history and heritage of Nabati poetry, a form of vernacular poetry that stems from the many varieties of Arabic in the Arabian Peninsula, which contrasts the poetry written according to the classical rules of literary Arabic.

The award honours Nabati poetic works, as well as folk studies and research studies into the subject. It aims to preserve the traditional heritage of Nabati poetry for the next generation.

The award’s six categories include ‘Poetic Matching’, which seeks to match the poetry of the late founder of the nation, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, specifically his poem ‘Ya’al Nou Banat Mazoona’; ‘Studies and Research’ which reviews and assesses academic and scholarly research into Nabati poetry; and ‘Arts’, this year open to artistic works of Arabic calligraphy that embody Sheikh Zayed’s poetry.

The ‘Translation’ category considers works translating Sheikh Zayed’s poetry into one or more languages or works that have rendered a great service in translating Arabic poetry into other languages, while ‘Poetic Publications’ is open to Nabati poetry books that demonstrate originality in form and content, and constitute a qualitative addition to the Nabati poetry canon. Finally, the ‘Creative Personality’ award is presented to a figure who has produced outstanding creative works in Nabati poetry, its studies, music, singing or painting.

Issa Saif Al Mazrouei, the award’s Higher Committee Chairman, Vice Chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Cultural, Heritage Programmes and Festivals Management Committee, noted that the great diversity in entries received by the Award, both from inside and outside the UAE, confirms the close connection between the people of the region and the Arabian Nabati poetic heritage.

“Poetry reflects the core elements and values of a society, narrating both its history and future aspirations. The Nabati poetry canon, in particular, boasts some of the most compelling artistic and poetic creations of all time and uniquely expresses the collective identity of the Arabian region. It is essential that we keep this art form alive for future generations. To this end, the Kanz Al Jeel Award will contribute to creating a critical new poetic movement, using the art of our country’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, as inspiration and as a starting point for establishing more broad creative horizons in the field of poetry. The award will link new generations to their culture and authentic heritage, of which Nabati poetry is one of its most important pillars,” Al Mazrouei said.

Thus far, the award’s ‘Poetic Matching’ and ‘Studies and Research’ categories have received the highest percentages of entrants, registering 54 percent and 27 percent of all submissions respectively. The ‘Arts’ category has received 7 percent of applications, while the ‘Translation’, ‘Poetic Publications’ and ‘Creative Personality’ categories have each received four percent.

The award’s Higher Committee has set special conditions for participation. Nominated works must demonstrate a high level of originality and innovation and represent a significant addition to the cultural canon. Each candidate can submit only a single entry for one of the categories. A nominated work cannot be submitted for another category in person or by proxy in the same year.

Nominated works must be written in Arabic, except for the ‘Translation’ and ‘Studies and Research’ categories, which consider poems translated from Arabic into other languages.

Conditions include that the submitted work must contain an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to guarantee property rights and that poetic, scholarly or translated works must be published, provided that no more than five years have passed since its publication. An exception is made in the ‘Translation’ category, which accepts submission of unpublished works.

Nominations for the ‘Creative Personality’ category are only open to academic, research and cultural institutions which have actively contributed to enriching local and Arabic poetic, critical, or artistic movements.

The total cash prize value of all six categories of the award totals AED1.5 million, and the winners will be announced in November 2022.

Source: Emirates News Agency