Day: April 2, 2023

RIYADH, An official at the Ministry of Energy of Saudi Arabia has announced that the country will implement a voluntary oil output cut of 500,000 bpd from May till the end of 2023, in coordination with some other OPEC and non-OPEC participating countries in the Declaration of Cooperation.

In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Saudi official emphasised that this is a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market.

This voluntary cut is in addition to the reduction in production agreed upon during the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting, held on 5th October, 2022.

Source: Emirates News Agency

SHARJAH, The 12th edition of the annual Sharjah Ramadan Majlis is set to kick off tomorrow and will run 5th April,

Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, this year’s edition includes three engaging sessions with the participation of leading Arab and international cultural, artistic and sports figures.

The audience will also have a book-signing date with Shrabani Basu, author of the book and now a hit Hollywood film “Victoria and Abdul.”

There will also be exciting contests testing the knowledge and interests of the audience, offering attractive prizes, in partnership with Sharjah Cooperative Society, Grand Stores and Lulu Supermarkets.

Tariq Saeed Allay, Director-General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), said, “The Sharjah Ramadan Majlis constitutes a cultural and knowledge platform that allows a free exchange of views on most prominent issues and concerns of society through proposals by leading experts and leaders in various sectors.”

The SGMB Director-General added, “In this year’s Ramadan Majlis, we look forward to keeping pace with the changes in sports that the region has witnessed in recent years. We have chosen topics that enjoy huge public interest and social engagement such as football, social media platforms, the content creation industry and creative production.”

Held on Monday, the first session, entitled “The Offensive and Defensive Line Football between Results and the Pleasure of Performance”, discusses the impact of training plans on football, the performance of players and their roles on the field, and the extent to which offensive and defensive forms of play reflect on club fans. The session features popular football stars Ricardo Kaka, former player on the Brazilian national team, AC Milan and Real Madrid, Mohamed AlNeny, Egyptian national team star and Arsenal’s midfielder. Kuwaiti sports journalist, Meshari Al-Khazim, will be the session moderator.

Tuesday will see a session entitled “Creators of Visual Content: Criteria for Success and Reasons for Continuity” featuring Journalist Muhammad Al-Kaabi, Adel Al-Adwani, Qassem Al-Hato, and Lulwa Al-Khataf, while Wednesday feature a session entitled “Artistic Creativity: From Script to Performance” in a discussion between Egyptian artist Ahmed Zaher, Shrabani Basu, and Mohamed Diab, Director of the “Moon Knight” series.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The Dubai Autism Centre launched its 17th annual autism awareness campaign today, coinciding with World Autism Awareness Day, under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

The Dubai Autism Centre has organised this annual campaign since 2006, launching the month-long initiative on the World Autism Awareness Day every year. The annual initiative is aimed at raising awareness about autism and promoting inclusion of individuals with autism in society. It includes a range of activities such as free diagnosis, workshops, seminars, and events, as well as the lighting up of several landmarks in Dubai in blue to show support for the cause.

The campaign also seeks to showcase the creative skills of children with autism through art exhibitions and auctions, with the proceeds going towards supporting the services provided to individuals with autism by the Dubai Autism Centre.

Hisham Abdullah Al Qassim, Chairman of Dubai Autism Centre, expressed his gratitude to the Dubai Crown Prince for his patronage of the annual autism awareness campaign.

l Qassim also expressed his appreciation for the partnership between the government and private sectors in supporting the campaign, highlighting the contributions of strategic partners such as Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Wasl Asset Management Group, as well as Al Ansari Exchange, the exclusive partner for the free assessment initiative. He emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts in achieving the goals of the National Policy for Empowering People of Determination.

On this occasion, Al Ansari Exchange announced its support for the free diagnosis initiative for 100 Emirati children, which was launched last year. The company has provided AED500,000 to support the initiative and transform it into an annual feature. This will give Emirati families more opportunities for early detection of autism and ensure that their children receive the necessary intervention.

The Free Comprehensive Assessment Initiative provides free annual assessment sessions for 100 Emirati children for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The initiative also includes a pre-screening campaign of students enrolled in kindergartens, first and second grades.

Mohammed Al Emadi, Director-General of the Dubai Autism Centre, said, “The 17th annual autism awareness campaign aims to emphasise the significance of creating an autism-friendly community that facilitates accessibility to the services offered by public and private institutions.”

l Emadi stressed that since its establishment, the Dubai Autism Centre has sought to enhance community awareness of autism, not only by raising awareness of its symptoms but also by introducing individuals and institutions to the requirements for appropriate dealing with people with autism. To achieve this, the centre has launched many campaigns and awareness initiatives, the most prominent of which is the annual autism awareness campaign.

s part of the campaign, art workshops will be held to showcase the creative skills of children with autism. These workshops will be organised by the Dubai Autism Centre in collaboration with Zee Arts Community, a group of fine artists from around the world who will share their own drawing tools with the centre’s students. The aim is to showcase the paintings of the students in a charitable auction, with the proceeds going towards supporting the services provided to children with autism.

The campaign will also feature a series of awareness webinars in schools and public institutions to increase public knowledge and promote a better understanding of the different challenges faced by individuals with autism, emphasising the importance of community support and understanding in achieving inclusion.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, West Zone Group announced its contribution of AED 10 million towards the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to establish the largest Ramadan sustainable food aid endowment fund.

The Group pledged to contribute a total of AED 10 million over a period of 5 years, supporting the campaign’s aim of creating sustainable solutions to fight hunger and support underprivileged populations.

Naresh Bhawnani, Founder and Chairman of the West Zone Group, said, “The ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’ campaign is an extension of the UAE’s message of good, giving and generosity, established since its foundation. It is also a testament to its leading humanitarian role, extending aid to those in need worldwide.

“We are honoured to support the campaign and to join the list of contributors to the largest Ramadan food aid endowment fund, which reflects our commitment to support UAE’s humanitarian efforts to help the underprivileged and fight hunger.”

Organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign is the latest addition to dozens of humanitarian initiatives being implemented around the world.

Donation Channels

The “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign continues to welcome donations and contributions to the endowment fund from institutions and individuals across five main channels including the campaign’s website (www.1billionmeals.ae), as well as a dedicated call centre via the toll-free number (800 9999). Donations are also possible via bank transfers in the UAE dirham to the campaign bank account number with Emirates NBD (AE30 0260 0010 1533 3439 802). Donations via SMS give contributors the option to donate AED 1 daily through a monthly subscription, by sending the word “Meal” to 1020 for du users, or to 1110 for Etisalat by eand users. Those who wish to donate to the campaign through the DubaiNow app can do so by clicking on the “Donations” tab.

Source: Emirates News Agency