Category: General

ABU DHABI, UAE residents will be able to access all of their favourite OTT (Over-the-Top) platforms offering film and TV content on a single consolidated service, without the need to subscribe to each OTT separately.

E-vision, a subsidiary of the e&, formerly known as Etisalat Group, will launch the consolidated OTT streaming services next year, a senior executive told the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

Subscription fatigue

“Subscription fatigue of customers” [compulsion to subscribe to several streaming services at a time] has prompted the E-vision to launch a consolidated service, said Zahra Zayat, Chief Commercial Officer f E-vision.

In an interview with WAM at the Global Media Congress in Abu Dhabi, she explained that such a consolidation can technically be done overnight, but there is huge resistance from international OTT players in the market.

“They do not want to be next to their competitors, especially weaker ones. From our side, we want our customers get direct access to them [all OTT services together]. Sometimes customers can access them through their mobile phone numbers. So, we have found a way to do it,” Zayat revealed.

One-stop shop

“It is an opportunity to create a clear winner in the market, aggregating all streaming services under one umbrella as a one-stop shop,” she emphasised.

Asked the practicability of such a solution, given the resistance from the OTT players, she said, “once you start onboarding some platforms, others will fear to remain standalone.”

Asked the potential number of OTTs in e-vision’s upcoming consolidated service, she said, “We are actually open to everyone. Because we have a fragmented customer base in terms of language and taste. So, we truly want everyone,” stressed the executive.

Discussion on media investment

She was a speaker at a panel discussion titled “Outlining media investment trends and how they will affect media landscape,” at the Global Media Congress (GMC), which was moderated by Asif Ismail, a Washington-based journalist, producer and publisher.

The first edition of the GMC was opened on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court.

The conference-cum-exhibition event is organised by ADNEC Group in partnership with Emirates News Agency (WAM).

The three-day Congress, taking place under the theme “Shaping the Future of the Media Industry”, sees participation from more than 1,200 media sector pioneers, specialists, and influencers from six continents in the globe, with more than 30 debates and workshops featuring more than 162 globally renowned speakers.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) highlighted the remarkable rehabilitation of Afra Humaid Yousef Alblooshi, a young Emirati diagnosed with a rare genetic spinal disorder.

Afra was just three months old when she was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 1 – a genetic neuromuscular disorder that affects the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles. Without treatment, symptoms include worsening muscle weakness and poor muscle tone and may result in feeding and breathing problems.

In April 2021, Afra became one of the first patients to receive a revolutionary gene therapy called Zolgensma at SEHA’s Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC). When she was referred to Salma Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital in July 2021, Afra could not sit, play, swallow or breathe independently. Her CHOP-intend score (the standardised assessment to score the functional level of SMA) was low at 26/64. Under the watchful eye and compassionate care of Salma’s multi-disciplinary team, Afra began to thrive.

Elaborating on Afra’s journey, Dr. Ashraf Elbatal, clinical lead Specialist, Paediatric ICU at Salma Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, said, “At Salma, we want children to get better as soon as possible and live normal and healthy lives. With Afra, the team worked meticulously to design medical and therapeutic programmes that would accelerate her recovery.”

“Afra’s physiotherapist worked on improving and monitoring her muscle power and head control. We had an occupational therapist who helped Afra achieve daily activities such as brushing her teeth or eating independently. Our speech and language pathologist-tailored programmes focused on dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) training and applied VFFS (Video fluoroscopic swallow study) from play therapy to functional oral feeds. Afra was also looked after by a special needs educator who followed her developmental milestones daily and curated programmes to encourage social interactions. And lastly, Salma’s respiratory therapist, along with our consultant paediatricians, gradually weaned her off the ventilator. She was provided comprehensive care that has resulted in much improvement,” added Marjolein Oosterheert, Therapy Lead at Salma Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital.

Following the 360-degree rehabilitation at Salma, today Afra can breathe on her own, sit without support, walk with the help of a walker, is enrolled in a regular school curriculum, has an optimal CHOP-intend score (64/64), and can communicate, swallow, and oral feed independently.

Afra’s mother, Aziza Albooshi, said, “To see your child unable to communicate is challenging for any parent. We are so grateful to the entire team at SEHA, including SKMC and Salma Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, who rallied behind our baby to ensure she becomes better and journeys towards living a relatively normal life. So, watching her today fills my heart with joy, and for these moments, I wholeheartedly thank everyone across the SEHA network.”

Speaking about SEHA’s extensive network integration, Philipp Mielenz, Chief Executive Officer at Salma Rehabilitation Hospital, said, “One of the main advantages of being a part of UAE’s largest healthcare network is that we can provide integrated and coordinated services throughout the entire treatment stages to meet the comprehensive healthcare needs of our patients. Especially for children, the SKMC and Salma work closely together and offer excellent care. In Afra’s case, we are proud to have such an impact on a child’s life with our highly specialised and comprehensive rehabilitation at Salma Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital after the SKMC’s highly experienced teams administered this state-of-the-art treatment. Great collaboration is the critical component resulting in a remarkable patient outcome here. At SEHA, we shall continue to strengthen our network integration and provide our patients with an even wider range of services.”

Salma Rehabilitation Hospital is part of the SEHA network and is the only rehabilitation and long-term care provider for the network. Salma provides a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to healthcare services, working as a team to provide exceptional care and rehabilitative services to its patients.

The hospital is accredited by JCI (Joint Commission International) and is poised to be accredited by CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities).

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) today participated in the Tawdheef 2022 career fair. As the platinum sponsor of the event, ADIB has taken an active role in the development and recruitment of local Emirati talent.

Tawdheef is the UAE’s leading event for employment for Emirati professionals. The platform is designed to help nationals navigate the modern workforce and obtain a foothold in their careers.

ADIB’s participation is in line with the UAE government’s efforts to encourage Emiratisation across the financial services industry, and places emphasis on the commitment to empowering local youth and the UAE national talent pool.

The recruitment, development, and promotion of local talent in the UAE have been at the core of ADIB’s human resources strategy. The bank hired around 320 UAE nationals in different positions including senior management roles in 2022 alone. The recruitment drive has increased their Emiratisation ratio to 45%.

Bushra Al Shehhi, Head of Human Resources at ADIB, said, “ADIB is proud to support the development of young UAE nationals as they begin their transition into the workforce, as well as experienced professionals seeking to broaden their horizons. We are constantly seeking skilled Emiratis to join the bank, and we recognise the importance of nurturing talent in the local community.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, The launch edition of the Global Media Congress (GMC) opened today in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court.

The conference-cum-exhibition Congress is organised by ADNEC Group in partnership with Emirates News Agency (WAM).

The three-day event, taking place under the theme “Shaping the Future of the Media Industry”, sees participation from more than 1,200 media sector pioneers, specialists, and influencers from six continents in the globe, with more than 30 debates and workshops featuring more than 162 globally renowned speakers.

The conference and workshops for young media persons will offer a platform for journalists, tech firms, content creators, digital marketing professionals, streaming giants, entertainment executives, regulators and key media stakeholders to share ideas and exchange experiences.

Speakers in the first-of-its-kind event include decision-makers, thought leaders, and senior officials such as Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs; Ramzan bin Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Minister of Information Affairs of Bahrain; Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting of Zimbabwe; Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Director-General of the Government of Dubai Media Office; Apurva Chandra, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India; and Michael Peters, Chairman of the Euronews Network from France.

The line-up also includes Wayne Berg, CEO for Digital Media, Culture and Fashion of Saudi Arabia’s Neom city; Adrian Monk, Director-General and Head of Public and Social Engagement at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland; Dr. Paolo Ruffini, Dean of the Vatican’s Department of Communications; Masoud Sherif Mahmoud, CEO of the Emirates Etisalat Group; and Caroline Farag, Vice President of CNN and Editor-in-Chief of CNN Arabic from the UAE.

In addition, the exhibition hosts more than 170 prominent media establishments and companies from 29 countries from all over the world, showcasing the latest international technologies specialised in these vital sectors.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the occasion of his country’s Independence Day.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, dispatched similar messages to the Palestinian President and to the country’s Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh.

Source: Emirates News Agency