THE UAE’s Journey of Wisdom
THE UAE’s Journey of Wisdom
The UAE has overcome many challenges through wisdom. That was the message delivered before His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during the seventh World Government Summit recently.
The message was presented by His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. During his speech, HH Sheikh Saif said that the UAE’s journey is characterised by overall wisdom due to its exceptional leadership and the skills of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who have progressed its journey with confidence and merit.
He added that the wisdom and future vision of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has strengthened the UAE’s journey and soft power through his projects and initiatives, and the world has attested the country’s pioneering, wisdom and future vision.
HH Sheikh Saif said that the “wise man of the Arabs”, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the UAE, combined wisdom, justice and rational thinking, which has enabled the country to become a leading nation through his legacy of goodness, love and peace that placed him in the hearts of everyone.
He attributed the UAE’s economic success to many reasons, including its economic wisdom in managing projects and capital investments, while explaining that the secret to the UAE’s real success is its investment in the people, through quality education and its foreign exchange programmes. The UAE utilised its financial resources and strengthened its real resources by investing in the people, who are the most precious resource of the nation, he added.
HH Sheikh Saif also stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between strength and tolerance because they are two sides of one coin. “It is wise to balance your defensive power, to protect your security and the security of your neighbours, and building your country on the principles of tolerance and peaceful coexistence,” he said.
The session was also attended by members of the UAE Cabinet, international leaders, senior international officials and international experts participating in the summit.
Emirati Innovations on Show
Innovative works presented by Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office, were put on show during the recent World Government Summit, in Dubai.
Viewing the work, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, expressed his appreciation for the innovative thinking of Emirati citizens, especially their ideas that positively affect the community and promote peace, tolerance, moderation and openness.
With 2019 declared the Year of Tolerance in the UAE, HH Sheikh Mohammed viewed an artistic piece titled ‘Pending Judgment’, which was created by young Emirati artist Shamma Al Ameri to highlight tolerance. The piece is a composition with a mechanical movement that changes the position of the letter ‘k’ in the Arabic word ‘Tafkir’ (meaning thinking) to ‘Takfir’ (which denotes excommunication), symbolising the thin line between tolerance and moderation on the one hand, and violence and extremism on the other.
Madrasa e-Learning Platform for Remote Villages Launched
An e-learning platform to support Arab students living in villages, remote areas and refugee camps with no internet access was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, recently.
‘Madrasa’ will provide 5,000 free videos in general science, math, biology, chemistry and physics to students from kindergarten to grade 12 without internet access through four innovative offline solutions.
Launching the offline e-learning platform, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed explained it was the first phase of an initiative to cover remote areas across the Arab world. He added: “Education is the biggest hope for the Arab world. Nothing should stop our children from receiving education.”
HH Sheikh Mohammed emphasized that e-learning bridges the knowledge gap. “Improving the education system in the Arab world is an urgent priority,” he said. “E-learning is the most effective way to empower Arab students and the ideal solution to provide them with world-class education wherever they are.”
He added: “Madrasa for 1,000 villages is a message of life, determination and better future. There’s only one key to the success of our societies, economies and future: education.”
Winners of Global Universities Challenge Honoured
A team from TUCK School of Business at Dartmouth College, USA, has won the Shaping Future Governments: Global Universities Challenge Award.
Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented the winners with the award on the sidelines of the World Government Summit, in Dubai, recently.
The Global Universities Challenge brings together over 100 students from renowned universities across the globe and engages them in an innovative competition to improve the way governments work. A unique global initiative, it brings together the brightest minds from renowned global institutions to help shape the future of government.
The Shaping Future Governments: Global Universities Challenge is by invitation only and exclusive to select graduate students of public policy, government relations, political science and business administration. Therefore, the challenge targets participation from top graduate universities and schools from each continent.
As a participant in the challenge, students have been specifically selected to represent their institution. The student is therefore an ambassador of that institution and they are expected to demonstrate themselves in the highest standards of ethics and good conduct during the challenge.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, also attended the award ceremony.
Carrot Rewards Wellness App Wins Government
Experience Innovation Award
The world’s governments must instill a culture of innovation and cooperation to face challenges and guarantee a better future for all humanity.
So said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as he honoured the Public Health Agency of Canada team, who won the Edge of Government Award for their Carrot Rewards experience. Carrot Rewards is an initiative that encourages the community to practice in sports. The award ceremony took place during the World Government Summit, in Dubai, recently.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed added that people striving for a better life pushes them towards creative and innovative thinking. He said that governments that adopt innovation create the future for their people and the world by anticipating challenges and facing them with innovative solutions and ideas.
HH Sheikh Mohammed pointed out that strengthening the governments’ work with creative innovations would contribute to meeting people’s ambitions and aspirations and elevating the international wellbeing – the role governments must focus on to keep up with the changes and cross to the future.
His Highness congratulated the team of Public Health Agency of Canada for their hard work and dedication to offer the best innovate solutions. He also called upon innovators to continue their efforts, learn from the challenges, transform them into opportunities and participate positively in creating a brighter future for the best interest of humanity.
The Carrot Rewards of Canada is an AI-driven wellness app and brand engagement platform that leverages behavioural economics and nudge theory to motivate and reward users for making better lifestyle choices.
The Edge of Government Award recognizes government innovations from around the world according to specific evaluation criteria – novelty, replicability and impact.
Arab Innovation Forum Heading to Egypt
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation’s Arab Innovation Forum is heading to Egypt.
MBRF has signed a partnership agreement with Egypt’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency to strengthen collaboration in the knowledge sector and work together on organising the Arab Innovation Forum’s second edition in Egypt, following a successful first edition hosted by MBRF in Dubai.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the Jumeirah Al Qasr Hotel, in Dubai, in the presence of His Excellency Dr Amr Talaat, Egyptian Minister of Communications and Information Technology, and MBRF’s CEO His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb. The document was signed by Shamsa Al Blooshi, Director of Partnerships at MBRF, and Maha Rashad, Acting CEO of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency.
HE Dr Talaat said the agreement will support Egyptian youth, enhance innovation and entrepreneurship, and create a momentum for economic development in Egypt, providing greater opportunities for young people to innovate and come forward with ideas that will be implemented as projects that boost the economy and the country’s competitiveness.
HE bin Huwaireb (right) said that the Arab world is brimming with bright young people, capable of building a better future for their communities. “It is crucial that we provide these young innovators with an integrated platform to develop their ideas into concrete projects; we must give them the opportunity to hone their skills and exchange knowledge and expertise with experts and stakeholders,” he added.
The MBRF CEO went on to describe the partnership between the Foundation and the Egyptian Information Technology Industry Development Agency as an important step to support Arab innovation – and Egyptians, in particular – and enlist them to take part in the second edition of the Arab Innovation Forum, set to be held in Egypt this year.
HE bin Huwaireb revealed that the collaboration with the Information Technology Industry Development Agency is poised for further expansion in the future, to launch ambitious and innovative projects that resonate with the UAE’s strategic directions.
The Agency will set up a pavilion at the Arab Innovation Forum when it is held in Dubai, in addition to working towards organising the event again in Cairo this year.
The Arab Innovation Forum is in line with the UAE’s plans for sustainable development and the objectives of its Centennial 2071 Plan. It promotes innovation and embraces creative solutions and projects to help build an integrated and prosperous society across all sectors.
The Forum will explore developments and prospects for growth in key sectors of innovation, including smart government, technology and communications, healthcare, sustainable energy, transport and financial services. It provides an opportunity for extensive dialogue around best practices and initiatives launched by innovators from around the world.
