Gulf Creatives Conference goes ahead despite nearby protest encampment

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The second edition of the Gulf Creatives Conference took place at Harvard University. (Getty Images)

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Updated 13 May 2024

TAREK ALI AHMAD

May 13, 2024 19:27

Gulf Creatives Conference goes ahead despite nearby protest encampment

Conference included 24 discussion sessions and five workshops covering topics such as public policy, innovation strategies, and the future of healthcare
KFSH&RC CEO Dr. Majid Ibrahim Al-Fayyadh spoke of the emergence of a leading healthcare sector in the region after a decades-long transformation plan

Updated 13 May 2024

TAREK ALI AHMAD

May 13, 2024 19:27

CAMBRIDGE: The second edition of the Gulf Creatives Conference took place at Harvard University at the weekend, despite pro-Palestine protests on the campus.

“Amid the rising tensions on US college campuses, we believe firmly in the power of creativity and the arts in healing wounds and bridging divides,” Abdulla Almarzooqi, chairperson of the organization’s UAE Committee and a graduate student at Harvard, told Arab News in an interview.

The event attracted over 1,000 attendees and more than 170 speakers, among whom was Gulf Co-operation Council Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi. He took to the stage to address Gulf students and outline the region’s vision to lessen reliance on oil revenues by embracing diverse sectoral reforms.

“The strategic location, coupled with robust infrastructure, paves the way for the council member states to attract international partnerships that support their long-term development goals,” Al-Budaiwi said.

He added: “This dynamic approach is vital for sustaining economic growth and ensuring the resilience of Gulf economies in the face of global economic fluctuations and regional challenges.”

He also praised students for hosting such an event at one of the world’s most prestigious universities.

The conference included 24 discussion sessions and five workshops covering topics such as public policy, innovation strategies, and the future of healthcare.

Among the main speakers on healthcare was Dr. Majid Ibrahim Al-Fayyadh, CEO of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, who spoke of the emergence of a leading healthcare sector in the region after a decades-long transformation plan.

“The Saudi leadership has a clear vision for KFSH&RC, which was crowned by royal order to transform it into an independent institution of a private, nonprofit nature,” he said.

The transformation includes enhancing existing services and exploring new medical trends to improve health and well-being, he added.

Other panelists included Maryam Bin Theneya, second deputy speaker at the Federal National Council of the UAE, Bader Al-Attar of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, and Saudi Media Company’s Khalid Al-Khudair.

Topics: Gulf Creatives Conference Harvard University Jasem Al-Budaiwi Dr. Majid Ibrahim Al-Fayyadh

Kurdish leader in Syria calls for diplomatic solutions to conflict with Turkiye

Updated 19 sec ago

October 29, 2024 13:19

Kurdish leader in Syria calls for diplomatic solutions to conflict with Turkiye

Updated 19 sec ago

October 29, 2024 13:19

QAMISHLI: The leader of the US-backed Kurdish forces in northeast Syria in an interview with The Associated Press called for international mediators to push for diplomatic solutions to the complex web of conflicts in Syria, including the escalating Turkish bombardment of Kurdish areas.
Turkiye has intensified its airstrikes in northern Iraq and northeastern Syria following an Oct. 23 attack on a defense company in Ankara that killed five people and wounded more than 20. Turkish airstrikes targeted dozens of sites believed to be linked to or affiliated with the Kurdistan’s Worker’s Party (PKK), which claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said that the attack in Ankara served as an excuse for a long-planned Turkish operation in Syria.
“The Turks claim that these attacks are a response to the recent activity in Ankara. But that is not the reason, because the type and continuity of the attacks now entering their sixth day show that this is not a mere response. The Ankara incident was just an excuse,” Abdi told AP in an interview Tuesday evening.
He alleged that the Turkish strikes, which have damaged electricity and oil facilities and bakeries, have had severe consequences for civilians and are part of a broader strategy by Turkiye to force a demographic shift by pushing Kurdish residents out of the area.
The strikes have killed at least 18 people, mostly civilians, with injured more than 60. Abdi said in some cases Turkish strikes had targeted emergency teams responding to the initial strike.
The Turkish bombardment hinders the fight against the Daesh group
Still, he said, “We are open to dialogue with all parties, including Turkiye, even though their attacks persist.”
He appealed to the US-led coalition formed to fight the Islamic State militant group and to other mediators to push for diplomatic solutions.
The PKK is considered a terror organization by Turkiye’s Western allies, including the United States. Turkiye and the US, however, disagree on the status of the Syrian Kurdish groups, which have been allied with Washington in the fight against the IS group in Syria.
The escalation in northern Syria comes as the United States has agreed to a gradual troop reduction in Iraq, part of a larger drawdown expected to conclude by end of 2026.
While the withdrawal applies solely to Iraq, with no immediate plans to exit Syria, Abdi expressed concern over how the coalition’s diminishing presence in the region could affect operations in Syria.
“We, along with coalition forces, conduct daily activities to neutralize Daesh cells, and if the coalition withdraws, the threat level would rise across the region,” Abdi said.
He added that Turkish bombardment has hindered the SDF’s ability to conduct anti-IS operations, delaying two planned campaigns against cells in Syria.
US officials have yet to announce any specific timeline for troop reductions in Syria, though discussions continue amid rising tensions.
Analysts have said that a US departure could lead to increased pressure on the SDF from both Turkish and Syrian government forces, exacerbating the region’s security vacuum and the conflict’s toll on civilians.
Talks ongoing between the SDF and Assad’s government
Abdi said that dialogue between the SDF and the government of Bashar Assad in Damascus has been ongoing since the early years of the 13-year-old Syrian uprising-turned-civil-war, though these discussions have yielded limited progress.
“We have made numerous attempts to reach an agreement with the Syrian regime, but they have yet to produce results,” he said. The main sticking point, he said, has been the Syrian government’s reluctance to recognize the SDF’s administrative and military autonomy in the region. The Kurdish forces have called for a constitutional change that that formalizes the SDF’s role in security and governance after more than a decade of self-administration.
“For us, there are some red lines,” Abdi said.
The prospect of reconciliation between Turkiye and the Syrian government presents additional challenges. There have been several attempts at a rapprochement between Damascus and Ankara that so far have not progressed to an agreement.
According to Abdi, Turkiye is pushing for a deal that would dismantle the existing self-administration in northeastern Syria.
“The Turkish government said clearly that they would reconcile with the Syrian regime on the basis of eliminating the existing status of this region, which makes us their target,” he said.
The proposed reactivation of the 1998 Adana Agreement between Turkiye and Syria, aimed at addressing security concerns along their shared border, could have serious ramifications for the Kurdish region.

UAE president receives Russian security council secretary

Updated 20 min 55 sec ago

Arab News

October 29, 2024 16:11

UAE president receives Russian security council secretary

Updated 20 min 55 sec ago

Arab News

October 29, 2024 16:11

DUBAI: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed the latest regional and international updates with Russian Secretary of the Security Council Sergei Shoigu in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Sheikh Mohamed and Shoigu discussed “ongoing efforts to enhance cooperation and joint initiatives between the two nations”, WAM reported.

The Russian Security Council Secretary conveyed to Sheikh Mohamed the greetings of President Vladimir Putin and his hopes for continued growth in UAE-Russia relations.

The two sides also exchanged views on several regional and international issues of shared interest.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was recently on an official visit to Russia.

Topics: UAE Russia

Satellite photos show Israeli strike likely hit important Iran Revolutionary Guard missile base

Updated 29 October 2024

October 29, 2024 12:20

Satellite photos show Israeli strike likely hit important Iran Revolutionary Guard missile base

The damage at the base in Shahroud raises new questions about Israel’s attack early Saturday
Attack potentially further restrains the Guard’s ability to manufacture the solid-fuel ballistic missiles

Updated 29 October 2024

October 29, 2024 12:20

DUBAI: Israel’s attack on Iran likely damaged a base run by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard that builds ballistic missiles and launches rockets as part of its own space program, satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press on Tuesday showed.
The damage at the base in Shahroud raises new questions about Israel’s attack early Saturday, particularly as it took place in an area previously unacknowledged by Tehran and involved the Guard, a powerful force within Iran’s theocracy that so far has remained silent about any possible damage it suffered from the assault. Iran only has identified Israeli attacks as taking place in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran provinces — not in rural Semnan province where the base is located.
It also potentially further restrains the Guard’s ability to manufacture the solid-fuel ballistic missiles it needs to stockpile as a deterrent against Israel. Tehran long has relied on that arsenal as it cannot purchase the advanced Western weapons that Israel and Tehran’s Gulf Arab neighbors have armed themselves with over the years, particularly from the United States.
Satellite photos earlier analyzed by the AP of two military bases near Tehran also targeted by Israel shows sites there Iran uses in its ballistic missile manufacturing have been destroyed, further squeezing its program.
“We don’t know if Iranian production has been crippled as some people are saying or just damaged,” said Fabian Hinz, a missile expert and research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies who studies Iran. “We’ve seen enough imagery to show there’s an impact.”
Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Israeli military.
Images show major building at Shahroud base destroyed
High-resolution satellite images from Planet Labs PBC taken for and analyzed by the AP showed the damage at the Guard’s Shahroud Space Center in Semnan, some 370 kilometers (230 miles) northeast of the Iranian capital, Tehran. Semnan also hosts the Imam Khomeini Space Center, which is used by Iran’s civilian space program.
The images showed a central, major building at the Shahroud Space Center had been destroyed, the shadow of its still-standing frame seen in the image taken Tuesday morning. Vehicles could be seen gathered around the site, likely from officials inspecting the damage, with more cars than normal parked at the site’s main gate nearby.
Three small buildings just to the south of the main structure also appeared to be damaged. Iran has been constructing new buildings at the base in recent months. Another hangar to the northeast of the main building also appeared to have been damaged.
Iran has not acknowledged any attack at Shahroud. However, given the damage done to multiple structures, it suggested the Israeli attack included pinpoint strikes on the base. Low-resolution images since the attack showed signs of damage at the site not seen before the assault — further pointing to Israeli missile strikes as being the culprit.
“We can’t 100 percent exclude the possibility it’s something else, but it’s almost certain this building got damaged because of an Israeli attack,” Hinz said.
Given that the large building had been surrounded by earthen berms, that suggests it handled high explosives, said Hinz, who long has studied the site. That central site likely deals with solid propellant mixing and casting operations, he added.
Large boxes next to the building likely are missile motor crates as well, Hinz said. Their sizes suggest they could be used for Iran’s Kheibar Shekan ballistic missile and the Fattah 1, a missile that Iran has claimed is able to reach Mach 15 — which is 15 times the speed of sound. Both have been used in Iran’s attacks on Israel during the Israel-Hamas war and the later ground invasion of Lebanon.
The strike at Shahroud, coupled with others across the country, likely have put more pressure on Iran’s theocracy, particularly as it assesses the damage to its main weapon arsenal and tries to downplay the attack.
“Due to preparedness and vigilance of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s armed forces, and timely reaction by the country’s air defense, limited damage was caused to some of the points hit,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed in a meeting with foreign diplomats Tuesday in Tehran. “Necessary measures were taken immediately to restore the damaged equipment to operational state.”
US worries Guard’s space program a cover for missile research
A short distance from the destroyed buildings sits a concrete launch pad used by the Guard, which has conducted a series of successful missions putting satellites into space using mobile launchers. The Guard, which answers only to 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, revealed its secret space program back in 2020.
The US intelligence community’s 2024 worldwide threat assessment said Iran’s continued development of satellite launch vehicles “would shorten the timeline to produce” an intercontinental ballistic missile because it uses similar technology.
Intercontinental ballistic missiles can be used to deliver nuclear weapons. Iran is now producing uranium close to weapons-grade levels after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers. Tehran has enough enriched uranium for “several” nuclear weapons, if it chooses to produce them, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly has warned.
Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons and says its space program, like its nuclear activities, is for purely civilian purposes. However, US intelligence agencies and the IAEA say Iran had an organized military nuclear program up until 2003. Parchin, one of the two military bases near Tehran targeted by Israel, saw a building linked to that program destroyed.
“Like with Iran’s nuclear program, you don’t build the system itself, you build all the technology under cover of a civilian program,” Hinz said.
Then, Iran could make the decision to pursue the weapon — or use its knowledge as a bargaining chip with the West over international sanctions.
But for now, the satellite photos suggest Iran is still trying to assess the aftermath of Israel’s attack.
“The picture that is emerging is one of significant damage to Iranian air defenses as well as missile launch facilities, both of which would be intended to show the Iranians that they are vulnerable to further strikes if they attempt retaliation,” an analysis published Monday by two experts at Britain’s Royal United Services Institute said.

Topics: Iran Israel

UNRWA ban could result in more child deaths in Gaza, UNICEF says

Updated 7 min 4 sec ago

Reuters

October 29, 2024 11:10

UNRWA ban could result in more child deaths in Gaza, UNICEF says

Law passed by Israel to ban the UN Palestinian refugee agency from operating inside Israel has raised concerns
Other agencies said it would be impossible to fill the void
Gaza war mediator Qatar condemned the ban
UNRWA’s spokesman called the agency the backbone of humanitarian work in the Palestinian territories
Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris urged the EU to review trade ties with Israel over ban

Updated 7 min 4 sec ago

Reuters

October 29, 2024 11:10

GENEVA: Israel’s decision to ban the UN relief agency UNRWA could result in the deaths of more children and represent a form of collective punishment for Gazans if fully implemented, UN agencies said on Tuesday.
A law passed by Israel on Monday to ban the UN Palestinian refugee agency from operating inside Israel has raised concerns about its ability to provide relief in Gaza after over a year of war.
“If UNRWA is unable to operate, it’ll likely see the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza,” said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, who has worked extensively in Gaza since the Oct. 7 war began. “So a decision such as this suddenly means that a new way has been found to kill children.”
Other UN agencies at the same briefing said it would be impossible to fill the void. “It is indispensable and there is no alternative to it at this point,” said UN humanitarian office spokesperson Jens Laerke.
In response to a question about whether the ban represented a form of collective punishment against Gazans, he said: “I think it is a fair description of what they have decided here, if implemented, that this would add to the acts of collective punishment that we have seen imposed on Gaza.”
The head of the International Organization for Migration said IOM could not replace UNRWA in Gaza but that it could provide more relief to those in crisis. “That is a role that we are very, very keen to play, and one that we will be stepping up with the support of various stakeholders,” IOM Director-General Amy Pope said.

Qatar condemns ban

Gaza war mediator Qatar on Tuesday condemned the Israeli parliament’s decision to ban the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from operating in Israel, the Gulf emirate’s foreign ministry said.
Israeli lawmakers on Monday overwhelmingly voted to ban the agency, UNRWA, from working in Israel and annexed east Jerusalem.
The lawmakers also passed a measure prohibiting Israeli officials from working with UNRWA and its employees.
“We emphasize that stopping support for UNRWA will have disastrous consequences,” ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told reporters.
“The international community cannot stand silent in the face of this disregard for its international institutions,” he added.

Keeping Gaza people ‘alive’

An official from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Tuesday the organization was “irreplaceable” as its network helps sustain the people of war-ravaged Gaza.
For more than seven decades, UNRWA has provided critical support to Palestinian refugees.
But the agency has faced mounting criticism from Israeli officials, escalating since the start of war in Gaza after Hamas’s October 7 attacks last year.
But Jonathan Fowler, UNRWA’s spokesman in Jerusalem, called the agency the backbone of humanitarian work in the Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza.
“UNRWA is irreplaceable, UNRWA is essential. That remains a fact, whatever the legislation that was passed yesterday,” Fowler, who called the bill “an outrage,” told AFP in an interview at the agency’s compound in east Jerusalem.
With around 18,000 staff the occupied West Bank and Gaza, including 13,000 education staff and 1,500 health care workers, UNRWA has delivered vital aid since 1949.
Fowler said UNRWA hopes the decision will be rescinded, and is “not in the mindset” of thinking of replacement.
“It is on the international community that if this moves forward, and on the Israeli authorities as members of the international community, to say what the plan B is,” should the decision be enforced in three months.
Unlike other UN agencies, which rely on external partners, UNRWA directly employs teachers and health care staff of its own, including 13,000 staff in Gaza.
“The entire UN system and other international players rely on UNRWA’s logistical networks, on UNRWA’s staff to do what is necessary to try to keep the population of Gaza alive. We are the backbone,” said Fowler.
“So the question is, who would be the people who would do this stuff?” he added.

Ireland urges EU to reconsider Israel trade

Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris urged the EU to review trade ties with Israel Tuesday over Israeli lawmakers’ “despicable” ban of UNRWA.
The Irish leader criticized the Israeli parliament’s “shameful” banning of the agency, which coordinates nearly all aid to Gaza.
“The most important action that the European Union could take right now is reviewing trade relations,” Harris told reporters in Dublin before meeting incoming European Council president Antonio Costa.
“What Israel and the Israeli Knesset did last night was despicable, disgraceful and shameful. More people will die, more children will starve,” he said.
Harris added there was “no alternative” to UNRWA, and that he would discuss with Costa “how Europe now needs to find the moral courage... to act in relation to this.
“Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Slovenia and others have been calling for more actions at an EU level. I think that would be a very effective way and I’ll be continuing to make that case,” he said.
Costa replaces outgoing EU Council chief Charles Michel on December 1 and is touring European capitals prior to taking up the new post.
He did not speak to the media ahead of meeting Harris in the Irish capital.
Ireland, along with Spain, Norway and Slovenia, earlier this year formally recognized a Palestinian state comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
They have been among the most outspoken critics of Israel’s conduct since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas which sparked the latest rounds of violence across the region.
In February, Dublin and Madrid asked the EU to “urgently” examine whether Israel was complying with its human rights obligations in Gaza under an accord linking them to trade ties.
They noted the “EU/Israel Association Agreement... makes respect for human rights and democratic principles an essential element of the relationship.”

Topics: War on Gaza UNRWA

Data-driven tech helping to reduce impact of severe weather events

Updated 29 October 2024

Peter Harrison

October 29, 2024 14:03

Data-driven tech helping to reduce impact of severe weather events

Better predictions of rainfall and flooding increasingly possible
Data is key, says Naji Atallah, EMEA Emerging markets, Autodesk

Updated 29 October 2024

Peter Harrison

October 29, 2024 14:03

SAN DIEGO: Severe weather events across the Middle East are becoming increasingly common, but advanced data-collection technology is now being used to mitigate these effects on cities today and hopefully in the future.

According to the website Statista.com, flooding between 2013 and 2023 resulted in economic insured losses of an estimated $98.2 billion.

The report goes on to say that 2021 was the year with the highest insured losses caused by flooding events during that decade at $24.2 billion.

The human cost alone is of concern. In 2021 the World Economic Forum reported that storms had claimed over 577,000 lives, and almost 59,000 people died in floods.

In April, 142 mm of rain fell on the UAE in 24 hours — the same amount usually over a year-and-a-half, and the heaviest in 75 years.

Five people reportedly died in the storms that also flooded homes, malls, streets and even Dubai’s busy international airport. The country was brought to a standstill as cars were submerged.

According to Naji Atallah, head of construction and manufacturing, EMEA Emerging markets at Autodesk, such weather is going to become more frequent as climate change continues.

But as more information is gathered on such events then more can be done to reduce the impact, and in some cases turn these events into an advantage.

Speaking on the sidelines of the recent Autodesk University 2024: The Design and Make Conference in San Diego, US, Atallah told Arab News that incidents such as flash floods can be prevented, or the impact at least reduced if a large amount of data is available.

“Floods, more intense rainfall, or more intense droughts are becoming more frequent,” he explained. “So a city that designed its infrastructure for a one-in-100-year storm will be capable of coping with a probability of 1 percent. for a storm of that magnitude.”

But he said there was now a greater frequency to these major weather events. So a storm that would have previously occurred once every 100 years, is now likely to occur once every 10 years, making the need for improvements much more necessary.

“At some point there will be a storm event that’s beyond the capacity of that design and then flooding will occur. So, the intention should be to make the flood events predictable and manageable.”

He said there are currently cities in the Middle East using software to help design drainage systems and prioritize areas that need intervention when flooding occurs.

Atallah said that rapid urbanization was contributing to increased flooding because it has reduced drainage areas.

Information remains key, he said.

“It is all about data,” Atallah explained. “These models are extremely rich in data, which means you can simulate different scenarios and how the water will behave, where it will go.”

In cities such as Dubai, where fleets of tankers are used for drainage, there can be better predictions of high-risk areas and therefore the deployment of these vehicles.

In addition, Atallah said scenario-mapping can help determine where to create channels and storage areas where flash floods are most likely — basically creating lakes or reservoirs.

This is especially important in areas such as the Gulf region, he said, as water is high in demand but low in supply.

He said cities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are already working on projects to counter future weather events. This includes Jeddah, which is particularly flood-prone.

Atallah said there was still a lot to be learned.

And he hopes the advancements in technology, including artificial intelligence, would help mitigate the effects of major weather events detrimental to human habitats.

Topics: Dubai floods Autodesk

Gulf Creatives Conference goes ahead despite nearby protest encampment

Gulf Creatives Conference goes ahead despite nearby protest encampment

170 speakers and 1,000+ delegates gather for Gulf Creatives Conference at Harvard University

Saudi CEO to attend Gulf Creatives Conference at Harvard University

Kurdish leader in Syria calls for diplomatic solutions to conflict with Turkiye

Kurdish leader in Syria calls for diplomatic solutions to conflict with Turkiye

UAE president receives Russian security council secretary

UAE president receives Russian security council secretary

UAE president attends dinner hosted by Russia’s President Putin

UAE president, Kuwaiti FM hold talks in Abu Dhabi

Satellite photos show Israeli strike likely hit important Iran Revolutionary Guard missile base

Satellite photos show Israeli strike likely hit important Iran Revolutionary Guard missile base

Israel launches strikes on military targets in Iran

Iran Guards chief warns Israel of ‘bitter consequences’ after attack

UNRWA ban could result in more child deaths in Gaza, UNICEF says

UNRWA ban could result in more child deaths in Gaza, UNICEF says

Data-driven tech helping to reduce impact of severe weather events

Data-driven tech helping to reduce impact of severe weather events

Autodesk Converge explores digitized construction in Saudi Arabia

Autodesk Factory Design Suite showcased at Jeddah expo

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Gulf Creatives Conference goes ahead despite nearby protest encampment

Gulf Creatives Conference goes ahead despite nearby protest encampment

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