The UAE's Industry Development Council, which supports the growth of the country's industrial sector for investors, recommended new initiatives, including the launch of a unified platform for industrial data, in its second meeting held on Tuesday.
During the meeting — led by Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and chairman of the Industry Development Council — members reviewed recommendations made at the first meeting and discussed the progress in enacting them, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology said in a statement on Tuesday.
They also discussed the recommendation to launch a unified platform for industrial data and conduct an integrated national census project for the industrial sector that would cover all the emirates and their free zones and provide key data for industrial facilities in the country.
Each emirate showcased incentives aimed at stimulating the industrial sector, supporting the growth of national industries and enhancing their competitiveness, as well as discussing ways to streamline the business environment and reduce fees for industrial investors, the statement said.
“We are working on fast-tracking mechanisms for empowerment, integration and partnership among the public and private sectors to support national projects,” Dr Al Jaber said.
“This is in alignment of our goals of creating an attractive business environment for local and international investors in the industrial sector and positioning the UAE as a global destination for pioneering future industries.”
The UAE is boosting the local industrial sector as part of plans to diversify its economy.
The Emirates launched the Operation 300bn strategy last year to increase the industrial sector's contribution to the country's gross domestic product to Dh300 billion ($81.6bn) from Dh133bn in 2021.
It also aims to support 13,500 industrial companies over the next decade.
A new brand identity campaign, Make it in the Emirates, is also being rolled out as part of the strategy. Emirates Development Bank has been given the task of providing debt and equity funding to support companies operating in the sector.
The Industrial Development Council has been set up as a platform for co-operation, co-ordination and integration among relevant authorities in the UAE’s industrial sector on the federal and local levels as well as with the private sector.
“The Industrial Development Council teams have set clear strategic aims at the national level, which will be confirmed in the next few weeks, as part of the government's goals to intensify efforts and fast-track opportunities and investment projects in the industrial sector to boost the national economy,” Dr Al Jaber said.
The body is enacting initiatives as well as proposing and drafting policies, laws, legislations and strategies that aim to “attract foreign direct investment, advance quality infrastructure and enhance consumer confidence across local, regional and international markets in products manufactured in the UAE”, he added.
During the meeting on Tuesday, the council also reviewed the policy of valuing waste and limiting its export since factories can reuse waste products, such as iron and aluminium, through recycling, which will save materials, reduce costs and improve sustainability, the statement said.
“The council’s teams and their ambitious programmes will contribute enormously to enhancing the role the industrial sector plays within the national economy,” said Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade and vice president of the Industry Development Council.
“They also target improving the capacity and competitiveness of products manufactured in the UAE across local markets, increasing export capabilities in foreign markets, and establishing a stimulating work system for setting up and developing SMEs.”
The Industry Development Council also discussed preparations for the Make in the Emirates Forum that will take place on June 21-22. It is being hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and its strategic partners, including Adnoc and the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi.
The forum will showcase investment projects as well as witness the signing of several agreements between investors and Emirati and international industrial companies, the statement said.
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Results
2pm: Serve U – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Violent Justice, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
2.30pm: Al Shafar Investment – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Desert Wisdom, Bernardo Pinheiro, Ahmed Al Shemaili
3pm: Commercial Bank of Dubai – Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Fawaareq, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
3.30pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
4pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Rakeez, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
4.30pm: Al Redha Insurance Brokers – Handicap (TB) Dh78,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Capla Crusader, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
Results
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,000m, Winner: Hazeem Al Raed, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: Ghazwan Al Khalediah, Hugo Lebouc, Helal Al Alawi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Dinar Al Khalediah, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi.
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Faith And Fortune, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Only Smoke, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: AF Ramz, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mass, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
2019 ASIA CUP POTS
Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand
Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam
Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan
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Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.