ABU DHABI // Fires were extinguished by civil defence and the victims taken to safety by ambulances after an earthquake hit Abu Dhabi Tuesday – but it was all just a live simulation exercise.
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, tweeted a video of the demonstration, called Aftershock, to promote a coordinated response to emergencies and public safety readiness.
The event, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, signalled the opening of the three-day International Exhibition for Security and National Resilience (ISNR) in which hundreds of exhibitors in homeland security and national resilience, information security and critical infrastructure security took part.
In the demonstration, several buildings were struck and a large plume of smoke escaped from a tower as police, civil defence and ambulance units were dispatched to the scene. Dozens of actors screamed in panic and another was taken to safety from the top of a burning building in a simulation of a helicopter rescue.
Special task forces set up an official security cordon while a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) team arrived on the scene to analyse the gas pipelines and explosions in the area.
A security media vehicle was dispatched to cover the incident, and mobile field hospitals were used to receive the injured rescued from a under a pile of rubble.
Search-and-rescue teams worked alongside highly trained K9 units. One actor was on fire and another jumped from the blazing tower on to an airbag safety mattress. Firefighters quickly put out the flames.
But the event was not only for disasters on land.
“The conference is very useful for us to implement new rules in the UAE and give more information on how to be safe for anybody using the UAE waters,” said Capt Humaid Al Suwaidi, a coastguard at the Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority.
“We have been installing tracking systems on all ships and vessels for the past two years to help or assist people at sea in times of danger or during a medical situation.”
The authority has installed the system on 85 per cent of all ships in the UAE, including small vessels, leisure and fishing boats.
"There are currently two major threats at sea, which are oil smugglers and drug trafficking," he said. "The general situation in the Gulf is that there has been an increase in oil smugglers, so we are constantly strengthening our security."
Nils-Erik Lindblom, director of marketing and sales of CBRN vehicle systems at Saab Technologies, a defence and security company in Sweden, said he hoped the conference would help increase their work in the UAE.
“We work a lot in CBRN, the naval and land domain, and we’re increasing our work in the land domain,” he said. “Our system can detect and monitor substances and immediately send it to headquarters. We’re here to show our CBRN capabilities.”
The company works with the UAE Government in naval operations.
Dr Peter Reimers, managing director of Tescon, a German security systems company, has been working in the Middle East for the past 10 years. But the UAE is a new market for the company.
“We manufacture road blockers and sliding gates to secure premises, entry and exit points against intruders,” he said. “The conference is a good way to meet customers and, at the moment, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is a potential customer for government buildings.”
His security systems can be used in hotels and can stop a 7.5 tonne-lorry travelling at 80kph.
"It's important to have such systems because the global threat of terrorism is growing," he said.
cmalek@thenational.ae
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
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Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
