The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Antonie Robertson / The National
Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia, presents an award to Electricians Without Borders together with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces awards Global High Schools Winner: The Americas, Air Batalla, Columbia with Seychelles President Danny Faure. Antonie Robertson/The National
The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces awards Global High Schools Winner: Sub Sahara Africa, Hakimi Aliyu Day Secondary School, Nigeria with the Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabić. Antonie Robertson/The National
The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Antonie Robertson / The National
Winners of the Zayed Sustainability Prize. Antonie Robertson / The National
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, was at the ceremony. Antonie Robertson / The National
Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia. Antonie Robertson / The National
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, Chairman of Masdar. Antonie Robertson / The National.
Winners collect their awards. Antonie Robertson / The National
A teenager from Ghana who began teaching himself how to code just three years ago was crowned a winner of the Zayed Sustainability Prize on Monday.
Mustapha Haqq, 18, was awarded Dh2.2 million ($600,000) to help develop a smartphone application which helps farmers identify and treat plant disease.
The company he co-founded, Okuafo Foundation, was among 10 winners of the 2020 prize who will share a combined total of Dh11m ($3m) in funding.
A delighted Mustapha held his head in his hands as his project was announced a winner at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in the capital.
"No one in my family owned a computer," he told The National. "But I realised technology had the ability to change critical issues like drought and hunger.
"It basically predicts and detects crop diseases and infestations, then offers scientific solutions in real-time.
“Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook from his dorm room and now connects more than two billion people.
“I thought, ‘I can do that’. Maybe I can connect four billion people.”
Growing up in a slum in Ghana, Mustapha said he had always been inspired by big tech entrepreneurs like Zuckerberg.
Spending his days at computer cafes in his local town, he said many teenagers around him were using the internet to “scam people and commit fraud”.
“I just taught myself to code via YouTube videos,” he said.
In 2018, the aspiring entrepreneur developed a mobile app to help improve the lives of local farmers.
Many he spoke to were losing significant crop yield due to harmful pests like the fall armyworm, an insect common to North and South America and first reported in Africa in 2016.
Mustapha Haqq, 18, was awarded Dh2.2 million ($600,000) to continue to develop a smartphone application which helps farmers. Antonie Robertson / The National
Using artificial intelligence and data analytics, Mustapha’s app helps to mitigate widespread damage to farm produce.
“It basically predicts and detects crop diseases and infestations, then offers scientific solutions in real-time,” he said.
“Farmers can act and limit the impact to crops much quicker through smart technology.”
With the Dh2.2m cash boost from the prize, the innovative youngster said the next phase of his project was to reach more farmers.
“Through our project we select farmer leaders who help us to promote the work we do,” he said.
“Using the money, we can travel to hard to reach communities and engage and support more farmers about crop safety.”
Since 2008, the UAE’s Zayed Sustainability Prize has been at the centre of a global effort to harness new technologies to change lives for the better.
Launched by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, it has grown to become one of the most significant awards worldwide for affecting positive change.
Monday’s 10 winners were spread across five prize categories including health, food, energy, water and education.
“Today, we honour the winners of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, the pioneer in sustainable development and humanitarian work,” said Sheikh Mohamed on Twitter.
In a tender moment on stage, Sheikh Mohamed embraced 15-year-old Buretaake Ioane from the Republic of Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean.
Ioane’s school, Eutan Tarawa Ieta Junior Secondary School, won first place in its region in the Global High Schools category.
"I was shocked, excited, but really I couldn't believe it. That is why I hugged his highness so tightly," he told The National.
“It was the only way I could show him my true appreciation for what this means for my small school back home.”
With the prize money, he said his teachers aimed to convert part of the school grounds into a food production area, with a vegetable garden and large chicken barn.
Other winners, this time in the energy category, were the French non-profit Electricians Without Borders.
With more than 30 years of experience working in more than 50 countries, the organisation provides solar equipment to refugee camps and rural communities.
Herve Gouyet (right), president of Electricians Without Borders. Antonie Robertson / The National
“We were finalists in 2016 but never won. It was a bitter disappointment,” said Herve Gouyet, president of EWB.
“But today, wow, the feeling is unbelievable. I think that loss four years ago made this win even more important for us.
“I texted my daughter to give her the good news but she hasn’t responded yet.”
With an aim to “enforce the skills of a population”, EWB is “less about expensive technology” and more about empowerment.
Mr Gouyet said the organisation deliberately focused on simple but effective equipment to guarantee the support of its users and get results.
“We use basic technology. If it was too sophisticated these people would lose confidence in renewable energy,” he said.
“We light communities through solar electricity and train people to have the skills to maintain the equipment.”
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. 13 JANUARY 2020. The Zayed Sustainability Awards held at ADNEC as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. The winners from Top row center is H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. LtoR in the bottom row: Health Winner: Globhe, Sweden. Food Winner: Okuafu Foundation, Ghana. Energy Winner: Electricians Without Borders, France. Water Winner: Ceres Imaging, USA. Global High Schools Winner: The Americas, Air Batalla, Columbia. Global High Schools Winner: Sub Sahara Africa, HakimiAliyu Day Secondary School, Nigeria. Global High Schools Winner: Middle East and North Africa, Al Amal Junior High School, Morocco. Global High Schools Winner: Europe and Central Asia, United World College Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Global High Schools Winner: South Asia, Bloom Nepal School, Nepal. Global High Schools Winner: East Asia and Pacific, Eutan Tarawa IETA Junior Secondary School, Kiribati. (Photo: Antonie Robertson/The National) Journalist: Kelly Clarker. Section: National.
With the cash injection offered by the prize money, Mr Gouyet said they aimed to launch a project at a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh.
“To train about 20 electricians to service and maintain power to 50,000 shelters costs around $100,000 (Dh367,000),” he said.
“That $600,000 (Dh2.2 million) fund could help us scale the project six-fold, benefiting 300,000 refugees.”
This year, a total of 2,373 projects put their work forward in the hope of winning the 2020 edition of the prize.
In October last year, a 12-member jury whittled down that number to a shortlist of 30 finalists.
A total of six schools from six regions were also awarded Dh367,000 ($100,000) each for their work in developing renewable energy solutions.
During the awarding ceremony, organisers told how Globhe, winner of the health category, used imaging from drones as well as AI to help identify potential public health emergencies in the developing world.
Detailed analysis can, for example, detect malaria mosquito breeding sites as well as areas at risk from cholera outbreaks.
The winners
Health: Globhe
Utilises drone data to help prevent and respond to disease outbreaks and natural disasters
Food: Okuafo Foundation
Helps farmers identify and treat plant diseases and pests through a smartphone app
Energy: Electricians without Borders
Provides high-quality solar equipment and training to people in rural communities and refugee camps
Water: Ceres Imaging
Provides farmers with aerial images to help grow crops more efficiently
Education:
‘Global High Schools’
Americas - Air Batalla - Columbia
Sub-Saharan Africa – Hakimi Aliyu Day Secondary, Nigeria
Middle East and North Africa - Al Amal Junior High School, Morocco
Europe and Central Asia - United World College Mostar- Bosnia and Herzegovina
South Asia - Bloom Nepal School, Nepal
East Asia and Pacific - Eutan Tarawa Ieta Junior Secondary School, Republic of Kiribati
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
Tim Paine (captain), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
England 2 (Lingard 78', Kane 85')
Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57')
Man of the match: Harry Kane (England)
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo Power: 235hp Torque: 350Nm Transmission: Nine-speed automatic Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000) On sale: Now
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
