Abu Dhabi has launched a vast genetics lab with the aim of screening the entire Emirati population within months.
Omics Centre of Excellence, operated by G42 Healthcare, is set to play a crucial role in better understanding and fighting disease – including variations of the coronavirus.
The sophisticated centre, in Masdar City, has the largest and fastest supercomputer in the region with the capability of processing the genetic sequencing of Emiratis in the UAE, of whom there are more than one million.
Ashish Koshy, chief executive of G42 Healthcare, expects to have screened the entire population within months.
“The launch of this lab, the Omics lab, ensures that Abu Dhabi has the capabilities of advanced sequencing here in the country,” he said.
Samples were previously sent abroad for genetic sequencing. But the new lab will allow blood samples to be processed in the UAE.
“What we have built this world-class infrastructure to ensure that everything can be done in-house, and we are more than happy to accept samples from other countries,” he said.
“Potentially, there are a lot of genome projects but never has there been anything of this scale.
“We want Emiratis to donate blood through hospitals, majlis and wherever possible.”
He said he is confident all Emiratis across the nation will take part in the forward-thinking initiative.
The centre will provide the platform for the Emirati Genome Programme, which will explore the genetic make-up of citizens and contribute towards personalised and preventive healthcare.
The lab has already begun taking blood samples from UAE citizens, beginning with Sheikh Abdullah Al Hamed, chairman of the Department of Health and its undersecretary, Dr Jamal Al Kaabi.
The programme will be led by the emirate’s Department of Health and delivered by G42.
“Improving the well-being of our society and transforming healthcare is a priority of the Department of Health Abu Dhabi,” its chairman, Sheikh Abdullah Al Hamed, said.
“We welcome initiatives such as this one, G42 Healthcare’s Omics Centre of Excellence, which result in positive outcomes for the local community while elevating the healthcare sector’s ecosystem and available infrastructure.
“By employing the most innovative technologies to date, and with a strong Emirati representation in the centre as well as throughout the company’s other initiatives, this groundbreaking facility will lay the foundation of a healthier future for all in the UAE.”
Dr Asma Al Mannaei, director of the healthcare quality division at the Department of Health, was the first woman to participate in the project by providing a blood sample.
“This will enable us to understand why disease is happening and what the potential cure it is. I am very pleased to participate in the Emirati Genome project that will enable the full understanding of the genetic composition of UAE nationals and what will be their predictive health,” she said.
“We need to understand our differentiation in terms of our genetic composition and this will contribute towards customising treatment and therapies for our population.
“This is the first and most important step for precision medicine. It is a dream that we have been waiting for many years.”
The service is free of charge and will soon be available at various healthcare centres. It will contribute towards personalised medicine for UAE nationals.
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
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Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
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Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
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Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
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The specs
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
