UAE's latest bet on tech: a ministry in the metaverse

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The United Arab Emirates, which already boasts the world's tallest skyscraper and has launched a bold Mars mission, now hopes to become a pioneer in the depths of the metaverse.

In a project launched at Dubai's gleaming Museum of the Future, it announced that the UAE's economy ministry was setting up shop inside the immersive virtual world that is now taking shape. 

Those who don their virtual reality goggles or use other means to venture within will find a ministry open for business with companies and even ready to sign bilateral agreements with foreign governments, officials said.

The metaverse is an online world where users will eventually be able to game, work and study, its proponents say -- although it is still in a "test" phase, the UAE's economy minister conceded.

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri was speaking at the inaugural Dubai Metaverse Assembly, held at the museum whose innovative ring shape decorated with Arabic calligraphy flanks the city's main thoroughfare.

Representatives of tech giants mingled with entrepreneurs and developers exploring the potential of the metaverse, a network of digital spaces intended as an extension of the physical world.

"In the last couple of years we've seen investments, we've seen companies move in, and with the changes of the (visa) regime... we see talent coming in," Al Marri told AFP in an interview.

"We trained our employees to really immerse themselves in the metaverse, use the metaverse and engage with the Generation Z that is going to come," he added. 

The UAE, which has a history of bold projects including the 830-meter (2,723-foot) Burj Khalifa, hopes the metaverse can add $4 billion to annual GDP and 40,000 jobs to its workforce by 2030.

In its bid to become one of the world's top-10 metaverse economies, Dubai wants to attract 1,000 companies specializing in blockchain and related technologies, helped by eased visa rules for freelancers, entrepreneurs and creatives.

As the coronavirus pandemic pushed more people into the online world, "Covid really accelerated" the trend, Al Marri added. 

"We thought the metaverse is a phase technology" that might take 10 to 20 years to emerge," he said. "Covid-19 really immersed us so fast and expedited the use of the metaverse."

Virtual Mars trips 

Unlike the UAE's oil-rich capital, Abu Dhabi, crude represents just five percent of Dubai's economy which has pivoted towards business, tourism, real estate and new technologies.

The UAE has already introduced a law governing virtual assets and a regulatory body for cryptocurrencies, while welcoming major crypto exchange platforms.

One of the UAE's early private-sector metaverse projects is called 2117, named after the dream of Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to colonize Mars a century from now.

Metaverse users can now buy tickets to join a virtual shuttle carrying settlers to the red planet.

"A lot of us won't live long enough to see this mission with our own eyes," said Amin Al Zarouni, founder of the Bedu start-up behind the virtual Mars trip.

"We'll try to replicate this experience in the metaverse."

Until now, use of the metaverse is niche and even its architects say widespread adoption is years away. How it will develop is unknown.

According to Meta, which owns Facebook and other social media titans, Analysis Group research has shown that the metaverse could add $360 billion to GDP in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey in 10 years, if it follows the growth pattern of mobile technology.

"We also know that when policy supports innovation, it accelerates the adoption of new technologies," the company said, when asked about Dubai's prospects of becoming a metaverse hub.

"If we look at the context of Dubai, there's already a clear strategy and goals to accelerate metaverse adoption and investments in the building blocks of the metaverse."

, Agence France-Presse

Dubai grants crypto exchange Binance a virtual asset licence

DUBAI - The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance has been granted a licence to conduct some operations in Dubai, the company said, from where it plans to carry out regional business.

The awarding of the Virtual Asset Licence from Dubai's recently formed Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) comes after Gulf neighbor Bahrain on Tuesday awarded Binance a crypto-asset service provider licence, its first such licence from a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country. Read full story

"Binance will be permitted to extend limited exchange products and services to pre-qualified investors and professional financial service providers. All licensed VARA service providers will be monitored progressively to open access to the retail market," Binance said in a statement.

The crypto company will also anchor a blockchain technology hub in the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), it said.

Financial regulators across the world have targeted Binance, with some banning the platform from certain activities and others warning consumers that it was not licensed to operate in their jurisdictions. 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Gulf region's financial capital, has been pushing to develop the virtual asset sector and regulation to attract new forms of business as regional economic competition heats up.

Dubai, one of the UAE's seven emirates, last week adopted its first law governing virtual assets and established VARA as a regulator to oversee the sector.

Binance said in December it was working with DWTC to help set up an international virtual asset ecosystem in Dubai and assist with the development of virtual asset regulations.

"Binance will be able to operate its regional business from Dubai in the newly announced regulatory ecosystem that is subject to comprehensive legislation and internationally applicable policy frameworks," DWTC Authority Director General Helal Saeed Almarri said.

-reuters-

Djokovic to play in Dubai after vaccine controversy: reports

Unvaccinated world number one Novak Djokovic has signed up to play at next month's ATP Dubai tennis tournament, reports said on Wednesday, after his deportation from Australia prevented a tilt at a record 21st Grand Slam title.

A leaked entry list shared by tennis journalists on social media and picked up by several outlets showed Djokovic named as the top seed for the February 21-26 event.

The 34-year-old Serb lost a legal battle to remain in Australia and defend his Australian Open crown this month in a Covid controversy that made headlines around the world.

Djokovic's next moves have been unclear since he flew out of Melbourne and home to Belgrade, via Dubai, as the tournament he has won a record nine times got under way in Melbourne.

The pandemic has proved damaging for the all-time tennis great, who organised a super-spreader tournament series in 2020 and was pictured maskless at an awards ceremony a day after he tested positive in December.

He was first handed an exemption to play by Tennis Australia despite his unvaccinated status, but Australian authorities revoked his visa in a decision that was ultimately upheld by the Federal Court.

Djokovic, who shares the record of 20 major titles with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, now faces diminishing possibilities to add to his haul with France, host of Roland Garros, barring unvaccinated sportspeople and New York, home of the US Open, also under stringent virus rules.

Coronavirus vaccination is not a requirement to enter the United Arab Emirates, where 100 percent of residents have had at least one jab. 

Agence France-Presse

Dubai Expo revises worker death toll up to six, declines to say if more died

DUBAI  - Expo 2020 Dubai, the huge world fair that opened last week, on Sunday revised up the number of worker deaths to six to include COVID-linked and construction-related fatalities but said it could not say whether more had died from other causes.

The state organiser disclosed three people had died after contracting COVID-19 in addition to the previously announced three construction-related fatalities among 200,000 people who have worked on Expo in the past six years.

The United Arab Emirates is expecting 25 million visits over the next six months to the $6.8 billion Expo, which like other mega projects in the Gulf region have attracted international scrutiny over conditions of blue collar migrants.

Asked by Reuters if there had been other deaths, including whether workers had died off-site from other causes, executives repeatedly declined to say, referring queries to authorities.

"We are just not permitted to disclose that information," health and safety vice president Rob Cooling said.

Dubai's media office did not respond to a request for comment.

Limited protections are offered to migrant workers in the UAE and other Gulf states. Those in low-paid jobs are most vulnerable to exploitation, often living in cramped, unsanitary quarters and typically paying high recruitment fees.

The European parliament last month called on member states to boycott the Expo over the UAE's "inhumane practices" against migrant workers which it said were exacerbated in the pandemic. The UAE rejected the charges.

Expo 2020 says it enforces higher workplace standards than the UAE requires, that contractors are audited and that it intervenes when infringements are discovered.

The three people who died in construction-related incidents were from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Germany, Cooling said, adding that investigations into the separate incidents determined the deaths to be accidents.

One of the COVID-19 deaths was a blue collar worker, he said, while the others worked at a site office.

Expo has recorded 72 serious injuries among workers during construction of the site, defending the accident rate as less than half that of building work in Britain.

Vice President of Worker Welfare at Expo, Emma Seymour, said there were 2,000 main contractors and 2,000 subcontractors working on the construction and many were not aware of UAE regulations. Two contractors were kicked off the project after failing to address violations.

Infringements have included workers not being paid or being underpaid and being charged employment fees, she said, adding that 300 workers who were found to have paid recruitment fees were reimbursed around a combined 420,000 dirhams ($114,354) by their employer following an Expo investigation.

The UAE has no minimum wage and Expo has only set one for cleaning services staff at 1,000 dirham ($272) a month. ($1 = 3.6728 UAE dirham) 

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Philippa Fletcher)

-reuters-

Dubai allows breastfeeding women to get COVID-19 vaccine

DUBAI - The Dubai Health Authority said on Saturday it was allowing women who are breastfeeding and those planning on conceiving to take the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Dubai Media Office.

In a Twitter post, the media office said this was in line with the latest international studies and guidelines on coronavirus vaccines.

It also said the DHA was cutting the time frame of vaccine eligibility for those who have previously contracted COVID-19 to 10 days from three months, provided the case was mild or asymptomatic.

(Reporting by Yousef Saba Editing by Mark Heinrich)

-reuters-

Dubai announces alliance to speed COVID vaccine delivery

DUBAI - Key transport hub Dubai on Sunday announced an initiative to accelerate the delivery of coronavirus vaccines, particularly to developing nations, after the WHO warned against abandoning the world's poor.

The Vaccine Logistics Alliance, which includes Dubai-based Emirates airline and global logistics giant DP World, is designed to "speed up distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world through the emirate".

The alliance will "support" the World Health Organization's Covax initiative to distribute two billion vaccine doses, the Dubai Media Office said in a statement, without specifying how many doses it would deliver.

"The distribution will particularly focus on emerging markets, where populations have been hard-hit by the pandemic, and pharmaceutical transport and logistics are challenging," it said.

The United Arab Emirates, which includes Dubai and six other emirates, has administered vaccines to more than a quarter of its population, second only to Israel in the global race.

The WHO has urged wealthy countries to avoid repeating past mistakes of hoarding medicines and vaccines, saying such behavior would only drag out the pandemic.

"We are all too aware of the challenges facing us globally in this pandemic and necessity to work together," the UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said in a tweet.

"Vaccine nationalism should not be tolerated in our common battle to defeat COVID," he said.

Covax, the globally-pooled vaccine procurement and distribution effort, has struck agreements with manufacturers for two billion vaccine doses, and secured options on a billion more.

Dubai said the alliance will work with pharmaceutical manufacturers, forwarders, and government agencies to transport vaccines, some of which have to be kept at very cold temperatures.

"Together, we are able to store a large volume of vaccine doses at a time and bring in and distribute vaccines to any point around the world within 48 hours," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Emirates Airline.

The UAE itself has suffered a spike in cases after the holiday period, after aggressively opening up to tourism.

But it reported 2,948 new virus cases on Sunday, the lowest number since January 11.

Agence France-Presse

Largest fountain on record

The Palm Fountain lights up during a ceremony at the Palm Jumeirah in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest fountain, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Thursday. The fountain, located at The Pointe in Dubai's waterfront Palm Jumeirah area, spans over 14,000 square feet (1,300 square meters) of sea water and features 128 super shooters reaching up to 105 meters (344 feet) in height.

-reuters-

Pandemic gives Dubai chance to put tech to the test

DUBAI -- From smart police helmets to research labs, the novel coronavirus has given Dubai an opportunity to test its technological and scientific clout as it shapes its approach to the pandemic.

A key part of the glitzy Gulf emirate's fight is its COVID-19 Command and Control Center, set up to coordinate the efforts of Dubai's doctors, epidemiologists and other professionals.

It is hosted within the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) in Dubai's Healthcare City, also home to state-of-the-art hospitals, labs and research centers.

"For several years, Dubai has endeavored to put in place solid digital infrastructure, and this has contributed to the fight against the coronavirus", said Amer Sharif, who heads the multidisciplinary center.

It was established at the start of the health crisis by Dubai Crown Prince and social media star Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum.

In one room, young mask-wearing men and women sit at carefully separated desks crunching data on laptops and coordinating with workers on the ground.

The initiative includes a scientific team whose role is "to stay abreast of the latest advances in research and scientific evidence, both in the country and elsewhere in the world", team head Alawi Alsheikh-Ali told AFP.

'DATA AND SCIENCE' 

The United Arab Emirates has carried out more than 1.6 million coronavirus tests, and has officially declared over 28,700 infections, including 244 deaths.

This high-tech approach, Sharif said, including "the complete digitization of the health system", has prevented a greater spread of the virus and made the lockdown easier.

Tom Loney, associate professor of public health and epidemiology at MBRU, said the coronavirus was an opportunity for Dubai to put its capabilities to the test.

"It's the ability to react, to make quick decisions based on data and science" that sets Dubai apart, said Loney, who is also an adviser to authorities in the city-state.

According to him decisions were made by order of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, whose portrait is featured on the MBRU building.

Dubai is one of 7 emirates in the UAE, a key Gulf state with big technological and scientific ambitions.

The emirate lacks the oil wealth of its neighbors, but has the most diversified economy in the Gulf, building a reputation as a financial, commercial and tourism hub.

The UAE sent an astronaut into space last year, and in July is set to launch the first Arab probe towards Mars, a project sponsored by the emir of Dubai.

'OWN MODEL' 

Many tech options were already at Dubai's fingertips when the pandemic struck, and the emirate was quick at putting its technology to a variety of uses during the virus crisis.

Police wear smart helmets that take the temperature of passers-by while laboratories make protective masks using 3D printers.

When a night-time curfew begins, Dubai residents -- 90 percent of whom are expats -- receive a reminder message on their mobile phone in Arabic, English or other languages.

The UAE has regularly announced research advances into the COVID-19 illness, developing several apps to help manage the pandemic.

One of them, Alhosn, which the government has encouraged residents to download, helps track people who are infected with the virus or who may have come in close contact with confirmed cases.

But the use of technology to fight the pandemic has raised concern across the world over government surveillance and privacy risks. 

Tech experts and the media have highlighted this issue in the UAE, where some foreign websites and applications are already blocked.

But Sharif pushed back against skepticism.

"Dubai and the Emirates respect privacy, whether it is a question of patient records or smart applications", he said.

The emirate was creating its "own model" of responding to the health crisis, Sharif added, though authorities were also looking at countries such as South Korea, seen as a positive policy response to the crisis.

"We must follow the developments... but also add to them," he said.

Agence France-Presse

Dubai turns world's tallest building into coronavirus charity box

DUBAI - The world's tallest building, Dubai's 828-meter Burj Khalifa, has become a glowing charity donation box, raising money for food for United Arab Emirates residents suffering the economic impact of the new coronavirus pandemic.

Each of the tower's 1.2 million external lights was "sold" for 10 dirhams ($2.70), enough to buy 1 meal. As donations came in, the tower "filled up," and people could also bid to claim the light at the very top.

As the region's tourism and business hub with the world's busiest international airport, Dubai's economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Many people have lost jobs or had incomes reduced. Tens of thousands of migrant workers, who often live in crowded shared accommodation where the virus spreads more easily, have registered to be repatriated.

"Hope you have a good solid meal. We take things for granted but life has a way of teaching us how to wake up," said donor Shereen Harris in a public comment on the campaign's website.

The UAE has recorded 19,661 cases of infection with COVID-19 and 203 deaths, the second highest death toll after Saudi Arabia of the 6 Gulf states.

The donation box has raised funds for more than 1.2 million meals so far, organizing body The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) said.

The fundraising drive is part of a campaign to fund 10 million meals for low-income families during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan by MBRGI, patronized by Dubai's ruler and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

-reuters-

Pinoy nurse in Dubai sketches images of fallen Filipino health workers in UK as tribute

LONDON - Jonathan Jusayan once dreamt of working in the United Kingdom as a nurse and it almost happened. But fate brought him to Dubai to pursue better opportunities in his profession. 

“I had an employer already but I was not quite ready with the exams at that time. I could be one of those UK nurses in the frontlines struggling to save their patients during this pandemic,” Jusayan told ABS-CBN News.

For Jusayan, the deaths of Filipino frontliners in the UK while battling the coronavirus disease, particularly those working in the National Health Service, hit home. As his own way of honoring those who died in the frontlines, he started to sketch them, using photos from news and social media as reference. 

“I want people to remember them, their efforts and sacrifices, to give hope to families who lost their loved ones. They may be gone in this world, but never forgotten. And I also saw sketches of doctors but no nurses, that is why I dedicated myself to do it," he said. 

After his regular 12-hour shift in the Dubai hospital where he works, using pencil and charcoal, he’d sketch faces of the fallen heroes. It has become his personal tribute to brothers and sisters in the profession. He has been sketching for two weeks non-stop and has finished 21 art works featuring nurses from the NHS who had died. 

He also included US nurses in 8 sketches and featured 5 frontliners from the Philippines.

“After surfing the net and social media, I make sure that I have a cup of coffee beside me for a better kick. (My routine is) sleep, work, draw," he explained. 

The Filipino community in the UK is hit hard by the coronavirus disease. Reports say over 130 medical workers have died of COVID-19. Some 30 Filipinos have also succumbed to the deadly disease. 

Jusayan said his efforts are meant to make people value the contribution of medical frontliners more.

“I just want people to realize the true value of nurses. Specifically, in our home country they have forgotten and neglected us,” he said.

He said he plans to give the sketches to families of the late frontliners in the Philippines after the lockdown. But thanks to the power and reach of social media, some families have already contacted him and he has mailed them his art work. 

“I hope this might give them a bit of comfort and for them to know that they are the true heroes," he said. 

A decade into serving as a nurse, Jusayan has seen professional growth and while in a different working environment and country, he got an insight into the struggles and challenges that overseas nurses face. He hopes the concern over the short supply of personal protective equipment for frontliners will be addressed by governments around the world. 

“I wish that more protection, concern and respect will be given to all the frontliners who risk their lives to face the situation we are all battling right now,” said the Indang, Cavite native.

Meanwhile, he suits up for work daily, and after shift, he sketches more faces- a grim task as more health workers from around the world succumb to the disease. 

news.abs-cbn.com

World's tallest tower to light up with coronavirus donations

DUBAI -- One pixel at a time, Dubai will light up the facade of the world's tallest building to represent each donation made to relieve coronavirus-hit communities across the United Arab Emirates.

The Burj Khalifa, which stands 828 meters (2,717 feet) high, will be transformed into the "world's tallest donation box" as part of a campaign to provide 10 million meals to low-income people.

The appeal comes during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a time of self-reflection, prayer and charity for the faithful.

For each 10-dirham ($2.7) donation, one of the building's 1.2 million LED lights will be illuminated -- each representing a meal. 

On Sunday, less than 24 hours since the launch of the appeal, a live count on the website indicated that more than 176,000 meals had been donated. 

The skyscraper regularly features displays of solidarity with crisis-stricken countries -- for Australia when bushfires ravaged parts of the country, and for China and Italy when they were hit hard by the COVID-19 respiratory disease.

"Representing donations as lights beaming on Burj Khalifa reflects the hope that small acts of kindness will bring to less fortunate communities as the country continues its battle against the pandemic," Dubai's media office said in a statement.

"They will see the impact of their contributions on the facade of the world's tallest building."



Last week, the UAE eased lockdown restrictions that were put in place to curb the spread of the disease.

Dubai, one of the seven sheikhdoms that make up the UAE, had imposed a total curfew.

The emirate depends heavily on trade, retail, tourism and real estate, and the restrictions have hit businesses hard. It is also home to millions of foreign workers, some of whom have found themselves out of work or unpaid as the economy crumbles.

The UAE has so far reported more than 14,000 infections, including 126 deaths. 

It has the second highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia, which has recorded more than 25,000 infections and 176 deaths.

Agence France-Presse

Following Dubai, more UAE malls, restaurants reopen

DUBAI - Malls in the United Arab Emirates' capital Abu Dhabi began reopening to a restricted number of customers this weekend as the UAE eases lockdown measures imposed more than a month ago to combat the novel coronavirus.

Three Abu Dhabi malls reopened on Saturday at 30 percent customer capacity after adopting safety measures, including installing thermal inspection devices, the government media office tweeted and Sharjah emirate said it would reopen malls on Sunday.

Malls, dine-in restaurants and cafes in Dubai, the UAE's business and tourism hub, had earlier resumed operations with limited capacity. Shoppers must wear face masks and gloves and keep their distance.

Sharjah emirate's media office said malls, salons and dine-in restaurants could resume operations on Sunday.

Other public venues such as schools, mosques and cinemas remain closed in the UAE, which has so far reported nearly 13,600 infections and 119 deaths from the virus. It does not give a breakdown for each of its seven emirates.

The UAE had also relaxed a nationwide curfew, first announced on March 26, with the start of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan on April 24.

-reuters-

UAE opens drive-through coronavirus testing site

DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates said it has launched a drive-through coronavirus testing facility as part of the Gulf state's efforts to fight the disease.

The facility, inaugurated by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, will provide screenings within 5 minutes, using state-of-the-art equipment and a medical team, the Abu Dhabi government's media office said. 

"A new drive-through testing facility for COVID-19 has launched ... to offer safe testing procedures," the office said Saturday on Twitter.

According to official state news agency WAM, the facility can serve 600 people a day, with priority given to senior citizens, pregnant women and those with chronic illnesses.

The media office said people should book an appointment in advance.

Tests "for the wider community for reassurance only" would cost 370 dirhams, according to government advice on Twitter.

The UAE, which on Sunday had 570 officially declared COVID-19 cases, including three deaths, has imposed restrictions on night movements and taken steps to sanitize outdoor areas and public transport.

The Gulf state has halted passenger flights, closed its borders to foreigners and asked people to go outdoors only if necessary.

UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi has issued a list of fines ranging from $272 to $13,600 for those violating regulations imposed to contain the virus.

Agence France-Presse

In the deserts of Dubai, salmon farming thrives

DUBAI -- From a control room in the middle of Dubai's desert, Norway's sunrises and sunsets and the cool currents of the Atlantic are recreated for the benefit of thousands of salmon raised in tanks despite searing conditions outside.

Dubai is no stranger to ambitious projects, with a no-limits approach that has seen a palm-shaped island built off its coast, and a full-scale ski slope created inside a shopping mall.

But the farming of salmon in the desert is "something that no one could have imagined", said Bader bin Mubarak, chief executive of Fish Farm. "This is exactly what we're doing in Dubai."

Inside the facility, waters flow and temperatures fluctuate to create the most desirable conditions for the salmon living in four vast tanks.

"We provide for them a sunrise, sunset, tide, a strong current or a simple river current -- and we have deep waters and shallow waters," Mubarak told AFP.

Even for a country known for its extravagant ventures, building Fish Farm, located along the southern border of the emirate, was a challenging endeavor.

Salmon usually live in cold waters such as those in and off Iceland, Norway, Scotland and Alaska -- which is why the farming of Atlantic salmon in a country where temperatures can reach up to 45C (113 degrees F) is a stretch to say the least.

"Creating the (right) environment for the salmon was the hardest thing we faced," Mubarak told AFP.

"But we came up with the idea of dark water that resembles deep water, a strong current like the ocean with the same salinity and temperature of the Atlantic."

'GREATEST PRODUCTION'

Fish Farm bought some 40,000 fingerlings -- or juvenile fish -- from a hatchery in Scotland and thousands more eggs from Iceland to raise in open tanks in Dubai's southern district of Jebel Ali.

Salmon are born in freshwater but live in salt water for much of their lives before returning to freshwater to spawn.

At their home in the United Arab Emirates, the tanks are filled with sea water that is cleaned and filtered.

Fish Farm produces 10,000 to 15,000 kilos of salmon every month.

It was established in 2013 with the support of Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, to farm salmon and other fish including Japanese amberjack, which is used to prepare sushi.

Mubarak said that because of the technical challenge, salmon-raising remains the "greatest production" of the farm, which supplies to Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates, where the population includes millions of expatriates.

"The UAE imports around 92 percent of its fish from abroad, and the goal today is to be able to fulfill (that demand) for imports internally, so that we have food security," Mubarak said.

"In case there is an interruption, cyclone or floods, the UAE will be able to supply itself. This is the main objective."

PROS AND CONS

Another goal is to be environmentally friendly and, in a move also motivated by the high cost of electricity, Fish Farm has plans to go solar-powered.

The ecological pros and cons of farming fish on land, compared to raising them in rivers and seas, are hotly debated, as is the alternative of harvesting wild fish.

"There are animal welfare concerns about keeping fish whose natural behavior is to swim freely in seas and rivers in closed tanks," said Jessica Sinclair Taylor, from Feedback Global, a London-based environmental group.

"There are also concerns about the energy requirements and therefore carbon emissions."

But she said that on the plus side, land-based farming prevents water pollution in lakes or seas where salmon farms are sometimes sited, and where waste and run-off can damage marine ecosystems.

According to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the UAE imported 2.3 billion dirhams ($630 million, 570 million euros) of fish products, crustaceans and mollusks in 2017 and exported 280 million dirhams' worth.

Fish Farm, the UAE's only fish farm, hopes to meet at least 50 percent of the country's needs within two years, said Mubarak.

In April, Fish Farm began selling its products in supermarkets. Despite its decidedly unnatural origins, the salmon is marked "100 percent organic" because of the fish feed and the absence of antibiotics in a closed environment.

"It is (more expensive), but I also think about the quality -- I've tried different salmon before and this is less greasy and my family prefers this one," said Katja, a German residing in Dubai.

She said that UAE is "making really great efforts to produce not only fish but vegetables and other foods locally, and I think I should really support that".

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Emirates announces $16 billion deal to buy 50 Airbus 350s

DUBAI - Emirates Airline said Monday it would buy 50 Airbus 350-900 widebody aircraft in a deal worth $16 billion, with delivery to begin in May 2023.

"I am happy to announce we are purchasing 50 Airbus 350 for $16 billion," the carrier's chairman and CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum told reporters at the Dubai Airshow.

Emirates serves a global network spanning over 158 destinations in 84 countries. Its fleet stands at 267 large aircraft, including more than 100 Airbus 380 superjumbos.

Its move earlier this year to reduce its total A380 orders triggered Airbus to pull the plug on the costly plane, which airlines have struggled to fill to its capacity of 500-850 people.

At the time, Airbus said it would buy smaller A330 and A350 models instead.

"It is very good news for Airbus," the European aerospace giant's CEO Guillaume Faure said of the announcement in Dubai, adding he was "very proud that Airbus 350 has been selected by Emirates".

source: news.abs-cbn.com

High hopes as Dubai marks one-year countdown to Expo 2020

DUBAI -- Fireworks exploded over Dubai's skyline on Sunday to mark the one-year countdown to Expo 2020, a big-budget global trade fair the glitzy emirate's rulers hope will restore its flagging fortunes.

Megastar Mariah Carey headlined at a concert underneath the illuminated Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, where thousands gathered for the centrepiece of festivities across the United Arab Emirates.

At exactly 20:20 local time, the skyscraper was lit up with "1 year to go" and "the world's greatest show" in both English and Arabic.

"These spectacular nationwide celebrations will usher in the final leg of a historic journey," said Reem Al-Hashimy, a government minister and also director general of Expo 2020. 

"The next 12 months will see us put the finishing touches to ensure an exceptional World Expo." 

Dubai hopes to attract 15 million visitors to the sprawling site taking shape on sand dunes south of the city's gleaming downtown, being built at the staggering cost of 30 billion dirhams (8.2 billion dollars).

With the city in the grips of a downturn in its vital property sector, officials are pinning high hopes on the event, the logo of which is emblazed on everything from business cards to airliners.

Some 200 countries will take part in the fair, which runs from October 20, 2020, to April 10, 2021. 

Attractions will include the UAE pavilion in the shape of a falcon in flight and a dome crafted from 800 tonnes of steel which will be the world's largest 360-degree projection surface.

Organizers say the Expo is much more than a six-month trade show.

But although experts believe the much-anticipated event will give the economy a boost, there are concerns it will be only a temporary one and that finances will slump again as soon as the show is over.

ECONOMIC HANGOVER

Since the first "World Expo" was held at the Crystal Palace in London in 1851, world fairs have been used to showcase new ideas and technology as well as serving as nation-branding exercises.

But not all have had the desired impact, with some marred by disappointing visitor figures and leaving a legacy of debt and abandoned infrastructure. 

Raed Safadi, chief adviser to Dubai Economy which is charged with guiding the emirate's financial fortunes, said Expo will add some $34.6 billion to the economy between 2013 -- when it won the bid to host the event -- and 2030. 

"It will be gross value added, directly, indirectly and induced. You come to Expo, you stay at a hotel, you go shopping, etc.," he told AFP. 

London-based Capital Economics agreed the event would provide a boost -- but said it was likely to burn out soon afterwards.

"As preparations for the Expo come to an end, activity in the construction sector is likely to weaken," it said.

Already there are concerns of huge oversupply in the property sector, driven by predictions that the trade fair will deliver some 300,000 new jobs which saw hundreds of major projects unveiled in recent years. 

Also in the spotlight is the government's goal of attracting 20 million tourists in 2020, an increase of around 20 percent from this year. 

The all-important arrivals figure has been stagnant at 16 million in recent years, and there are doubts that Expo will singlehandedly bridge that gap.

Standard and Poor's ratings agency said in September that it expected Dubai's economy to pick up with 2.4 percent growth this year, from 1.9 percent in 2018, largely due to the completion of projects related to the Expo.

But after the event packs up, growth will drop to a modest 2.0 percent through 2022, it said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Federer sets up Tsitsipas final in Dubai to put 100th title within reach

Roger Federer took a step closer to his 100th ATP crown on Friday, easing past Borna Coric 6-2 6-2 in the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to set up a title clash with Greek youngster Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Federer has been far from his ruthless best in the previous rounds but looked a different player in the last-four tie, as he broke his Croatian opponent 4 times and needed only 67 minutes to advance to Saturday's final at the Aviation Club.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion will now look to avenge his shock defeat by the 20-year-old Tsitsipas in the Australian Open fourth round in January.

Victory for the Swiss, a 7-time winner in Dubai, will make him only the second man in the Open Era to win 100 titles after American great Jimmy Connors who has 109.

Earlier, Tsitsipas recovered from a set and 1-3 down to get past Gael Monfils 4-6 7-6(4) 7-6(4) with the result set to propel him into the top 10 for the first time in his career.

"The whole match changed out of nowhere," Tsitsipas said.

"I've improved since last year. Beating the big guys, big players, players that have been in the top 10, it means a lot.

"I wanted to get there at some point myself, and I made it today. I don't know, it's probably a special day for Greece."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Oil market likely to rebalance early 2019: OPEC ministers

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait -- Oil ministers from leading OPEC nations said Sunday they expect prices will arrest their recent slide and rebalance early next year, when a deal on new production cuts takes effect.

Oil prices have shed more than 36 percent since early October to trade at $54 per barrel, due to fears of oversupply and weak global demand.

But OPEC president and United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said the surplus in the oil market was small compared to 2017 and expected it to vanish in one or two months.

"Based on available figures, we have around 26 million barrels of surplus... compared to 340 million barrels in early 2017," the minister told a press conference in Kuwait City.

"I think that we can easily do with this surplus and reach market rebalance in one or two months... in the first quarter of next year," he said.

OPEC -- a cartel of producer countries that has long manipulated output of the commodity to influence global prices in members' favor - and non-OPEC members agreed in early December to trim production by 1.2 million barrels a day from January 1, in a bid to shore up sagging prices.

Mazrouei said that there has been higher than anticipated supply on the market in recent months, as US sanctions on Iran have had a less pronounced effect on the country's oil exports than had been expected.

Iraq's Oil Minister Thamer al-Ghadhban said that there is a consensus among OPEC and non-OPEC producers to comply with the new agreement to trim output in a bid to stabilize the market.

He said the new agreement is valid for 6 months and that the ministers will meet in April to assess the impact of the cuts.

Ghadhban said he believes that the new measures taken by producers will "stop the slide in oil prices."

Mazrouei said that producers are ready to renew the agreement or increase cuts in case the market does not balance.

"If the production cuts of 1.2 million barrels a day is not enough, we will meet again to see what is enough and apply it," he said.

During their meeting next April, the producers are also expected to sign a long-term agreement to formalize cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC members over oil output.

OPEC has lately been cooperating closely with Russia and other non-cartel producers, in a bid to impose greater control over global output and prices.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Arab Fashion Week eschews the abaya with resort-couture

DUBAI - As the abaya witnesses a global resurgence, the sixth edition of Arab Fashion Week opened Wednesday with fallen angels, Rococo corsets, cupcake headbands and nary a kaftan in sight.

Billed as an official fashion week alongside the famed Paris, Milan and London shows, the Arab edition of fashion week is the sole event dedicated entirely to ready-couture and pre-collections.

Hosted on the Queen Elizabeth II cruise ship, the show, which prides itself on its Arab name, opened with angel-inspired and baroque kitsch collections by designers from Russia, Portugal, the UAE, the Philippines, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and more.

Designer Furone One, loved in Dubai for his ethereal designs, opened the 4-day affair with his "White Noise" resort collection, inspired by angels both cerubin and fallen.

With winged white liner, pearl teardrops beneath their eyes and nude fishnet stockings, his models walked the runway in hot-pants, tea-length dresses, mermaid gowns and sheer flowing capes, draped head-to-toe in lace, voile and crystals.

"The inspiration about this collection is angels. White angels, fallen angels all kinds of angels, who are here on earth -- because we don’t know," said One, whose popular collections are frequently inspired by mythical creatures.

"Angels are with us. They’re with everybody."

Russia's Tatiana V. Lyalina paid tribute to Marie Antoinette with a Rococo-inspired collection featuring pink heart-print pantsuits underneath bright blue fur stoles, teal velvet gowns with brooches, glitter knee boots, corsets and cupcake headbands.

The Arab Fashion Council has openly said it aims to spread ready-couture across the region -- a form of fashion that is financially more accessible than haute couture, but pricier and slightly more exclusive than ready-to-wear.

The spread of ready-couture has not sat particularly well with traditional gatekeepers in the fashion world, but the growing influence of social media has seen its popularity continue to skyrocket.

The Arab Fashion Council is banking on that popularity to make its mark on the global scene.

"With the change of the market and the economy and the business of fashion, we have noticed that ... even in Paris, in the last fashion week, there were many designers trying to shift from haute couture to ready-couture," said Jacob Abrian, head of the Arab Fashion Council.

"It is because of the economy, because of the financial status, because of social media, because of your social life. You tend to go to more events than before and you tend to spend less... but you will keep a certain level of luxury," Abrian told AFP.

"I believe this is a very important tool in our hands, that we can push Arab Fashion Week to become one of the first, most important fashion weeks in the next 10 years."

For 5 seasons exclusive to Dubai, Arab Fashion Week now has 2 editions: Dubai Arab Fashion Week, and Riyadh Arab Fashion Week, less than one month apart.

Saudi Arabia last month hosted its own version of the event, drawing press from around the world to a lineup that included trunk shows by Jean Paul Gaultier and Roberto Cavalli but did not include men or cameras.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Razon's to bring popular halo-halo to the Middle East

MANILA – Razon’s of Guagua, known for its creamy, no-frills halo-halo, will soon be available in the Middle East.

The Kapampangan restaurant chain is set to open a branch in Dubai, where many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are based.

“It will be our first international store in Dubai, and we are excited to cater to over a million OFWs in the region. There is a demand for real Filipino food in Dubai,” Jose Razon, executive vice president of Razon’s, said in an interview with Manila Standard.

Razon’s halo-halo is different from the original Filipino icy treat as it only contains three main ingredients: leche flan, saging na saba, and macapuno.

The restaurant, which has branches in Pampanga, Metro Manila, and nearby provinces, is also popular for its pancit luglug, sizzling bulalo, sizzling sisig, and dinuguan with puto.

source: news.abs-cbn.com