Day: January 28, 2024

Jordanian Ambassador to Egypt Amjad Adaileh said his country is keen on participating in the Cairo International Book Fair which is one of the key international exhibitions.

In statements to MENA, he said 40 Jordanian publication houses are taking part in the event.

He noted that Jordan was the honorary guest of the fair last year, highlighting the high turnout this year.

He lauded the efforts exerted for organizing the event to meet the needs of Egyptian, Arab and foreign visitors.

About 1,200 Arab and foreign publishers are taking part in this year’s fair.

Norway is the guest of honor of the fair which is held from January 25 to February 5.

Egyptologist Selim Hassan was selected as the fair’s character and writer Yacoub Sharoni as the character of child book fair.

Source: State Information Service Egypt

SHARJAH: A research team from American University of Sharjah (AUS) and the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation (SRTIP) are set to throw open the doors of the precast building made of conductive concrete used for shielding, a fruit of 16 years of extensive exploration and testing.

Located at the SRTIP, the innovative building uses a concrete mix that provides protection from electromagnetic pulses (EMP), otherwise known as electronic sabotage, for the protection of vital civilian and military infrastructure. Two patents have already been filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the technology.

The path-breaking innovation is the brainchild of two lead researchers, Dr. Sherif Yehia from the AUS Department of Civil Engineering and Dr. Nasser Qaddoumi from the AUS Department of Electrical Engineering, who first met in 2009. Together they collaborated and explored the diverse applications of conductive concrete, which initially focused on heating applications and then expanded to inves
tigate the shielding features of conductive concrete.

‘Conductive concrete has been used for a variety of applications around the world, but this is the first precast building of its kind that uses this technology for shielding,’ said Dr. Yehia.

He added, ‘This means that the building is impervious to energy pulses, preventing the risk of short-cutting electronic equipment. The structure ensures a complete signal blockade, preventing any external signals from entering or leaving. This innovative technology holds the potential to safeguard critical facilities like data centres, power stations and security centres.’

Their joint project earned the researchers university and industry recognition, securing backing for their research which was carried out in the College of Engineering’s state-of-the-art labs.

‘We received tremendous support from AUS and its Office of Research and Graduate Studies through several faculty research grants and aid in the process of filing for the US patent,’ said Dr. Qaddoumi. ‘We
also got generous support from Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTI Park, who offered us funding, land for construction and helped us form an advisory board for the project. ALEC Engineering Contracting, currently overseeing the building construction, played a pivotal role in its development.’

Throughout the process, both researchers acknowledged the contributions of their students at the undergraduate and graduate level in assisting them in their work, whether through conducting research, taking measurements, assisting in prototype development, or even in initiating their own research in areas related to the work carried out by the two researchers. This gave students valuable, hands-on experience throughout the implementation of the project.

Going forward, the researchers will be exploring collaboration avenues with industry partners to extend the scope of their work for wider application. One of the main outcomes of the project is the creation of novel concrete materials that will help the growth of the const
ruction industry and contribute to EMP (electromagnetic pulses) protection of the electric grids, generators, and buildings with sensitive equipment and information. In addition, collaboration with precast and ready-mix producers will ensure transfer of knowledge to the construction industry.

The key advantages of conductive concrete are: shielding against EMP without the need for any special additions, improved mechanical properties, relatively lower costs compared to other shielding techniques and ability to be produced as precast units.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a contract to upgrade the existing nol (Card-Based Ticketing System) to a sophisticated, central wallet technology (Account Based Ticketing System), aligning with the top global practices. This project, which requires an investment of AED350 million, is one of the key deliverables of RTA’s Digital Strategy Roadmap 2023-2030 launched last December.

The strategy aims to position RTA as a global frontrunner in digital transformation driven by an optimal investment of data. It seeks to develop a flexible and 100 percent scalable digital infrastructure, ensuring 100 percent fintech integration in mobility solutions.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said, ‘Upgrading the nol system contributes to leveraging the public transport payment system in Dubai. It is a crucial step towards embracing the swift global advancements in digital payment solutions and fintech, which perfectly aligns with th
e government’s Cashless Dubai initiative. Since its inception in 2009, RTA has issued over 30 million nol cards. In 2023, the card daily use average reached about 2.5 million payment transactions, to a value that exceeds AED2 billion.’

‘The project provides a digital payment system that leverages a centralised transport fare wallet technology, ensuring seamless integration across transit modes in Dubai. It brings in a multitude of benefits and advantages that include extensive upgrading of the technology used in payment systems to align it with the most stringent standards of electronic and financial security. It also improves the operational aspects and maximises the utility of data generated by the system, besides providing personalised services and products finely tailored to customer requirements.

‘The new system has several innovative features such as supporting trip planning, booking, and pre-payment through smart channels. It offers integrated packages encompassing a diverse array of services, couple
d with the issuance of family and group tickets. Additionally, the system incorporates payment through smart devices and leverages artificial intelligence technologies, such as facial recognition. The system enhances the user experience by providing direct access to information such as account balances, travel history, ticket pricing, and fare calculations. It enables users to easily manage their accounts, and handle issues related to lost cards among many other features.

‘In terms of electronic security, the new system links all issued cards to individual customer accounts as well as to accounts belonging to companies and multi-user entities. This integration enhances the security of personal and customer data, ensuring privacy protection. The system offers an array of features that provide considerable flexibility in refining operational processes and monitoring the performance of the system. It addresses the needs of public transport network operators in the emirate and supports RTA’s plans aiming to achi
eve the integration of public transport modes and the payment systems operated by the private sector.

‘Anchored in RTA’s central wallet technology, the digital payment system is set to provide better data utilisation and analysis based on a myriad of data points, encompassing details like the origins and destinations of trips. This data will enhance research and development activities, facilitate expansion strategies and forecasting future trends, and assist the design of unique and innovative services,’ explained Al Tayer.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has provided its employees with the smart assistants Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Security Copilot, making it the first government entity in the UAE to adopt this advanced technology from Microsoft.

This is part of DEWA’s efforts to utilise innovation and the latest disruptive technologies to enhance efficiency, productivity, and quality. DEWA is among the first utilities in the world to adopt Microsoft’s Copilot.

Copilot’s features are powered by generative Artificial Intelligence technology. It enriches the employee experience, facilitates the performance of their tasks, automates workflow, and strengthens cooperation between work teams, in addition to saving effort and time. Copilot’s features can be modified to suit each employee and to meet their growing needs while ensuring smoother operations.

This also helps to keep pace with new and accelerating requirements, anticipate challenges, and turn them into promising opportunities. These features
align with the highest standards of privacy and security followed by DEWA as it implements AI service protection technologies.

‘We follow the wise directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to empower our employees and enable them to anticipate and shape a sustainable future. In line with the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, we seek to utilise AI and its tools in various aspects of work.

This will enhance digital transformation, elevate performance, strengthen our future readiness, and increase DEWA’s global competitiveness and leadership as one of the most innovative and distinguished utilities in the world. We take pride in our strategic partnership with Microsoft to enhance the digital transformation and elevate our graphics processing unit (GPU) capabilities as an enabler for our generative AI roadmap.

This cooperation boosts computational efficiency and data processing. It ensures innovative development and superio
r decision-making. Microsoft’s solutions in AI adopted by DEWA ensure compatibility and commitment to the highest data security standards. At DEWA, we are keen to continue adopting the latest advanced technologies to consolidate the happiness and confidence of all stakeholders, especially employees, whom we consider to be the backbone of all our global achievements and success,’ said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA.

‘We utilise innovation and the latest technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to achieve our vision to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation committed to achieving Net-Zero by 2050. DEWA is committed to keeping pace with accelerating technologies, as we continue to develop our world-class digital infrastructure and provide advanced and value-added digital services,’ added Al Tayer.

The Copilot also supports developers and programmers in writing code and developing applications. It understands the context of the code being written, provides suggestions
during the programming process, and offers tips on code formatting and error correction to enhance development. On the other hand, Security Copilot enhances the processes of analysing and responding to cybersecurity attacks to raise the efficiency and productivity of the relevant teams.

Source: Emirates News Agency

TOKYO: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 struck Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture and other surrounding areas on Sunday morning, but there was no danger of a tsunami, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said.

The 8:59 a.m. quake registered a maximum of shindo 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale to 7 in central Tokyo and other areas of the capital and Yokohama, the agency said, with the epicenter in Tokyo Bay at a depth of 80 kilometres.

Source: Emirates News Agency

JEDDAH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) today deplored the decision taken by various countries to temporarily suspend approving new funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

OIC, in a statement, slammed the decision to cease support to UNRWA as a collective punishment that would further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

OIC urged countries that have suspended their funding to the UN agency to reverse their decision to enable the agency to continue providing services and essential needs, including food, shelter and primary healthcare to people in refugee camps, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

Refugee camps in Gaza are experiencing dire circumstances as a result of the continued and escalated Israeli aggression against innocent civilians since October 7, which has so far led to tens of thousands of casualties, including children, women, medical personnel and journalists.

OIC stressed that the ongoing occupation’s aggression; the ban imposed
by it on the entry of aid and its intentional destruction of buildings, schools, hospitals, places of worship and facilities run by UNRWA have negatively impacted refugee camps in the Strip.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation also warned of the risk of halting funding to UNRWA which accounts for much of its budget and forcing it to suspend its humanitarian assistance to the millions of Palestinian refugees.

OIC further stressed the repercussions of such measures on the security and stability in the region.

At least nine countries have suspended funding for the UN agency.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency

JERUSALEM: Israeli occupation police Sunday evening detained a Palestinian child from the occupied city of Jerusalem.

Local sources said that the occupation police arrested a 17-year-old girl, whose identity is not yet known, near the Old City of Jerusalem.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency

SALFIT: The Israeli occupation authorities Sunday seized about 154 dunums of Palestinian-owned lands of Derastiya and Haris, in Salfit Governorate.

The anti-settlement activist, Nazmi Al-Salman, said that the occupation authorities said that they seized 154 dunums and 127 square meters of land from the town of Derastiya, and from the lands of the village of Haris, to the west of the ‘Revava’ colony.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency

RAMALLAH: In light of the escalation of the crime of administrative detention, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said that the number of Palestinian female prisoners administrative detainees in the Israeli occupation prisons has increased to 11, out of about 90 prisoners in Damoun prison, including more than 50 from the Gaza Strip, as the occupation continues to impose the crime of forced disappearance against them.

The PPS added in a statement issued today that the Israeli authorities recently issued an administrative detention order against the lawyer and human rights activist, Diala Ayesh from the city of Al-Bireh, for a period of four months, after she detained her at a checkpoint near Bethlehem on January 7th.

The statement said that Ayesh was subjected to torture in addition to detaining her in difficult conditions in Hasharon prison.

PPS pointed out that the number of administrative detainees in the occupation prisons is the highest since the 1987 uprising, as their number by the end of last
December reached 3,291 administrative detainees, explaining that the numbers are constantly rising to the point where they’re higher than the number of sentenced prisoners as well as those detained pending trial.

It is noteworthy that after October 7, Israeli occupation authorities issued more than 3,000 administrative detention orders, affecting all groups, including women, children, and the elderly, in addition to hundreds of former prisoners who were subjected to administrative detention many times.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency