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Rare maps, manuscripts and books on show
Rare maps, manuscripts and books on show Lily B. Libo-on / 13 February 2014 Gulf studies centre exhibiting unique collection as part of fourth Sharjah Light Festival. For the first time, a unique collection of centuries-old cartograph, rare maps and history is in spotlight at the Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre of Gulf Studies during the fourth Sharjah Light Festival (SLF) that is simultaneously taking place in 12 locations from 7.30pm to 11pm and until midnight on weekends until February 14. The festival started on February 6. The Sharjah Light Festival show on Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre of Gulf Studies. — KT photos by M. Sajjad The 12 sites under special presentation of lights, colour and melody, offering a peek into the region’s history, are Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre of Gulf Studies, Sharjah City Municipality, Kuwait Square, Cultural Palace Square, King Faisal Mosque, Al Taqwa (Al Majaz) Mosque, Al Majaz Waterfront, Central Souq, Al Qasba (Internal façade), Hamza Bin Abdul Mottaleb Mosque in Kalba, Dr Shaikh Rashid Ahmed Al Qasimi Mosque in Dibba Al Hisn and Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque in Khorfakkan. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Director-General of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), said the show at Dr Sultan Al Qassimi Centre of Gulf Studies is particularly special as it highlights the centre’s unique collection of rare maps, manuscripts and books that are several centuries old as well as some stunning specimens and models of European and Arabian ships that played a pioneering role in the maritime history of the region. He said the history of the region and world is illuminated on the façade, as the dome becomes a luminous sphere representing the other half of what exists inside the centre. Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre of the Gulf Studies boasts a rich treasure from the personal collection of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, which had been collected over the decades. With its theme “Capital of Islamic Culture” this year, SLF through its magic of lighting and technology narrates the story of Sharjah’s heritage and architecture and displays the emirate’s beautiful Islamic architecture as well as a modern urban structure that is ideal for the celebration of the festival of lights. Al Midfa said that SCTDA, which is hosting the festival for the fourth year, has been keen to add new, outstanding locations and historical landmarks to the SLF celebrations each year to highlight the emirate’s distinct Arab and Islamic heritage and legacy. Every SLF edition, internationally-acclaimed artists from around the world are invited to join the festival to add special creative touch to bring out the aesthetic grandeur of Sharjah’s historical buildings and modern landscape. lily@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
UAE’s goal is smart govt and happy people: Mohammed
UAE’s goal is smart govt and happy people: Mohammed Muaz Shabandri and Sadiq Shaban / 13 February 2014 mGovernment to incorporate 100 services as nation braces for hi-tech future, says Vice-President. Not content with eGovernment, the UAE on Wednesday launched the mGovernment strategy for seamless service as His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, exuded hope and confidence in a smart future. Shaikh Mohammed addressing the concluding session of the Government Summit in Dubai on Wednesday. — KT photo by Shihab ‘Our main goal is to build hope, build life, build the future and make people happy,” Shaikh Mohammed told an audience of ministers, delegates and senior government employees on the concluding day of the Government Summit. Shaikh Mohammed said that one of the ministers from GCC countries asked him why he says making people happy and not satisfied. VP declares unflinching support to Egypt His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday declared the UAE’s unflinching support to the Egyptian government. “The late President Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan supported Egypt when it signed a peace treaty with Israel. This support continues to this day,” he told visiting foreign journalists. “The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and I believe Egypt is the heart of the Arab nation and we would do all we can to ensure the country proceeds on the path to reform, maintains security and achieves economical development,” Shaikh Mohammed said. Shaikh Mohammed said the economic downturn did not ruffle him one bit when it hit in 2009. “All were wondering how the world financial recession did not affect me. I was confident of recovering from the meltdown especially Dubai,” he said. He called it a “great challenge” and said he thrived in the situation as he saw an opportunity for a stronger UAE after the recovery. “You judge matters from your own present view and analysis,” he told his audience, “but I judge it from my own experiences, expertise, and my vision of the future”. He said he faced the challenge with “persistence, determination and strong faith, and with our own abilities”. The Vice-President said the GCC was vibrant and making rapid strides in cooperation between the countries in various fields — political, economic and military. “We, in the United Arab Emirates, are striving with brotherly GCC states for stronger ties to fulfill the hopes and expectations of our people.” “I would love to assure you that the end will be happy, God willing.” news@khaleejtimes.com “I answered ‘Satisfaction represents a short period of time but happiness lasts more or is semi permanent, this is similar to victory, because the victory is temporary but excellence is eternal’.” “The UAE is proud to have the biggest and most active team in the world. The students of the UAE are the ones who build our country and the staff are its leaders.” Earlier, Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, announced the new mobile strategy at a Press conference with Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, Director-General of mGovernment, and Hessa Buhumaid, Executive Director for Government Services Sector at the Prime Minister’s Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs. “Governments must be in synergy with the demands and expectations of the people in developing its services comprehensively, meeting the pace of smart device developments globally,” Gergawi said. “The UAE’s goal is to ensure the happiness of the people by enhancing access to government services. Delivering mGovernment services seamlessly requires new tools, new thinking and a new level of creativity, which we are implementing.” The plan is to first establish an environment for mGovernment to flourish; provide access capability and capacity of government entities; establish shared resources across government entities at a national level; and ultimately, achieving citizen happiness. mGovernment services are expected 24 hours a day, seven days a week over two years. By May 2015, the government aims to have UAE citizens connecting with the key government services through smart phone devices for services such as payments and identification purposes. Out of the thousands of government services already available online, the UAE has identified the top 100 services based on customer demand, and will focus on refining them into mGovernment Services by May 2015. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Ministry of Education wins top m-Government award
Ministry of Education wins top m-Government award Sadiq Shaban & Muaz Shabandri / 13 February 2014 Shaikh Mohammed recognises top digital initiatives from governments in the Arab region and beyond. The UAE’s push towards mobile technology and innovation received a further boost on Wednesday with the announcement of mobile government awards. As part of the newly launched mobile government vision in the UAE, the Best m-Government Service Awards recognise innovation by federal and government entities. Shaikh Mohammed presenting an award for the Dubai Police to Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Commander-in-Chief of the force, as other officers look on during the award ceremony on the last day of the Government Summit in Dubai on Wednesday. — KT photos by Shihab he UAE Ministry of Education won the top honour at this year’s awards for its application ‘Abnaai’. The app is an integrated portal that targets students and parents. It provides an interactive environment which allows parents to access education-related services anytime and anywhere using smart phones. Speaking with Khaleej Times, Humaid Mohammed Obeid Al Qattami, Minister of Education, said: “I am really happy about the awards. These services have been designed by our children. This is just the beginning; we have to work hard to keep developing education in the UAE.” The awards presented by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, also recognised top digital initiatives from governments in the Arab region and beyond. Students from the UAE universities were also honoured on the occasion. Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research received the top prize of Dh1 million in the university category. Students from the university received the award for creating an application to reduce waiting time in a queue. Shaikh Mohammed flashing the victory sign along with Vice-Chancellor Dr Tayeb Kamali and students of the Higher Colleges of Technology. An additional Dh1 million was also awarded to the same university for helping the UAE Ministry of Health create an app that provides a directory to all services provided by the ministry. It can be accessed from any mobile platform, and allows direct interaction with the ministry by submitting applications. “Mobile applications are going to touch every single aspect of our lives. The UAE is clearly placed ahead of most countries in the region with healthcare and education being the main focus areas. Beyond what technology can offer, I must add that we have the right mindset. And that is what makes the difference,” Osman Sultan, CEO du, told Khaleej Times . The awards have been constituted to stimulate and encourage government entities to provide creative and innovative solutions via smart phone applications and mobile phones. muaz@khaleejtimes.com sadiq@khaleejtimes.com The winners > The Best M-Government Service Award received 26 entries in the international category. Land and Transport Authority, Singapore, bagged the award for its My Transport Application, a comprehensive transportation App that includes information on all modes of land transportation, information on events and promotions nearby. > With 42 entries from the Arab world, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry – Kuwait clinched the prize for its MOCI application that creates a channel of communication between the citizens and residents of Kuwait and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Kuwait. > The winner from Ras Al Khaimah: RAK e-Gov — for RAKPAY – RAK Mobile Payment Gateway, which enables residents to pay Etisalat and utility bills and pay for business licences. > The winner from Ajman: MPDA by Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, an interactive smart channel for the individual and business segments in Ajman. > The winner from Fujairah: smartFUJAIRAH by Fujairah Municipality, an App that runs on Smart phones and tablets, and is a smart services portal for Al Fujairah Municipality, providing access to the municipality’s services at anytime from anywhere. > The winner from Sharjah: Sharjah DPW by Department of Public Works, an App that aims to deliver information and services to individuals and companies securely, smoothly and efficiently by creating an additional communication channel according to high quality standards, that saves time, effort and money for the App users. > The winner from Abu Dhabi: TransAD (The Centre for Regulation of Transport by Hire Cars in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi), a user-friendly taxi booking App that allows customers to book a taxi in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi from different locations determined by the GPS Location of the user’s smart phone. > The winner from Dubai: Dubai Police Application, which features various electronic services that are available in Arabic and English and divided to ‘Traffic Services’ such as ticket payment, ‘Security Services’ such as notification service, community services and public services. > The winner in the University Students Category in the UAE : iQ by Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research – iQ is a complete queuing system designed to make waiting time in a queue a thing of the past; and MOH by Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, an App that provides a complete directory to ministry of health services that can be accessed from any mobile platform, and allows direct interaction with the ministry by submitting applications and finalizing them. > An appreciation award was presented to the Higher Colleges of Technology for presenting the largest number of Applications (43). news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
