Day: April 28, 2024

Riyadh: Minister of Health Fahad bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel and Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Saudi Ministry of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation today during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Meeting held in Riyadh.

This agreement is among several agreements signed by the foundation with the Kingdom.

The Health Minister indicated that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) focuses on cooperation between the ministry and the organization in several areas to enhance disease surveillance and diagnostic tools, provide safe health solutions, and offer technical assistance to strengthen vaccine-manufacturing capabilities in the Kingdom.

This, he said, aims to assist low- and middle-income countries in accessing vaccines at lower costs and addressing polio, contributing to global preparedness and response to pandemics and other global health issues. Moreover, the minister revealed the MoU
aligns with the Kingdom’s renewed and significant interest in enhancing public health and developing healthcare services.

“It marks the first step towards achieving the shared goal between the Kingdom and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is to ensure equitable access to healthcare services for all, especially those living in underserved areas. This step is part of global efforts to unify actions and work on various global health issues and challenges,” the minister said.

It also reflects the commitment of the Kingdom and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) and improve people’s lives worldwide, the minister noted.

Bill Gates, in turn, expressed pride in partnering with Saudi Arabia in these important humanitarian efforts, noting that this type of collaboration reflects a commitment to working diligently towards positively impacting people’s lives.

“I am proud to see Saudi Arabia, alongside partners across the Middle East, stepping up to deliver
more vaccines against polio, measles, and other vital health services to millions of children yearly. This global health investment will contribute to strengthening and building more resilient health systems and communities at a time when the world is facing multiple crises,” Bill Gates said.

He added that it is encouraging to see new support for long-term partnerships like the Live and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), which has played a prominent role in lifting millions of people out of poverty.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Doha: The 2nd Gulf Municipal Week organized by the Ministry of Municipality kicked off Sunday under the theme of shared vision for sustainable future.

Organized by the Ministry of Municipality, represented by the Doha Municipality, the five-day week brought together the member states, alongside a delegation from the General-Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The event was primarily intended to share knowledge among the member states to optimize government performance, upgrade infrastructure to achieve the sustainable development, forge robust ties and partnerships, promote awareness of all issues facing local communities, craft innovative polices to promote life quality and exchange successful projects between municipalities.

To mark this occasion, Director of Doha Municipality Mansour Ajran Al Buainain said the event was a critical platform to share knowledge among the GCC members, in addition to boosting cooperation and mutual understanding, underscoring the commitment of the Ministry of
Municipality, represented by the Doha Municipality, to reinforcing sustainable development and prosperity in the region through this year week and building communication bridges and partnerships to further counter the shared challenges.

The 2nd Gulf Municipal Week highlighted the significance of identifying the shared objectives and pursuing a sustainable vision for future underpinning the principles of environmental, economic, and social sustainability, including the challenges facing the region. This shared vision is the key to fast-track an enduring progression in the region and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for future aspirations, Al Buainain added.

Al Buainain stressed the importance of reinforcing cooperation among the member states to realize this vision through sharing expertise and bolstering innovative solutions for the shared challenges, such as protecting environment, strengthening the sustainable economy, reinforcing partnerships between public and private sector, and encouraging inn
ovation to achieve the sustainable development.

The event featured a myriad of research and working papers presented by a host of experts and professionals interested in the municipal affairs of GCC states. The first day addressed two papers presented by the State of Qatar on food safety, development phases and goals, sources of chemical, physical and biological hazards in food, causes of food poisoning and protection strategies, as well as the gains Qatar earned in the area of food security.

Additionally, the Sultanate of Oman presented a paper on the verification of food safety and challenges encountered considering environmental hazards, with a delegation from the UAE discussing a work paper on the outstanding experience in launching the “Enhancing the Sustainability of National Farms” initiative.

The five-day event addressed an array of themes on recycling, treating, managing waste, and converting them into energy, in addition to city development, GCC public transportation strategies and upgrading the
issuance of digital, building and completion permits. Moreover, field trips will be organized to several regions, such as Mushaireb.

This convention came in accordance with the minutes of 25th Meeting of the Committee of Their Excellencies ministers concerned with municipal affairs in the GCC states held in Riyadh in September 2022 and in implementation of the decisions rendered by this meeting concerning the Gulf Municipal Week which stipulate the approval of the mechanism set by the member states and the GCC General-Secretariat to hold this event.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Doha: The Institute of Public Administration at the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB) on Sunday launched the “Tafawuq” (Arabic for excellence) programme, which includes training workshops that will be held from April 28 to June 6, with the aim of enabling managers to assume the leadership, administrative and professional role in leading government bodies.

The program aims to enable managers to carry the leadership, administrative and professional role in leading government bodies, thus bringing prosperity in the public sector, which constitutes the main element in achieving the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

In this context, Acting Director of the Institute of Public Administration Maha Masoud Al Marri said that the program was designed with the aim to enhance the decision-making and strategic thinking skills of the participants, by learning the skills of critical analysis of complex problems, strategic thinking, and decision-making that are in line with management objectives.

P
articipants in this program will be exempted from the training programs associated with promotion to the administrative and specialized track, provided that they attend at least 80 percent of the program duration, she said.

The “Tafawuq” programme targets three leadership levels: heads of department (with the exception of human resources, as they have a special programme), heads of sections, and promising leaders who display passion and enthusiasm to make a change; posses the desire for self-development; and to play a positive and effective role in the workplace.

The programme also seeks to provide managers with knowledge, skills, professional behaviors, and values related to leadership and management, such as strategic thinking, team leadership skills, motivation, diverse management skills, sustainable productivity, and exhibiting the highest levels of performance.

Training workshops targeting Heads of departments cover four main axes: advanced decision-making and strategic thinking; team development and
cooperation to achieve effective and professional leadership; giving feedback on performance and training during work, and building a creative culture, in addition to a session on the power of artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, the workshops targeting heads of sections cover the areas of leadership and driving change, mastering problem solving and decision making, empowering and leading teams, and general policy, in addition to an advanced session on organized leadership based on big information.

The Promising Leaders Program has three axes: the professional leader, leading high performing teams, and leading government institutions in a changing and challenging world, in addition to an advanced session that presents new visions in leadership.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The Palestinians Ministry of Health announced on Sunday that the israeli occupation has killed 34,454 Palestinians and injured 77,575 others, since the start of its aggression on Oct. 7.

The ministry said in a statement that, in the past 24 hours, the israeli occupation has committed seven massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, killing 66 Palestinians, and injuring 138 others.

Thousands of victims are still either under the rubble or on the streets, as the occupation prevents ambulance and civil defense crews from reaching them.

On its 205th day, the unprecedented israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip continues, causing a full-fledged humanitarian catastrophe, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians, injuring many others, and causing massive destruction of infrastructure and vital facilities.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The Israeli occupation forces arrested at least 15 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in the past 24 hours, including a girl, two children and former prisoners.

The arrests took place in the governorates of Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Jenin, Tubas, Salfit, Jericho, and Jerusalem, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) and the Prisoners Affairs Authority said Sunday in a joint statement, reported by Palestinian news agency (WAFA).

The joint statement added that Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out wide-ranging raid operations and harassment during the arrests, accompanied by brutal beatings, threats against detainees and their families, as well as extensive acts of sabotage and destruction in the homes of civilians.

According to the statement, about 8,495 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Commander of the US forces in the Indo-Pacific, Admiral John Aquilino, accused China of gradually increasing tensions in the South China Sea through its increasingly dangerous military activity in the region.

In an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, Aquilino said that during the three years he spent as commander of US forces in the Indo-Pacific region, China increased the pace of military development and destabilizing behavior, as the matter became more aggressive and dangerous.

“China is escalating its aggressive behavior by gradually raising pressure so that the ultimate danger is not appreciated until it is too late. There must be a continuous description and follow-up of China’s behavior, which exceeds international legal standards by all countries in the region”, he added.

Aquilino’s statements come after a three-day visit by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to China, where the top US diplomat held meetings with senior Chinese officials, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Source
: Qatar News Agency