{"id":88922,"date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/world-government-summit-kicks-off-in-dubai-today\/"},"modified":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T00:00:00","slug":"world-government-summit-kicks-off-in-dubai-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2024\/02\/12\/world-government-summit-kicks-off-in-dubai-today\/","title":{"rendered":"World Government Summit kicks off in Dubai today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, friends, and happy Monday.<\/strong> We\u2019re kicking off a fresh week with a reasonably busy issue \u2014 and plenty more earnings. <\/p>\n

HAPPENING TODAY-<\/p>\n

<\/a> It\u2019s WFH day for the public sector: <\/strong>The government has called a work from home day for all public sector employees across the country, and ordered public schools to conduct classes remotely, amid expectations of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and high winds today, according to a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Private sector asked to follow suit:<\/strong> The Human Resources Ministry also called on<\/a> private sector companies across the country to adopt flexible work arrangements today, while Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority urged<\/a> all educational institutions to operate remotely for the day. <\/p>\n

All public parks across Sharjah have also been temporarily closed<\/strong>, according to a Sharjah Municipality statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n

LOOKING AHEAD: <\/strong>Expect a sunny day tomorrow with modest humidity, mostly clear skies, and a high of 26\u00b0C in Dubai and 25\u00b0C in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n

Against that backdrop, we have:<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a> #1- Over 300 prime ministers and international organization chiefs are in Dubai for the <\/strong>three-day <\/strong>World Government Summit<\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong> The summit will focus on the daily implications of AI and government priorities for the future, and will include AI-centered conferences, ministerial meetings, and executive sessions. The summit will seeArab finance ministers, energy ministers, and development ministers hold meetings to address six key themes ranging from AI to health and education, according to Wam<\/a>. <\/p>\n

On the agenda for Day One: <\/strong>Forums on the future of work and of mobility are underway today, with discussions about AI, the future of governments, and sustainable mobility. You can find the full agenda here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

#2- <\/strong>Breakbulk Middle East 2024<\/a><\/strong> opens its doors today<\/strong>,and will run until tomorrow at the Dubai World Trade Center. The event is being hosted by the Energy and Infrastructure Ministry to address challenges for the project cargo and break bulk industry and identify prospects for growth in the UAE, KSA, and East Africa, according to a press release<\/a>. <\/p>\n

#3- The <\/strong>Sustainable Aviation Futures MENA Congress<\/a><\/strong>also kicks off today at Kempinski <\/strong>Central Avenue<\/strong>, and will run until Wednesday, 14 February. The event offers a platform for businesses and organizations to showcase their solutions for the decarbonization of the aviation industry, as well as ways to scale sustainable fuel production. <\/p>\n

#4- UAE Innovates 2024 is underway in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain today and runs until <\/strong>Wednesday<\/strong>, reports state news agency Wam<\/a>. The event will move to Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah from Thursday, 15 February to Wednesday, 21 February. The event\u2019s last stop will be Dubai, running from 22-29 February.<\/p>\n

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS- <\/p>\n

<\/a> #1-<\/strong>Abu Dhabi International Airport is now officially Zayed International Airport<\/strong>, Abu Dhabi Airports said on X<\/a>. The airport first announced it would switch names in honor of former president Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan back in October<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/a> #2-<\/strong>New weekend-exclusive bus route in Dubai: <\/strong>Dubai\u2019s Road and Transport Authority (RTA)<\/a> has inaugurated a weekend-only bus route, dubbed W20, to connect passengers from Stadium Metro Station to Al Mamzar Beach from Friday to Sunday, according to an RTA statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Still to come: <\/strong>Dubai\u2019s RTA plans to expand some bus routes, and introduce reroutes for faster commute times across 13 bus routes.<\/p>\n

Dubai\u2019s next transport plan will depend on you: <\/strong>With the Dubai Statistics Center<\/a>, RTA will roll out travel behavior surveys at the end of February, which it will use when updating its Dubai Strategic Transportation Plan to 2040, RTA said on LinkedIn<\/a>. The surveys will collect data on consumers\u2019 trip purposes, mode choices, and travel times.<\/p>\n

#3-<\/strong>Volunteer groups in Sharjah can apply for official permits<\/strong>under the emirate\u2019s Social<\/a>Services Department<\/a>, Sharjah 24<\/a> reports. Groups must have five founding members, individual volunteer permits for team members, and a professional practice license, to be approved for a permit.<\/p>\n

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IN MEMORIAM- Four Emirati soldiers killed in Somalia: <\/strong>The bodies of four Emirati soldiers killed in an attack in Mogadishu in Somalia arrived in the UAE yesterday, state news agency Wam<\/a> reported. A Bahraini soldier was also killed in the attack, which targeted a military base where Emirati and Bahraini troops were on a training mission. The news agency had initially reported<\/a> that three soldiers were killed, with two others wounded. <\/p>\n

Al Qaeda-linked Somali militant group Al Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack<\/strong>, the Associated Press<\/a> reports. A funeral prayer attended by senior leaders and officers of the Defence Ministry of Defence, was held later yesterday.<\/p>\n

The story earned coverage in the foreign press:<\/strong>Reuters<\/a> | The Washington Post<\/a> | Bloomberg<\/a> | CNN<\/a> <\/p>\n

WATCH THIS SPACE-<\/p>\n

<\/a> #1- The UAE\u2019s new corporate tax regime is \u201cnon-harmful,\u201d<\/strong> the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said in a statement<\/a> last week. The 9% business tax was introduced by the Finance Ministry in June 2023<\/a>. <\/p>\n

#2- <\/strong>Did G42 offload stakes in Chinese companies?<\/strong>IHC-backed tech and AI group G42<\/a> has sold its stakes in \u201call its investments in China,\u201d in a bid to reassure US partners, the Financial Times<\/a> reports, citing a statement from G42\u2019s investment arm, 42XFund. <\/p>\n

The divestments reportedly included a USD 100 mn stake in TikTok parent company <\/strong>ByteDance<\/a><\/strong>, two sources with knowledge of the matter are cited as telling the salmon-colored paper.<\/p>\n

Background:<\/strong> G42\u2019s divestments come after the group \u201ccategorically denied\u201d having ties to the Chinese government in January<\/a>, in response to a New York Times report<\/a> and a letter from a US congressional committee accusing the tech group of working with the Chinese military. The company\u2019s CEO Peng Xiao had vowed to phase out its stakes in Chinese hardware suppliers in statements to the FT<\/a> last December. <\/p>\n

#3- Dubai\u2019s Port Police and Air Wing Center rescued eight fishermen <\/strong>after a cargo ship collided with their boat, which was heading to Dubai\u2019s fish market at night, Dubai Police said in a statement<\/a>. Three of the ship\u2019s crew sustained injuries and were transported to Rashid Hospital.<\/p>\n

The Cyber Security Council foiled multiple attempted cyberattacks that <\/strong>targeted \u201cvital and strategic sectors\u201d over the <\/strong>weekend<\/strong>,state news agency Wam<\/a> reported, without providing further details.<\/p>\n

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THE BIG STORY ABROAD <\/p>\n

It\u2019s all war and technology in the global business press this morning. <\/strong><\/p>\n

War:<\/strong><\/p>\n