The International Media Diplomacy Programme (IMDP), organised by the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), concluded Saturday with a graduation event hosted by the UAE Embassy in Washington DC.
The programme is the latest in a series of leadership development opportunities created by GDMO for members of the Dubai Media Diplomacy and Communication Network.
Developed in partnership with the Protocol School of Washington and offered exclusively to members of the network, the programme was held from November 10 to 16 in Washington. The course was focused on giving participants a stronger understanding of public diplomacy, international relations, cross-cultural communication, international protocol, leadership, executive presence and messaging skills.
Participants also visited the US State Department, Nasa headquarters, the Public Diplomacy Council, the Meridian International Centre, PYXERA Global and Voice of America to learn more about their perspectives on communication strategies.
The graduation event was attended by Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States and Mona Al Marri, director general of the GDMO.
“Programmes like these support the UAE’s global vision and aspirations to spread across our messages by helping to create dynamic communicators who are skilled in engaging with audiences across the world,” Mr Al Otaiba. “Communication is an essential element in diplomacy where media is a significant platform for global representation.”
Ms Al Marri thanked the ambassador for hosting the IMDP participants at the UAE Embassy in Washington and expressed her appreciation for the commendable work that the embassy has done in fostering understanding and cooperation between the US and the UAE.
“Communication leaders in the UAE have a unique opportunity to tell the stories of the UAE’s vision, growth and development to a global audience,” Ms Al Marri said. “These are stories not only of leadership, excellence and innovation but also of diversity, tolerance and peaceful co-existence. We have to tell our stories creatively and innovatively, using new tools and strategies.”
Speaking to The National, Ms Al Marri described her visit, that was separate from the IMDP course and focused on the field of gender equality, as "very constructive."
“We got a very good response in our meetings with the IMF” she said. “They have welcomed the idea of collaboration and will be attending the world government summit [to be held in UAE] in February.”
The focus of the IMF talks were to narrow the gender gap and “coordinate efforts in the field of gender budgeting”, Ms Al Marri added. Gender budgeting is a new initiative towards a more equal budget distribution among the genders rather than separating budgets.
“Our goal is to be one of top 25 countries in the UNDP report on the gender equality index and we look forward to achieving it by 2021,” Ms Al Marri said.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
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HOW TO WATCH
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
