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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with support from Qatar will launch Polio Legacy Challenge early 2025, disclosed a top official of the organisation.“With our work on polio eradication, we are actually launching something called the Polio Legacy Challenge with the Islamic Development Bank. Gates Foundation and the governments of Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia will provide some funding through the Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund to support the primary healthcare system in Afghanistan,” Dr Chris Elias, president of the Global Development Division at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation told Gulf Times in a recent interview.Dr Elias said that his foundation is continuing to work for polio eradication. “This is a new initiative that is just beginning now. We are basically, working with the countries that have indicated their interest in doing it and in the process of finalising the agreements with the Islamic Development Bank. We hope to launch it in early 2025,” he explained.“We will have a governing body in which all of the contributors will participate. The funds will be administered through the Islamic Development Bank for support of the primary health care system in Afghanistan,” continued the official.Dr Elias noted that currently he chairs the board of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, and has been working with Qatar on some of the regional initiatives to help finalise the job of polio eradication.The official elaborated: “We have seen the wild polio virus in the two endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Under the auspices of the World Health Organisation, the regional subcommittee on polio eradication is co-chaired by Qatar and UAE. The ministers of health of the Middle East region have actually been very helpful in encouraging both Pakistan and Afghanistan to do what is necessary for the final elimination of polio virus. So again, Qatar has been very helpful in this regard.”Dr Elias said that the Gates Foundation has worked with Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health on the regional coordination on polio eradication leading to convening in Doha a number of important discussions about the polio eradication programme.Dr Elias also highlighted some of the projects the Gates Foundation has been working in tandem with various organisations in Qatar such as Qatar Fund for Development, Qatar Foundation among others. “My colleague who runs our emergency response programme was here recently for the WISH Summit 2024 and the Gates Foundation has been providing emergency relief to some of the important crises in the region, including the crisis in Lebanon and Gaza, as well as in Sudan,” he highlighted.“We have a very strong and growing relationship with Qatar over the last decade or so. You know, our biggest project has been our collaboration with the Lives and Livelihoods Fund at the Islamic Development Bank. Qatar was actually the first country to commit to that fund. Now it is a $2.5bn fund with support from Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Development Bank, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and few other donors,” he remarked.The official said that the second phase of the programme is being lunched and the foundation is expecting commitments from all of the funders from the first phase in the next phase too.“And we've worked with the Islamic Development Bank to make the programme faster in terms of making investments, and as well as more concessional in terms of the financing for developing country projects,” added, Dr Elias.

As many as 127,237 marginalised children have been enroled into quality primary education in Somila with the 'Educate Your Children II project', a three-year initiative in Somalia led by Education Above All Foundation’s Educate A Child (EAC) programme and CARE USA.The EAA foundation told Gulf Times that running from 2021 to 2024, the project improved infrastructure, trained 519 teachers, and achieved an 86% retention rate, with many students transitioning to formal schooling. The project marks a significant step forward for education in Somalia, addressing the significant education access gap in the country, while offering hope and opportunities to children who remain out of school.Since 2013, EAA Foundation has been working in Somalia through its EAC programme, supporting the most marginalised with different partnership projects and successfully enroling 300,005 out-of-school children across Puntland, Somaliland, and South Central Somalia Zones. These joint projects with partners, such as, CARE USA, Mercy Corps, and Unicef, have been working to address barriers to education, including social, economic, disabilities and gender discrimination, with the aim of increasing enrolment and retention in quality primary education for children from excluded groups affected by recurrent conflict and crisis.In Somalia, significant barriers to education persist, including poverty, lack of schools, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to qualified teachers. Over half of the primary school-age children are out of school, and marginalised groups such as girls, internally displaced persons and nomadic populations are especially vulnerable. These challenges are further compounded by ongoing conflict and environmental crises, which disrupt education and hinder attendance.Iqra, a 12-year-old from Galkaio, Somalia, was one of the many who faced multiple barriers to education, and had to drop out of school in 2019 due to financial constraints. “I missed my classmates and the school. I always wanted to continue, but I was not able to. Being at school is always a joy,” Iqra said.It was only through Educate Your Children II project—a collaborative effort of EAC and CARE USA that enabled her to return to school. The project provided accelerated learning programmes, necessary school materials, and renovated the school infrastructure, enabling Iqra to pursue her education again.Now back in school, Iqra is thriving in the fifth grade, with a passion for science and the Somali language. She aspires to become a doctor to help her community. “I love coming to school now! With our new classrooms, I can study without distractions,” says Iqra.Iqra’s renewed access to education is just one example of how targeted programmes can transform lives, offering children in even the most challenging environments the chance for a better future. In celebration of the upcoming UN International Day of Education, EAA Foundation is hosting the Walk for Education: CSR & Sustainability Fair on January 24, at Museum of Islamic Arts Park , Doha. The fair will unite schools, corporates, and the community to raise awareness and funds for the Foundation’s global education projects aimed at providing marginalised children worldwide with access to quality education.The event will feature a variety of community activities, including a football tournament, art workshops, symbolic walks, and the “Buy a Brick and Build a School” campaign, which allows attendees to donate to building schools for underprivileged and children with disabilities in Qatar.

HEC Paris Doha has set up a new initiative, the Business Research Lab to develop high-quality, locally and regionally relevant teaching materials for its programmes. “What sets it apart is the exceptional calibre of our diverse faculty and the broad scope of its activities. These include writing business case studies, publishing industry insights for wider audiences, and conducting specialised research tailored to key industries,” said Deval Kartik, senior case writer at HEC Paris DohaThe lab also pioneers learning simulations to provide immersive educational experiences and collaborates with leading public and private entities in Qatar to create teaching materials with global relevance and impact. “Our selection process for case studies is largely guided by the sectors and priorities outlined in Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and the strategic goals of economies across the GCC. We focus on creating in-depth case studies that explore a wide range of entities, including start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, family businesses, non-profits, and large local and international companies operating in the region,’ explained Kartik.According to Kartik, the alumni network of the university helps build and maintain strong connections with Qatari businesses and government entities. “Many of our alumni hold influential positions within these organisations, and their support is instrumental in facilitating introductions to key leaders and decision-makers. This network allows us to identify opportunities for collaboration and engage with organisations that can provide valuable insights and data. These partnerships foster mutual growth and knowledge-sharing, enabling us to develop case studies that reflect the unique challenges and opportunities within Qatar’s business and governmental landscape,” she continued.The academic said that the Business Research Lab has significantly enhanced the learning experience by developing case studies tailored to the industry challenges faced by the custom programme clients. Kartik noted: “The Business Research Lab plays a key role in contributing to Qatar’s vision of becoming a knowledge-based economy by developing local and regional case studies. These case studies address real-world business challenges and provide valuable insights, making them an essential tool for fostering knowledge creation and learning. There is a strong demand for region-specific case studies, and we actively encourage more businesses to come forward and share their challenges.”She pointed out that several key research areas are emerging as crucial for both business education and the economic development of the GCC region, including sustainability, digital transformation, and diversity and inclusion.“As Qatar and the wider GCC region prioritise sustainable growth, research into sustainability will play a pivotal role in shaping business practices that balance economic goals with environmental responsibility. Qatar’s National Vision 2030 exemplifies the region’s commitment to green policies and sustainable development,” added Kartik.

A study conducted by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) about visual impairment (VI) among schoolchildren in Qatar has revealed that more than 10% suffer from abnormal visual acuity (VA) measurements.The research done by the Department of Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention Programme was published on Qatar Journal of Public Health.The study was conducted to assess the prevalence of VI among primary and preparatory school students in Qatar as paediatric impairment has profound implications on the children’s development, intellectual skills and quality of life.The exercise has established a baseline data on VI among the target group, revealing that more than one-tenth of the students had abnormal VA measurements.“However, further interventions are needed to improve screening strategies. Future research should focus on the causes of childhood VI and explore methods to reduce it, such as encouraging parents of visually impaired students to ensure that their children wear glasses regularly and attend annual eye checkups,” the study has recommended.The Ministry of Public Health and the Primary Health Care Corporation recognised the urgency of a vision screening programme to detect visual impairment complications, highlighting Qatar's commitment to ensuring the eye health of children.A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among students in grades one, three, five, seven and nine in Qatar. School nurses conducted VA measurement using a Snellen chart placed 6m away, with an E symbol, in which the 6/6 line is the standard for normal vision. Each student's information was recorded in their electronic health records or in Excel sheets depending on public or private schools.A total of 330 schools participated in this survey, with 99,379 students divided into 45,670 from government schools and 53,709 from private schools. The study revealed a high prevalence of undetected VI in 93,356 students from 330 schools. The prevalence of abnormal VA among students was 10.4% in government schools and 12.6% in private schools.There was no significant association between VI and gender or nationality, although VI was higher in grades five, seven and nine, but not statistically significant. The proportion of visually impaired students diagnosed with refractive errors and wearing glasses or contact lenses during vision measurement was 14.7% in government schools and 27% in private schoolsThe MoPH released vision screening guidelines as a basis VA measurement, role description, and location planning, taking all precautions to ensure a safe and healthy screening process. The school health team includes licenced practical nurses, school counsellors, and school psychologists. Nurses in government schools are recruited and supervised by the school health department of PHCC. Private schools must have health personnel as part of the school clinic under support services.According to the research team, the study has some limitations, including the lack of insights into the causes of abnormal vision among school children.“Further study of low vision could help develop strategies to address the causes of low vision. Future research should focus on the causes of childhood VI and explore methods to reduce it, such as encouraging parents of visually impaired students to ensure that their children wear glasses regularly and attend annual eye checkups,” the report concluded.

The Doha Global South Health Policy initiative launched in February 2024 by various Qatari stakeholders in partnership with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is making steady progress focusing on primary healthcare in global south countries selected for the programme, disclosed a top official of the Gates Foundation.“We had a roundtable with the participating countries in Africa during Doha Forum. It was clear in a number of the presentations, to potentially use some of the digital technologies to help improve primary health care in those countries,” Dr Chris Elias, president of the Global Development Division at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation told Gulf Times in an exclusive interview.“During the discussions, the countries have identified one or two projects where Qatar could partner with them on strengthening the health workforce or improving the digital transformation within the primary health care system,” he highlighted.The official said that the focus will be on the underlying immunisation and maternal and child healthcare part for a strong primary healthcare system in these countries.“So, there were a number of project ideas presented. I think the next step will be to see if there's a potential match on some of those projects where Qatar might support some of the countries directly and then actually try to disseminate the learnings,” continued the official.The partnership with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Middle East Council on Global Affairs was formed with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar in February 2024, to create an innovative platform that aims to leverage the experience and know how of senior public officials from the Global South.The Qatari stakeholders are the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar Fund for Development, Qatar University, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Charity, and Qatar Red Crescent and the participating countries are: Nigeria, Somalia, Congo, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, and Malawi.“The roundtable showed a tremendous amount of promise, as it brought forward some very important voices from senior technical people in a variety of countries to talk about their perspective on what their needs were and how the donor community could better coordinate with them. We had really insightful presentations from Somalia, Malawi and Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Congo, and Mozambique,” explained, Dr EliasAccording to Dr Elias there were several important takeaways for the Global South countries form the meeting. “They need to focus on workforce development, financing for critical health development initiatives and collaboration with the private sector. They also have to look at the potential for digital technology to be transformative in some of their programmes. The presentations included their thinking across some of the key priorities on immunisation, maternal health, primary healthcare, and presented some specific ideas,” he elaborated.Dr Elias noted that Gates Foundation works in a very focused way in a number of those countries. He remarked : “We also have other projects in Malawi and Somalia, as well as in Mozambique. So we work in all of those countries and in some of them more intensively. The one that we work in the most is Nigeria. In the last 18 months, Nigeria has prioritised primary health care and they have increased their domestic funding for primary healthcare.”“We have outlined a plan going forward that would involve having an annual convening, with the next in the fourth quarter of 2025 and in the subsequent years. In the meantime, there is going to be a community of healthcare practitioners in several areas among these countries,” added Dr Elias.

Renowned Italian ship, Amerigo Vespucci, “the most beautiful vessel in the world” according to Italian ambassador Paolo Toschi, will dock at Old Doha Port on December 17, coinciding with Qatar National Day (QND) to mark the long-standing friendship and cultural co-operation between Qatar and Italy.“We will bring here the most beautiful vessel in the world, a ship that is almost 100 years old and that has been continuously operational since the 1930s, every year,” Toschi told Gulf Times. “It will be in Doha until December 21 and the public will have the opportunity to visit it.”“Vespucci is a sign of our friendship in four different ways,” the ambassador said. “One is peace, because this vessel travels the world...it is now doing a world tour of over 30 countries. Qatar is the first in the region in this tour, and it is a sign of direct friendship, peace and dialogue with Qatar.”“Second is education, as this ship is used to train naval officers today, as it was 100 years ago,” he continued. “It is a very different ship from those built nowadays, as it stands as a testimony of how traditional knowledge could still be fundamental in facing today’s challenges and upskill future generations.”“In our view, education is about having perspective on the past to be able to read the future,” Toschi noted.“Third is environment, because this ship studies the health of the oceans and of marine life,” the ambassador said. “We feel this is something that connects us with Qatar very directly.”“Finally, fourth is inclusion,” he stated. “Alongside the Vespucci, we will welcome to Doha the catamaran Spirito di Stella, which is also on a parallel world tour with the project ‘Wheels on Waves’.”“The boat is entirely designed to function with a crew of people who are carrying disabilities,” Toschi said. “Doha’s public is invited to join us in this activity and concerned locals are encouraged and able to sail and be part of this visit and of this experience.”Going back to the Vespucci, the envoy said the public can visit the ship’s website www.tourvespucci.it and book their visits.“Next to the Old Port, there will be what we call ‘Villaggio Italia’,” Toschi said. “It is a village where the public of Doha, visitors and residents, can access for free and experience Italian culture, whether it is food, fashion, design, music among others.”“We consider this our contribution to celebrating Qatar National Day,” he added.Meanwhile, the envoy noted that Italy chaired G7 summit this year and Qatar was invited for the final meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs.“It is a year of tension and challenges in the international agenda in the Middle East and in Europe,” he remarked. “We wanted to finish on a note of dialogue and openness to the Middle East and the Arab world.”“That is why we invited Qatar for the final meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the G7,” Toschi said.“HE the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi graced the meeting,” he continued. “The goal was to work for peace together, work for peace in Gaza, work for peace in Lebanon.”“At the same time, we are attentively following the last developments in Syria, with the objective of ensuring a peaceful transition which guarantees the civilian population and the political unity of the country,” the envoy said.“We want to bring peace back to the region. We want to de-escalate tensions, we want to make sure that peaceful resolution of dialogue prevails over violent confrontation,” he said. “Qatar has shown to be a very committed diplomatic actor, a very committed mediator even in the face of adversity.”Regarding the trade volume between Qatar and Italy, the ambassador said: “The current trade exchange between Italy and Qatar amounts to €3.4bn from January-October this year. In the same period, Italian exports to Qatar rose by 6%, making Italy Qatar’s 3rd global and first European trade supplier.”

Various stakeholders in education highlighted the need for cross-border collaboration and regional partnership to overcome the challenges in education especially for the marginalised out of school children at the Doha Forum on Sunday.Speaking at a session on, ‘Financing the Future: Tackling the Global Education Crisis’ the panellists highlighted the need for global partnership to ensure regional collaboration.Fahad al-Sulaiti, director-general, Qatar Fund For Development; Paula Ingabire, Minister of Information Communication Technology and Innovation, Rwanda; Laura Frigenti, CEO, Global Partnership for Education; Hiba Ahmed, director general of the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development, Islamic Development Bank; and Fatima Yasmin, vice-president, Asian Development Bank (ADB); were the panellists. The session was moderated by Dr Safwan Masri, dean, Georgetown University in Qatar.Al-Sulaiti pointed out that there are different paths to go with in facing the challenges in education.“Education is not moving from its traditional way and the traditional way is to have schools. Now we have technology to assist in learning process and I think the future is to go with it. So we have to find ways to leverage it together,” he said.“We need to have more partners and more commitment coming from the countries and begin the collaboration. So I think, it is good for the future that we need to support qualified teachers, giving them the best of what they need to make the learning process last long,” he continued.The discussion focused on the urgent need for new financing models to solve the global education crisis, underscoring the essential role of education in building a sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous future.ADB’s Yasmin highlighted an example of cross-border collaboration. She said that ADB provided technical assistance to plug the gap is existing education in small Pacific Islands as ADB has created a platform for online classes and assessment for the students for all 40 ADB Pacific member countries.Frigenti noted that her organisation involves several players at the country level and local education groups are created to bring around the table all the actors that are interested in working in education. “And that involves everybody those that put money on the table, involves those that are implementers, civil society organisations, international NGOs, teacher associations when they are interested in private sectors. The name of the game is to support one strategy to transform the sector that everybody is going to contribute to,” she added.

Noting that Syria’s stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity are of great importance to Turkiye, Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan said that his country will work towards supporting the people of Syria and help them determine their own future towards stability and security in the country.Addressing a press conference at the Doha Forum Sunday, he noted that the new administration in Syria will be an inclusive one and will work towards progress of the country.“Today there is hope,” Fidan said. “The country needs to be supported.”“The Syrian people alone cannot achieve its reconstruction,” the minister added. “The international community must support them. Turkiye attaches great importance to the unity, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and well-being of Syrian people.”He said that all stakeholders must work together to support.“The regional and international actors must act wisely and cautiously, avoiding steps that could undermine stability of the nation,” Fidan reiterated.“They should support the Syrian people in achieving stability, construction, and reconstruction,” he emphasised.He hoped that as a result of the change in the regime of the country, millions of Syrians who had fled the country would be able to return to their motherland.The minister stressed that terrorist organisations must not be allowed to take advantage of the situation.“As of this morning, Syria has reached a stage where Syrian people will shape the future of their own country,” Fidan noted. “The new Syrian administration must be established in an orderly manner, the principle of inclusiveness must never be compromised, there must never be a desire for revenge.”“It is time to unite and reconstruct the country,” the minister stressed.He emphasised on the importance of preserving state institutions and unifying opposition groups, pledging that Turkiye would continue to work towards stability and security in Syria.He expressed appreciation for the proposals from countries involved in the Syrian issue during the meetings in Doha.“We will continue our discussions with all the partners,” Fidan stated. “The key priority is to reassure regional countries that the new administration will not pose a threat to its neighbours, but instead focus on resolving existing issues and eliminating threats.”

Qatar is looking forward to a positive engagement with the upcoming US administration, noted HE Dr Majed al-Ansari, adviser to the Prime Minister and official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a panel discussion at Doha Forum Sunday. Speaking on the topic ‘The Future of US Strategy in the Middle East Following the 2024 Election’, he said:“We need to listen to each other, understand each other, and go with our discussions beyond the specific interest of our states. We have to go towards the interest of the region as a whole, and international peace and prosperity.” Dr al-Ansari said it is time to have an open dialogue on every issue of the region. “We are willing to work very closely with the incumbent Trump administration. We are optimistic about what we are doing about ending conflict in the region, about the quick engagement that is taking place right now, about the need to end a lot of the conflicts,” he explained. The official said Qatar has best experience when it comes to mediation. “We have helped bring about the end to the war between Taliban and the US through mediation. So we have worked with President Trump, we have the track record of working with his administration, and we are waiting very positively to deal with the incumbent administration,” he added. Dr al-Ansari highlighted that Qatar has very good strategic relationship and engagement with the US and that is why it has been classified as a major non-Nato ally by the US. “We want to work with the incoming Trump administration to further the cause for peace in the region.” “We believe in the strategic presence of the US in this partnership. Qatar believes very strongly that stability and security in the Middle East is also dependent on US engagement and the US understanding. There should be an open dialogue over the future of our region. Therefore a positive engagement can help find solutions and lasting peace,” he added. The session was also attended by Jason Greenblatt, former White House Middle East envoy under the First Trump Administration and founder of Abraham Venture LLC; Dr Abdulaziz Sager, founder & chairman, Gulf Research Centre; and Dr Sanam Vakil, director Middle East & North Africa Programme Chatham House. The discussion was moderated by Jonathan Panikoff, director, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, Atlantic Council.

The First Lady of Türkiye Emine Erdogan has reiterated the appeal for ceasefire in Gaza while speaking on the topic of United for Peace in Palestine, at Doha Forum 2024 Saturday.She said that the conflict in Gaza has been ongoing for over 14 months.“We are witnessing one of the most merciless attacks in the history of humanity, which has been committed against the common conscience of humanity and the dignity of humanity for 14 months,” she pointed out. “A country and its culture are targeted to be erased from history. I want to raise it on behalf of everyone who has a conscience.”“For the sake of the innocent people who we can still save today, let us now call for a ceasefire,” Erdogan said. “Let me reiterate the call for a ceasefire.”She raised questions about the ongoing brutalities in Gaza.“The war has killed more than 44,000 civilians brutally, bombed hospitals, schools, shrines, even orphanages,” Erdogan said. “A good percentage of the dead were aged 18 years old or less. These events in Palestine are neither legitimate nor a manifestation of self-defence.”She said that what Israel is doing in Palestine is a “post-modern holocaust”.“For almost a century, the Palestinian people have been subjected to systematic theft, inhuman discrimination, and an endless occupation,” the Turkish first lady said. “For past year, this occupation has become one of the darkest massacres in history.”She stressed that what is being witnessed in Palestine is not a war.“This is an attempt to make the world accept a world order in which only the strongest can survive and the other lives do not matter,” Erdogan said. “It is an attempt to destroy a system in which all sacred things can be polluted, all common values can be neutralised, and everyone and everything left behind can be made worthless.”She exhorted world leaders to come up against the scenario and respond accordingly.“This is a civilised world that sees itself as a defender of human values in the face of this obvious reality,” Erdogan said.“Hope is not just a feeling, it is a choice to hope,” she emphasised. “It is to get up every morning and again, despite everything, to choose to believe in a bright future with great spirit and courage.”

World leaders discussed the latest developments taking place in the Middle East and highlighted their implications at a session on the opening day of Doha Forum 2024 Saturday.The panellists at the session on *Conflict Resolution in a New Era included Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide, and India's Minister of External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.HE Sheikh Mohammed spoke on the current state of negotiations between Israel and Palestine, saying that it has been going through ups and downs since the start of the war.“We have seen on November 23 (2023), the deal was concluded to release the first batch of hostages in exchange of 250 Palestinian prisoners,” he said. “And since that time, we have been back and forth within the same process, within the same framework that we are discussing today.”HE Sheikh Mohammed noted that the situation in Syria is evolving rapidly.“Our worry is that this will bring back the old cycles of internal violence, the civil war, and this is really threatening the integrity, the territorial integrity of Syria,” he stated. “It can damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency to start putting a political framework and trying to address the issue from a political perspective to find a sustainable solution.”Eide stressed that the establishment of the integrated Palestinian statehood is the only way to ensure peace and coexistence in the Middle East.“We need a two-state solution,” the Norwegian minister said. “We want an integrated Palestine, compromising the West Bank and Gaza, the relevant parts of Jerusalem, you know, as was envisaged in the Oslo Accords.”“And the drama, the horror is so deep now that we cannot go back to 6th of October last year,” Eide said, referring to the events of October 7, 2023.He also noted that the world would not be able to solve the problems in the Middle East region without solving the Palestinian question.Dr Jaishankar stated that what is happening in the Middle East region affects all countries, including India.“We have about 500,000 Indians who live in Mediterranean countries,” he said.“We have a trade of about $80bn with the Mediterranean,” Dr Jaishankar continued. “Looking at the Gulf, we have 10mn Indians here and maybe about $180bn of trade.”“I think what's happening in Syria, what's happening in the larger region, what's happening in Gaza and Lebanon, in Iran, the combination of all of this, there is a larger regional instability which is actually growing month on month,” he added.“It is impacting us. As a country on the other side of Asia, we are feeling the impact of this,” the minister said. “I mean, we are feeling it in shipping costs, we are feeling in trade disruptions.”“So today instability anywhere actually is a source of concern. There is no region you can say that is far away,” he added.The session was moderated by CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour.

Qatar is well positioned to assume leadership roles in genomics globally, Dr Robert Green, an internationally renowned genetic professor told Gulf Times.“I am really impressed by the sophistication, the collaborative nature, and the ambition of the Qatari scientists that I have met," observed the physician–scientist at Mass General Brigham, an integrated healthcare system in the US, and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School."It is stunning how quickly traction is being gained here in genomics and precision medicine. I think Qatar has the ability to move into leadership positions, as it already is there in some areas, but can move into more and more leadership positions, and I genuinely admire that,” he said.Dr Green, recently in Qatar for the first time, was interacting with Gulf Times at an event. A pioneer in genomics, his work is accelerating the implementation of preventive genomics and precision medicine.He explained: “I admire the commitment and the ambition, and particularly the collaborative nature of the research at so many levels, both within Doha and in the country and with the international community. I think that is what it takes in genomics. This is really an international community, and the scientists here are part of it and are going to continue to be part of it in the years to come.”Dr Green said many countries in the Middle East have ambitions around genomics, and have stated their projects. “I think that creating biobanks, creating screening programmes, creating workflows within the electronic health record, are different stages of piloting and implementation in all the countries I have visited. I am very much impressed with what is going on here in Doha. This is my first visit to Doha, and I am thrilled to be here and looking forward to coming back and contributing in any way I can.”He noted that the field of genomics is looking at large numbers of genes to detect either a diagnosis in somebody who is sick, or the presence of a risk factor in someone with a family history, or even in the general population.He elaborated: “One of the most exciting things that my work involves, is the idea of screening people, both adults and children, who don't manifest symptoms at this particular moment, and screening them for conditions that may manifest later in life. That's called population precision health. It is a very exciting development, made possible by the fact that the technology is becoming cheaper and more sophisticated.”Most countries, according to the genomic expert, has already started screening newborns. “We have what is called newborn screening, which is a blood spot that goes to a laboratory and looks for mostly biochemical abnormalities, and that has been one of the public health miracles around the world and it is working very well. Now the question is, can we add to that, and detect rarer disease using these new technologies. We call that newborn sequencing, which is in addition to conventional newborn screening,” he remarked.The genomics professor highlighted that his project ‘BabySeq’ was one of the first in the world to try this and has generated a lot of scientific reports. “We have demonstrated that it is not dangerous, it is not so stressful. We discover an enormous amount of information, most of that information is actionable, meaning you can do something about it to prevent future disease, or mitigate future disease. A number of companies and countries have followed suit, providing this in different ways,” he said.“We have created a startup company, Nurture Genomics, which is a dynamic platform, so you sequence once, and then you can dynamically update the interpretation every year to find the new 100, 200 or 300 mutations that have been discovered that year, and to find those specific children who need a treatment that year,” added Dr Green.

Artificial intelligence (AI) as well as dependence on machines has become an indispensable part of life as the data produced currently “exceed any human capability to understand”, an expert told a Doha gathering Thursday. “We are producing data, more data, more rapidly today than at any point in our history, and humans are just incapable without the aid of machines to understand these things, which puts us in a very serious predicament,” said Dr Moriba Jah, associate professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas in Austin. He was delivering the keynote address at an event on *AI Uprising, organised by Georgetown University in Qatar ( GU-Q) as part of its Hiwaraat Series, which aimed to explore how humans can direct AI to sustainably reshape industries and the workforce , enhance well-being and protect the planet’s future. “Data tends to be the output of measurements,” Dr Jah said. “I say to my students, if you want to know something, you have to measure it,” he continued. “If you want to understand something, you have to predict it.” “Prediction is the key,” Dr Jah stated. “We are all familiar with different aspects of environmental problems, but the rate at which data is produced exceed any human's capability to understand it at this point.” Speaking about “Mother Earth” and the environment, Dr Jah noted that the humans are living in interconnected system, and something that happens in one part shall definitely affect the parts of the universe. “We need to hypothesise that things are interconnected, that the things happening on land affect oceans, affect the skies, affect space, so on and so forth,” he said. “In such scenario, machines need to be seen as our collaborators,” Dr Jah said. “Machines can help us sift through hyperdimensional data and help identify causal links. But we need to start thinking about Mother Earth as a holistic system of systems.” He pointed out that the machines are not the enemy of humans and that humans need to see machines as equals and as collaborators in what humans are trying to do. Welcoming the gathering, GU-Q dean Safwan Masri said that with the rapid advancements in technology, including AI, the world is at a crossroad facing high stakes. “AI imitates human capabilities, learns from it, and increasingly surpasses it,” he said. “AI has forced us to reconsider who we are, standing at the threshold of either elevating humanity to heights we have never imagined, or unravelling the events that bind us together. Our conversation today is unique.” With the arrival of Chat-GPT, the technological acceleration has been unstoppable and unrelenting. “AI diagnoses diseases, designs cities, solves problems, and offers entertainment that never ends,” Masri added. “But amidst this progress, something darker emerges. AI amplifies our biases and mirrors our fears too, with tools faster, sharper, and more transformative than we have ever encountered.” “It spreads disinformation that erases the line between truth and lies,” he warned. “It produces deep fakes that distort reality and destabilise governments. These challenges demand thoughtful engagement, spaces where diverse perspectives come together to chart a responsible path forward.” The event also featured high level panel discussions, keynote speeches and concurrent sessions that explored AI, its benefits and impacts as well as to act with conscience and find ways of harnessing the potential of AI without leaving humanity behind.

Adopting precision health very early with a genomics programme and biobank has helped Qatar play a prominent role in the field globally and in supporting other nations, top officials of Qatar Precision Health Institute (QPHI) told Gulf Times.“Over the years, especially the last four years, we have been receiving many requests from various countries on specific questions," said Dima Darwish, genomics education expert at QPHI."Most of the time, they are asking for co-operation and transfer of our knowledge and expertise in the field. Countries that have a genomics programme and a biobank that enables precision health are very few around the world,” she told Gulf Times on the sidelines of a two-day workshop on precision health for invited delegates from 17 countries from around the world.“These are countries interested in launching their own national programmes in genomics or biobanking and they are interested about our experience here in Qatar in launching two very successful programmes of Qatar Biobank and Qatar Genome almost a decade ago and this comes in recognition of Qatar's leading efforts in this field,” she explainedThe workshop has representatives, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Southeast Asia.“We initially had ten countries in discussions with us for the past four years. And these countries were talking to others and we had to accommodate the requests of 17 countries. The demand is really high,” said Darwish.“Through this workshop we take the participating countries in a step-by-step journey on how to establish a biobank and a genomics programme that serve precision health. Now, the elements are varied. The first step is about building the human capacity and there are many areas of possible collaboration,” she explained.“There is a co-ordinated research with samples and data from different countries. Mainly, in this phase, we are focusing on serving them with our expertise and knowledge to help countries who are considering starting a new programme or have started already but are struggling with the technicalities and divisions,” remarked the official.Acting president Prof Said Ismail said QPHI will be spearheading implementation of the knowledge accumulated so far.“We will be not only leading with the research efforts in genomics and biobanking but also in translating all the knowledge we accumulated over the past decade into impactful clinical practices. Patients will find them when they go to get the treatment in the healthcare system within Qatar,” he stressed.Prof Ismail said that in cancer treatments, QPHI concluded a highly successful pilot programme on preventive measures to identify ladies with higher risk of developing familial forms of breast cancer.“The success of this pilot encouraged us to expand this to other forms of familial cancers. We will soon be working with our colleagues at HMC to look for potential carriers of mutations predisposing them to colon cancer and other forms of familial cancer,” he said.“The first pilot on breast cancer was performed on 6,000 participants. We identified dozens of carriers. Now we will expand that to 25,000 participants from our cohort and then eventually the whole set. Once we finish that we move to other forms of familial cancer,” added Prof Ismail.

Delegates from 17 countries from around the globe are taking part in a workshop organised by Qatar Precision Health Institute (QPHI), a Qatar Foundation initiative.The two-day event that began Sunday aims to advance precision health and QPHI will help the participants with collaboration and knowledge transfer in advancing precision health in their countries.QPHI, a global hub of genomics and biobanking and a national centre for research is hosting the workshop, titled, ‘Setting up Large-scale Programmes to Empower Precision Health’ with other global entities such as the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organisation (IARC/WHO) and Thermo Fisher Scientific.The delegates are from countries across the Mena region, Africa, Asia, and Europe and the event focuses on high-level strategic priorities and objectives for national biobanking and population genomics programmes.QPHI, IARC/WHO, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, recognise the value in sharing biobanking and predictive genomics knowledge to international science and policy leaders, empowering them to establish their own national initiatives. The workshop aims to provide international leaders with strategic and practical awareness on leveraging genomic data for precision health and predictive genomics, utilising population-based cohort studies for patient-centred outcomes, and the significance of adequate biobanking practices in precision health.During one of the sessions, Prof Said Ismail, acting president of QPHI, commented: “We have accumulated extensive knowledge to share with our peers and are doing so with the best research partners. Achieving what we have so far is down to our far-reaching experience, and we aim to share this with fellow experts looking to start their own national programs.”Experts from QPHI and other national partners led the conversation on critical topics such as building strategy and governance, public health, benchmarking business models, building human capacity, education and training, and predictive genomics. The workshop also covered the technical aspects of genomics programmes, with experts showcasing the best practices and sharing practical and theoretical experiences on infrastructure setup and building the necessary collaborations for developing national genome and biobanking programmes.Dima Darwish, genomics education expert at QPHI, also emphasised: “Qatar is a thought leader in genomics, and as one of the earliest adopters of precision health, we’re proud to invite scientists and policymakers from all over world for this important workshop. This two-day event serves as a benchmarking tool to share our expertise and encourage the international research community to become involved in such initiatives.”

Emphasising that ‘Qatar is the UK's leading development partner in the Gulf’, the British ambassador, Neerav Patel said several significant pacts will be inked during the upcoming state visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to the UK on December 3 and 4.“This is a really special moment for the relationship between the UK and Qatar. It is only the third state visit to the UK in Qatar's history. It will be the first state visit for an Arab leader under King Charles III,” said the ambassador at a recent press conference.“I really think that this is going to be a generational moment, a chance for us to renew the partnership, renew the relationship for another generation. We will be signing several agreements during the visit which comprise of multiple areas,” explained Patel.The British envoy said certain areas of cooperation will be defence and security; economy and energy, global cooperation and people to people relationship, though details will be made available only during the state visit.He remarked: “What we're trying to do is to touch on every aspect of the relationship. Defence and security is one of the most important pillars of our relationship. In terms of the air force, the UK has got only one joint squadron anywhere in the world since World War II, and that is with Qatar. It is unique, nowhere else on the planet do we have such a relationship.”“What we are now looking to do is to thicken up the relationships in the defence area and also enabling areas such as digitisation, AI and intelligence. What we're looking to do is to come up with a comprehensive plan so that both countries are ready for the future environment. We hope to push forward cooperation on other areas of security that range from cyber to policing, counter-terrorism, counter-drugs activity, providing security for big public events, including learning from Qatar's experience of the World Cup,” continued Patel.As for economy and energy, the ambassador said that the UK relies on Qatar's LNG as part of its energy mix.“At its height, I believe, Qatar provided 25% of UK's liquid natural gas needs in 2022. What we are keen to do is to keep that going but branch into clean energy as well and to have clean energy partnerships where both countries are investing in new technologies and new startups that will become the unicorns of the future. So the UK's ambition is to become a clean energy superpower and we would really love for Qatar to be a partner in that,” elaborated the envoy.According to Patel, another area of cooperation is international cooperation. “On any international visit with leaders from one country to another, we will be talking about all of the important situations that are going on at the moment in the world, in particular in the region. I am sure the leaders will be talking about Gaza, about Lebanon, about wider instability, but they will also be talking about the essential role that Qatar is playing on mediation both in the region and more broadly,” he pointed out.He remarked: "We believe along with the government of Qatar that we won't have a sustainable calm across the region unless we can find a resolution on Gaza. I'm sure that the leaders will talk about the invaluable efforts that Qatar has been making to mediate on Gaza more widely, repatriating Ukrainian children seized by the Russians, its role in finding deals and mediation and progress in countries ranging from Afghanistan to Venezuela."”“The final pillar or area of cooperation is on the people-to-people links, which is really important. The UK is really proud to call itself Qatar's oldest friend in the western world. Our relationship goes back 160 years and more. The UK is second home for so many countries, particularly London" added the ambassador.

The head of the office of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Qatar has praised the country’s approach on sustainable progress and the efforts on building a skilled and productive population."Qatar has chartered a great path in human development through a number of initiatives," Dr Biplove Choudhary, technical representative and the head of UNDP office in Qatar, told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the Qatar launch of the UNDP Human Development Report 2023-2024.“Qatar’s strong performance in the Human Development Report ranking 40th globally in 2023-2024, reflects its commitment to enhancing quality of life through visionary leadership and strategic planning. The third Qatar National Development Strategy, aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030, emphasises human development by focusing on education, healthcare, and economic growth,” he explained.“By prioritising human capital, innovation, and inclusivity, Qatar aims to further accelerate sustainable progress. This approach, centred on building a skilled and productive population, sets a benchmark for resilience and forward-thinking national strategies, reinforcing its global standing in development,” he remarked.The event hosted by the Middle East Council for Global Affairs also saw a panel discussion titled, ‘Co-operation and Development in the Mena Region Amid a Polarised World’ discussing the UNDP report and its impact in the region.According to Dr Choudhary the report has fundamentally shaped how development is viewed not just as economic growth, but as the expansion of people's freedom, choices and opportunities.“The Human Development Report has consistently sparked global conversations, influenced policy decisions, and inspired action by presenting rigourous analysis, thought-provoking insights and forward-looking recommendations. The implications of the UNDP report for policy and practice, are reflected on what it means for our connected future, both globally and here at the GCC and in Qatar,” he continued.The report titled ‘Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarised world, notes that the global Human Development Index is projected to reach record levels in 2023. It also notes that inequality is on the rise again: after 20 years of convergence, the gap between the richest and poorest countries began to widen from 2020. The poorest and most vulnerable countries are being left behind.The report is an invitation to reimagine co-operation by pursuing ideas that it encourages the world to fight for. It says that it is imperative to pursue common ground while accepting that people will have the right to retain their diverse interests and priorities.The report highlights that people must be enabled to pursue their legitimate and natural human security ambitions without protectionism. It focuses on what gives people to shape their lives free from fear, want and living without dignity. From the energy transition to artificial intelligence, discussion of risks and challenges needs to be rebalanced with the consistent articulation of the potential to live.Finally the report points to a 21st century architecture for international co-operation to deliver global public goods. “This includes the planetary public goods required to navigate from climate change mitigation to pandemic preparedness to biodiversity preservation as well as the digital public infrastructure and digital public goods that would enable the digital revolution to be harnessed to enable people to flourish in more equitable ways,” adds the report.

Taking the private sector along to deliver the long-term goods can help the GCC governments bring in good results, noted a Qatari entrepreneur, highlighting the impacts of private-public sector collaboration in Qatar.In Qatar and the other GCC countries, traditionally governments used to be the sole provider or the subsidiser of all the projects, pointed out Sheikha Amna Mohammed Suhaim al-Thani, chief executive officer, Strategy Hub.She was speaking at a panel by the Middle East Council for Global Affairs in Doha on Wednesday. The discussions focused on the 2023-2024 Human Development Report by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)."However, while governments continue to be the main provider, there has been a shift with governments becoming a regulator providing the private sector a greater role. I think if you allow the private sector to be in the middle of delivering the long-term goods, there will be a much better result than what it has been in the past,” she observed.Noting that private sector is more agile and known for growing innovation and managing resources, Sheikha Amna said that it has a lot more resilience and adaptability.“The private sector is known for using data-driven insights and organisations, developing robust education institutions, research development, innovation centres that are able to gather large-scale data and then provide recommendations based on those findings. As part of our work at Strategy Lab, we develop impact assessments and through that we help to leverage the public and the private sectors.”Sheikha Amna also pointed out importance of making use of Artificial Intelligence ( AI) and its great potential for the future. “I think that countries that are able to leverage AI and use it to expedite progress, will extremely benefit for the delivery of global public goods and the support of human development,” she noted.Discussing the major contents of the UNDP report, she said that at the very heart of Qatar National Vision and the National Development Strategy, noble ideas for global public progress are embedded.“One the pillars of Qatar National Vision, is environmental protection, which relates directly to climate change as a global public good. And if you take that example and you dig deeper, you will find that Qatar, through its National Vision and Development Strategy, has developed clear metrics on reducing energy emissions, preventing biodiversity loss, investing in green climate funds and among others. So in so many ways, the country has embedded global public goods in its National Strategy. And I can say that all GCC countries have developed meaningful metrics to reduce carbon emissions for all the last few years.”She commented that Qatar has over the years developed large-scale infrastructure projects, education projects and a robust health system standing the test of time.“In addition, you'll also find that at the heart of the Qatar National Vision is the priority given to human capital development. And in that, we have prioritised education, developing robust public health systems, investing in innovation and technology, investing in that ecosystem as a whole,” added, Sheikha Amna.Other speakers in the panel titled ‘Cooperation and Development in the Mena Region Amid a Polarised World,” included Nader Kabbani, senior fellow and director of research, Middle East Council, Ahmet Aysan, professor of Islamic Finance and Economy,Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Noha Aboueldahab, assistant professor of International Law, Georgetown University in Qatar. The session was moderated by Biplove Choudhary, technical representative and head of office, UNDP office in Doha.