tag

Students it all educational levels will be heading to their campuses today marking the kickoff of the new academic year 2025-2026, following weeks-long extensive preparations undertaken by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) to ensure a smooth educational launch. All preparations have been carried out with the provision of manpower and educational resources, as well as logistical services that would help enhance students' academic achievements and prepare them to progress into higher educational institutions, particularly in the specialties that support the knowledge economy and Qatar's leadership, MOEHE said. In this context, MOEHE took the opportunity to extend assurances of its highest consideration to students, parents, teachers, school managers, and licensed operators, calling upon all to adhere to perseverance and determination in pursuing the educational career, culminating in the accomplishment of the vision of a pioneering learner for sustainable development. In pursuit of expanding capacity, the ministry has opened 10 new public and private schools for a variety of levels in 2025 and provided roughly 6,000 academic seats distributed across the state, in addition to hiring 1,124 teachers of both genders to fill the vacancies. In addition, MOEHE is working diligently to execute future projects that include establishing additional classes at 35 schools, building 11 new schools, revamping 16 schools, and establishing an institute for vocational education at Qatar Preparatory School for Boys. The ministry highlighted that a total of 276 schools and preschools underwent comprehensive maintenance, covering classrooms, air-conditioning units, and cafeterias, in accordance with strict health, nutrition, and safety standards. School administrations were directed to finalise class schedules, assign students to classrooms, ensure the delivery of textbooks and educational supplies, and organise orientation sessions for new staff on policies and regulations. A total of 2,510 buses have been prepared to transport students, with a plan to gradually increase the fleet to 2,750 buses, in addition to 190 minibuses dedicated to supporting students and those with special needs. To mark this occasion, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs, Maha Zayed al-Qaqqa al-Ruwaili, emphasised that the preparations for the upcoming school year reflect the ministry's commitment to providing a healthy, safe, and stimulating school environment for both students and teachers, thereby enhancing the quality of education and elevating its outcomes. The ministry's plans for the new year include developing curricula related to national identity, particularly Islamic education and the Arabic language, as well as updating science curricula to keep pace with global developments, with the STEM methodology being integrated comprehensively to support applied learning, Al Ruwaili highlighted. She added that MOEHE's plans include forging a partnership with the Qatar Association of Certified Public Accountants (QCPA) to develop a curriculum for financial literacy aimed at enhancing students' financial, savings, and planning awareness, in addition to a partnership with the National Cybersecurity Agency (NCSA) to integrate concepts of digital and cybersecurity into the curricula, along with other innovative programmes, building upon previous achievements in various fields. Furthermore, the ministry intends to foster student engagement in global competitions in scientific research and innovation, launch a three-year-old inclusion project into the educational system, open new early education centres, expand inclusive education by adding new schools to support students with disabilities, develop national standards for inclusive education quality, and promote vocational, technical, and specialised education, as well as e-learning and digital solutions. In the areas of training and development, MOEHE continues to implement specialised programmes to support educational and leadership competencies, including "Khibra", "Leaders of Innovation", "Future Leaders", as well as programmes like "Child Rights", "Successful Start", "Tameen", and "Empower", thereby strengthening sustainable professional development for teachers and educational leaders. The ministry further indicated that the "Back to School 2025-2026" event, held at the Qatar National Convention Centre, served as an inspiring platform combining professional development and community engagement. The "Back to School 2025-2026" event represents an inspiring springboard to ensure that all parties of the pedagogical system are prepared for a successful educational year, as the ministry strives to forge a partnership with the community to create a supportive educational environment for students and teachers at the core of the educational process, HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Dr Ibrahim bin Saleh al- Naimi, said. He pointed out that the past year featured critical achievements in the area of inclusive education, in addition to advancing curricula and expanding scholarship opportunities, stressing that all these milestones will remain quintessential for further achievements. The ministry underlined that the launch of the new academic year comes as part of its strategy for 2024-2030, aiming to build an integrated educational system that fosters the quality of education and community partnership, in pursuit of achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030 of developing a leading learner capable of taking on the mantle of the sustainable development process.

The Ministry of Labour (MoL) has warned of stringent action against companies that fail to protect their workers from heat stress. Zayed Suhail al-Mazroui, head of the Occupational Safety and Health Department at MoL, in a recent Qatar TV interview, said companies violating Ministerial Resolution No. (17) of 2021 will be closed if it is proven that they are not committed to protecting workers from heat stress.“The law obligates companies to adhere to it and there are inspectors who make surprise visits to ensure that companies protect workers from heat stress. Any company that does not comply with the decision will be closed by order of MoL,” he said.The official explained the preventive measures taken by the Ministry of Labour to protect workers during heat waves. These are creating safe places for workers to perform their work safely, protecting them from winds and hazardous materials and stopping work for a certain number of hours until the danger has passed.Visits to companies' work sites in summer evoked a good response from the owners. Work in open outdoor and shaded places not equipped with appropriate ventilation stands prohibited between 10am and 3.30pm until September 15, to to protect workers from dangers of heat stress.Delivery companies are only allowed to use cars to perform their services from 10pm to 3.30pm. The ministry defines outdoor workplace as locations where workers are directly exposed to weather conditions such as solar radiation, humidity and heat. To ensure compliance, the ministry conducts frequent site visits and carries out awareness campaigns on the dangers of heat stress during working hours and the necessary precautions to protect workers.The ministry obligates companies and institutions that have work sites under direct sunlight to set a schedule specifying daily working hours in accordance with the provisions of the decision and display the same in a conspicuous place that is easy for all workers to view.

The General Directorate of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has announced a 60-day extension of the deadline for rectifying the status of vehicles whose licenses have expired and exceeded the legal period stipulated in Article No. 11 of Traffic Law No. 19 of 2007. The grace period, according to a statement by MoI on X, came into effect Thursday and the vehicle status can be rectified within the given period in order to avoid the approved legal procedures.MoI clarified that this decision is based on the announcement issued on July 27, 2025, whereby the deadline has been extended for an additional 60 days from August 28. This extension aims to provide vehicle owners with the opportunity to complete the required procedures within the specified time-frame to avoid legal accountability. The grace period was announced as part of efforts to regulate vehicle status and ensure compliance with traffic laws and regulations.The ministry has warned that failure to register the vehicle within the deadline may lead to its deletion from the records of the General Directorate of Traffic. Earlier, during an interview with Qatar TV, Lieutenant-Colonel Hamad Ali al-Muhannadi, head of the Registration Section at the Licensing Affairs Department at the General Directorate of Traffic, said that there are no exceptions in this regard. “Failure to follow the rules will result in the enforcement of the law. The law applies to all vehicles,” he said, adding that innovations have made the procedures easy and the technical inspection takes 10-15 minutes.“Renewing insurance can be done online and renewal of the vehicle can be easily done through Metrash,” Lt-Col al-Muhannadi said, noting that the violations can be checked and cleared through Metrash or the MoI website.

Represented by the Information Systems Department in cooperation with the Planning, Quality and Innovation Department, the Ministry of Justice implemented a capacity-building and digital culture program in the field of digital transformation.The program targeted three administrative levels within the ministry.The two-day program, held under the patronage and attendance of HE Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi, and senior ministry officials, included a series of training workshops that presented detailed presentations on the stages of digital transformation, with a focus on mechanisms for adhering to the requirements and standards of digital transformation and data at the local and international levels.The program also highlighted ways to enhance digital culture within institutions, reviewed modern methodologies for digital transformation accelerators, and discussed ways to effectively employ emerging technologies in the government work environment, based on global best practices.The workshops extensively addressed the importance of cybersecurity in supporting digital transformation processes, presenting local and international case studies and discussing practical examples of the challenges and opportunities associated with digital transformation projects.The program embodies the Ministry of Justice's commitment to raising awareness and knowledge in the areas of digital transformation and data management, and enhancing participants' readiness to meet the requirements of the next digital era.

HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met on Wednesday with HE Deputy Minister and Government Representative for Korean Nationals Overseas Protection and Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Jung Ki-hong, who is currently visiting the country. During the meeting, they reviewed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them, in addition to a number of topics of common interest.

Russia's Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that its forces had seized a new town in eastern Ukraine and eliminated 1,020 Ukrainian soldiers.In a statement, the ministry said units from the Russian military's "Center" group had taken control of the town of Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region.It added that Russian forces had targeted Ukrainian military units and equipment in several areas of the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, resulting in the deaths or injuries of 1,020 soldiers and the destruction of dozens of combat vehicles, cars, artillery pieces, ammunition depots, and electronic warfare stations.The ministry added that Russian tactical and operational aviation, drone attack aircraft, and missile and artillery forces had inflicted damage on a Ukrainian military airfield, as well as drone production plants and storage depots.Since the beginning of the war, which has now entered its third year, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged daily reports claiming advances or the repelling of attacks from the other side. These reports cannot be independently verified due to the ongoing war and fighting since Feb. 24, 2022.

Fifteen calligraphers from around the world are competing in the finals of the international competition for Arabic calligraphy, the 'Ethics Award', organised by the Ministry of Culture, being held from September 1-8 in Doha. The finalists, selected from among more than 250 participants, will face a sophisticated artistic challenge for prizes totaling nearly half a million Qatari riyals.This event at the Rosewood Hotel in Doha, reflects the Ministry of Culture's vision of promoting Arab and Islamic arts and highlighting the aesthetic and ethical values of Arabic calligraphy.A group of leading calligraphers and experts are to oversee the judging process, ensuring evaluation according to the highest artistic standards. The competitions are accompanied by a diverse programme that includes specialized seminars and interactive workshops, allowing attendees to explore the various international art schools in this field.This enriches Arabic calligraphers, introduces them to the most prominent trends in the local cultural scene, and opens up broader horizons for communication between creative artists. The event is to conclude with a grand ceremony held in the theatre of the new Ministry of Culture building, during which the winners will be honoured and their creations showcased to the public. This celebration reflects the status of Arabic calligraphy in the hearts of generations and emphasizes its role as one of the most important components of the cultural and artistic identity of the Arab and Islamic nation.