Abu Dhabi Crown Prince begins official visit to Kazakhstan
Sheikh Khaled, who is on an official visit upon the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, is scheduled to hold talks with senior leaders to explore ways to further bilateral ties, national news agency Wam reported.
He was welcomed by Kazakhtan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and a number of senior Kazakh officials upon arrival at Astana International Airport on Sunday.
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Al Etihad
6 hours ago
- Al Etihad
UAE launches first 'Youth Social Mission' under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3
AL ARISH (WAM) The Federal Youth Authority has announced the launch of the first group of participants in the 'Youth Social Missions Programme,' within the 'Humanity Track,' to take part in Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 in Al Arish, Arab Republic of Egypt, as part of the UAE's ongoing support for the Palestinian people. The first group was inaugurated in the presence of Dr. Sultan Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, coinciding with World Humanitarian Day. The minister met the participating youth in the field, commending their high spirit and readiness to contribute to humanitarian efforts representing the UAE in one of the world's most crisis-affected regions. Speaking in Al Arish, Al Neyadi said, "The UAE believes humanitarian work must be instilled in younger generations, embodied by the leadership's vision of empowering youth to be ambassadors of giving and global peace. Through initiatives such as the Youth Social Missions Programme, we aim to prepare Emirati cadres capable of representing the nation's values and providing support to communities worldwide in a sustainable and humanitarian manner, reflecting the UAE's image and international standing." He added, 'Emirati youth in this mission are a shining example of a generation carrying a profound humanitarian responsibility, embodying the UAE's values of solidarity and giving. Their participation in Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 demonstrates their readiness to stand at the forefront in supporting the Palestinian people and delivering aid to those most in need, with a spirit of initiative, responsibility and true belonging to their homeland and its enduring humanitarian principles.' Director of Empowerment at the Federal Youth Authority, Rashid Ghanem Al Shamsi, said that launching the first group of the Youth Social Missions Programme reflects ongoing efforts to build an integrated framework for empowering youth in humanitarian, development and cultural fields. He noted that the initiative provides practical tools and real field experiences to enhance their capabilities and enable them to contribute effectively across various areas that bring positive impact and prosperity to communities worldwide. He added that the participation of Emirati youth in Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 represents a milestone in empowering them for international relief work. Their field tasks include preparing relief shipments, packaging and distributing food, medical and water supplies, supporting logistics teams, and following up on the UAE Lifeline pipeline that delivers water to around 600,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This experience offers youth a genuine opportunity to understand the challenges of humanitarian work firsthand and contribute effectively to alleviating suffering in crisis areas. The first group's field missions also include distributing food and medical aid, providing psychosocial support, and contributing to direct relief efforts in coordination with official entities engaged in the humanitarian operation in Gaza. The initiative aims to develop the skills of Emirati youth, broaden their awareness of global issues and growing humanitarian needs, and open avenues for participation in international initiatives that support the Sustainable Development Goals and reinforce the UAE's role as a leader in humanitarian action. The Youth Social Missions Programme is one of the flagship national initiatives launched by the Federal Youth Authority under the 'Society and Values' pillar of the National Youth Agenda 2031. It aims to prepare Emirati youth to participate in humanitarian, development and cultural missions, thereby enhancing the UAE's global presence and training a new generation of ambassadors for humanitarian work.
Al Etihad
8 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Ministry of Education announces full readiness for academic year 2025-2026, removes centralised tests at end of second semester
19 Aug 2025 18:54 ABU DHABI (WAM) The Ministry of Education (MoE), in cooperation with the UAE Government Media Office, held a media briefing in the presence of Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education, to outline its key preparations and development plans for the academic year 2025–2026, in line with national briefing was also attended by Mohammed Al Qassim, Under-Secretary of MoE; Sulaiman Al Kaabi, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Professional Development Sector; and Amna Al Saleh, Acting Assistant Under-Secretary for the Curriculum and Assessment Sector, along with representatives of local media Amiri confirmed that since January, the MoE has been developing proactive plans to ensure public schools' readiness for the academic year 2025–2026, covering all aspects from facilities to advanced curricula. She noted that this year will introduce qualitative updates to boost the competitiveness of national education, including fundamental changes to the assessment tests at the end of the second semester have been removed and replaced with school-based summative assessments, with centralised tests remaining only in the first and third semesters. The new system optimises school days, diversifies student performance assessment tools, enhances learning quality and teaching methods, promotes student wellbeing and adjusts semester weights in line with the updated Amiri highlighted the approval of the second phase of the project-based learning and assessment (PBLA) system, now covering all Cycle 2 students in public and private schools applying the MoE follows the success of phase one, which engaged 127,500 students across 350 also noted the development of the national testing system through a new standardised proficiency test to measure Arabic, English and mathematics skills for grades 4–11 in public schools, with the first phase expected to include 26,000 Amiri reiterated the Ministry's focus on strengthening national identity through Arabic language and Islamic education as the foundation of student character. The new plan increases teaching time for both subjects in kindergarten and dedicates daily hours for Cycle-1 students to reinforce Arabic reading and writing, achieved by redistributing class periods without extending school Arabic baseline assessment will also be introduced in Grade 1 across 100 public and private schools to establish standard levels, enabling tailored support programmes to enhance linguistic skills and steadily raise proficiency, reflecting the Ministry's commitment to placing national identity at the core of operational readiness, Al Amiri announced the opening of nine new schools across several emirates, which will welcome over 25,000 students, supported by more than 800 new teachers. More than 460 schools have been maintained and equipped, 5,500 buses allocated, more than 10 million textbooks printed, and 47,000 laptops Qasim highlighted the Ministry's efforts to enhance students' quality of life through the new Physical Education, Sports and Health Programme in public schools. The first phase of the initiative promotes a healthy, sustainable lifestyle by improving school health environments, organising sports tournaments, restructuring PE classes, and introducing healthy Qasim reiterated the Ministry's continued commitment to partnership with parents and educational cadres, emphasising their important role in shaping the national education system. This year, a participatory educational vision was developed to enhance their involvement in part of this, Ta'aleem Councils are being restructured: the School Leadership Council will have 14 members, the Teachers Council 14 members, and the Young Teachers Council seven members. Additionally, 520 Parents' Councils, representing 6,140 members nationwide, will be activated to contribute to MoE decisions and announced the MoE's educational campaign, 'From Skill to Leadership,' engaging educators, parents and the community. The campaign aims to develop students' skills and transform them into achievements through three pillars: exploration, creating inspiring school environments to discover talent; development, enhancing skills via strategic partnerships and advanced training; and excellence, encouraging participation in local and international programmes will launch in the first month: 'My Inspiring Family' involving parents, and 'Inspiring People in the Field,' both designed to motivate students on their educational MoE confirmed that the coming academic year will see the introduction of its nationally developed Artificial Intelligence (AI) curriculum – the first of its kind in the UAE – providing lessons from both local and international communities on integrating AI into education. Approximately 1,000 teachers will implement the curriculum across all grades, aiming to prepare students to use AI responsibly and effectively in daily and future initiative will offer practical insights on harnessing AI in education, helping to shape local educational policies and contribute to the global discussion on the future of Ministry of Education continues to enhance the capabilities of its educational cadres through advanced training programmes. More than 23,000 educators participated in a specialised training week, totalling around 170 hours across 40 workshops for leaders and teachers and 20 workshops for support positions. In the next academic year, the Educational Competency Assessment Project will target more than 12,000 cadres across kindergarten and Cycle 1 levels and 11,000 cadres across Cycle 2 and Cycle 3 in order to define clear career paths and empower staff in line with national education system requirements.
Al Etihad
10 hours ago
- Al Etihad
UAE conducts 75th airdrop of aid over Gaza Strip
19 Aug 2025 17:26 GAZA (WAM) The United Arab Emirates is continuing its humanitarian support for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday carrying out the 75th airdrop of aid under Birds of Goodness operation, part of Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, in cooperation with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and with the participation of Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Singapore and shipment included quantities of essential food supplies, prepared with the support of Emirati charitable institutions and organisations, to meet the needs of the population amid the dire humanitarian conditions in the Gaza the completion of this airdrop, the total aid delivered by air under the operation has surpassed 4,012 tonnes of food and other essential supplies, reaffirming the UAE's unwavering commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and strengthening their resilience. These initiatives highlight the UAE's pioneering role in international relief efforts, mobilising regional and international cooperation and reinforcing the nation's approach of giving to alleviate the suffering of those affected by crises.
