New DUBAI REEF Footage Reveals Thriving Marine Life and Ecosystem Growth in Dubai's Waters
Surveys at the site indicate a substantial increase in fish populations across 15 native species, including snappers, groupers, and barracuda. Early data suggests a potential 10% increase in marine biodiversity, accompanied by an eightfold increase in fish biomass - clear indicators of the initiative's positive impact on the local ecosystem.
DUBAI REEF's first pillar, Marine Habitat Restoration, will see the fabrication and deployment of 20,000 modules across 600 km² of the Emirate's waters by 2027, establishing ideal conditions for marine ecosystems to thrive in the years ahead. Since its launch in 2024, 39% of the total reef modules have been fabricated, with 3,660 modules already deployed. The initiative also includes two additional pillars - Marine Life Rehabilitation and Marine Conservation Research - each contributing to the broader vision of marine conservation and sustainability.
A sustainability initiative by Dubai Can, DUBAI REEF was launched under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.
The initiative is driven by a collaboration of strategic public and private partners including Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET); Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority (DECCA), DP World; Dubai Chambers; Nakheel, a member of Dubai Holding Real Estate; Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC); and Emirates. Together, they are advancing Dubai's shared sustainability objectives and supporting several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 17- Partnerships.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
an hour ago
- Zawya
Agentforce boosts Salesforce partner support, handling over 19,000 requests since inception
Agentforce for Partner Community engages 120,000 monthly users Agentforce frees Salesforce partners to accelerate customer AI rollouts UAE - The rapid rise of agentic AI introduces an immense $6 trillion digital labor opportunity set to reshape and benefit the global technology ecosystem, including Salesforce partners and System Integrators (SIs). But it also presents challenges like complex infrastructure and data silos that leave many potential adopters unsure of how to begin or scale AI effectively. With their ability to identify and develop specific use cases for tailored and effective AI solutions, partners are a critical part of the front line of helping customers accelerate agent adoption and implementation. To support these vital implementations, Salesforce is investing in its partner ecosystem with innovative tools and resources. The latest investment includes Agentforce for Partner Community, an AI agent embedded in Salesforce's Partner Community experience that provides 24/7 conversational support grounded in technical and program knowledge. Boosting partner efficiency with conversational AI Launched in late March 2025, Agentforce for Partner Community elevates Salesforce's service for partners of all sizes, allowing them to benefit from: Self-service access to information: The AI agent provides quick answers to common questions from Partner Community visitors, reducing the need to log cases and saving time searching for information. Tailored responses based on partner record: Because Agentforce is grounded in CRM data on Data Cloud, the agent will be able to provide instant insights, including personalized responses based on partner program level, scorecard data, benefits, certifications, and tiering — eliminating guesswork and saving time. Automation of Trial Org requests: Partners can easily initiate Trial Org extensions by asking the AI agent: 'Can I extend a Trial Org?' The AI agent will then gather the required information to determine eligibility, create a case, and complete the action to extend the Trial Org. This feature improves accuracy in handling requests and delivers quicker resolution times. Salesforce as 'customer zero' Agentforce for Partner Community reflects Salesforce's broader 'customer zero' approach — using its own products at scale to test, improve, and prove value before taking them to market. Salesforce first deployed Agentforce on its own Salesforce Help and sites to provide 24/7 AI-powered support. Since launching in October of 2024, the platform has handled over 1 million customer conversations, resolving more than 84% of questions autonomously. This has significantly reduced costly human escalations and improved response times. Salesforce's internal use of Agentforce goes far beyond customer support. The company now uses agents to nurture sales leads at scale, deliver tailored training and career recommendations for employees, generate millions of lines of code to increase developer productivity, and automate routine communications within Slack workflows, all while continuously capturing learnings to improve agent performance and user experience. By using Agentforce across its business, Salesforce gains firsthand insights to refine the platform and set the standard for what great looks like in the era of digital labor. Differentiated AI-driven partner experience drives real-world impact In the three months since Agentforce for Partner Community's launch, more than 19,000 requests have been handled, averaging 1,400 conversations per week. In total, 120,000 monthly Partner Community users are engaging with the platform. Natasa Marinkovic, Vice President of Marketing and Alliances at highlighted how the agent reduces information search time by approximately 75% and allows her team to focus more on the customer experience. 'Agentforce for Partner Community has been transformational in terms of how we engage with Salesforce, one of our primary partners,' she said. 'This is not a capability that we have across our other partnerships in the ecosystem right now.' Lynne Feeney, Director of Salesforce Partnership and Strategic Alliances at Wilco Source, a CitiusTech company, said, 'Agentforce for Partner Community is a very helpful tool and I use the agent as my first point of reference for information.' Driving agentic success together As Salesforce continues to launch partner-focused innovations like the newly expanded AgentExchange, partners will continue to receive resources and tools that enable them to help customers rapidly realize the full value of Agentforce implementations. Phil Samenuk, Salesforce's SVP of Global Alliances & Channels and Outsourcing Service Providers, said, 'Our partners are essential in helping CIOs and business leaders define AI strategies, assess organizational readiness, and create phased roadmaps for adoption. Agentforce for Partner Community is a critical part of Salesforce's broader vision to help partners lead in agentic AI adoption and delivery.' With training, workshops, an Agentforce Partner Guidebook, AI certifications, and opportunities to build their own agents, over 272,000 consultants working for Salesforce partners have completed AI certifications, and these consultants have built over 18,000 agents. Salesforce consulting partners have also launched new services tailored to help customers navigate agentic transformation with Agentforce. 'As companies increasingly turn to AI agents, the partnership ecosystem is crucial,' continued Samenuk. 'Through resources like Agentforce for Partner Community, Salesforce and its partners together are uniquely positioned to meet rising demands for digital labor and drive the next era of agent-first businesses.' Middle East perspective Mukesh Kumar, Regional VP of Alliances and Channels at Salesforce Middle East, said: 'Agentforce for Partner Community is a game changer for partners in the Middle East. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, plus the wider GCC and Egypt, are investing heavily in AI and are committed to becoming global leaders in the technology, with public and private sector organizations following their lead to stay ahead of the curve. Partners play a key role in this by helping customers identify AI use cases and then deploy the technology effectively. Agentforce for Partner Community is empowering partners in the Middle East with the information and tools they need to blaze a trail - enabling them to deliver the services customers require to win with agentic AI and digital labor.' More information: Learn about the launch of Agentforce 3 See new services from Salesforce consulting partners to help customers navigate agentic transformation with Agentforce Learn how Salesforce's open ecosystem is driving trusted agent interoperability Discover MCP partners who are contributing to open interoperability through AgentExchange Read how agentic AI is driving a new economy Read the AgentExchange announcement and check out AgentExchange Hear from industry experts on building agent-first businesses and the future of interoperability
Economy ME
2 hours ago
- Economy ME
China-Arab trade volume hits $407.4 billion in 2024, up 2.3 percent YoY
Trade volume between China and Arab countries rose by 2.3 percent year-on-year in 2024, reaching $407.4 billion. This growth reinforces China's position as the leading trading partner for the Arab world for several consecutive years. Chinese Assistant Minister of Commerce Yuan Xiaoming reported that Chinese exports to Arab nations totaled $206 billion, while imports from these countries reached $201.4 billion. Yuan Xiaoming highlighted the significant advancements in economic and trade cooperation over recent years, with bilateral investments extending into sectors such as metal smelting, building materials manufacturing, cotton textile production, and aquaculture. Notably, Arab sovereign wealth funds and companies have ramped up their investments in China's petrochemical, new energy, and emerging technology sectors. Infrastructure cooperation has also made remarkable strides, while emerging fields like e-commerce, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence demonstrate robust growth potential. Read more: U.S. and China ease trade tensions with 90-day deal, tariffs cut by over 100 percent Year-on-year performance Additional data from China's General Administration of Customs reveals that total trade between China and Arab League countries surged by over 820 percent from 2004 to 2023, reaching approximately 2.8 trillion yuan (around $390.14 billion). In the first four months of 2024 alone, trade climbed 3.8 percent year-on-year to historic highs, accounting for nearly 7 percent of China's total foreign trade value during that period. The United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia represent the top six Arab trade partners of China, constituting about 85 percent of the total volume. Chinese exports include automobiles and textiles, with notable year-on-year increases of 66.3 percent and 3.2 percent respectively between January and April 2024. Meanwhile, Arab countries are a significant source of energy imports for China, accounting for 38 percent of China's energy product imports in early 2024. Additionally, trade between China's private enterprises and Arab countries reached 497.14 billion yuan, reflecting a 16.3 percent increase year-on-year and making up over half of the total China-Arab trade volume in that timeframe.
Zawya
2 hours ago
- Zawya
3t appoints new VP to lead Saudi Ttraining centre, driving vision 2030 workforce goals
GTSC, part of 3t, has appointed Askar Salem Alyami as Vice President of its Saudi Arabian training operations to strengthen its growth and support local talent development in line with Saudi Vision 2030. Askar will lead the GTSC training centre, enhancing its role in 3t's global network to equip Saudi professionals with skills for the evolving energy landscape. Askar Salem Alyami, Vice President of 3t's GTSC Saudi Arabian training operations, said: 'I'm honoured to join 3t at such a pivotal time. I look forward to driving strategic partnerships and delivering world-class training that supports Vision 2030. T ogether, we'll grow GTSC's impact, strengthen workforce development, and accelerate 3t's success across Saudi Arabia and beyond.' Dammam, Saudi Arabia – GTSC, part of 3t, the leading global provider of workforce training and competency for safety-critical industries, has announced the appointment of Askar Salem Alyami as Vice President of its Saudi Arabian training centre operations. This strategic appointment marks a significant step in 3t's continued commitment to advancing its growth story in the Kingdom and supporting the development of local talent to meet future energy challenges. In his new role, Askar will oversee the company's Dammam training centre operations, positioning it as an integral part of 3t's global training and development network. The centre plays a vital role in equipping the next generation of Saudi professionals with the skills, knowledge, and expertise needed to drive innovation and sustainability in the energy sector, in full alignment with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. Askar Salem Alyami, newly appointed Vice President of 3t's GTSC Saudi Arabian training operations, said: 'I am honoured to join 3t at this pivotal time and look forward to driving strategic partnerships and delivering world-class training that supports the Kingdom's Vision 2030 transformation goals. 'Together with our talented team, I aim to bring my experience to expand GTSC's presence in key sectors, improve workforce development and industrial excellence across Saudi Arabia, while accelerating 3t's growth story in the region and take our success to new heights, both locally and globally.' With over 15 years of experience in major organisations such as Aramco, SABIC and the Saudi Water Authority, Askar brings extensive expertise in training, consultancy and business development to 3t. Throughout his career, he has held various leadership positions, delivering training programs and strategic partnerships that have empowered workforces and strengthened organisational capabilities across the region. He now aims to leverage this experience to enhance 3t's regional and global performance and deliver tangible business results for customers, positioning the GTSC centre as the go-to place for safety-critical training in the region. Hani Sagr, Managing Director for 3t's MENA region, said: 'We are delighted to welcome Askar to 3t's Middle East leadership team. His local experience in training, proven track record in business development, and passion for people-centric growth will be instrumental as we invest in the region and strengthen our position as a trusted partner in supporting the Kingdom's ambitious energy and economic transformation.' Under Askar's leadership, the Saudi Arabian centre will continue to expand its suite of accredited training programs and valued customer partnerships, fostering an environment where Saudi talent can thrive and contribute to solving the world's evolving energy challenges. GTSC has been part of 3t since September 2024 following its acquisition, and is the largest dedicated energy training provider in the Middle East, operating in Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Since its founding, it has trained nearly one million people across technical, HSE, offshore survival, and firefighting disciplines, as it currently helps train over 100,000 people annually. The centre offers over 600 accredited courses with advanced simulators, lifeboat platforms, firefighting grounds, and HUET pools. About 3t 3t is the leading provider of training services and learning technology solutions. With Training, Technology and Transformation at the core of its offering, 3t provides the highest-impact learning solutions for safety-critical industries, including energy, renewables, marine, construction, gas, electric and water. As the world leader in workforce training and competency, 3t is focused on delivering a prosperous future for individuals, its customers, and its industries. 3t is the number one provider of training to the UK Energy Sector and the Global Offshore Wind market and its drilling and well control simulation business is the world leader. With offices and training centres located across the UK, the Americas, and the Middle East, the 3t team is represented by 17 nationalities and present in 60 countries worldwide.
