Latest news with #AbdallahAlDardari
Daily Tribune
22-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain-UN ties
H.E. Eman Ahmed Al Doseri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, received Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme. Al Doseri underscored the Kingdom of Bahrain's keenness to increase opportunities for cooperation with the UN and its various development programmes. She commended the efforts and contributions made by the United Nations and its agencies in supporting economic development in the region.
Daily Tribune
19-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
UNDP Arab States Chief to Visit Bahrain for Launch of New Development Cooperation Programme
The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Abdallah Al Dardari, will visit the Kingdom of Bahrain from April 20 to 22, marking a significant step in deepening the country's development partnership with the UN. The visit comes as Bahrain and UNDP embark on a new phase of cooperation with the official launch of the Bahrain Country Programme Document (2025–2029), which was approved by the UNDP Executive Board in January 2025. The new Country Programme outlines a roadmap to support Bahrain's national priorities, focusing on inclusive and diversified economic growth, strengthening governance and human rights institutions, and advancing environmental sustainability and climate action. These initiatives are aligned with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During his visit, Al Dardari will meet with senior government officials, civil society leaders, and development partners to discuss strategic areas of cooperation and explore ways to further deepen collaboration. Key focus areas include entrepreneurship development, climate change resilience, and data-driven policymaking. UNDP has been a long-standing development partner of Bahrain since the early 1970s, supporting the Kingdom in various sectors including human development, governance reform, youth empowerment, climate resilience, and gender equality. The visit will also serve as a platform to explore innovative partnerships, resource mobilization strategies, and opportunities for regional knowledge-sharing that can benefit other Arab states. The launch of the new cooperation cycle is expected to further strengthen Bahrain's position as a proactive player in regional development and sustainability efforts
See - Sada Elbalad
12-04-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
ICESCO, UNDP Sign MoU to Strengthen Capacities in Knowledge Production
Mohamed Mandour The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, to promote cooperation and pool efforts geared towards implementing pioneering initiatives in the fields of the knowledge economy, good governance, digital transformation, and analytical studies on sustainable development. The MoU was signed at ICESCO headquarters by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Arab States, in the presence of Dr. Hany Torky, Chief Technical Advisor and Director of the UNDP Knowledge Project, and Ms. Ilaria Carnevali, Resident Representative of UNDP in the Kingdom of Morocco. During the signing ceremony, Dr. AlMalik commended the distinguished partnership between ICESCO and UNDP, expressing his delight at signing this MoU. In this connection, Dr. AlMalik announced the launch of five ICESCO–UNDP initiatives, namely: the second phase of the ICESCO Skills Academy, 'The Learning Sprint'; the joint preparation of a panel on the impact of emerging technologies on the skills of the future, to be held during the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly; a conference of higher education ministers on knowledge capacity-building strategies based on the outcomes of the Global Knowledge Index; a data capacity-building program in the Islamic world; and a joint program to support education in crisis-stricken countries. For his part, Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari expressed his pleasure at visiting ICESCO and signing the MoU, conveying his keen interest in exploring new horizons for constructive cooperation, in light of the significant development of UNDP activities in the Kingdom of Morocco. This development, he noted, provides wider opportunities for cooperation with ICESCO, especially in the field of artificial intelligence. He also highlighted other areas of cooperation, including exchanging and disseminating experiences to Member States, promoting knowledge-based economies, and developing their competitive potential at the global level. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Arts & Culture Arwa Gouda Gets Married (Photos)
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rebuilding the Middle East: enormous challenges, staggering costs, no peace in sight
BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 27 (UPI) -- Rebuilding the Middle East, shattered by more than 15 years of devastating wars, requires urgent, massive funding that could be stalled by reduced and conditional foreign aid, regional power struggles, the failure to end the raging conflicts and unwillingness to achieve peaceful settlements. The wars, particularly the ongoing devastation in Gaza, have caused unprecedented levels of destruction and humanitarian suffering. This also includes Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, which together constitute more than one-third of the Arab countries. Reconstruction could take decades and recovery even more, with post-war efforts needed that are described as the largest since the end of World War II in 1945. A major concern is emerging about who will finance post-war restoration and how. Can such massive funding be possible without achieving a sustainable peace settlement? And is funding the only challenge? The fear is that limited resources, reduced aid and inability to end the conflicts would only increase instability and prolong sufferings in the Arab region. Initial estimates reveal a staggering cost for rebuilding the Middle East that could range from $350 billion to $650 billion, including some $53 billion for Gaza, $11 billion for Lebanon and $400 billion for Syria. Such figures are "average estimations," according to Abdallah Al Dardari, regional director for Arab States of the United Nations Development Program. "No comprehensive on-the-ground assessments of the impacts of the conflicts have been conducted to date," Al Dardari told UPI in an interview from New York. He said that the estimations rely mostly on analyses of satellite imagery to provide approximations of the scope and scale of destruction and "mathematical modelling" to assess other impacts. They are also based on different assumptions for recovery, including assessments of physical and infrastructure damage, the time needed for reconstruction and extent of socio-economic recovery. The U.N. official noted that the cost of recovery will be "much larger," as it also requires reviving war-devastated economies, restoring efficient government functions and institutions, rebuilding social cohesion and trust, and strengthening the resilience of local communities to withstand future crises. The estimate for Gaza, for example, may refer primarily to costs related to address immediate rebuilding needs, he said. Earlier this month, Arab leaders adopted Egypt's $53 billion-plan for Gaza reconstruction in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's vision of taking over the war-ravaged Strip, rebuilding it by relocating permanently its inhabitants and turning it into a "Middle East Riviera." The idea includes a six-month recovery phase during which temporary housing would be provided for 1.5 million displaced Gazans inside the Strip, to be followed by two stages of reconstruction. The process is expected to run until 2030. According to a recent U.N. damage assessment, it could take 21 years and $1.2 billion to clear Gaza's 50 million tons of rubble caused by Israel's relentless and intensive airstrikes. In addition, the Palestinian Ministry of Health estimates that some 10,000 bodies remain buried beneath the debris. Securing the much-needed funds emerged as a major challenge after the United States and many Western countries decided to cut foreign aid. They simply have higher priorities. "In many of the traditional donor countries, we are witnessing a tide of political change that seems to be favoring national interest over international solidarity," al Dardari said. "We do live in a world of poly-crises that are requiring greater investments from leading economies, such as climate change, alongside major conflicts like the war in Ukraine." A study released in February by the government of Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations estimated the cost of Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery after three years of Russia's invasion at $524 billion over the next decade. Would that impact reconstruction efforts in the Arab region? Expectedly, oil-rich Gulf countries would bear the burden of funding reconstruction in the region. Al Dardari emphasized that Gulf countries have "important roles" to play in supporting and financing reconstruction of war-ravaged Arab countries. "This goes beyond solidarity. ... It is an investment in stabilizing a region that is key for global peace and security and that plays important economic functions," he said, referring to UNDP's efforts to help countries build partnerships and collaborate with international bodies for "effective and inclusive rebuilding efforts." He said the focus should be on diversifying funding sources, beyond traditional donors, developing innovative development financing arrangements with international financial institutions and emphasizing the role of regional cooperation to "sustain a momentum for recovery and reconstruction." The UN official, however, warned that reduced financial support will slow the delivery of humanitarian aid, rebuilding of essential infrastructures and economic recovery, which "may prolong instability in conflict-affected Arab states." Moreover, what could further delay reconstruction is the increasing linkage of funding to political conditions and anti-corruption reforms. International and Arab donors have made it clear that disarming Hezbollah and implementing necessary reforms are prerequisites for releasing financial aid to help rebuild corruption-plagued Lebanon. Syria's conditions for sanctions relief and reconstruction include, among others, formation of an inclusive government, maintaining order, dismantling any remaining chemical weapons, combating terrorism and curbing Islamist jihadists. Gaza's situation proves to be more complicated: Hamas must relinquish its control of the Strip, stop attacking Israel and disarm, amid concerns over Israel and Trump's plan to force displacement of its population. Al Dardari emphasized that achieving political settlements "that pave the way for peace and address the most urgent life-saving humanitarian needs of populations affected by war are key priorities." Reforms, he said, are critical to restoring core government functions, revitalizing institutions, maintaining the rule of law and promoting national reconciliation. He cautioned that funding conditionalities may incentivize governance reforms, but could "reinforce political deadlocks rather than resolve them." At the end, what is needed is to address the root causes of the conflicts and prevent future violence. However, the region remains far from achieving peace and stability, as regional and international powers continue to compete for influence and control.
Hi Dubai
13-02-2025
- Business
- Hi Dubai
MBRSG Unveils 2025 Global Economic Diversification Index at WGS
The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) has launched the fourth edition of the Global Economic Diversification Index (EDI) at the 2025 World Governments Summit (WGS), held under the theme 'Shaping Future Governments.' The expert-led panel featured a keynote speech by Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States and was moderated by Dr. Fadi Salem, Director of MBRSG's Policy Research Department. Dr. Al Dardari emphasized that economic diversification mitigates vulnerabilities and fosters resilience against disruptions by expanding economic sectors. Dr. Ali bin Sebaa Al Marri, Executive President of MBRSG, highlighted the Index's role in guiding policy reforms and supporting the UAE's sustainable economic vision. First introduced in 2022, the EDI measures diversification across three sub-indices—Government Revenue, Output, and Trade—assessing global trends over 24 years. The 2025 edition evaluates 115 countries, incorporating a digital trade augmented index (EDI+) to reflect the growing impact of digitalization. Key findings reveal that the US, China, and Germany maintain leading positions, while the UAE ranks highest in the GCC for trade and output diversification. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kazakhstan, Qatar, and Oman have significantly improved their rankings over two decades. The report underscores the need for commodity-dependent nations to adopt sustainable growth strategies. MBRSG also announced the second Global Conference on Economic Diversification in 2025, bringing together experts from over 30 countries. The full EDI 2025 report, data, and insights are accessible on the WGS website and MBRSG's research repository. News Source: Emirates News Agency
