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Al Etihad
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Al Etihad
Winners of Khalifa Fund's Venturist Summer Camp game development competition honoured
18 July 2025 17:30 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)The top winners of the eighth edition of the Venturist Summer Camp – an initiative of the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development designed to cultivate entrepreneurial thinking and digital skills among youth – were honoured during a ceremony at the 42 Abu Dhabi its launch in 2022, the Venturist Summer Camp has attracted over 750 Emirati students through its diverse training programmes, Khalifa Al Kuwaiti, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship Sector at Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, told camp held from July 7 to 11 at 42 Abu Dhabi witnessed the participation of 50 Emirati students, showcasing their creativity in game Kuwaiti said that game development is a strategic pillar in Abu Dhabi's creative economy, aligned with the emirate's long-term innovation goals.'Khalifa Fund recognises game development as a cornerstone of Abu Dhabi's growing creative and digital economy. By integrating it into youth-focused programmes like the Venturist Summer Camp, the Fund aims to equip the next generation with critical thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurial capabilities and support Abu Dhabi's ambition to cultivate a diversified, future-ready economy rooted in knowledge and creativity,' he camp featured two training pathways for students aged 13 to 15, and aged 16 to 18 with a focus on programming, AI integration, as well as hands-on development using large language models and LUA coding. On the final day of the camp, first place was jointly awarded to Sara Abuhalqia and Mahra Alsalami (Pearl of the Damned), and Mohammed Rayn Ahmed and Hamad Alshemeili (Pick Your Poison). Second place went to Hamad AlKatheeri (Echo Rift) and Khalid Alhammadi with Abdelaziz Yousif (Sands of Unity), while third place was won by Alyazia Alshamsi, Aljoori Amer Almansoori, Aldana Eisa Alkaabi, and Meera Abdullah (Kingdom Valley). 'Khalifa Fund is proactively identifying and building a pipeline of future-ready Emiratis by introducing youth as early as 13 years old to fundamentals of creative technology, game design, coding, and entrepreneurship,' Al Kuwaiti explained. 'Through a structured bootcamp such as Venturist, we are able to not only expose them to technical skills but real-world projects, mentorships, critical thinking, and teamwork capabilities, aligned with the needs of the gaming industry.'Moving beyond training, Khalifa Fund is also committed to helping young game developers transform their ideas into viable startups.'Participants are guided through ideation and prototyping during the camp, while the Fund's broader ecosystem offers mentorship, funding, and incubation support, creating clear pathways from passion projects to viable startups,' Al Kuwaiti noted that they are exploring the expansion of the programme to include dedicated tracks focused on high-growth gaming subsectors such as AR/VR, esports, and educational game to Al Kuwaiti, the camp's flexible structure enables it to adapt quickly to the demands of evolving global terms of broader alignment, Al Kuwaiti said that the Fund is closely coordinating with Abu Dhabi's digital economy and innovation agendas. 'By collaborating with strategic partners in the industry, we leverage shared strengths, combining funding, infrastructure, training, and mentorship to build a pipeline of homegrown talent. This contributes to Abu Dhabi's vision of becoming a regional innovation hub.'On how Khalifa Fund plans to measure long-term success, Al Kuwaiti emphasised a comprehensive and impact-driven approach to measuring the long-term success of its initiatives in the gaming sector. 'This includes both quantitative and qualitative indicators that reflect the depth and sustainability of the ecosystem being built,' he success metrics include developing talent that meets industry needs and strengthening partnerships to support knowledge transfer, global exposure, and commercialisation. 'Through these outcomes, Khalifa Fund aims to position Abu Dhabi not only as a hub for nurturing creative talent, but also as a leader in developing a homegrown gaming industry that contributes to the UAE's economic vision and global creative footprint.'
Al Etihad
6 days ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
Tadweer Group drives eco-awareness, plastic-free campaign at Liwa Date Festival
15 July 2025 16:44 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)Tadweer Group, Abu Dhabi's waste management authority, is bringing its eco-awareness campaign and plastic-free drive to the Liwa Date Festival. Through a series of workshops, the group seeks to engage the community in conversations about sustainable year's Liwa Date Festival, which kicked off on Monday and runs until July 27 in Liwa City, Al Dhafra Region, has introduced new environmental initiatives and competitions - including a creative campaign that encourages transforming discarded palm tree parts into festival features 24 heritage and agricultural competitions, divided into categories such as dates, fruits and model farms, with prizes exceeding Dh8.7 million.'Tadweer Group's key objective at Liwa Date Festival 2025 is to promote and increase environmental awareness and responsible waste management among visitors of all ages,' said Dr. Reem Al Kindi, Head of Public Awareness at Tadweer Group, in an interview with opportunity to spark discussions about environmental practices comes at a perfect time, with this month recognised globally as Plastic-Free July.'Since July is Plastic-Free Month, Tadweer Group will be focusing on the importance of reducing, reusing, recycling plastics through several workshops [and educational lectures],' Dr. Al Kindi said. Other Green InitiativesBeyond raising awareness, the group also aims to equip the community with practical tools for responsible waste management. Liwa Datę Festival serves as a launchpad for Tadweer's new campaign called 'Our Sustainable Farms'.Set to be launched in August, the initiative will promote proper waste management and sustainable farming across rural communities in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Region, Al Dhafra Region, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah.'As part of the initiative, farmers will be encouraged to share their own best practices, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and collective impact,' Dr. Al Kindi said. In addition, Tadweer is rolling out its School Sustainability Champions Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Education 'to help develop the next generation of sustainability leaders', Dr. Al Kindi said. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi
Al Etihad
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Al Etihad
From green buses to EV chargers, Abu Dhabi takes lead in sustainable mobility
22 Apr 2025 00:32 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)From rolling out green buses to bolstering its charging infrastructure to encourage a shift to EV, Abu Dhabi reaffirmed its commitment to greening its transport sector during the Electric Vehicles Innovation Summit (EVIS 2025).The Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility) showcased the emirate's milestones in sustainable mobility as the EVIS 2025 kicked off on Monday at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)."One of our key projects is the Green Bus Programme — it is unique in the region. We have collaborated with top technology providers and bus manufacturers to tackle climate-related challenges, especially those specific to Abu Dhabi like heat and humidity,' said Anan Alamri, Section Head of Alternative and Sustainable Mobility at Abu Dhabi Mobility, in an interview with Green Bus passenger service was officially launched in September 2023 with electric and hydrogen buses and, currently, the technologies are being assessed. The findings, which are expected by mid-2025, will pave the way for a comprehensive plan towards the emirate's long-term goal of turning the public transport sector green.'By 2030, Abu Dhabi Island will become a fully green public transport zone. Then by 2040, 95% of our public transport across the emirate will be green. We are targeting full conversion — 100% — by 2050,' Alamri Green Bus Programme is a project built on partnerships with local and international players, added Eng. Abdullah Al Shatri Al Hashemi, Acting Executive Director of the Intelligent Transport Systems Sector.'It involves the deployment of a modern fleet of electric and hydrogen-powered buses. The first phase focuses on key areas of Abu Dhabi Island, with plans to fully transform it into a green mobility zone. Future expansions are planned across the emirate in support of our long-term sustainability targets,' Al Hashemi its booth, Abu Dhabi Mobility is showcasing the Yutong E7S electric bus, which will be tested for the Abu Dhabi Link bus will be deployed to Saadiyat Island and the other to Yas Island, each covering 280km and completing about 50 trips daily with one to two charging part of the EV bus project, AI is also being used to boost the efficiency of operations, from depot charging to route planning and performance monitoring. This, the authorities said, are making the system smarter and more Charging InfrastructureAbu Dhabi is tackling EV adoption challenges through strategic planning and collaboration. With charging as one of the main issues, Abu Dhabi Mobility rolled out 'Charge AD' as one of its major projects."'Charge AD' is focused on building a unified, user-friendly public charging network that is digitally connected and supported by private sector partners,' Alamri said.'As of March 2024, we have installed 313 public charging points. We have also seen a significant growth in EV ownership — an 81% increase between 2022 and 2023.'Under this project, Abu Dhabi Mobility will deploy over 1,000 EV charge-points across 400 locations by October 2025, featuring a mix of AC and superfast DC into a digital platform for real-time tracking, this initiative aligns with the UAE's Net Zero 2050 strategy.'With a strategic vision that engages the private sector and provides a unified digital experience, we aim to enhance service efficiency and support the mass shift toward sustainable mobility,' Al Hashemi on the 81% spike in EV numbers between 2022 and 2023, he said that more than 11,000 hybrids and 10,000 EVs have registered by March innovative initiative in the spotlight is the authority's Autonomous Vehicle Service, launched in 2021. 'The service has logged over five million kilometers with 99% autonomous operation and no human intervention. Powered by AI and high-definition maps, it meets the highest safety standards. Our goal is for 25% of all trips, including land and urban air mobility, to be fully autonomous by 2040,' Al Hashemi said.
