Latest news with #Dashti
Oujda City
18-07-2025
- Business
- Oujda City
AI Will Reshape Millions of Jobs—ESCWA Calls for Urgent Skills Shift in the Arab Region
Press Release AI Will Reshape Millions of Jobs—ESCWA Calls for Urgent Skills Shift in the Arab Region Beirut, 17 July 2025–As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes the global landscape, it brings with it a host of complex challenges that demand urgent attention. Ethical dilemmas, data governance concerns, algorithmic bias, and the risk of exacerbating existing inequalities are all intensifying as AI technologies evolve. These risks underscore the critical need for robust regulatory frameworks and inclusive policymaking to ensure AI development remains equitable and responsible. Amid this paradigm shift, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) released a report on 'Artificial Intelligence Futures for the Arab Region,' exploring the transformative power of AI and its potential to revolutionize key sectors like health care, education, and government services, and examining its far-reaching implications for the region through 2040. The world is accelerating AI adoption at an unprecedented pace. Since 2022, the Arab region has been steadily advancing its AI capabilities—surpassing even the adoption rates of mobile phones and the internet. While AI is projected to displace approximately 83 million jobs globally, it is also expected to create 69 million new ones. 'The pace of AI advancement leaves no room for delay,' said ESCWA Executive Secretary Rola Dashti. 'Arab leaders must act decisively to unlock its transformative power while mitigating the complex risks it introduces.' The report reveals that by the end of 2024, 35% of the world's businesses had integrated AI technologies into their operations, while another 42% were considering AI for future implementation. Moreover, over half of enterprises with more than 5,000 employees are already utilizing AI. Additionally, more than 90% of government organizations surveyed globally are either using or exploring AI. AI is also reshaping the labour market, according to the report. Skill gaps remain the most significant barrier to business transformation, with 63% of employers identifying this as a top challenge between 2025 and 2030. In response, 85% of employers plan to invest in workforce upskilling, while 70% intend to hire talent with new skills. In the Arab region, AI is increasingly seen as a driver of innovation and sustainable development. The report explores pathways for further embracing it, namely optimizing AI technologies and partnerships for local priorities; investing in AI services rooted in the Arab region's language and culture as a whole; or accelerating the application of AI against specific Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets. 'The report offers a timely road map to ensure that AI becomes a catalyst for inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development, aligned with the region's unique aspirations and priorities,' Dashti added. The report calls for the development and adoption of a unified AI governance framework for the region tackling privacy, safety and ethical concerns; the diversification of partnerships for AI, namely with the Global South; the establishment of a region-wide job skill programme leveraging AI tools; and the promotion of data sharing across the region on open source platforms to encourage AI innovation for advancing the SDGs. It also concludes with stressing the need for a proactive, cross-disciplinary approach to AI policy that looks beyond the short term and considers the long-term, multigenerational implications of this technological shift. About ESCWA One of five United Nations regional commissions, ESCWA supports inclusive and sustainable economic and social development in Arab States, and works on enhancing regional integration.
12-07-2025
- Climate
Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries, UN agency says
UNITED NATIONS -- Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries and are taking an increasing toll on health, economies and the environment, the U.N. World Meteorological Organization says. 'About 2 billion tons of dust are emitted yearly, equivalent to 300 Great Pyramids of Giza' in Egypt, the organization's U.N. representative, Laura Paterson, told the General Assembly. More than 80% of the world's dust comes from the deserts in North Africa and the Middle East, she said, but it has a global impact because the particles can travel hundreds and even thousands of kilometers (miles) across continents and oceans. The General Assembly was marking the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms on Saturday and its designation of 2025 to 2034 as the U.N. decade on combating sand and dust storms. Assembly President Philemon Yang said the storms 'are fast becoming one of the most overlooked yet far-reaching global challenges of our time.' 'They are driven by climate change, land degradation and unsustainable practices,' he said. Yang, in a speech Thursday that was read by an assembly vice president, said airborne particles from sand and dust storms contribute to 7 million premature deaths every year. He said they trigger respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and reduce crop yields by up to 25%, causing hunger and migration. Undersecretary-General Rola Dashti, head of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, told the assembly the storms' economic costs are "staggering.' In the Middle East and North Africa, the annual cost of dealing with dust and sand storms is $150 billion, roughly 2.5% of GDP, she said. 'This spring alone, the Arab region experienced acute disruption,' Dashti said, citing severe storms in Iraq that overwhelmed hospitals with respiratory cases and storms in Kuwait and Iran that forced schools and offices to close. Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa has reached as far as the Caribbean and Florida, she said, Dashti, who also co-chairs the U.N. Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, said over 20 U.N. and international agencies are working to unite efforts on early warning systems for storms and to deal with other issues, including health and financing. She urged all countries to put sand and dust storms into global and national agendas. 'From land restoration and sustainable agriculture to integrated early warning systems, we have the tools to act," Dashti said. "What we need now is collective determination and financing to bring these solutions to scale.'
San Francisco Chronicle
11-07-2025
- Climate
- San Francisco Chronicle
Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries, UN agency says
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries and are taking an increasing toll on health, economies and the environment, the U.N. World Meteorological Organization says. 'About 2 billion tons of dust are emitted yearly, equivalent to 300 Great Pyramids of Giza' in Egypt, the organization's U.N. representative, Laura Paterson, told the General Assembly. More than 80% of the world's dust comes from the deserts in North Africa and the Middle East, she said, but it has a global impact because the particles can travel hundreds and even thousands of kilometers (miles) across continents and oceans. The General Assembly was marking the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms on Saturday and its designation of 2025 to 2034 as the U.N. decade on combating sand and dust storms. Assembly President Philemon Yang said the storms 'are fast becoming one of the most overlooked yet far-reaching global challenges of our time.' 'They are driven by climate change, land degradation and unsustainable practices,' he said. Yang, in a speech Thursday that was read by an assembly vice president, said airborne particles from sand and dust storms contribute to 7 million premature deaths every year. He said they trigger respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and reduce crop yields by up to 25%, causing hunger and migration. Undersecretary-General Rola Dashti, head of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, told the assembly the storms' economic costs are "staggering.' In the Middle East and North Africa, the annual cost of dealing with dust and sand storms is $150 billion, roughly 2.5% of GDP, she said. 'This spring alone, the Arab region experienced acute disruption,' Dashti said, citing severe storms in Iraq that overwhelmed hospitals with respiratory cases and storms in Kuwait and Iran that forced schools and offices to close. Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa has reached as far as the Caribbean and Florida, she said, Dashti, who also co-chairs the U.N. Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, said over 20 U.N. and international agencies are working to unite efforts on early warning systems for storms and to deal with other issues, including health and financing. She urged all countries to put sand and dust storms into global and national agendas. 'From land restoration and sustainable agriculture to integrated early warning systems, we have the tools to act," Dashti said. "What we need now is collective determination and financing to bring these solutions to scale.'
Hamilton Spectator
11-07-2025
- Climate
- Hamilton Spectator
Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries, UN agency says
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries and are taking an increasing toll on health, economies and the environment, the U.N. World Meteorological Organization says. 'About 2 billion tons of dust are emitted yearly, equivalent to 300 Great Pyramids of Giza' in Egypt, the organization's U.N. representative, Laura Paterson, told the General Assembly. More than 80% of the world's dust comes from the deserts in North Africa and the Middle East, she said, but it has a global impact because the particles can travel hundreds and even thousands of kilometers (miles) across continents and oceans. The General Assembly was marking the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms on Saturday and its designation of 2025 to 2034 as the U.N. decade on combating sand and dust storms. Assembly President Philemon Yang said the storms 'are fast becoming one of the most overlooked yet far-reaching global challenges of our time.' 'They are driven by climate change, land degradation and unsustainable practices,' he said. Yang, in a speech Thursday that was read by an assembly vice president, said airborne particles from sand and dust storms contribute to 7 million premature deaths every year. He said they trigger respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and reduce crop yields by up to 25%, causing hunger and migration. Undersecretary-General Rola Dashti, head of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, told the assembly the storms' economic costs are 'staggering.' In the Middle East and North Africa, the annual cost of dealing with dust and sand storms is $150 billion, roughly 2.5% of GDP, she said. 'This spring alone, the Arab region experienced acute disruption,' Dashti said, citing severe storms in Iraq that overwhelmed hospitals with respiratory cases and storms in Kuwait and Iran that forced schools and offices to close. Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa has reached as far as the Caribbean and Florida, she said, Dashti, who also co-chairs the U.N. Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, said over 20 U.N. and international agencies are working to unite efforts on early warning systems for storms and to deal with other issues, including health and financing. She urged all countries to put sand and dust storms into global and national agendas. 'From land restoration and sustainable agriculture to integrated early warning systems, we have the tools to act,' Dashti said. 'What we need now is collective determination and financing to bring these solutions to scale.'
Winnipeg Free Press
11-07-2025
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries, UN agency says
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries and are taking an increasing toll on health, economies and the environment, the U.N. World Meteorological Organization says. 'About 2 billion tons of dust are emitted yearly, equivalent to 300 Great Pyramids of Giza' in Egypt, the organization's U.N. representative, Laura Paterson, told the General Assembly. More than 80% of the world's dust comes from the deserts in North Africa and the Middle East, she said, but it has a global impact because the particles can travel hundreds and even thousands of kilometers (miles) across continents and oceans. The General Assembly was marking the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms on Saturday and its designation of 2025 to 2034 as the U.N. decade on combating sand and dust storms. Assembly President Philemon Yang said the storms 'are fast becoming one of the most overlooked yet far-reaching global challenges of our time.' 'They are driven by climate change, land degradation and unsustainable practices,' he said. Yang, in a speech Thursday that was read by an assembly vice president, said airborne particles from sand and dust storms contribute to 7 million premature deaths every year. He said they trigger respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and reduce crop yields by up to 25%, causing hunger and migration. Undersecretary-General Rola Dashti, head of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, told the assembly the storms' economic costs are 'staggering.' In the Middle East and North Africa, the annual cost of dealing with dust and sand storms is $150 billion, roughly 2.5% of GDP, she said. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'This spring alone, the Arab region experienced acute disruption,' Dashti said, citing severe storms in Iraq that overwhelmed hospitals with respiratory cases and storms in Kuwait and Iran that forced schools and offices to close. Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa has reached as far as the Caribbean and Florida, she said, Dashti, who also co-chairs the U.N. Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, said over 20 U.N. and international agencies are working to unite efforts on early warning systems for storms and to deal with other issues, including health and financing. She urged all countries to put sand and dust storms into global and national agendas. 'From land restoration and sustainable agriculture to integrated early warning systems, we have the tools to act,' Dashti said. 'What we need now is collective determination and financing to bring these solutions to scale.'
