Latest news with #Helmy
New Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
SD Guthrie delivers maiden tariff-free sustainable palm oil to UK under CPTPP
Previous Next KUALA LUMPUR: SD Guthrie Bhd has delivered its first tariff-free sustainable palm oil to the United Kingdom under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). SD Guthrie International Liverpool Refinery on April 4 received the 8,000 tonnes of fully traceable and segregated Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)-certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO). The cargo, shipped aboard the Dolphin 19 from Sabah's Kunak Port on Feb 19, underwent rigorous testing to ensure it met stringent standards. This includes low levels of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH). The CPTPP, a landmark free-trade pact initially signed in 2018 by 11 Pacific Rim countries including Malaysia, eliminates most tariffs and promotes economic integration, while upholding robust labour and environmental standards. With the UK's official membership of the agreement coming into effect on Dec 15 last year, tariffs ranging from 2.0 to 10 per cent on Malaysian crude palm oil and its derivatives were lifted. SD Guthrie group managing director Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha said the shipment highlights the strength of Malaysia–UK trade relations and the company's strong commitment to ensure quality, traceability and security of sustainable palm oil supply to customers in the UK. For over a decade, SD Guthrie's Liverpool refinery has been the company's gateway for CSPO to enter the UK market, supplying 50-55 per cent of domestic palm oil demand. The refined products are widely used for deep-frying in fish-and-chip shops across the country and as key ingredients in the production of many popular brands of biscuits, baked goods and British confectionery favourites. "While our supply chain in Papua New Guinea has been and remains the main source of our products for the UK market, this latest shipment originating from our supply chain in Sabah underscores our capability to provide consistent and stable supply of CSPO to the UK, while maintaining the highest standards of quality, sustainability and food safety. "Depending on market conditions and customer requirements, we can offer customers the security of supply they need to run their businesses, from Malaysia or Papua New Guinea," Helmy added.
Khaleej Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Meet the winners who bagged Dh1 million in global prompt engineering contest
Abdulrahman Almarzooqi, a master's student at Mohammed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), is no stranger with being placed first place in a competition. Previously winning the Emirates Skills National Competition along with his brother, Almarzooqi took the first-place trophy for the prompt engineering competition in coding, and said he was proud to represent his country, the UAE, in this global competition. Almarzooqi, along with three others, won first place in the Global Prompt Engineering Championship and walked away with a collective Dh1 million prize. Prompt engineering, though it sounds intricate and intimidating, is the technical term for requesting a generative AI tool (like ChatGPT) to perform a task. In other words, it is how you talk to the AI. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. The competition took place on April 22 and April 23 at the Boulevard Emirates Towers, on the sidelines of Dubai AI Week 2025. Participants from all academic and professional backgrounds competed across four creative categories: art, video, gaming, and coding, which are modes through which a machine can be communicated with. Winner of the gaming category Ibrahim Helmy, a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, never expected to even be chosen to participate. When he tried applying to join the championship, he did not have high hopes to be selected out of a pool of thousands, but his family and friends pushed him to try. 'Programming is my profession and gaming is my passion," Helmy said. 'I participated in this challenge because I tried to combine both. It was an interesting experience to try and mix both.' The programmer said he had to relearn much of what he knew about gaming because he needed to write the prompts from the perspective of a player and a game developer at the same time. 'There are obstacles, there are the players, the control, the environment, the tone, the visuals, and the audio,' he said. 'These are all things that make up a game, and if you miss one [element], you immediately notice it.' During the championship, Helmy said 'it felt super nerve-wracking knowing that they were going to be watching all the time. Sometimes AI can be frustrating." 'I can spend hours yelling at it. But the minute I sat in that seat, I started typing, and everything disappeared and faded," he added. Not just for coders Although the other categories required previous knowledge of programming, the video and art category were a little more flexible. Filmmaker Ibrahim Hajjo joined the competition because he was already familiar with the video editing world. However, he did not know much about AI tools, so decided to begin practicing the "science' of prompting once he signed up. With only two months of practice up his sleeve, Hajjo did not expect to win the competition in that designated category. During the tense 30 minutes the participants were given in the first round, Hajjo did as much as he could to bring out his creative side, but he said it was challenging. Yahya Kaddoura, architect and urban designer, was already working with AI in his field, not just for generating ideas, but using it to challenge whatever ideas or designs he works with. But he had to put his skills to the test in preparation for the championship in the art category and had to follow a series of steps to skew the ai machine to produce content to his liking. 'It was three stages. One is challenging the idea until I get a narrative for it. You need one image to explain that idea, so you create a narrative out of it.' He continued, 'After that is generating [the image]. Then editing it to do the final touches. Although the participants in the art category were given 20 minutes for the first round, Kaddoura had his final product in half the time. He said he prepared well before the competition. 'I was doing different practices,' he said. 'I had a bootcamp of almost three weeks with my friends, with a timer and everything.'
The National
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Winners share Dh1m prize for creating AI-powered art, code and games
Four digital creatives in the UAE won a combined prize of Dh1 million ($270,000) on Wednesday after outshining competitors in a global championship that tested the limits of artificial intelligence. They won first place across four categories of the Global Prompt Engineering Championship, including art, video, gaming and coding. The two-day contest was part of Dubai AI Week, which is taking place until Friday. Competitors generated videos, games, artwork and coding using advanced AI prompts within 30 minutes. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, presented the winners with their trophies. Syrian university student Ibrahim Hajjo, 20, won in the video category after impressing judges with his AI-generated videos of "animals in unexpected locations". 'I didn't expect to get first place because there were some good competitors,' Mr Hajjo told The National. 'The challenge was to create videos of animals in places they wouldn't normally be. I generated a giraffe in the Metro and a penguin in the desert.' Generative video tools, such as Sora by OpenAI or Runway, are pushing the boundaries of digital storytelling. They offer possibilities for filmmakers and educators, but have also drawn scrutiny because of deepfakes that can mislead viewers. Mr Hajjo, who works as a filmmaker for a media company alongside his studies at the Canadian University Dubai, said AI-generated videos look 'really realistic'. 'There are some imperfections if you look closely but some are too good to be noticeable,' he said. "I think in a year's time it'll improve even more because new versions of models are being released every month." In the gaming category, Canadian resident Ibrahim Helmy, 28, wowed the judges with his quick thinking and creative game design under pressure. A cloud solutions architect at Microsoft, Mr Helmy channelled his AI expertise into game development. 'The first round didn't go smoothly,' he told The National, recalling how the tool he was using went down for maintenance mid-challenge. 'But I had nightmares about that exact scenario so I came prepared.' Despite the rocky start, Mr Helmy created a side-scrolling game called Jumeirah Runner, in which players dodge obstacles while jogging along Dubai's beachfront. He then built a second game called The Karak Protocol, where users had to follow random steps to make the perfect cup of karak tea – a spiced milk tea infused with cardamom – a staple in South Asian and Gulf food culture. 'You could be a spoon, a cup or any random kitchen item trying to make tea. It was chaotic but fun,' he said. Mr Helmy said his share of the prize money will go towards launching one of several side ventures he is planning. 'I plan on going back to the drawing board,' he said. "I have a bunch of different ventures and ideas, but I've been waiting for the right opportunity to bring them to fruition." In the coding category, Emirati student Abdul Rahman Almarzooqi, 23, demonstrated speed, accuracy and an expert understanding of machine-learning tools. He used tools such as ChatGPT and other coding assistants to develop fully functional websites and applications in less than 30 minutes. 'I felt proud of myself because this is a global championship and I represented my country,' said Mr Almarzooqi, who is pursuing a master's degree in machine learning at the Mohammed bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi. The fourth winner, Yahya Kaddoura, took first prize in the art category.
Daily News Egypt
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily News Egypt
WhatsApp Teams Up with Egyptian Celebrities and Al Ahly SC to Launch Exclusive Sticker Packs
WhatsApp has announced exclusive collaborations with some of Egypt's most beloved celebrities and the iconic Al Ahly Sporting Club to bring fans unique and expressive sticker packs. These custom sticker packs, designed in partnership with these creators, will be exclusively accessible through their official WhatsApp channels. Yesterday, WhatsApp announced users can now make their own sticker packs without having to leave the app, and now fans can enhance their daily conversations with stickers featuring iconic moments and expressions from their favorite stars and sports heroes. Whether it's a punchline from a famous comedy sketch or a sticker of a legendary goal celebration, these exclusive packs offer a fun and distinctly Egyptian way to connect with friends and family. The lineup includes some of Egypt's top stars, who use their WhatsApp channels to directly communicate with their followers: Ahmed Helmy, a collaborator on one of the exclusive packs, shared, 'I've always loved finding new ways to connect with my audience, and these WhatsApp stickers are just great. I'm excited for people to discover the range of expressions, including some of my own, and to see how they bring a smile to their friends and family. I know I'll be using plenty of Helmy stickers myself!' One of the most exciting additions is from Al Ahly SC, the region's most decorated football club. Their exclusive sticker pack includes fan-favorite players, club chants, best moments in the club history, and match-day expressions – perfect for celebrating wins and sharing team spirit. Gamal Gabr, Director of the Al-Ahly Club Media Department added: 'Our fans are among the most passionate in the world – now they can show that passion in their chats. Whether it's a sticker of a game-winning goal or our coach's signature gesture, we're proud to be part of this collaboration with WhatsApp.' These sticker packs are part of WhatsApp's ongoing commitment to introducing updates that make chats more fun and creative.. Users can also create and share their own sticker packs, unlocking creative expression for fans and creators alike. Follow your favorite creators and Al Ahly SC on WhatsApp Channels today to download their sticker packs. For more information on how to create and share your own sticker packs, visit [link].
Broadcast Pro
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Malmö Arab Film Festival to honour Egyptian comedy star Ahmed Helmy
The actor started his TV career in 1993 before he landed a role in 1998 film 'Aboud Ala El Hedoud'. The Malmö Arab Film Festival (MAFF) has announced that celebrated Egyptian actor and comedian Ahmed Helmy will be honoured during its 15th edition, taking place from April 29 to May 5, 2025. The acclaimed star will receive the honorary award at the opening ceremony on April 29 at the Royal Cinema, the cinema hall in Scandinavia. Commenting on this recognition, the President of the Malmö Arab Film Festival Mouhamad Keblawi said: 'Ahmed Helmy is one of the most distinguished stars of Arab cinema, with a rich career marked by creativity and excellence. Helmy has left a unique imprint on Arab cinema through his comedic and dramatic roles, which reflect societal issues with humour and deep human sensitivity. We are proud to honour him in Malmö as a tribute to his significant contributions to the film industry.' Ahmed Helmy expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation to the Malmö Arab Film Festival for this recognition and stated: 'Being honoured as an artist in general, and for me personally, is a medal of love and appreciation that is beyond value. My journey in cinema was never just an ordinary professional path; it was filled with experiences, challenges, happiness and artistic joy.' As part of the festival's events, Helmy will lead a Masterclass on April 30, offering fans and aspiring filmmakers an intimate look into his artistic journey and creative process. Helmy is a household name in Arab cinema, known for his signature blend of humour and emotional depth. Over a career spanning more than two decades, he has starred in more than 50 films, including hits like Zaki Chan, Keda Reda, Asal Aswad and Wahed Tani. Beyond acting, Helmy has also made his mark as a writer, producer and television host. His influence extends off-screen as well, serving as a UNICEF Regional Ambassador, advocating for children's rights and mental health awareness. The festival's tribute underscores Helmy's enduring impact on the Arab entertainment industry and his role in shaping generations of cinema lovers through thoughtful and entertaining storytelling.
