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Kuwait Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
UAE, Kuwait strengthen economic ties as trade exchange hits $13.5bn
ABU DHABI: UAE Ambassador to Kuwait Dr Matar Al Neyadi affirmed on Tuesday that bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are witnessing steady growth across various sectors, with a particular focus on economic cooperation and private sector engagement. Speaking virtually at a symposium titled 'The Nature of Economic Relations between the UAE and Kuwait', held at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) in Abu Dhabi, Dr Al Neyadi highlighted the strong momentum in economic collaboration within the broader framework of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) integration. Al Neyadi revealed that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries reached AED 49.7 billion ($13.53 billion) by the end of 2024, marking an 8.8 percent increase compared to 2023. He added that trade for the first quarter of 2025 stood at AED 10.2 billion ($2.78 billion), underscoring the resilience of economic ties. He noted that both nations enjoy a favorable investment climate that offers considerable opportunities for the private sector, semi-government entities, and small and medium-sized enterprises to expand cooperation and establish strategic partnerships. UAE Ambassador to Kuwait Dr Matar Al Neyadi address the audience.- KUNA photos The ambassador also praised the outcomes of the fourth and fifth sessions of the UAE-Kuwait Joint Higher Committee meetings, which identified priority sectors for collaboration. These include food security, healthcare, communications, information technology, artificial intelligence, defence industries, infrastructure, energy, and air and maritime transport. For his part, Dr Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of ECSSR, said the symposium comes at a pivotal time as the region seeks to deepen Gulf integration. He emphasized the need for continued dialogue and alignment of shared visions to build resilient, competitive, and sustainable economies amid evolving global economic challenges. Al Nuaimi noted the historical depth of UAE-Kuwait relations, describing them as a model of Gulf cooperation. He pointed out that bilateral trade has surged by approximately 75 percent over the past decade, with the UAE currently ranking as the third-largest investor in Kuwait. He further highlighted the alignment between the two nations' economic visions, especially their early commitment to diversifying income sources and fostering innovation across strategic sectors. This shared outlook, he said, paves the way for advanced partnerships in renewable energy, digital innovation, and knowledge-based industries. 'These synergies open wide horizons for joint initiatives and investment in sustainable development projects,' Al Nuaimi said. Relations between Kuwait and the UAE continue to be defined by mutual respect and strategic collaboration, particularly in non-oil sectors, which have shown consistent growth in recent years. With non-oil trade already surpassing $13.5 billion in 2024, expectations remain high for even stronger economic engagement in the months ahead. — KUNA
CBS News
11-03-2025
- Science
- CBS News
The Glacier Graveyard in Iceland is a symbolic warning of a melting future
Glaciers around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented pace. A new study published in the journal "Nature" confirms that Iceland's glaciers alone have lost 8.3 billion tons of ice annually between 2000 and 2023. Globally, glaciers have been shedding 273 billion tons of ice per year since the early 2000s, a rate that scientists say is only accelerating. The consequences are dire: rising sea levels, disrupted water supplies, and increased risks of flooding in coastal cities like Boston. In the face of this crisis, two anthropologists from Rice University have created a chilling reminder of what's at stake: the Glacier Graveyard in Reykjavik, Iceland. A Funeral for the world's glaciers Fifteen gravestones, sculpted from ice, stood on a patch of land in Reykjavik, a temporary monument to glaciers that are disappearing before our eyes. Each headstone was carved with the name of a glacier on the brink of extinction. "This is a global concern," said Cymene Howe, an anthropologist at Rice University. "It's a global phenomenon that we are losing glaciers everywhere on Earth." Among those glaciers memorialized: Pico Humboldt, the last of Venezuela's glaciers, now completely gone. Kilimanjaro, the final remaining glacier on the continent of Africa. Aujuittuq in the Arctic Circle, whose Inuit name means "A place that never thaws"—yet now, even it is disappearing. "There's an irony that the place that never thaws is now losing its glacier," said Dominic Boyer, co-creator of the Glacier Graveyard. While the headstones melted within hours, the message remains: without urgent action, the glaciers they represent will soon follow. A wake-up call from scientists The Nature study underscores how glacial melt is accelerating, particularly in Iceland, where glaciologists have tracked rapid ice loss. WBZ visited Solheimajökull, a glacier on Iceland's south coast, in 2024. This once-massive ice sheet is shrinking by 40 meters per year, a staggering rate that is transforming the Icelandic landscape. Glacial melt isn't just a problem for remote regions, it threatens water security for billions and exacerbates coastal flooding worldwide. In Boston and other major cities, rising sea levels could mean more frequent storm surges and infrastructure challenges in the coming decades. "This is kind of a moment where we dig deep," said Boyer. "We just need to really commit to doing it faster so that we can save some of these beautiful glaciers." The researchers behind the Glacier Graveyard have compiled a Global Glacier Casualty List, tracking glaciers that have vanished or are at risk of disappearing in the coming years. 2025: The International Year of Glaciers' Preservation Recognizing the urgency of the crisis, the United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation. The initiative, led by UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization, aims to raise awareness and mobilize global action to protect these critical ice formations.
