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Wednesday 5 February 2020

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www.thepeninsula.qaVolume 24 | Number 8158

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Qatar Foundation reflects on 25 years of glorious impactFAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foun-dation (QF), participated in ‘I AM QF’- an event held to cele-brate the 25th anniversary of the organisation yesterday at Qatar National Convention Center.

The event reflected achieve-ments of QF since 1995 and how it has benefited Qatar and the world. Members of QF com-munity including staff, students, teachers, faculty, and researchers together with Their Excellencies the Ministers, industry leaders, and other guests were gathered during the event.

“Today I am glad to see faces that have always been present throughout all of QF’s achievements. The main chal-lenge that we faced was always to try convincing others to make a positive change, and that is through education, because education is our true wealth,” said H H Sheikha Moza during a panel discussion.

“We focused on building our education ecosystem based on our heritage not against it. And looking at the activities here today, I was pleased to see how proud and confident the Qatari youth are in their culture and identity, and in speaking the Arabic language. This is what we have been aspiring to create through Qatar Foundation, as well as throughout other edu-cational institutions in Qatar.

“It was a dream, and we made it come true through Qatar Foundation and its

stakeholders,” said H H Sheikha Moza during the high-level panel discussion moderated by H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO of QF.

H E Sheikha Hind was joined by H E Lolwah Rashid Al Khater, Assistant Foreign Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Min-istry of Foreign Affairs; Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani,

Director of Public Health, Ministry of Public Health; Dr. Hassan Rashid Al Derham, President of Qatar University; and Dominic Genetti, Vice-President and Joint Venture Executive Director, Exx-onMobil Qatar.

The panellists discussed how collaboration has already benefited Qatar, how it can be enhanced, and what it can mean for the future of the country.

“QF’s journey has been all about producing knowledge, generating ideas and perspec-tives, and nurturing talent,” said H E Sheikha Hind.

“And we share all of this with the world, from our unique perspective as a nation proud of its Arab and Islamic heritage.

“Now, we’ve reached a milestone in our journey, and

so it’s time to ask ourselves: where do we go from here? How do we build on everything we have already achieved? And what do we need to do to realize everything we now want to achieve?

“For QF, I believe the answer rests on all elements of our ecosystem shaping, informing, and benefiting each other. We need to disruptively

collaborate in a way that allows everyone to see the big picture, and recognize their role in cre-ating it – because QF is a platform for everyone to engage, and contribute,” said H E Sheikha Hind.

She explained how collab-orations with local and inter-national partners have played a role in QF from its first day to its 25th year. �P2

H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, joined QF members and partners at the “I AM QF” townhall to mark the foundation’s 25 years of accomplishments in education, scientific research and community development. PIC: AR AL-BAKER

‘It was a dream, and we made it come true through Qatar Foundation and its stakeholders,’ H H Sheikha Moza

Deputy PM meets India’s Defence MinisterDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, H E Dr Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, met with Minister of Defence of the Republic of India, H E Rajnath Singh. An official reception ceremony was held for H E the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs at the headquarters of the Indian Ministry of Defence in New Delhi. During the meeting, they reviewed the bilateral relations and ways of enhancing, developing them and the latest developments in the region. The meeting was attended by the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of India, H E Mohammed bin Khater Al Khater, the Commander of the Amiri Land Forces, H E Major General Saeed Hussain Al Khayarin, and a number of senior commanders of the Qatari Armed Forces.

Over QR22.8bn real estate deals recorded last yearSACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

Qatar’s real estate sector witnessed deals valuing more than QR22.8bn last year, demonstrating the strong interest of investors in country’s growing real estate market.

Deals worth QR1.58bn were done in December last year, compared to QR1.55bn in November, showing a growth of around two percent, according to the Qatar Monthly Statistics report released yes-terday by the Planning and Sta-tistics Authority.

October emerged as the busiest month as it witnessed deals worth QR4.36bn, making it month with highest value of deals during the year.

The monthly report also showed a 14.3 percent decline in traffic accident deaths in December last year compared to December 2018 , while traffic violations declined by 7.2

percent during the month. A total of 145, 073 cases of traffic violations were recorded in December 2019 compared to 156,315 cases of violations in December 2018.

The demographic statistics revealed that the total popu-lation of Qatar has increased from 2.67 million in December 2018 to 2.69 million at end of December 2019.

The total number of regis-tered new vehicles reached 6017 in December 2019. The figure has showed a monthly increase of 5.7 percent and an annual increase of 14.3 percent.

The number of total new drivers licenses and total new vehicles registered witnessed a growth of 10.8 percent and 14.3 percent, respectively.

Without counting the acci-dents without injuries, a total of 638 traffic cases were recorded in December 2019, showing a monthly increase of 4.9 percent. Light injuries accounted for the

vast majority of traffic accidents cases during the same month, having a share of 86 percent in total traffic accidents, followed by severe injuries which accounted for 11 percent of the total traffic accidents.

Regarding the data of buildings permits, the total number of permits issued during December 2019 reached 650 permits, recording a monthly decrease of 3.4 percent.

As for the Banking Sector; Total Broad Money Supply (M2) reached aruond QR578bn during December 2019, regis-tering an annual increase of 2.5 percent compared with December 2018.

Cash equivalents; including Commercial Bank Deposits, reached QR849.1bn during December 2019. The figure recorded an annual increase of 4.8 percent compared to December 2018, when deposits stood at approximately QR810.3bn.

Education Ministry launches new service to issue equivalency certificate onlineSANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has launched a new service to issue equiva-lency certificate online for the students of private schools operating in Qatar.

The newly arrived students to Qatar will be able to obtain equiv-alency certificate online in the second phase of service which is

expected to implement soon.“Now the applicants can

apply at the official website of the Ministry https://certificate.edu.gov.qa through personal computer (PC), smart phones or tablets to obtain equivalency certificate free of cost,” said Assistant Undersecretary for Evaluation Affairs at the Min-istry of Education and Higher Education, Khalid Al Harqan.

Addressing a press

conference held at the Evaluation Sector of the Ministry, Al Harqan said that the new service aims at facilitating the students of private schools of all levels who want to get admission in government schools or to pursue higher edu-cation or those intend to join job market.

“The new service to issue equivalency certificate online is 100 percent electronic, open 24/7 enabling the issuance of a

certificate withing 24 hours,” said Al Harqan.

He said that last year, the Section for Equivalency Certif-icates at the Evaluation Sector of the Ministry received 7,000 requests for the certificates manually and the new service will ease the issuance procedures.

In light of the increase in the number of private schools in Qatar, the movement in terms

of students’ transition from private education to government sector and others who finish sec-ondary school studies in private schools, everyone becomes in need of equivalence of their diplomas, especially since private schools have a variety of educational systems, all of which need to equate school certifi-cates according to the educa-tional scale of the State of Qatar.

Meanwhile, Director of

Students Information Centre at the Ministry Ibrahim Rajab Al Kuwari talked about the advan-tages of the electronic system and the facilities provided for the parents, students and the public, thanking the team that worked on this project.

He said that any person can submit a request for equiva-lency certificate and obtain the result according to each cat-egory. �P4

02 WEDNESDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2020HOME

Qatar Foundation reflects on 25 years of glorious impact

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, joined QF members and partners at “I AM QF” event at Qatar National Convention Centre, to mark the foundation’s 25 years of accomplishments in education, scientific research and community developments, yesterday. H H Sheikha Moza paying attention to a display highlighting achievements by a QF entity. A QF student presenting a special gift containing messages from QF to H H Sheikha Moza during the event. H H Sheikha Moza interacting with the members of a QF entity during the event. PICS: AR AL BAKER

Al Attiyah meets Indian Minister of External Affairs

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, H E Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, met with the Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India, H E Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. They touched on the bilateral relations, in addition to reviewing developments in the region. The Ambassador of Qatar to India, H E Mohammed bin Khater Al Khater; Commander of the Amiri Land Forces, H E Major General Saeed Hussain Al Khayarin, and a number of senior officers of the Qatari Armed Forces attended the meeting.

FROM PAGE 1 Al Khater said, “Any

system, no matter how good it is, relies on input, and the message we send to the world will only ever be as powerful as the substance we have. So the way we continue to deliver quality education and good health services, and the way we conduct research and train and develop people, is the strongest message we have to send abroad.

“And when I send this message, the strongest talking-point I have is QF. All the great work being achieved here is not just great work for Qatar, but for the wider region, and it is very important that we deliver that message.”

The role QF has played in taking forward health sector of the country to the next level by paving the path to precession medicine was highlighted by Dr Al Thani.

“We are looking to build human capacity in healthcare while also nurturing a healthy population and enabling people to live longer, more productive lives. We hope that with the continued support of QF, we can build a healthcare system that ensures people can bring value to our community for a long time to come. And we will look to develop more focused research, supported by the way institutes within QF work together, that is applicable to Qatar but also to other countries, and that helps us to eradicate our biggest health issues,” he added.

Speaking about Qatar University’s collaboration

with QF, Dr Al Derham said that QF was established through a vision that changed the way we look at things, and that recognized the need to think outside of the box.

“We have been fortunate to partner with the elite uni-versities at QF, and that has provided us with the oppor-tunity to work hand-in-hand with researchers, education providers, and talent. Without QF, these collaborations would not be possible. We now have a golden oppor-tunity to move toward new frontiers, building on every-thing we have achieved together over the past 25 years,” he added.

Partnering with QF has been a natural fit for Exxon-Mobil Qatar as both organi-zations share same values in different areas, according to Genetti.

“If you look back over 25 years, it is amazing to see what collaboration has achieved in Qatar. Research is a long-term endeavor, and you have be committed to it for years, even decades, to see its full benefits. But we can achieve more together if our strategic objectives are clear and we collate all our efforts, across universities, research institutes, and the private sector to move in the same direction,” he added.

A special gift containing messages from QF students was presented to Sheikha Moza during the ‘I AM QF.’ The event also included a series of events and by dif-ferent entities of QF with focus on their achievements which comply with QF’s mission.

Qatar-UK Sport Education Conference highlights participation of women, youth leaders in sportsQNA — DOHA

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education in part-nership with the British Council Qatar organised yesterday the ‘Qatar-UK Sport Education Conference 2020’ in the presence of a large number of sport education experts from the UK and Qatar.

The one-day event included educational and interactive sessions during which delegates shared best practice in sport education,

health and wellbeing. The con-ference also highlighted the importance of supporting inclusive societies and women and girls participation in sport and aims to empower young leaders participation in their community through sport.

Addressing the opening session, Head of Physical Edu-cation at the Ministry of Edu-cation and Higher Education Moza Al Badr said that the con-ference reflects the great interest the State of Qatar a t t a c h e s t o t h e

issues of comprehensive and sustainable development of society, foremost of which is the development of the sports sector, the advancement of a healthy lifestyle through physical education and high-lighting the positive effects of exercise on education, as well as supporting and encouraging women’s participation in sports.

She added that the organ-isation of such events is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 which sets the

development of the sport sector among its priorities. She expressed the hope that the activities will contribute to pushing forward the march of sports and promoting societal sport and translating it into studied and viable strategies.

For her part, Director of the British Council Sam Ayton thanked the Ministry of Edu-cation and Higher Education for its cooperation, and under-lined the importance of sports in promoting the lives of people through building the

skills of leadership and confidence.

She noted that the con-ference would explore ways to learn for everyone, and offer physical education programs to the youth to motivate and direct them to realize the best potential.

The conference hosted British Olympic champion Duncan Goodhew, who spoke about his long journey in the world of swimming and sports, his experience and his sporting career, and how the physical

education teacher influenced him to be an Olympic champion. Qatari tennis champion Mubaraka Al Nuaimi also spoke about how sports influenced her life and her character. Following the opening speeches, the con-ference featured four sessions on Creating a New Generation of Young Leaders; Physical Education and Healthy life-style; Encouraging Women and Girls participation in Sport; and How Sport can Impact on Inclusive Education.

Third Qatar Youth Forum beginsQNA — DOHA

The Minister of Culture and Sports, H E Salah bin Ghanim Al Ali, opened yesterday the activities of the Third Qatar Youth Forum , under the slogan under the slogan ‘Ya Watni Ha Ana Za’ (Oh my country, here I am), in the presence of a number of officials, ambas-sadors and diplomats accredited to the State and a number of media personnel.

The two-day event is organised by the Qatar Center for Cultural and Heritage Events at Ali bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena

The event is being held in the belief that youth are an integral part of the devel-opment system for the State of Qatar, and in the context of pre-paring for a new stage to receive and host the 2022 FIFA

World Cup on Qatar. Many centers, institutions, youth ini-tiatives, and a number of state institutions concerned with youth activities and Youth Con-sultative Committee will par-ticipate in the Forum.

After HE the Minister of Culture and Sports tour of the participating pavilions , bodies and youth centers, the main theater of the event witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Social Development Center (Nama)

The MoU was signed for the Ministry of Culture and Sports, by Director of the Department of Youth Affairs, Hussain Rashid Al-Kubaisi, and for the Social Development Center (Nama) by Director of the Department of Community Services, Maryam Bint Abdul Latif Al-Mannai.

The MoU aims to support and develop youth-enhancing activities and initiatives for the path of societal development and to provide services to the targeted groups based on the important role of the Nama Center as a major partner of the Ministry of Culture and Sports.

The Forum will also witness the launch of several targeted training workshops in cooper-ation with partners in the march of development and youth empowerment, including Qatar University and the Center for Social Development and Education Foundation Above All - Reach Out to Asia Program, the Qatar Leadership Center among many more. The Forum also creates an opportunity to present the Youth Development and Empowerment Department as an incubator for their initiatives.

QF backs SC in developing 2022 visitor experience THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Foundation (QF) is set to support the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) as it develops the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 visitor experience that will promote the nation to a global audience, through a new and wide-ranging collaboration.

A Memorandum of Under-standing (MoU) between the two organisations has outlined how QF will be central to deliv-ering the Q22 Visitor Experience Project, which — through physical and digital elements. It aims to ensure football fans from around the world have a memorable stay in Qatar when the nation hosts one of the world’s greatest sporting tournaments.

The agreement was signed in the presence of H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, and Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the SC, during ‘I AM QF’ event at Qatar National Convention Centre, yesterday.

Machaille Al Naimi, Pres-ident of Community Devel-opment, QF, alongside Yasir Al Jamal, Chairman of the Opera-tions Office and Vice-Chairman of the Technical Delivery Office at the SC, signed the agreement which maps out many areas in which QF and the SC will work together in the build-up to the tournament.

They include providing sensory rooms in stadiums, air quality management, single-use plastic reduction campaigns and using smart technology for crowd monitoring and control.

Al Naimi said, “The FIFA World Cup 2022 is a pivotal chapter in the story of Qatar, creating unprecedented excitement and opportunity for the entire nation.

“As an organisation that recognises how sport has the capacity to inspire and transform, Qatar Foundation is committed to supporting the preparations for, and the hosting of, this global showcase of sporting excellence. We are delighted to now be expanding

our network of collaboration with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, sharing our expertise, resources, and facilities to help ensure the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is a truly unforgettable experience for the people of Qatar, the Arab region, and the world.”

Al Jamal said, “Signing this MoU cements the already strong relationship between the SC and Qatar Foundation – one of our key stakeholders – and the strength of our combined efforts in preparation for the world’s

most anticipated sporting event, which will be held in the Middle East and Arab world for the first time in 2022. “We look forward

to continuing to work hand-in-hand with Qatar Foundation on various projects that will benefit the local community both in the

lead-up to Qatar 2022 and after the tournament has been completed.”

Under the agreement, col-laboration between QF and the SC’s flagship CSR program Gen-eration Amazing (GA) will include the potential for a Gen-eration Amazing Community Club to be established at Edu-cation City. Through its B4De-velopment initiative, the SC will establish a behavioural sciences lab at QF partner university Georgetown University in Qatar; introduce behavioural

The Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, and Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the SC, witnessing the signing of the agreement during ‘I AM QF’ event at Qatar National Convention Centre, yesterday.

Erdogan meets Minister of Foreign Affairs

QNA — ANKARA

The President of the Republic of Turkey, H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met yesterday with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

At the beginning of the meeting, H E the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of

Foreign Affairs conveyed the greetings of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to H E the President of the Republic of Turkey, and H H the Amir’s wishes to the Turkish people of further progress and prosperity.

For his part, H E the Turkish President entrusted H E the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

to convey his greetings to H H the Amir, wishing H H the Amir health and happiness and the people of Qatar more progress, development and prosperity.

During the meeting, they reviewed the bilateral rela-tions and ways of enhancing them, as well as regional and international issues of common concern.

The President of the Republic of Turkey, H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Ankara, yesterday.

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani sent yesterday cables of con-gratulations to the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, H E Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on the anniversary of his country’s Inde-pendence Day. The Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, also sent a cable of congrat-ulations to the Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, H E Mahinda Rajapaksa, on the anniversary of his country’s Inde-pendence Day. QNA

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani and the Prime Minister and Minis-ter of Interior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, sent yesterday cables of condolences to the President of the Republic of Kenya, H E Uhuru Kenyatta, on the death of former president, Daniel arap Moi. QNA

Amir greets President of Sri Lanka

Amir sends condolences to Kenyan President

PM holds phone call with Jordanian counterpart DOHA: The Prime Minister and Min-ister of Interior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, held yesterday a telephone conver-sation with the Prime Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, H E Dr. Omar Razzaz, in which the Jor-danian Prime Minister congratulated His Excellency on the occasion of his appointment as Prime Minister, wish-ing him success. During the call, they reviewed the close bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and the prospects for strengthen-ing them in all fields. QNA

The Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, with others during a discussion at ‘I AM QF’ event at Qatar National Convention Centre, yesterday. RIGHT: H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani speaking at the event.

science workshops in QF schools; conduct behavioural experiments with QF univer-sities, schools, and staff; and deliver academic courses and workshops on behavioural eco-nomics and public policy with QF universities and entities.

A strategic partnership between QF and the SC’s Josoor Institute will include educa-tional and training programs, and possible joint research projects in fields related to the region’s sport and events industries.

Conference focuses on providing quality services for newborns, maternityQNA — DOHA

The Hamad Medical Corpo-ration (HMC) held the Qatar International Women and Newborn Health Conference, which focused on global chal-lenges that impact the health of women and their children.

Sessions held as part of the Qatar International Women and Newborn Health Con-ference, which is the first such event held in the region, covered the spectrum of women’s and newborn health issues, with a focus on health profession education for nurses and midwives.

Organised under the theme ‘Supporting Excellence

in Perinatal Well-being’, the conference was aligned with the Qatar National Health Strategy 2018-2022 priority focus on ‘Healthy Women Leading to Healthy Preg-nancies.’ There were also ses-sions dedicated to the objec-tives of improving capabilities to monitor causes of maternal complications and introducing national protocols and guide-lines for maternity care, including infertility and cesarean delivery.

Haila Swaid Salim, Exec-utive Director of Nursing at the Women’s Wellness and Research Center and Executive Sponsor of the conference, said as the largest provider of

maternal and newborn healthcare services in Qatar, HMC is committed to raising the expertise and competence of the healthcare professionals - nurses and midwives - who provide the majority of care to the country’s women and newborn babies.

“Working alongside Primary Health Care Corpo-ration (PHCC), Sidra Medicine, and private sector colleagues, HMC has significantly invested in developing hospital facil-ities and broadening services provided to women and new-borns. We have advanced a program to implement mid-wifery education, in part-nership with international and

in-country university partners, and this conference is pro-viding an international platform to share our progress to date and to highlight our future ambitions to support excellence in perinatal well-being,” she said.

The importance of intro-ducing midwifery care service and providing integrated high-quality maternity services across the various stages of p r e g n a n c y , i n c l u d i n g antepartum, intrapartum, and post-delivery was also dis-cussed with HMC’s successful piloting of a bespoke com-munity midwifery service for postnatal mothers being highlighted.

Dr. Nicola Ryley, Chief Nursing Officer at HMC and

Executive Sponsor of the con-ference emphasized the importance of the event, both nationally and internationally, noting that 2020 is the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

“It is an ideal platform to highlight the importance of the roles of nursing and midwifery in achieving universal health coverage,” said Dr. Ryley.

Dr. Ryley noted that Qatar is committed to meeting the needs of its growing popu-lation by further developing these professional services through delivering HMC’s Maternity, Women’s and New-borns Service Transformation Plan.

The importance of introducing midwifery care service and providing integrated high-quality maternity services across the various stages of pregnancy, including antepartum, intrapartum, and post-delivery was also discussed.

The Memorandum of Understanding has outlined how QF will be central to delivering the Q22 Visitor Experience Project, which — through physical and digital elements. It aims to ensure football fans have a memorable stay in Qatar when the nation hosts one of the world’s greatest sporting tournaments.

Free parking spaces near Lusail and Education City Metro stations to be opened soon SACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

Free parking spaces near Lusail and Education City metro stations will be opened soon, said the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC), yesterday. The free parking spaces are part of ‘Park & Ride’ project of the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

“We invite you to use ‘Park & Ride’ free parking near Al Wakrah & Al Qassar metro sta-tions. This MOTC project will also provide parking spaces near Lusail & Education City stations soon,” said the Ministry of Transport and Communica-tions in a tweet, yesterday.

MOTC had earlier opened the first free parking spaces near Al Qassar Metro Station on January 17 for public. The second free parking space near Al Wakrah Metro Station was opened on January 26. These parking spaces provide shaded parking to 700 vehicles.

The ‘Park and Ride’ Project

is a part of MOTC's Public Bus Infrastructure Program. The project aims to encourage vehicle owners to use the modern public transportation systems to and from their des-tinations in less time and at a lower cost.

Metrolink service is one of the main reasons that have encouraged residents to use Doha Metro trains. metrolink is a feeder bus and van network providing first and last mile con-nectivity to Qatar Rail customers within two to five kilometre radius of the Doha Metro sta-tions. These buses and vans carry passengers free of cost to the nearest Doha Metro Stations. The “Park and Ride” Project is another example of the consid-erable attention the Ministry pays to providing modern and highly efficient facilities and parking spaces strategically dis-tributed across the country to encourage the public to use country’s modern, sustainable and eco-friendly public transportation.

OFFICIAL NEWS

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QA becomes Official Airline Sponsor of UICCTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Airways has become the Official Airline Sponsor of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support its efforts towards cancer prevention and control. The announcement comes on the 20th Anniversary of World Cancer Day.

The UICC is a non-govern-mental organisation focused on leading initiatives that unite and support the cancer community to ensure cancer control con-tinues to be a priority in world health. The organisation will hold the 2020 World Cancer Congress in Muscat, Oman between 20-22 October, 2020.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Union for International Cancer Control on the 20th anniversary of World Cancer Day. Awareness and education is everything in the fight against this disease, and we are honoured to support UICC in its efforts. From everyone in this airline we wish the best for all people facing cancer whether themselves or through their loved ones.”

Union for International Cancer Control, Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Cary Adams, said: “Creating effective partnerships is a key element of how UICC operates and delivers impact.

Qatar Airways is a strong partner for us and helps us drive meas-urable changes in cancer control globally. Together with our partners, we strive to make a dif-ference in the lives of millions of people affected by cancer.”

For the last three years in 2017, 2018 and 2019 the airline showed its support for the global campaign ‘Think Pink’ during Breast Cancer Awareness month with Limited Edition Amenity Kits and an all-female crew on a flight from Doha to Zurich. In 2019, Qatar Airways commem-orated the opening of its new ward at the King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan, which serves leukaemia in-patients through its 24 state-of-the-art rooms.

Speaker of Shura Council meets President of National Congress of ParaguayQNA — DOHA

Speaker of the Shura Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud met yesterday with President of the National Congress of the Republic of Paraguay and Pres-ident of Group of Latin America and the Caribbean, H E Blas Llano, and his accompanying delegation.

During the meeting, they reviewed the parliamentary relations between the two countries and ways to support and develop them.

Cooperation and relations between the Shura Council and the parliaments of Latin

American and Caribbean coun-tries were also discussed, in addition to coordination

between the two sides in the international parliamentary conferences.

The delegation praised the economic, cultural, sports and legislative renaissance wit-nessed by the State of Qatar led by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The meeting was attended by Chairman of the Qatari Friendship Committee with Latin American and Caribbean Coun-tries, H E Khalid bin Abdullah Al Buainain, a number of members of the Committee, H E the Ambassador of the Republic of Paraguay to the State of Qatar Angel Ramon Barchini, and a number of Council officials.

Speaker of the Shura Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, during a meeting with President of the National Congress of the Republic of Paraguay and President of Group of Latin America and the Caribbean, H E Blas Llano, and his accompanying delegation.

Qatar has made great strides in promoting global peace and securitySIDI MOHAMED THE PENINSULA

The National Committee for the Prohibition of Weapons (NCPW) has organised a seminar on 'Chemical Safety and Security Management' for the members of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Asia Region.

The three-day event is being held in Doha in collaboration with OPCW.

As many as 23 representa-tives from 11 countries signatory to the Chemical Weapons Con-vention from Arab, Asian and European countries are partic-ipating in the seminar, in addition to experts from OPCW and specialists from the rel-evant state institutions.

At the outset of the seminar, Brigadier (Air) Hassan Saleh Al Nesf, Chairman of the NCPW,

said that: “Qatar has made great strides towards the implemen-tation of the Chemical Weapons Convention in cooperation with the Organization for the

Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and in line with the approach it has adopted in order to promoting interna-tional peace and security.”

The seminar comes as con-firmation and promotion of chemical industries, as one of the important pillars of the g l o b a l t e c h n o l o g i c a l

development, and the increase that is required in the use of chemicals, including the chem-icals listed in the three schedules annexed to the Con-vention, the Chairman added.

“We hope that the Seminar will contribute to deepen knowledge on the importance of chemical safety and security to become part of the human system and behaviour in order to reduce deviation of the use of chemicals and to succeed in promoting safe handling of chemicals at the national level,” he stated.

On behalf of the Director General of OPCW, Dr. Rohan Perera, Senior Programme officers International Operation Branch, said that: “This event was indeed jointly conceived by the Government of Qatar and the OPCW. Your generous support, in hosting this seminar on this important subject,

represents yet another evidence of the strong cooperation of the OPCW and the Government of Qatar in promoting the goals of disarmament, non-prolifer-ation, promotion of peaceful uses of chemistry and full implementation especially of Article XI of the convention as well as contributing towards the success of the Chemical Weapons Convention."

He further added: "The support and cooperation that the OPCW has received from Qatar has been crucial to the progress in many of its key activities. It has strongly sup-ported implementation of the Convention and through vol-untary contribution continues to provide to the OPCW in various areas of implemen-tation of the Convention, including capacity-building that goes much more beyond statistics."

Experts and participants of the seminar posing for a group photo.

CRA: 94% of complaints by telecom consumers resolved in 2019 THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Communications Regu-latory Authority (CRA) resolved around 94 percent of telecom consumers’ complaints received in 2019 and engaged with telecom service providers to discuss solutions for all the complaints.

CRA received 1062 com-plaints and 1400 inquiry from consumers about telecom services in Qatar, these com-plaints were evaluated by CRA based on a set of criteria to determine their validity to CRA’s complaint process; 698

were valid complaints and 364 were invalid, and CRA resolved around 94 percent of the total complaints. CRA is working with the licensed service pro-viders to finalize the related investigation of the remaining ones and expects to resolve them during the coming weeks.

The statistics indicate that 71 percent of all complaints were related to mobile services; billing complaints of postpaid services accounted the highest percentage of mobile services complaints. As for fixed-line services, the statistics indicate that it was 29 percent of the

total complaints and out of these complaints the service discon-nections and

billing were the most received.“Resolving these complaints

is a vital part of our role in pro-tecting telecom consumers in Qatar and in the spirit of trans-parency, we will continue to share these figures with the public. CRA is constantly looking for ways to improve the experience of telecom con-sumers and service providers in Qatar. Hence, we launched Telecom Complaints Man-agement System in the last quarter of 2019, which aims at automating all the processes related to resolving telecom consumers’ complaints, thus ease managing the complaints,” said Amel Salem Al Hanawi (pictured), Consumer Affairs Manager, CRA.

Under CRA’s telecom

complaint resolution process; consumers with a complaint are free to approach the CRA if their complaint lodged directly to their service pro-vider about a mobile service disconnection remains open or unresolved for 48 hours, or 72 hours in case of fixed-line dis-connection. Also, if the com-plaint is not related to a service disconnection and remains unresolved for 30 calendar days or if the complaint is closed at any time and they were dissatisfied with the offered resolution.

Consumers can lodge a complaint to CRA through dif-ferent channels: through CRA’s 24/7 hotline number (103), CRA’s email address consum-ervoice@cra.gov.qa, CRA’s Twitter, Facebook or Instagram accounts @CRAqatar, CRA’s Mobile App “Arsel”, filling CRA’s complaint form on the website www.cra.gov.qa, or by visiting the CRA’s headquarters at Al Nasr Tower (B).

Health Ministry reviews Qatar’s efforts in caring for people with autism spectrum disorderQNA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) reviewed the efforts of the State of Qatar in the field of caring for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, during its participation in the 1st Gulf Autism Conference, which was recently held Muscat, under the auspices of the Gulf Health Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states.

The ministry also partici-pated with a pavilion in the exhi-bition accompanying the con-ference, where MoPH represent-atives gave a presentation on the efforts of the State of Qatar in the field of caring for autistic spectrum disorder, many edu-cational and awareness publi-cations related to autism, how to discover it and deal with the injured and rehabilitate and inte-grate them into society, and an overview of the National Autism Plan and its goals in the State of Qatar.

Focal Point at MoPH in the National Autism Plan, Dr Nouf Al Siddiqi, said that the Ministry is seeking, through participation in all local, regional and interna-tional efforts and activities related to autism spectrum dis-order, to identify the latest expe-riences and developments in this

field for the benefit of people with autism.

She added that MoPH and its partners continue to work to facil-itate the lives of people with autism, as the ministry is currently working on the completion of the national project to contain autistic children under the name of the Al-Maha project in Al Wakra Hos-pital, which includes a fully-service building that provides the necessary care for people with autism spectrum. It will have a positive impact on improving people with autism spectrum by providing easy and accessible services.

The conference issued a number of recommendations, most notably the development of an integrated Gulf policy for autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disorders, the development of current local and Gulf strategies related to autism spectrum disorder, the empowerment of parents in methods of rehabilitation and dealing with children with autism spectrum disorder, in addition to enhancing the capa-bilities of those concerned to deal with autism spectrum disorder through scientific-based training and drawing on international expertise in this field.

Assistant Undersecretary for Evaluation Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Khalid Al Harqan; Director of Students Information Centre at the Ministry, Ibrahim Rajab Al Kuwari, and Head of the Media Section at the Ministry, Hamad Marhab, addressing a press conference at the Ministry.

Education Ministry launches new service to issue equivalency certificates onlineFROM PAGE 1

Some transactions may be completed within 24 hours and some within 48 hours, according to the certificate equivalency policy in the Ministry of

Education and Higher Education. The main page for the equiva-lence of certificates and pre-approval includes three services, which are the equivalence of school certificates, the

equivalence of university degrees, and the prior approval of university study on private expense. The applicant for school equivalence service must have a residence permit in Qatar.

The two sides discussed cooperation between the Shura Council and the parliaments of Latin American and Caribbean nations, apart from coordination on international conferences.

WEDNESDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2020

H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation

We focused on building our education ecosystem based on our heritage, not against it.

HC

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QF - 25 years of impact THE PENINSULA — DOHA

As Qatar Foundation (QF) turns 25, key stakeholders from across country reflect on how the nation – and the world have benefited from its efforts.

When QF was set up in 1995, its founders could not have foreseen that the impact it generated would extend far beyond those who attend its schools and universities, or who participate in its programs and initiatives.

Some key stakeholders in Qatar have shared their per-spective on how the nation, region, and the have been enriched by twenty five years of QF’s efforts to provide oppor-tunity and inspire excellence - in education, health, arts and culture, entrepreneurship, and research.

Dr Tom Hawkins, Director of the American School of Doha (ASD), said that QF’s focus on education, through recognizing its pivotal role in the progress of the nation, has had a ripple effect on Qatar’s wider edu-cation sector and community.

“The American School of Doha has been operating in Qatar for 30 years. Since QF was established schools like ours have benefitted from its initiatives, especially with regard to education. For instance, QF’s Education Devel-opment Institute bring in experts in the field of education to conduct professional devel-opment courses that benefit not only teachers from QF-run schools, but also from schools in the wider community, such as ASD,” he said.

“ASD students also bene-fited from ‘Mini-Med School’, an outreach program run by Sidra Medicine doctors to bring specialists and physicians from the hospital to provide mini-lectures to ASD students who were interested in biology and life sciences.

“QF, like Qatar, is inspira-tional. In addition to education, QF’s other initiatives such as Qatar Music Academy and Qatar Philharmonic orchestra demon-strate its belief that in order for this country to be the best, its people need to be given the best,” he added.

QF’s role in driving the cul-tural scene of the nation is underlined by the overarching support it extends to young people in building their skills. According to Fatma Hassan Al Remaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, QF’s efforts are evi-denced in the excellent training it extends towards students who want to hone their talents right here in Qatar.

“With the focus of the Doha Film Institute on promoting new voices in cinema and nur-turing young talents, we see strong synergies in our opera-tions with the vision of QF. Our partnerships with QF entities such as Northwestern Uni-versity in Qatar (NU-Q), Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), QF’s Com-munity Development, has strengthened over the years. We look forward to increased col-laborations in our joint mission to contribute to national devel-opment with a highly skilled knowledge-backed economy.

“Initiatives supported by QF in strengthening media training, such as the innovation labs by NU-Q, have helped shape the aptitude of young Qataris in visual story-telling, using the latest advances in technology; in fact, some of the winners of the most recent Ajyal film festival were stu-dents from NU-Q.”

QF’s focus on human devel-opment stretches beyond edu-cation, science, technology and research. According to Hussein Al Abdulla, Executive General Manager and Chief Marketing Officer at Commercial Bank of Qatar (CBQ), QF has also helped shape Qatar’s business and entrepreneurial landscape.

“Graduates from QF’s partner universities and schools have demonstrated, time and again, that they possess a trait crucial to the finance and business sector – professional integrity. It isn’t surprising, then, that well-established organiza-tions such as Commercial Bank of Qatar have recognized the value and depth of knowledge that QF students bring with them, and have welcomed them into their respective workforces.”

“As a bank that was set up over 40 years ago, CBQ has witnessed the growth of QF. Through spe-cialized partner-universities such as HEC Paris in Qatar, and inno-vation hubs such as Qatar Science and Technology Park, QF is pre-paring the next generation of business and finance experts by giving them access to world-class training, right here in Qatar.” “To say that QF has grown into a landmark institution is an understatement.”

Hussein Al Abdulla Fatima Al Remahi Dr. Tom Hawkins

QF expands partnerships with QU, ExxonMobil QatarTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Foundation (QF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with different stakeholders with an aim to further enhance the existing partnerships.

The agreements were signed on the sidelines of the ‘I AM QF’ event held at Qatar National Con-vention Centre, yesterday.

Creating closer links between academia and industry, and advancing the development and use of innovative technologies, are the focus of a new collabo-ration between QF and Exxon-Mobil Qatar.

The partnership will

strengthen the existing ties between the two organizations, which include ExxonMobil Qatar being an international partner at Qatar Science & Technology Park, part of Qatar Foundation Research, Development, and Innovation.

A Memorandum of Under-standing (MoU) was signed at by Buthaina Ali Al Nuaimi, President, Pre-University Education, QF, and Saleh Al Mana, Vice President and Director of Government and Public Affairs for ExxonMobil Qatar.

“Through this agreement, we will build on the platform of coop-eration that QFand ExxonMobil

Qatar have put in place over the past years, with the aim of advancing knowledge and learning, identifying and capital-izing on opportunities for research and technology inno-vation, and nurturing talent and potential within Qatar,” said Al Nuaimi.

Dominic Genetti, Vice Pres-ident and Joint Ventures Exec-utive Director for ExxonMobil Qatar

said, “We are delighted to have signed today’s agreement with Qatar Foundation, affirming our mutual commitment to unlock human capabilities. We look forward to building on the

strong partnership and continuing our important work to fulfil the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030.”

Separately, new opportunities for students, faculty, and the gen-eration of research are to be opened up through a collabo-ration between QF and Qatar University, which has been unveiled yesterday.

A MoU between the two organizations was signed to bolster a longstanding part-nership framework that is intended to strengthen Qatar’s education ecosystem and the nation’s research efforts.

The agreement will see QF

and Qatar University exchange faculty and expertise to enable cross-institutional teaching, and promote the participation of their respective student bodies in each other’s activities, while they will also explore opportunities to jointly establish new student-focused events. It also outlines a commitment to collaborating in fields of research that can benefit entities in Qatar, and to identi-fying potential research partner-ships with universities and other institutions both within Qatar and beyond.

Dr Ahmad M. Hasnah, Pres-ident of Hamad Bin Khalifa Uni-versity, a member of QF and Dr

Hassan Rashid Al Derham, Pres-ident of Qatar University, signed the cooperation agreement. Dr Hasnah said, “This Memorandum of Understanding signifies the importance of strategic collabo-ration, bringing together organi-zations that are dedicated to fur-thering education, science, and research, and to playing a vital role in the country’s future.”

Dr Al Derham said the collab-oration reflected the shared goals of QF and QU in contributing to realizing Qatar’s national vision, said, “The agreement we signed today undoubtedly represents the already active efforts of our cooperation.

Buthaina Ali Al Nuaimi, President of Pre-University Education at Qatar Foundation, and Saleh Al Mana, Vice-President and Director of Government and Public Affairs for ExxonMobil Qatar, signing the memorandum of understanding in the presence of H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani and Dominic Genetti, Vice-President and Joint Ventures Executive Director for ExxonMobil Qatar. RIGHT: Dr. Ahmad M Hasnah, President of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and Dr. Hassan Rashid Al Derham, President of Qatar University, during the signing of MoU in the presence of H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani.

Qatar Foundation – a hub for learning, innovation and heritage FAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

In a quest to make Qatar a leading hub for learning, research, innovation and by keeping tradition and heritage, Qatar Foundation (QF) has built several pioneering initiatives that are triggering trans-formative change across the nation, the region, and the world at large.

This was reflected during different sessions of talks by experts during the QF Talks held as part of ‘I AM QF’ cele-brations held at the Qatar National Convention Centre, yesterday.

‘How R&D can create a lasting legacy for Qatar’ was discussed by Dr Richard O’Kennedy, Vice President for Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) at QF.

He highlighted on the importance of focusing on important areas creating the right mindset for R&D.

“Biggest challenge is that Qatar is an oil and gas economy. We need to build on our suc-cesses and ensure that we are world leaders in maintaining focus, building our future and expertise around priorities. We need to create a flexible and

supportive environment. It is important to bring all RDI actors, agencies and the gov-ernment together,” he said.

He said that QFRDI’s focus is on policy building, strategy, planning, industry devel-opment, IP and commerciali-zation and partnerships.

“I’m a Liverpool fan and they’re going to win the Premier League and RDI is going to be the Liverpool for Qatar,” said Dr O’Kennedy.

Nur Alah Abdelzayed Val-deolmillos, a senior architect at QF’s capital projects direc-torate, in a talk on ‘Exploring the heritage sites at Education City,’ emphasised that QF is dedicated to protecting Qatari heritage and enriching cultural life in the country.

“QF is working to foster a progressive society, to enhance Qatar’s cultural life and protect its heritage, and to address immediate social needs, both in-country and abroad,” said Nur.

The discussion on ‘TBZ – bringing one of Qatar’s oldest schools to QF’ shed light on how Tariq Bin Ziad School in Doha, under the umbrella of QF’s Pre-University Education (PUE) catering to developing students as global citizens while pre-

serving the local identity. The school has evolved

from a local curriculum to an International Baccalaureate curriculum, which is a dual lan-guage immersive program.

Maha Al Romaihi, Director, Tariq Bin Ziad School and her colleague Dalal Ahmed dis-cussed how the system at school strives to achieve a balance between traditions and an international curriculum.

“Some of the skills that Tariq Bin Ziad wants to instill to its student is developing pos-itive thinking, increasing cul-tural literacy, cognitive devel-opment, creative thinking and being better problem solvers. These skills will help these stu-dents in the future be more compatible in the job market, as they are desired,” they said.

Tariq Bin Ziad is a sus-tainable school, it raises the concept of sustainability and its part of the eco schools which falls under Qatar Green Building Council and QF.

Building on that concept, the schools runs itself from the revenue it has, there are staff members who have more than one role in one position such as (PR and administration). It is a no paper school and its all electronic.

QF staff taking part in various activities during the I AM QF event. PIC: BAHER AMIN/THE PENINSULA

06 WEDNESDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2020HOME

INJAZ Qatar holds appreciation event to honour education partners, volunteers THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Non-profit youth-centered organisation INJAZ Qatar hosted the annual appreciation lunch at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Doha this week to honour education partners who have supported its programs for the 2018-19 academic year.

The event was led by Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Min-istry of Education and Higher Education, Fawziya Abdulaziz Al Khater and Founding Chair, INJAZ Qatar & Chair of INJAZ Al Arab H E Sheikha Hanadi bint Nasser Al Thani. With the partic-ipation and the contribution of over 2,500 volunteers and 75 corporate partners, more than 72,000 students and 80 schools & universities have taken part in the organisation’s programs during its 12 years of operation.

Addressing the event, Sheikha Hanadi said: “I am grateful for the tremendous support we have received since founding INJAZ Qatar from key education partners who are here today. Your involvement as indi-viduals, corporations and organ-izations has been enthusiastic from the very top down all the way through, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without

it and without the full and con-tinuous support of the Ministry of Education & Higher Education.”

“INJAZ Qatar was founded with the mission of preparing students for work in the twenty-first century by helping them acquire skills like communi-cation, critical thinking and problem solving that they will need to thrive and succeed in the global economy of tomorrow. We’ve come a long way and we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved so far. With increased cooperation and collaboration, we can continue to build a stronger network of capable and motivated young minds who can lead us to a sustainable future,” she added.

Sheikha Hanadi and Al Khater also distributed certifi-cates and gifts of appreciation to school & university representa-tives and corporate volunteers who have dedicated their time and energy to bringing INJAZ programs to students.

Fawziya Al Khater also spoke during the event, acknowledging the important work INJAZ Qatar does to help transform young people’s lives and enrich their learning experiences.

“INJAZ Qatar plays a great and effective role in inspiring

young people and preparing them for success in the changing global economy through its fruitful collaboration with many partners from educational insti-tutions, the local community and professional volunteers,” said Al Khater.

“We are proud of the con-tinued collaboration between INJAZ and the Ministry of Edu-cation and Higher Education in Qatar especially in developing programs contributing to edu-cating students and empowering them with work readiness skills, qualifying them more and better for the labor market, and sup-porting them with educational and practical programs focusing on entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, which are catalysts in achieving Qatar Vision 2030,” she added.

“At ExxonMobil we believe that the most meaningful investment we can make is in people, helping them reach their full potential. We believe that quality education is essential to deliver the Qatar National Vision of a thriving, advanced society,” said Alistair Routledge, President and General Manager for Exxon-Mobil Qatar, the event sponsor. During the event, ‘Blue Salon’ offered gifts to the volunteers, teachers and school focal points.

Officials during the annual appreciation event at Ritz-Carlton Hotel Doha.

AFG College with the University of Aberdeen hosts QInvest officialTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

AFG College with the University of Aberdeen has hosted Head of International Strategic Investments of QInvest, Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulla Al Thani.

Sheikh Mohamed is a well-known member of the financial community both here in Qatar and in financial centres in Europe and the United States. He has been instrumental in deals supporting QIA (Qatar Investment Authority) and advising BeIN Group on their acquisition of Miramax, said a statement.

The guest speaker event was primarily aimed at the College’s postgraduate student body, but was also attended by faculty, visiting lecturers from Scotland and members of the under-graduate classes.

Sheikh Mohamed spoke about his background, and explained why he chose to work in finance having pre-viously studied for an eco-nomics degree in the United States.

To coincide with the current international man-agement module being

delivered to the postgraduate students, Sheikh Mohamed gave a broad overview of his day to day role and gave insight into the intricacies of one particular deal that he was instrumental in securing; that of the equity injection into the Empire State Building by QIA.

Sheikh Mohamed said: “It was such an honour to speak at AFG and I know my speech pro-vided important insights into the reality of the investment banking world. The choice you made with the University of Aberdeen opens up the

opportunity to be an alumni of one of the world’s oldest uni-versities and I wish you all the best of luck on your educational journey. Remember if you strive for the best you will be the best no matter who or where you are from.”

Postgraduate co-ordinator Dr Rob Rogers said: “What student wouldn’t enjoy hearing the journey from beginning to future on the Empire State Building? It’s a modern icon that everyone in the world knows. We are so privileged to have a speaker and topic of this calibre here.”Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulla Al Thani speaking at AFG College.

Sri Lankans mark Independence DayTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Sri Lankan community in Qatar yesterday celebrated their country’s 72nd Independence Day with zeal and fervour.

Many Sri Lankans braved the cold weather and turned up at the Embassy in the Old Airport area for a flag-hoisting ceremony. R Kohularangan, Charge d’Affaires at the Sri Lankan Mission in Qatar, hoisted the national flag as the national anthem was sung.

A two-minute silence was observed in remembrance and honour of freedom fighters. Also, religious observances were performed. Also a cere-monial cake was cut to mark the celebration.

The messages of Sri Lankan President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, were read out.

Message of the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa read as: “What we need at this hour is correct vision and unshakable leadership. I thank you for entrusting me with the task of overcoming the

challenges our country faces and leading our Motherland towards peace and prosperity. This journey is being under-taken under the guidance of a proven leader, Mahinda Rajapaksa. His wisdom and

experience will be a great source of strength to us, in this national endeavour. I strongly believe that I will be able to create the peaceful, prosperous and beautiful Sri Lanka that you aspire to.”

The Independence Day message of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said: “The challenge before us today is to restore to this country the economic progress that was lost due to bad politics. Today we mark the first Inde-pendence Day of a new decade with a new government in power.”

“I can confidently state that due to the patriotic enthusiasm and the desire to build a new country that has galvanized the people and especially the youth, we are now on the cusp of a golden era once again. It is my belief and expectation that people belonging to all ethnic groups and religions living in this country will come together as one, to participate in the task of taking this country forward into an era of prosperity,” it said.

The Charge d' affairs at the Embassy of Sri Lanka, R Kohularangan (fifth left), with prominent community members cutting a cake during the 72nd Independence Day celebrations held at the embassy premises in Doha yesterday. PIC: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA

Safari opens spacious new parking area for customersTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Safari has opened a newly-built and expanded parking area for its customers at Safari Mall in Abu Hamour to meet the growing demand of parking spaces. The new parking space is designed to provide customers with a comfortable 80,000 sqft area in front of Safari Mall.

The 10/20/30 promotion is one of the most popular and now ongoing promotion of Safari in Qatar. In this promotion, you can get a lot of products at a very low price and therefore, a huge number of customers are busy visiting Safari at this time.

Safari also offers a wide variety of quality products in each of its promotions and offers, and wit-nesses a huge crowd of customers,

especially on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, where customers are satisfied with the product quality and service.

As the customer footfall increases, the traffic on the roads leading to the Safari Mall creates a disturbance for customers, who come for shopping.

As a solution to all this, Safari has opened a new spacious parking area for customers and launched their 10 20 30 pro-motion on February 3.

The new parking area for customers.

Many Sri Lankans braved the cold weather and turned up at the Embassy in the Old Airport area for a flag-hoisting ceremony. R Kohularangan, Charge d’Affaires at the Sri Lankan Mission in Qatar, hoisted the national flag as the national anthem was sung.

The 10/20/30 promotion is one of the most popular and ongoing promotion of Safari in Qatar.

Woqod opens new petrol station in Al MaamouraTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Fuel ‘Woqod’ has opened a new petrol station in Al Maamoura which raised its network of petrol stations to 105 under its ongoing expansion plans to be able to serve every area in Qatar,

Managing Director & CEO of Woqod, Saad Rashid Al Muhannadi, said: “We are pleased to open a new petrol station in Al Maamoura. Woqod aspires to expand its petrol station network in the country to meet the rising demand for petroleum products and achieve the goal of providing cus-tomers with access to best-in-class products and services at their conven-ience and comfort. Woqod has recently accelerated the process for the con-struction of new petrol stations to meet the fuel needs of the country. Woqod team would like to extend their grat-itude to all concerned governmental and private entities that contributed to the completion of this project.”

New Al Maamoura petrol station is spread over an area of 10,250 square meters and has three lanes with 9 dispensers for light vehicles, which will serve Al Maamoura area, and its neighborhood.

Al Maamoura petrol station offers round-the-clock services to resi-dents, and includes Sidra conven-ience store, manual car wash, oil change and tire repair, in addition to sale of petrol and diesel products for light vehicles.

07WEDNESDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2020 HOME

Sidra to develop Qatar’s first report on prognosis and molecular subtypes of breast cancerTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Researchers at Sidra Medicine are developing Qatar’s first national report on the prognosis and molecular subtypes of breast cancer in the country. It is aimed at understanding the high risk of development of breast cancer among women in Qatar as a result of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. According to the Qatar National Cancer Registry, in 2016, breast cancer represented 17 percent of the total number of cancer cases in Qatar. It is also cur-rently the most common malig-nancy among women in the country.

Race, parity and lifestyle-related factors may have a

diverse effect on the risk of developing breast cancer in dif-ferent populations.

Observations among oncologists in the MENA region have highlighted that unlike western populations, Arab patients with diagnosis of breast cancer are often associated with a poor prog-nosis, indicating the aggres-siveness of the cancer with a lower survival rate.

The two-year study, is being performed at Sidra Medicine, and led by Dr Naser Elkum, Director of Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology. He is working in collaboration with Dr Salha M Bujassoum, Senior Oncology Consultant and Head of the Genetic Cancer Program and Breast Cancer Program at the National Centre for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

Dr Naser Elkum from Sidra Medicine said: “Having reviewed cancer registries and patient records from HMC, we found that the median age of breast cancer among women who have been diagnosed in Qatar is 47 years, which is much younger when compared to the median age of 63 in western countries.”

Dr Elkum’s study has sought to identify the molecular characteristics of tumours and

the prognosis for over 1,300 breast cancer patients in Qatar by examining the distribution of breast cancer molecular sub-types and their associations with clinical and pathological characteristics.

“About 10 per cent of cases of breast cancer may be due to a mutation in genes caused by a genetic defect or because of genetic factors in women who have a history of the disease in a first-degree relatives such as mothers, sisters or daughters,” said Dr Salha M Bujassoum from the National Centre for Cancer Care and Research.

Globally, breast cancer types are divided into four sec-tions according to the biological properties that include hor-monal receptors such as oes-trogen receptors and proges-terone receptors or the presence of Human Epidermal Growth

Factor Receptor 2 (HER2), a gene that can play a role in the development of breast cancer.

The Qatar based study has already shown that certain breast cancer subtypes are more common and in higher inci-dences compared to South Africa, China, Europe and Cau-casian women in North America.

Dr Khalid Fakhro, Acting Chief Research Officer at Sidra Medicine said: “Breast cancer is an important area of research

for Sidra Medicine that can potentially be treated by Pre-cision Medicine interventions. A knowledge of the underlying causes of breast cancer in this population will be key to devel-oping health policies, support services and treatment pro-tocols that are tailored to each patient’s needs, and that help us identify women in the pop-ulation who may be at higher risk for early intervention and treatment.”

Dr Naser Elkum (left) and Dr Khalid Fakhro

DFI announces first three Qumra Masters

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Academy Award-winning American sound designer Mark Mangini and Cannes Film Festival veterans American director James Gray and Austrian film director and screenwriter Jessica Hausner are confirmed as the first three Qumra Masters of the Doha Film Institute’s (DFI) annual talent incubator for emerging global talent, taking place from March 20 to 25.

In the 6th edition of Qumra, the three prolific filmmakers will deliver Master Classes to upcoming filmmakers from Qatar and around the world, providing them with unique creative development and mentorship opportunities. Qumra also provides partici-pants with thorough mentoring sessions and tutorials led by global film industry experts.

Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of DFI, said: “We are deeply honoured to welcome three distinctive voices of modern cinema to this year’s Qumra Masters, who have each created a cinematic legacy for generations to come.

“Now in its sixth edition, Qumra is synonymous with professional development and knowledge-exchange, drawing on the unparalleled expertise of some of the world’s finest minds within the industry. All the Masters we have had at Qumra to date are luminaries in world cinema, who brought a unique perspective on

filmmaking that has incredibly benefited emerging filmmakers in their journey to creative excellence. The latest edition of Qumra will continue its presence as a unique and important platform and project incubator for important voices and compelling stories in Arab and world cinema.”

The Institute’s Artistic Advisor, Elia Suleiman, noted: “The works of Mark Mangini, James Gray and Jessica Hausner have a vivid place in the history of world cinema. A renaissance man of modern filmmaking, Mark Mangini’s work consist-ently enrich the cinematic land-scape, while Jessica Hausner provokes and entices audiences with her defiant portrayals of gender, love and faith, and con-verging our perceptions of reality, James Gray produces poetic images that mirror the true depth of human emotions. Our first three Qumra Masters for 2020 present exciting insights into modern film-making and will be an inspi-ration to all.”

New York City native James Gray is a film director and screenwriter. He went on to study at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts before making his feature directorial debut with the crime drama Little Odessa (1994) at the age of twenty-five which won the Silver Lion award at the 51st Venice International Film Fes-tival. He has made six other fea-tures, four of which competed

for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Born in Vienna, Austria in 1972, Jessica Hausner studied directing at the Film Academy of Vienna where she made the award-winning short films Flora (1996) and Inter-View (1999), which won the Jury Prize of the Cannes Cinéfondation.

Her body of work includes the Cannes nominated feature films Lovely Rita (2001) and Hotel (2004) selected to the Festival’s Un Certain Regard segment. She was appointed a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci-ences in 2017. Her fifth feature film Little Joe (2019) premiered in competition at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival where its lead actress won the award for Best Actress.

Born in 1956 in Boston, Massachusetts, Mark Mangini grew up as a musician and attended Holy Cross College as a foreign language major. His extensive body of work as a supervising sound editor, sound designer, and recording mixer earned him five Oscar nomina-tions for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Aladdin (1992), The Fifth Element (1997), and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). He won the award in 2015 for his work on Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

The final 2020 Qumra Masters along with the selected projects will be announced during the 2020 Berlin Inter-national Film Festival.

James Gray Jessica Hausner Mark Mangini

Race, parity and lifestyle-related factors may have a diverse effect on the risk of developing breast cancer in different populations.

CCQ, Al Faisal Without Borders sign MoU to launch joint initiativesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Community College of Qatar (CCQ) and the Al Faisal Without Borders Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim of enhancing cooperation between the two institutions in the academic, scientific, research, training and cultural fields.

The agreement helps establish a joint platform that serves as a launchpad for many initiatives and projects that support sustainable devel-opment in Qatar. The MoU was signed by Founder and Chairman of Al Faisal Without Borders Foundation, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani and CCQ President, Dr. Mohamed Al Naemi in the presence of senior officials from both institutions.

Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani said: “Today’s agreement with the Community College of

Qatar is aimed at benefiting stu-dents, staff and professors, as well as the greater Qatari com-munity. The Foundation has signed numerous agreements with governmental and private institutions, through which it aims to implement community-based educational programs in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and has been recognised for its leadership in the human-itarian field. We look forward to further collaborations that make meaningful and impactful contributions to Qatar and beyond.”

Expressing his delight with the MoU signing, Dr. Mohamed Al Naemi commented: “It gives me great pleasure to sign this Memorandum of Understanding with Al Faisal Without Borders Foundation, a deep-rooted institution that has always extended its helping hands to various segments of the Qatari society towards empowering individuals through education

and a heightened sense of social responsibility. At CCQ, we are honored to devote our expertise, as well as our

educational and research resources to contribute to this kind-hearted mission. This agreement will provide a

framework for our joint coop-eration in many fields, enabling us to launch targeted initiatives and projects that contribute to

Q a t a r ’ s s u s t a i n a b l e development.”

According to the memo-randum, the two institutions will implement various com-munity programs to enhance social responsibility and civil engagement, in addition to launching awareness-raising campaigns, encouraging scien-tific research on relevant topics among college students, and organizing conferences and events that support such endeavours.

The signing of the agreement comes as part of CCQ’s ongoing efforts to build bridges with leading organiza-tions in the country in order to enhance cooperation and provide training opportunities for its students or employees of partner institutions. This, in turn, is set to contribute to achieving the College’s mission to supply the labour market with qualified national competencies.

The Founder and Chairman of Al Faisal Without Borders Foundation, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, and CCQ President, Dr. Mohamed Al Naemi, with senior officials during the MoU signing ceremony.

HBKU Press publishes proceedings fromthe first Qatar Critical Care ConferenceTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press) has published proceedings from the first Qatar Critical Care Conference (QCCC) on its Open Access platform QScience.com. All journals on the site, including the Qatar Medical Journal (QMJ), are indexed by globally recognized platforms including PubMed Central, Scopus, and Google Scholar.

Held in October 2019 at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and Convention Hotel, QCCC featured a mix of pre-conference activities, panel discussions, and poster ses-sions that attracted up to 800 medical experts and speakers from around the world. Hosted by Dr. Ibrahim Fawzy Hassan, Director of Critical Care at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and the event’s Founding President, t h e e v e n t a l s o

included workshops and lectures by globally recognised researchers and doctors in the field of critical care.

The thematic debates and discussions that took place over the four days are outlined in a special edition of the QMJ. High-lights include crucial critical care research, including research spe-cific to Qatar, and significant investments to improve patient care by national hospitals such as HMC.

Featured articles include Critical Care Network in the State of Qatar by Majed Hijjeh, Loua Al Shaikh et al, which examines the Critical Care Network (CCNW) established in 2014 after a review of critical care services at HMC. Highlighting HMC’s stra-tegic and operational delivery network the article also traces Qatar’s sophisticated healthcare network.

Another article, Qatar

National Pediatric Sepsis Program: Where Are We? by Ahmed Labib and Rasha Ashour, discusses the design and outcome of the country’s paediatric sepsis program to date. The State of Qatar has implemented a nationwide sepsis program to improve care for people residing in the country. A parallel National Pediatric Sepsis Program also provides appropriate guidelines, education, and a unified national care pathway to increase awareness.

The Guest Editor of the Qatar Medical Journal, Professor Guil-laume Alinier, praised HBKU Press’s publication of the con-ference proceedings. In doing so, the HMC Ambulance Service and Conference Scientific Committee member also emphasized the importance of disseminating ideas discussed at QCCC to a wider audience without barriers to access.

As fears rise, people have had their lives disrupted by emergency actions taken by governments. Chinese tourists and other foreign travelers exiting the Chinese mainland are now the targets of entry bans in a growing list of countries.

08 WEDNESDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2020VIEWS

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFIeditorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMEDm.salim@pen.com.qa

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI osman@pen.com.qa

EDITORIAL

QATAR, under the wise leadership of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is progressing steadily with a clear vision and focus on the holistic development of all sectors in the country. The country invests heavily in its people with health and edu-cation sectors taking a major chunk of the annual budget. Development of the health care sector has been one of the first priorities for the state, which has resulted in providing services on a par with world standards.

People can rely on Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) for any treatment for cases ranging from a mild flu to life-threatening illnesses or accidents. HMC, with its varied line up of experts, who are among the best in the world, and its cutting-edge technological advances provide the best treatment options available anywhere in the world in a cozy and comfortable atmosphere free of cost.

The country places greater importance in the prevention and care of cancer cases. Cancer across the world has become a major scourge on the pop-ulation, mitigation of which drains the state exchequers as well as the savings of the common people. Qatar provides free treatment for all cancer patients in the country irrespective of whether they are citizens or residents.

On the eve of the World Cancer Day on Monday, Director of the Public Health Department at the Min-istry of Public Health, Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, said that addressing cancer has been a priority for health officials in the country in line with the provisions of the Cancer Control Strategy and National Health Strategy. Even though it is a burden on the health budget as is the case in any country, it is a priority sector for Qatar as the country is well aware that the illness not only affects the body but also the psychological, mental and emotional aspects of the patient and his family.

According to the World Health Organisation’s guidelines, cancer should be treated through a four-pronged approach prevention, cure, care and man-agement. Qatar has adopted a very effective and fruitful awareness campaign for early detection and prevention of cancer, which offers free screening and couselling throughout the country. Once detected, HMC, through its several specialised units, offers state-of-the-art treatment, follow up and after care, everything whether it is tests, medicine, surgery or care without charging any fee for the services pro-vided. Qatar may be the only country which provides such prohibitively expensive modern treatment free of cost for its citizens and residents.

Cutting-edge cancer care

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Quote of the day

There are no safe spaces in Idlib; bombs are falling anywhere and everywhere. Even those fleeing the frontlines are not safe and there is a sea of people moving in all directions.

Jens Laerke, Spokesman for the UN Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Royal Thai Navy officials in protective suits standing beside a plane that brought Thai nationals back from Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, at U-Tapao Airport in Rayong.

The threat of China’s coronavirus outbreak has sparked global fear, but only a modicum of solidarity. World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said there is no need to “unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade” to stem the spread of the virus. But a kind of panic appears to be sweeping China and the world.

After a 10-day national holiday shadowed by the out-break, Chinese markets opened Monday and took a tumble. The Shanghai Composite index closed nearly 8 percent lower on Monday evening, marking its biggest daily drop in more than four years. The economic jitters posed by the spread of the virus extended far beyond China’s borders, too. As The Washington Post reported Feb. 2, the battle to contain the coronavirus, which has claimed more than 400 lives, may disrupt global supply chains as airlines halt cargo and pas-senger flights.

“The concern is not the zombie apocalypse with people dying in the streets. The concern is that a huge chunk of the global economy gets put out of commission as people wait it out,” Patrick Cho-vanec, managing director at

Silvercrest Asset Management in New York, told The Post.

China’s National Health Com-mission reported Monday that there are 20,438 confirmed cases in China, including 15 in Hong Kong, which reported the second fatality outside mainland China on Monday night, and eight in Macao. The self-governing island of Taiwan reported 10 cases. The World Health Organization reported 146 confirmed cases in 23 countries outside China. The WHO declared the crisis an international public health emer-gency last week, but it has yet to deem its spread a “pandemic.” To meet that criteria, The Wash-ington Post’s Miriam Berger reported, “a new disease gen-erally needs to affect many people across international boundaries, either worldwide or throughout a very wide area.” It may be only a matter of time before public health experts invoke that designation.

As fears rise, people have had their lives disrupted by emer-gency actions taken by govern-ments. Chinese tourists and other foreign travelers exiting the Chinese mainland are now the targets of entry bans in a growing list of countries. Chinese overseas communities have fallen victim to public hysteria. Discrimination has surged in parts of the world, with anec-dotes of schools and businesses from Rome to Tokyo seeking to block East Asian students or cus-tomers out of fear of contagion.

In Hong Kong, the crisis has exacerbated long-standing feelings of hostility toward the mainland. On Monday, the local

government closed all but three border crossings. Medical workers in Hong Kong, feeling overburdened and low on sup-plies, went on strike and called on authorities to close all check-points with the mainland. None-theless, the city’s Beijing-backed leader, Carrie Lam, chided the strikers and their calls for a full shutdown of the border.

“If anyone thinks that by resorting to such extreme measures, the government will be made to do something that is not rational or will harm the public good, they will not get anywhere,” she said.

Chinese authorities, mean-while, criticized certain responses to the virus. On Monday, officials groused over the US reaction to the outbreak, which included conspicuous comments from Commerce Sec-retary Wilbur Ross that the virus in China could be a boon for job growth in the United States, as well as a temporary ban on most foreign nationals who have traveled to China in the past two weeks.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying warned against measures that “could only create and spread fear” and lamented the impulse to adopt a siege mentality. “It is precisely developed countries like the US with strong epidemic prevention capabilities . . . that have taken the lead in imposing excessive restrictions contrary to WHO recommendations,” Hua said.

Ishaan Tharoor writes about foreign affairs for The Wash-ington Post.

JAPAN NEWS - YOMIURI

Aung San Suu Kyi, state coun-sellor of Myanmar, has a responsibility to handle the current situation in which hundreds of thousands of people have been driven out of their homes and perse-cuted. The situation must not be allowed to go unchecked any longer. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered the Myanmar government to take “all measures within its power” to prevent the persecution of Muslim Rohingyas.

The Rohingya have not been recognized as indig-enous people under Myan-mar’s nationality law, and they are being treated as illegal immigrants. Buddhists in the country, the majority of its population, have opposed granting Myanmar citizenship to Rohingyas, as that status would result in