Amazon Pharmacy Introduces RxPass: Unlimited Prescription Medications for Only $5 a Month, Delivered Free to your Door—Available Exclusively for Prime Members

0

Amazon today announced RxPass, a new Prime membership benefit from Amazon Pharmacy that offers patients affordable access to commonly prescribed generic medications that treat more than 80 common health conditions. With RxPass, Prime members can receive all of their eligible medications for one flat, low monthly fee of $5, and have them delivered free of charge. There are no hidden fees and no markups to the $5 per month subscription. RxPass is available starting today in most U.S. states.

“Prime members already get fast, free delivery on prescription medications, and RxPass is one more way to save with Amazon Pharmacy. Any customer who pays more than $10 a month for their eligible medications will see their prescription costs drop by 50% or more, plus they save time by skipping a trip to the pharmacy,” said John Love, vice president of Amazon Pharmacy. “We are excited to offer our customers surprisingly simple, low pricing on the eligible medications they need each month.”

To enroll in RxPass, Prime members can go to Amazon.com or Amazon’s mobile app to create or update their Amazon Pharmacy profile. Once there, customers will be guided through a simple sign-up process that verifies their eligibility and prescription information. If customers have questions during the enrollment process or after a prescription arrives, Amazon pharmacists are on hand 24/7 to coordinate with a customer’s doctor or help with refills.

Amazon Pharmacy offers choice and convenience, whether customers are paying with insurance or not. When not using insurance, Prime members now have two innovative, affordable options to pay for prescription medications. Prime members who typically take two or more medications per month to manage chronic or ongoing health conditions could save significant time and money with the $5 a month RxPass subscription. Alternately, Prime members can save with the Prime prescription savings benefit—available for no additional fee—to get discounts up to 80% off generic and 40% off brand name medications at more than 60,000 participating pharmacies nationwide, including Amazon Pharmacy and the PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy service.

Amazon Pharmacy and PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy also welcome most health insurance plans, and offer low, transparent pricing for customers who use insurance to pay for their prescription medications. In addition, customers may use their HSA or FSA accounts when not paying with RxPass.

To learn more about Amazon Pharmacy or to sign up for RxPass, visit amazon.com/rxpass.

Every Day Made Better with Prime

RxPass is the newest benefit available for Prime members. Prime membership offers the best of shopping, savings, and entertainment to make life every day more convenient, budget-friendly, and fun. In the U.S. that includes free, fast delivery on millions of items, unlimited streaming of movies and series like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and live sports like Thursday Night Football with Prime Video, ad-free listening of 100 million songs and millions of podcast episodes with Amazon Music, prescription medications as low as $1 per month and free two-day shipping from Amazon Pharmacy, ultrafast Fresh grocery delivery, in-store savings on select groceries at Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market stores across the U.S., unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos, free gaming benefits with Prime Gaming, more than 3,000 books and magazines with Prime Reading, Buy with Prime, which offers Prime shopping benefits like fast, free delivery, a seamless checkout experience, and easy returns on online stores beyond Amazon.com, and exclusive deals and shopping events like Prime Day. Members can now also enjoy a free, one-year Grubhub+ membership trial valued at $9.99 per month, offering unlimited $0 delivery fees on orders over $12. Anyone can join Prime for just $14.99 per month or $139 per year, or start a free 30-day trial at amazon.com/prime.

IBM and MBZUAI Advance AI for Climate and Culture

0

AI Center of Excellence will focus on finding carbon neutral solutions for existing energy resources and improving access to new AI technologies for Arabic speakers

ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in collaboration with IBM (NYSE: IBM) formally launched an AI Center of Excellence on Tuesday, January 17, as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week’s World Future Energy Summit. The Center aims to advance collaboration to improve the adoption of AI technology and help drive sustainability. The Center will develop carbon neutral solutions to existing energy supplies, combat climate change, and further natural language processing (NLP) for Arabic dialects.

Experts from IBM and MBZUAI plan to focus on decarbonization, with advanced research into climate change mitigation and adaptation. Joint research teams will work on the development of foundational AI models, which could help inform the deployment of clean and renewable energy in the electrification of multiple sectors across the economy. This approach will set the stage for use of carbon neutral solutions while also enabling adaptation and resiliency.

The AI Center of Excellence will also work to improve NLP for Arabic dialects, making AI more accessible and flexible for Arabic speakers. Improving NLP capabilities in Arabic dialects will help to address civic, social, and business challenges, while providing real-life applications such as personalised customer care, AI-powered assistants, improved search, and fraud detection, to name a few.

“The only way to Net Zero is through disruptive technologies and innovations that fundamentally re-program our energy production and consumption — harnessing big data to help drive more effective decision making and problem solving. In line with the vision of our leadership to benefit from the most advanced technological innovations, we are delighted to launch the Center of Excellence. This partnership between MBZUAI and IBM underscores the commitment of both organizations to develop AI solutions that work for the benefit of humanity,” said H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, President-Designate for COP28, and Chairman of MBZUAI.

“IBM’s collaboration with MBZUAI will leverage AI to address some of the most pressing issues of our time including sustainability and net zero strategies,” said Arvind Krishna, IBM Chairman and CEO. “The new Center of Excellence will also develop local digital skills and attract leading researchers that will help deliver the UAE’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031.” 

The deployment and use of clean energy solutions is one of the main pillars of the UAE’s model of addressing the challenge of climate change and reducing GHG emissions, in line with UAE Net Zero 2050 strategic initiative. The AI Center of Excellence plans to leverage the talents of IBM researchers with expertise in data science, machine learning and NLP, in collaboration with MBZUAI faculty and students. The teams will work together towards the advancement of both fundamental and applied research objectives. 

Through IBM SkillsBuild platform, IBM will provide MBZUAI students and faculty with access to IBM tools, software, courseware and cloud accounts for teaching, learning, and non-commercial research. In addition, MBZUAI will have access to curated AI curricula, lectures, labs, industry use cases, design-thinking sessions, and an AI Practitioner certification. 

7 ways Google is using AI to help solve society’s challenges

0

The potential of AI to solve big problems is increasing all the time. In the past few years, AI and transformational innovations have become more important in confronting some of society’s biggest challenges. Today, AI is helping countries and communities facing disease and natural disasters, and providing new opportunities for historically underserved groups.

Here are seven ways AI is already making the world a better place:

1. Forecasting floods and helping people stay safe through early warning systems

Last year the United Nations released a report stating that half of the world lacks adequate early warning systems for disasters like floods and fires. Yet research shows that the number of people impacted by climate-related crises and the damage they cause is only increasing. In response, we need lifesaving technology to help people stay safe and governments adequately prepare.

Our flood forecasting program covers dozens of countries. It shows forecast information in Search and Maps, and sends alerts to mobile devices to notify people in harm’s way. And our FloodHub features detailed inundation maps so people can see exactly what to expect in their location.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=7_caijv__Nk%3Fenablejsapi%3D1%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fblog.google%26widgetid%3D1

Video demonstrating how Google FloodHub can be used to help people, governments and aid organizations
What is the Google FloodHub?
Three people gather around a display showing a map of a wildfire boundary on a mobile phone

2. Detecting real-time wildfire boundaries to aid in firefighting

We use satellite imagery to create AI models that can detect wildfire boundaries in real time, and we show their location in Search and Maps. Last year, we applied our models to more than 30 wildfires in the U.S. and Canada, which helped inform local residents and firefighters. We’ve now expanded to Mexico and parts of Australia as well.

3. Monitoring prenatal health

Global maternal mortality rates are unacceptably high, with about 295,000 women dying during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2017, most from causes that could have been treated or prevented with adequate healthcare. Ultrasounds, for example, have become a routine part of prenatal care for many, but are still difficult to access in low-resource settings, due in part to a lack of adequately trained healthcare workers. We are working with Northwestern Medicine to develop and test AI models to enable lightly trained ultrasound operators in low-resource settings to accurately identify potential problems and risks, such as fetal positioning.

4. Fighting pest infestations of crops

Pest infestations of cotton and food crops can devastate farmers and those who rely on their harvest. We are collaborating with InstaDeep and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to better detect locust outbreaks in Africa to make it possible to implement control measures. We’ve also supported Wadhwani AI in India to create an AI-powered app that helps identify and treat infestations of pests, resulting in a 20% reduction in pesticide sprays and a 26% increase in profit margins for farmers.

A satellite view of Kitui, Kenya, with building footprints from Open Buildings v1 and v2.

5. Helping address population changes and humanitarian response through buildings

Open Buildings is an open-access dataset project using AI to interpret satellite imagery, designed to pinpoint the locations and geometry of buildings. This information is useful for a number of important applications, from population estimation, urban planning and humanitarian response, to environmental and climate science. Available in Africa, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, the project enables governments and aid organizations to better understand the needs of residents, both in everyday life and in crisis situations.

6. Detecting genetic variations that cause disease

Thanks to a partnership with PacBio, researchers are using our deep learning technology, DeepConsensus, to quickly and accurately identify genetic variants that cause diseases. This will help scientists to uncover serious genetic conditions, such as an elevated risk for breast cancer or pulmonary arterial hypertension.

7. Helping people with non-standard speech connect and be understood

Millions of people have difficulty being understood when they speak. Project Relate, an Android app built on AI research, helps people with non-standard speech communicate more easily with others. It can transcribe speech into text, use a synthesized voice to repeat what’s been said, or communicate directly with the speaker’s Google Assistant to complete any number of tasks, from playing a song to turning the lights on.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=EU2oCVlzEZk%3Fenablejsapi%3D1%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fblog.google%26widgetid%3D2

Video showing people talking about and using the Project Relate app to communicate
How technology can help break communication barriers

A collaboration between Emirates Group and Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy builds diplomatic capacity in the UAE aviation sector

0

The Emirates Group and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) are set to collaborate in the launch of a training programme for the airline’s Emirati Country Managers. The innovative programme is designed to enhance the diplomatic skills of managers who are stationed around the world, and forms part of the Group’s new Commercial Ambassador Leadership Programme.

A ceremony to celebrate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was held at the Emirates Group headquarters, attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, His Excellency Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to the President of the UAE, Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University, and Member of the Board of Trustees at AGDA, along with senior executives and representatives of both organisations. The MoU was signed by Amira Al Falasi, Emirates Group’s Vice president, Human Resources, Learning and Talent, and Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Dhaheri, AGDA’s Deputy Director General.

The AGDA’s 5-day programme will provide Emirati Country Managers with a comprehensive understanding of the diplomatic skills needed to effectively represent the Emirates Group abroad, and to achieve their business and commercial objectives. The series of tailored and practical training courses will also serve as a platform for knowledge exchange to enrich Emirati managers’ capabilities in the aviation sector.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed said, “The Emirates Group is a global company based in Dubai. We are proud to represent the UAE’s aviation sector and we work to promote the UAE in all the markets in which we operate. In AGDA we have found a like-minded partner, and we believe our collaboration will further develop and empower our team of Emirati managers to represent our brand across the world. It will enable them to promote more effectively the values and opportunities of the UAE throughout our global network.”

His Excellency Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh said, “The UAE’s flourishing aviation sector reflects the success of the nation’s foreign policy. The AGDA’s partnership with the Emirates Group provides a wonderful opportunity to highlight the important role of diplomacy in all domains. Through our collaboration we will equip Emirates Group’s managers with the knowledge and skills they need to consolidate the UAE’s global reputation and position in the aviation sector.”

The innovative Commercial Ambassador Leadership Programme underlines Emirates Group’s steadfast commitment to its Emirati talent. It has been developed in collaboration between the Group’s in-house teams and several UAE organisations. It focuses on the development of UAE National Country Managers’ leadership skills and their effectiveness in four vital areas:

  • International Protocol and Global Trends
  • Media Skills
  • People Engagement and Management
  • Diplomacy 

The Programme supports Emiratis who have joined Emirates Group’s National Commercial Outstation Programme. This places ambitious and talented Emiratis in strategic roles across the Group’s global markets so that they gain broader exposure, expand their network connections, and become accomplished leaders. In these roles they take responsibility for driving commercial objectives and enriching relationships with key local partners and regulators. They engage with communities, the public sector, and businesses to facilitate strategic ties that build trade, tourism, and commerce activities between the UAE and their local markets.

About the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA):

The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) is a globally recognised diplomatic centre of excellence in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It delivers accredited academic programmes and high-impact executive training to develop future diplomats, as well as the government and business leaders of tomorrow. AGDA brings together an intellectual community from the world of diplomacy, academia and research. As a respected and evolving regional think tank, AGDA produces research that advances knowledge and capabilities relevant to the UAE’s foreign policy objectives. The Academy is a producer of leading resources, including indices and publications. Learn more at: http://agda.ac.ae/ 

In a World First, Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Qatar Duty Free Announce the Global Airline Currency Avios Can Now be Collected and Spent at Hamad International Airport

0

In an industry first, from 24 January members of Qatar Airways Privilege Club (QRPC) will be able to collect and spend Avios at almost 200 outlets at Hamad International Airport (HIA) in partnership with Qatar Duty Free (QDF). In another innovation, passengers at all departure points will be rewarded with Avios points upon check in which will be credited up to 120 minutes before flights departure.

This will allow members of Qatar Airways Privilege Club to then collect and spend Avios at the World’s Best Airport as part of their journey. Avios can be used in an expansive list of luxury fashion outlets and world-class dining options at the HIA, which has recently launched a major expansion which features a luxury shopping hub “ORCHARD” set in a tropical garden which includes one-of-a-kind brand offerings.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, stated: “We have enhanced and upgraded our redemption options for our loyalty members and we are enabling access to a truly unique airport shopping and dining experience. A first in the world initiative, this demonstrates our commitment for going the extra mile when enhancing the quality of our offerings by providing members with a seamless experience. We encourage everyone travelling through HIA to avail themselves of this experience and opportunity as there has never been an easier way to collect and spend Avios.”

Avios is the reward currency of Qatar Airways Privilege Club and preferred currency of the Airline offering its most regular flyers extraordinary payment products. Avios can be used in conjunction with cash offering a part payment option. Avios are collected when members or their nominated family members fly with Qatar Airways, oneworld airlines, plus QR’s airline partners. Avios can also be collected with more than 100 global partners and co-branded payment cards. Avios can be spent in multiple ways and the most recent enhancement is shopping and dinning at Qatar Duty Free.

*Terms and Conditions Apply

About Qatar Airways

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was recently announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ at the 2022 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax.  The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence having won the main prize for an unprecedented seventh time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022), while also being named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Lounge Dining’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’.

Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 150 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, currently named the ‘Best Airport in the World” by Skytrax World Airport Awards 2022.

About Qatar Duty Free

Qatar Duty Free (QDF), a subsidiary of Qatar Airways, is a shopping emporium at the heart of Qatar’s award-winning Hamad International Airport (HIA), with more than 40,000 square meters of duty-free and concession space and boasts more than 90 luxury and affordable retail outlets, restaurants and cafés. QDF offers an extensive selection of luxury boutiques and a wide portfolio of multi-brand concept shops, in addition to duty free stores. QDF also boasts a mouth-watering range of cuisines in dine in restaurants and cafes.

About Privilege Club

In the year 2000, Qatar Airways established its loyalty programme, Privilege Club, which features four tiers of membership – Burgundy, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, giving members a range of exclusive privileges and benefits that have been designed and tailored to make travelling even more rewarding. Members can collect Avios when flying with Qatar Airways and with oneworld airlines, and other airline partners, as well as with a number of financial and lifestyle partners. Avios can be redeemed for shopping at Qatar Duty Free, award flights, cabin upgrades, extra baggage, Hotel & Car Rewards and much more. Not a Privilege Club member? Join now.

About Hamad International Airport

Since its inception in 2014, Hamad International Airport (HIA) has won many accolades and has achieved a number of ISO certifications including Asset Management, Business Continuity Management and IT Service Management. MATAR is also accredited by Airports Council International as Level 3 Environmental Management. In 2022, the airport was once again named the World’s Best Airport for the second year in a row by the prestigious Skytrax awards. 

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was recently announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ at the 2022 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax.  The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence having won the main prize for an unprecedented seventh time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022), while also being named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Lounge Dining’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’.

Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 150 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, currently named the ‘Best Airport in the World” by Skytrax World Airport Awards 2022.

For further information, please contact:

Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department

Tel: +974 4022 2200

WIZZ AIR ABU DHABI CELEBRATES SIX-FOLD GROWTH OF PASSENGERS AND THE DOUBLING OF ITS FLEET SIZE IN 2022

0

The national airline, the second largest carrier in Abu Dhabi by seat capacity, launched 13 new destinations in 2022 and expands convenient, affordable travel for all

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the ultra-low-fare national airline of the UAE, today announced its outstanding operational results for 2022.

The joint venture established between ADQ, and Wizz Air Holdings PLC enjoyed a record-breaking 2022 by operating more than 6,000 flights and transporting more than 1.2 million adventurous travellers. The national airline carried over 600,000 point-to-point passengers to the UAE in 2022, supporting the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors and unlocking an eclectic mix of travel opportunities for travellers from all classes. 

The airline supports Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) vision to welcome the world to Abu Dhabi, connecting cultures and inspiring generations to embark on journeys of creativity and discovery*. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is looking forward to future growth, in line with the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, and further strengthen the position of the UAE as one of the best destinations in the world for tourism**.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has doubled the size of its fleet and organisation with a 100 percent growth from 4 to 8 state-of-the-art brand-new A321-neo aircraft. The average fleet age is 1 year, ensuring the airline meets its commitment to sustainability with the lowest environmental footprint in the region.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has proudly introduced a new segment of travel in the UAE in line with the country’s socio-economic vision with recent exciting expansions into Central Asia, The Maldives and across the Gulf Region allowing for convenient, self-connecting travel across the wider Wizz Air network via the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is constantly developing the UAE network to share the love of travel with tourists and residents benefitting from hassle-free, point-to-point travel to culturally rich destinations including vibrant cities and natural paradises.

Michael Berlouis, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi said: “We are proud of all our achievements during this record-breaking year and are delighted to carry over one million passengers. We connect people to create great memories and we would like to thank all our customers that has given us the chance to welcome them on our aircraft. Our incredible growth during 2022 reflects our commitment to making affordable travel possible for everyone and continuing the growth of the burgeoning tourism sector in the UAE. Our expanding fleet of state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft, serve an ever-growing number of must-see travel destinations and we are ambitious in continuing to deliver travel options that are more convenient and affordable for everyone. We are excited for 2023 and we look forward to seeing you on board our young and sustainable aircraft soon.”

Wizz Air currently flies to a total of 36 destinations to 25 different countries from Abu Dhabi and is ready to accelerate and expand operations further in 2023, providing cost-effective, unique experiences for travel lovers looking to explore. The airline is now the second largest carrier in Abu Dhabi by seat capacity and continues to deliver on its promise of making travel possible for everyone and contributing to the continued development of the tourism sector in the UAE.

Strategically located in the UAE, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi provides ultra-low fare, hassle-free and efficient travel options to Alexandria (Egypt), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Amman (Jordan), Ankara (Turkiye), Antalya (Turkiye), Aqaba (Jordan), Athens (Greece), Baku (Azerbaijan), Belgrade (Serbia), Dammam (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Kutaisi (Georgia), Manama (Bahrain), Male (Maldives), Medina (Saudi Arabia), Muscat (Oman), Nur Sultan (Kazakhstan), Salalah (Oman), Santorini (Greece), Samarkand (Uzbekistan), Sarajevo (Bosnia), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Tel-Aviv (Israel), Tirana (Albania) and Yerevan (Armenia) among others.Passengers can book tickets with confidence, thanks to WIZZ Flex. With WIZZ Flex, passengers can cancel their flight up to three hours before departure without any fee and receive 100% of the fare immediately reimbursed in airline credit.

Executive Office of Anti-Money Laundering organises roundtable on partnership between public, private sectors

0

The Executive Office of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (EO AML/CFT), in partnership with the Future of Financial Intelligence Sharing programme of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), organised a roundtable on public-private partnerships and ways to enhance collaboration to combat financial crime.

Officials from public-private partnership committees in partner countries in Europe and Asia delivered virtual presentations on cooperation initiatives to confront financial crime, with the participation of senior members of the UAE’s Public-Private Partnership Sub-Committee (PPPSC) and UAE Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

More than 40 compliance and risk professionals representing financial institutions and Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) based in the UAE participated in the roundtable.

Participants discussed a range of issues, including best practices for the sharing of insight, experience, and lessons in the development of public-private partnerships. They also exchanged viewpoints on how national efforts to combat financial crime can best support and inform development plans for the UAE’s PPPSC.

Mohamed Shalo, Chairman of the UAE PPPSC and Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships at the EO AML/CFT, said, “The UAE’s PPPSC has developed into an important part of the national strategy to counter financial crime. The role of the private sector is critical in helping authorities gain deeper insights and better understanding of criminal typologies and how to identify and stop financial crime. To increase effectiveness in this area, the UAE is preparing legislation that will facilitate the flow of strategic and tactical information through the PPPSC. We are delighted to partner with the Future of Financial Intelligence Sharing programme of the Royal United Services Institute in this roundtable.”

Nick Maxwell, Head of the Future of Financial Intelligence Sharing programme in the UK, highlighted the importance of sharing best practices. “The UAE is committed to enhancing policies to support collaboration between the public and private sectors. This roundtable provided a unique opportunity to share relevant experiences and insights from countries that have created collaboration initiatives to combat financial crime, helping to draw out the latest lessons from international practices in this area,” he said.

Jess Sommerlad, Head of Public Private Partnerships in the UK’s National Economic Crime Centre, shared remarks and insights from an international perspective. “The UK’s National Economic Crime Centre is pleased to engage with the UAE and partners in this valuable discussion. Public Private partnership is vital to build collective understanding of illicit finance and we support the work of the UK-UAE Illicit Finance Partnership in developing the response to this threat that both our countries face,” she stated.

Following the success of the roundtable, the EO AML/CFT and Future of Financial Intelligence Sharing programme agreed to convene an in-person event later in 2023.

National Bonds, Arab Women Authority to empower Arab women on their financial journey

0

National Bonds has signed an agreement with the Arab Women Authority, the leading NGO aimed at empowering Arab women across the MENA region, to equip women with valuable financial management skills and savings tools.

The partnership will see the two organisations join forces to empower women and support their role in societal and economic development and enhance their skills, particularly in the areas of investment, savings, and financial literacy.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Rehab Lootah, Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer at National Bonds, and Mohammed Al-Dulaimi, Secretary-General from Arab Women Authority, today.

Through this partnership, National Bonds and Arab Women Authority aim to inspire a strong savings culture in the region and strengthen cooperation between government agencies and national companies to support the progress of Arab women.

The two organisations will create a joint committee to host forums and events aimed at encouraging women to invest and save and to improve their skills and financial literacy. They will also plan mutual visits and participation in national and regional events and exchange experiences to support micro-income generating projects for women, with the goal of providing job opportunities and reducing unemployment.

Speaking about the partnership, Lootah said, “We are honoured to partner with the Arab Women Authority, who are doing incredible work, as we aim to target all women across the Arab world with this partnership. Moreover, we want to inspire and encourage more women across the region to embrace a fruitful savings journey to increase their financial gain.”

Expressing optimism on the benefits of the MoU, Al-Dulaimi commented, “Through this MoU, we want to give every Arab woman the opportunity to enhance her financial literacy and begin saving for their future. The partnership also focuses on creating investment and employment opportunities for women, especially among female entrepreneurs and businesses to help increase their contribution and role in the growth of the economy.”

AED246.6 bn saving deposits in UAE banks by end of November 2022

0

At the end of November of last year, saving deposits in the UAE banking system, excluding interbank deposits, increased to AED246.61 billion, a growth of approximately AED7.21 billion, or 3 percent, from about AED239.4 billion in November 2021, statistics by the Central Bank of the UAE, revealed.

Saving deposits increased during the first eleven months of 2022 by 1.98 percent, compared to about AED241.82 billion at the end of 2021, an increase equal to AED4.8 billion. On a monthly basis, they grew by 0.06 percent, compared to about AED246.48 billion in October 2022, according to the statistics of the apex bank.

Demand deposits increased by AED820.83 billion, or 82.5 percent, to AED903.36 billion at the end of November last year, representing an annual rise of 10.1 percent.

Demand deposits climbed by 6.5 percent, or the equivalent of AED55.3 billion, over the first eleven months of last year compared to AED848.04 billion at the end of 202. They however declined on a monthly basis by 1.7 percent compared to AED918.97 billion in October 2022.

Time deposits increased by 17 percent annually to AED599.81 billion by the end of last November, up from AED513.16 billion in November 2021.

FTA launches first event under ‘Tax Support’ initiative in 2023

0

The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has launched the ‘Tax Support’ initiative to raise tax awareness among business sectors in the UAE through direct and sustained contact, as a means to enhance compliance with tax laws and regulations.

The first workshop for 2023 under the initiative was held on 24th and 25th January as a collaboration between the FTA and On Time Business Solutions Centre, which is located in Oud Metha, Dubai.

The Authority stated that the activities of the ‘Tax Support’ initiative will continue throughout the year and cover all seven emirates, in collaboration with relevant centres and entities in the government and private sectors, where experts from the FTA will go on several tours in accordance with a comprehensive timeline. The initiative targets taxpayers and aims to facilitate the process of paying taxes for them, in an effort to raise the rate of tax compliance and awareness around the UAE, in addition to responding to taxpayer enquiries and observations, directing them to the available tax guidelines, and guiding them along the correct procedures.

The Federal Tax Authority indicated that during the workshop held at the On Time Business Solutions Centre in Oud Metha, Dubai, the FTA team answered business owners’ questions and provided them with knowledge and support to overcome any obstacles they face during the online registration procedures, submitting tax returns, paying due taxes, and recovering the amounts that are eligible for a refund.

The Authority explained that these sessions are organised in coordination with relevant authorities and strategic partners, who invite business sectors to attend and participate in the activities of the ‘Tax Support’ initiative. Moreover, the FTA broadcasts many of these workshops via social networking sites, in an effort to allow more people and business to benefit from the seminars.

The Federal Tax Authority invited business sectors to attend the sessions of the ‘Tax Support’ initiative to benefit from expert advice and raise their observations or enquiries for the FTA team to respond to and clarify. The Authority stressed its commitment to coordinating with relevant federal and local authorities to further develop cooperation mechanisms; raise awareness among various stakeholder groups; ensure utmost transparency, clarity, and accuracy of information; and answer queries efficiently to enhance compliance with tax laws and avoid violations.