Doha
01 May 2017

Al Meera Consumer Goods Company (Q.S.C) announced today its ‘1438 consumer goods at cost price’ distinctive offer, that comes as part of the Company’s Ramadan campaign under the slogan ‘an abundance of good, in the month of goodness’; which will be launched in a few days, as a tribute to the Islamic Year 1438.

The announcement was made during a press conference, held at the Al Meera Headquarters Board Room.

The Ramadan offer comes in the context of Al Meera’s readiness to welcome the Holy Month, and its constant efforts to provide consumers in Qatar with high quality products at the best price.

The campaign comes as an extension of last year’s Ramadan offer, and gives patrons of 35 of Al Meera branches, as well as Géant Hypermarket, the opportunity to purchase 1438 high quality products that have been carefully selected to cater to the specific needs of shoppers in the holy month.

The special offer is complemented by Al Meera’s provision of adequate quantities of “Tamween” items for Qatari nationals at 34 branches of its shopping centers across the country, during the Holy Month. In addition to that, Al Meera is currently working with its local suppliers on providing its customers with attractive offers on a variety of consumer products and home appliances at its stores.

Moreover, Al Meera will make use of special labels to designate around the products that will be priced by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in order to protect and inform consumers during Ramadan, and is continuously collaborating with its local and overseas suppliers to supply and import the best products from the company's various sources prior to the Holy Month, including Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, the United States and the United Kingdom, among others.

Al Meera will also support Ramadan programs and initiatives carried out by charities and associations, and is coordinating with the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to distribute some necessary items to the main Masajid in the country during the blessed month.

On this occasion, Cobus Lombard, Al Meera’s Acting CEO, Sales and Operations Director added said 'Our Ramadan campaign, is our humble gift to the community that we serve and our loyal customers who have continued to support us year after year, and it comes as part of our CSR program, which aims to contribute to improving the shopping experience of the members of our community in all aspects and through various means'.

He said that 'This year, consumers will be able to enjoy our special Ramadan offer and our trademark shopping experience in more shopping centers and neighbourhood, following the opening of several new Al Meera stores in previously underserved regions in the country, living up to our motto of being everyone’s ‘Favourite Neighbourhood Retailer’.'

Commenting on the announcement of the campaign, Sheikh Thani Bin Thamer Al Thani, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Al Meera, said “At Al Meera, we put our customers first in everything we do and we spare no effort to provide consumers in Qatar with the best shopping experience while providing them with premium quality products at affordable prices. What’s more important is that we always listen to our customers, which is why, in light of the good reception to last year’s Ramadan campaign among consumers, we decided to continue this remarkable tradition this year and offer our valued patrons with even more products at cost price.”

Since its inception in 2005, Al Meera has continued to affirm its commitment to Qatar’s social and cultural values and has taken many steps to make a real difference in the shopping experience of community members across the country. Over the years, the Company has developed a number of remarkable activities that have become an integral part of its annual commitment to the various segments in society.

In the first quarter of 2017, Al Meera has exerted great effort to live up to its role-model status in the realm of corporate social responsibility, with a lineup of humanitarian, social and environmental initiatives that were successfully met with great acclaim and engagement from all segments of society.

Harmonized with Al Meera’s dedication to providing the best shopping experience, the Company most recently launched a joint campaign with Qatar National Bank (QNB) that will be active in all Al Meera stores and Geant hypermarket, where shoppers can earn 1 bonus Life Rewards point for every QAR 2 redeemed (with a minimum spend of QAR 250).

Doha
01 May 2017

RasGas Company Limited (RasGas) successfully loaded and delivered its 2,000th cargo of LNG to Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) on 25th April, 2017.

The cargo was lifted by the KOGAS vessel, “SK Summit”, which also carried the first cargo of LNG supplied by RasGas to Korea in August 1999.

In recognition of this significant milestone, RasGas Chief Executive Officer, Hamad Mubarak Al Muhannadi, stated, “We are deeply proud of our long-standing partnership with KOGAS, which has been maintained for more than two decades. KOGAS is not only RasGas’ largest long-term customer, it is also our foundation customer, and we are honoured by the trust they have placed in RasGas over the years to safely and reliably deliver LNG to meet Korea’s energy needs from Qatar.”

KOGAS CEO, Mr. Seung-Hoon in a statement said "I would like to congratulate on this memorial event of 2000th cargo shipment and thank the colleagues of RasGas for their contributions to the uninterrupted services in the course of delivery of LNG from Qatar to Korea.
Over the last few decades, RasGas and KOGAS have been proving the power of harmonious partnership between seller and buyer. I strongly believe that the partnership brought us this achievement today."

KOGAS was established in 1983 and is now the largest single importer of LNG in the world, committed to providing clean, safe and convenient energy to the people of South Korea. In October 1995, RasGas signed its first-ever long-term SPA with KOGAS. RasGas and KOGAS have subsequently entered into two further long-term SPAs, and today RasGas delivers more than 9 million tonnes of LNG to KOGAS on an annual basis.

RasGas’ Interim Marketing and Shipping Officer, Ali Khalaf Al Kaabi, confirms, “This 2,000th cargo delivery truly does underline the commitment both our companies have to providing customers with flexible, competitive and cleaner energy. Our relationship with KOGAS has been mutually beneficial in this respect, but it has also ensured a sustainable energy supply for the people and the economy of Korea. This is something we are especially pleased to have been part of.”

Doha, Qatar
02 May 2017

His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF) attended the 2017 edition of QF’s Convocation this evening.

Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, also joined the celebrations at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), which marked the academic achievements of graduates from Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and QF’s eight partner universities.

During the ceremony, H.H. Sheikha Moza gave a speech, congratulating the young men and women on graduating: “Today, as you move towards your future with degrees from the best international universities, I would like to remind you that knowledge and morality are interlinked. Morals guide knowledge towards the good of humanity; they are intertwined. No civilization has flourished without the pillars of knowledge and morality.”

H.H. Sheikha Moza announced a new initiative: “In order to enhance these morals and instill them in our young people, we have decided to launch an award named ‘Akhlaquna’, which will be given to those young people who exemplify great moral character.”

Yasmine Mostafa delivered this year’s keynote speech, under Convocation’s theme of ‘Breaking New Ground’.

Discussing her innovative project, in which she harnessed the power of rice straw in Egypt, Yasmine demonstrated how age is no barrier to success, and encouraged the young men and women to pursue their dreams.

In discussing some of the difficulties she faced over the years, Yasmine explained the importance of persistence. “No one can predict the future, but I know I want to do my Masters and then a PhD. I also want to continue conducting research in the fields of environment and energy, and to implement my project internationally. I know for certain that I want to continue having new experiences, face new challenges, and, of course, to be persistent,” she said.

The Convocation ceremony also featured a short film, which included testimonies from the graduates and highlighted a selection of the Class of 2017’s achievements and accomplishments; as well as a group photo alongside the dignitaries.

Concluding the event, the graduates passed through the ‘Door to the Future’, a symbolic passage representing a new phase of responsibility and challenge on their continuing journey of growth and lifelong learning.

Since 2008, QF has collectively celebrated the graduation of students from HBKU and its partner universities based in Education City, including Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ), Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q), Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q), HEC Paris in Qatar, UCL Qatar, Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), and Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCUQatar).

Doha
30 April 2017

The Qatar Institute for Public Finance (QIPF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance (MoF), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), organized a press conference in Doha today, to highlight some of the valuable outcomes and insights drawn over the three days of a workshop entitled ‘Value-for-Money in Government – How to Achieve Better Services at Lower Costs’, recently held at the Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA).

The workshop aimed to address economic challenges and declining growth rates through the development of sustainable and efficient public finance strategies that reduce public spending and increase its efficiency, by means of the optimal use of available resources. The topics discussed were addressed through financial and economic research related to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, prepared by a number of international experts.

The purpose of the workshop is to illustrate reforms in the government system that have proven successful in the OECD countries from a value-for-money perspective, and which can be included in the Qatari reform agenda. More recently, many OECD member states have faced significant economic and financial challenges, which has focused public and political attention on "value for money" in government - which means "getting the best public services at the lowest cost". Similarly, Qatar has engaged in a series of reforms aimed at modernizing the public sector, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public services, and maximizing the use of value creation in the public sector.

Commenting on this special event, Dr. Abdulaziz Al Horr, CEO of QFBA, said “The workshop achieved its set objectives, during which the results of the research conducted by an elite group of academics in financial and economic fields related to sustainable and efficient financial strategies in the MENA region, which contribute to reducing public spending and raising its efficiency without compromising the quality of services and products provided, in order to achieve financial balance and economic stability.”

He said “During the workshop, we certainly stressed the importance of continuing to train public sector employees, develop their capacities and hone their skills by offering specialized training programs and workshops in the area of cost efficiency improvement through cutting public sector spending.”

In conclusion of the workshop, a presentation was made on the role of the Ministry of Finance in the management of the economy and financial planning, followed by a panel discussion, during which information and views were discussed on key topics, such as the promotion of policy development, including reviewing aspects of expenditure, streamlining government mechanisms, and developing administrative efficiency and accountability.

The workshop also addressed key fiscal procedures and their possible adaptation towards reducing expenditure, as well as discussing the actions that governments can take to raise the level of cost efficiency.

The QIPF workshop on reducing public spending and raising its efficiency, comes as part of the Institute's efforts to empower professionals, institutions and organizations by providing the knowledge and expertise they need in public finance.

In collaboration with QFBA, and the MoF, the Institute is organizing regular workshops and seminars designed to raise the level of efficiency of public financial management in Qatar and the MENA region.

Doha
30 April 2017

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF) for Education, Science, and Community Development, celebrated the graduation of its largest class to date at a ceremony held on 30 April at the HBKU Student Center in Education City.

The university conferred degrees on 148 graduates in the presence Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairperson of QF, and Chairperson of HBKU’s Board of Trustees.

Present on the occasion were ministers, ambassadors, representatives of QF leadership and members of HBKU’s Board of Trustees, as well as faculty, family and friends of the graduating students.

HBKU Class of 2017 is significantly larger than last year’s 111, and is almost double the number of students of its first graduating class in 2014 – numbers that bear witness not only to the university’s rapid growth, but to the increasing demand for pioneering higher education.

In another milestone for the university, this year’s class marks the graduation of the first 17 students from HBKU’s College of Science and Engineering master’s programmes in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), Sustainable Energy, and Sustainable Environment. Also graduating were 87 students from the College of Islamic Studies, 18 from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and 26 with an Executive Master in Energy and Resources.

Earlier in the day, the university’s Board of Trustees met to discuss developments at HBKU. Speaking ahead of the graduation ceremony, the board’s chairperson Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani said: “At the heart of HBKU is an ethos that stems from the man from whom the university takes its name: His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, our Father Emir. His Highness’s commitment to making Qatar a progressive nation that plays a transformative global role while always preserving Qatar’s cherished heritage and culture has shaped HBKU’s ecosystem of providing innovation, collaboration, and multidisciplinary education and research that is globally benchmarked but has Qatar at its heart. The university’s leadership is committed to supporting the development of forward-thinking intellectual capacity and today’s graduates join a small but growing body of HBKU alumni who, as our most powerful ambassadors, are already shaping the future.”

Thirty seven countries are represented in this year’s class, including over 40 percent Qataris. The high percentage of Qatari graduates is reflected in several of HBKU’s programmes, such as the Executive Master in Energy and Resources programme, which includes 92 percent graduating Qataris, and the Master of Arts in Public Policy in Islam programme with 48 percent of Qatari graduates. Graduating students this year are fairly evenly split across gender lines, with women accounting for 49 percent of the total.

The President of HBKU, Dr. Ahmad Hasnah, presented the diplomas to the graduating students. He highlighted how innovation is at the heart of HBKU’s teaching model and how the university is responding to the need for education to be at the vanguard of efforts to build a strong, sustainable future economy for Qatar: “All of HBKU’s academic programs have been developed in response to a clear demand for producing highly skilled experts in targeted fields,” he said. “Institutions such as HBKU greatly contribute towards the creation of knowledge, advance research, and educate a new generation of leaders able to address the needs of the global knowledge economy. The exceptional students graduating today embody the many hopes and aspirations of the University; as a result, our students benefit from exceptional multidisciplinary educational training and research experience in subjects that have been deemed central to the long-term aspirations and needs of our nation, the region and beyond.

“Each of our graduates leaves HBKU as global citizens who are equipped and empowered with entrepreneurial and practical skills that will enable them to have long term, tangible positive impact in the community here in Qatar and beyond. I applaud the dedication of HBKU’s Class of 2017 and I am confident that they will continue applying what they’ve learned to build bright futures for themselves and their communities.”

This year’s HBKU graduation ceremony featured Chaker Khazaal as its keynote speaker. The Palestinian-Canadian is the author of the Confessions of a War Child trilogy and is editor in chief of StepFeed and YallaFeed. In his speech, Khazaal inspired the graduates to dream big, saying: "An achievement is an idea once dreamt that turned into reality with hard work, persistence and redefining possibilities. Today, you are ambassadors for the power of dreaming by becoming graduates and ambassadors for your university, for your country, and for our region."

At the ceremony, graduates shared their delight at successfully completing their studies.

Mounira Walid Fayyad, who graduated with a Master in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, said: “I found things very difficult at first because my undergraduate studies prior to coming to HBKU involved very little practical experience,” she explained. “However, I was able to overcome this through the strong support of faculty members. The fact that the professors at HBKU care about their students and want to help them throughout their educational journey makes a big difference to the student experience at HBKU. The practical experience I’ve built in a lab environment has pushed me out of my comfort zone, and really allowed me to get a feel of what it means to work in the biomedical sciences outside the confines of the classroom. I feel my time at HBKU has formed a big part of my academic journey and I’m hoping to go on to pursue my PhD.”

Ahmed Al Jassim, who is graduating with an MA in Public Policy in Islam, said: “I feel immensely proud and incredibly blessed to graduate from the College of Islamic Studies. My time here at HBKU has been filled with fond memories – from learning in the classroom, to the enriching experiences outside of it, the University has inspired me be an advocate for positive change in the Qatari community and I look forward to applying what I have learned here in my future endeavours.”

Ibrahim Suwan, who just earned his Master of Arts in Translation Studies, commented: “I joined my programme because I wanted to acquire translation as a skill and explore it further as a linguistic activity. The programme allowed me to draw upon multiple disciplines such as sociology, psychology and postmodern theory. I was pleased to learn that translation has taken a much different turn since the 90’s, it has stopped being thought of as a profession that takes place in an office environment and is now seen more broadly as having a crucial role in international institutions.”

Looking to the future, the first batch of students to complete the juris doctor (JD) graduate law degree programme and the first students to receive doctoral degrees from HBKU’s College of Science and Engineering will graduate in 2018.

In the meantime, the university continues to grow its academic offering with the recent launch of three new programs: a Master of Science and PhD in Genomics and Precision Medicine (GPM), a Master of Arts in Women, Society, and Development, and a Master of Arts in Digital Humanities and Societies.

Doha
1st May 2017

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) recently hosted the second Qatar International Pain Conference (QIPC) bringing together a first-class international faculty comprising 250 participants from Qatar and the region.

The goal of the event, organized by HMC’s Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Perioperative Medicine in collaboration with the prestigious European Society of Regional Anesthesia (ESRA), was to share the latest knowledge about modern-day pain management. The event was attended by pain specialists, general physicians, medical students, and delegates from academic, government and private institutions within Qatar and the region.

“The main focus of the second QIPC conference is the contribution of acute pain and regional anesthesia in treating and preventing pain. This is in line with HMC’s aim of becoming an academic health system. We organized a high-standard event featuring local and international experts,” said Professor Marco A E Marcus, Sponsor and Chairman of HMC’s Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Perioperative Medicine.

He said besides promoting collaboration among healthcare professionals across the region and beyond, the conference provided an opportunity to celebrate the growth of HMC’s Pain Unit, a bustling environment that integrates state-of-the-art pain therapy with research and teaching.

“Having a specialized pain management service is important in reducing the patient’s length of stay in the hospital and improving their overall hospital experience. In recent years, pain therapy has transitioned to an evidence-based practice as hospitals around the world have started examining what it means to provide quality care for their patients, both in terms of medical care and hospital-based patient experience and satisfaction,” added Professor Marcus.

Dr. Nicholas Scott, Conference Chairman and Vice Chairman of HMC’s Department of Anesthesiology, ICU and Perioperative Medicine said: “Our Department is rapidly converting from a service department into an academic one. It is our goal to establish and maintain the highest possible level of care and performance for patients. Conducting activities such as this conference helps us to advance the quality of our research and provide the best evidence-based care for patients living with pain.”

In addition to hosting the conference, the ESRA recently chose Qatar as one of its centers for the prestigious European Diploma in Regional Anesthesia (EDRA) examination. This honor further solidifies HMC’s commitment to being at the forefront of pain management and anesthesia in the region.

Doha
01 May 2017
(CRA)

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Qatar (CRA) has coordinated the implementation of the second phase of the regulation on reducing roaming charges within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the benefit of telecom consumers in Qatar and the rest of GCC member states.

The reduced roaming rates will be for the main services consumer need while travelling outside the country like receiving and making voice calls, sending SMS messages and using mobile data throughout the GCC countries. Receiving SMS messages while in roaming will remain free. This decision aims at enhancing cooperation among GCC countries in the field of communication for the benefit of GCC consumers.

This is the second phase of the rates reduction. Voice calls and SMS Messages charges will further reduce on April 1, 2018. As for charges for mobile data services these will further reduce in April each year until 2020.

This year mobile data charges have been reduced to QAR 3.094 per MByte from QAR 4.732 per MByte in 2016 reflecting a reduction of around 35%. Aside from that, this year has seen a reduction in the prices of the following services:

• making local voice calls in the visited country has been reduced to QAR 0.910 per minute from QAR 0.946 per minute compared to April 2016.

• making voice calls to other GCC countries (including home country) has been reduced to QAR 2.257 per minute from QAR 2.330 per minute compared to April 2016.
• receiving voice calls has been reduced to QAR 1.019 per minute from QAR 1.274 per minute compared to April 2016.

• sending SMS has been reduced to QAR 0.255 per SMS from QAR 0.291 per SMS compared to April 2016.

• receiving SMS messages while in roaming remains free.

“CRA is continually engaging regional entities to collaborate and prepare not only for future technologies and infrastructure, but also to actively support all decisions that benefit consumers of communication services. The decision to reduce roaming charges in a phased manner ensure customer experience is improved through the ubiquitous availability of high quality affordable services,” said Faisal Al-Shuaibi, CRA’s Official Spokesperson.

It is worth mentioning that the prices caps are ceilings and the operators are free to compete by setting prices below these regulatory caps and can provide more attractive offers to the consumers.

The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) is the communications regulator in the state of Qatar established by virtue of Emiri Decree (42) in 2014. CRA regulates the communications & information technology and postal sectors, and access to digital media. CRA uses its regulatory powers mandated by the Emiri decree to protect consumer rights, ensure competition, manage the resolution of disputes, and manage the electromagnetic spectrum. In all its activities, the CRA seeks to ensure the provision of advanced, innovative and reliable ICT and postal services across the state of Qatar. For more information, please visit: http://cra.gov.qa/en

Washington
US Department of Defense
Press Operations
1st May 2017

Today, US Department of Defense released its Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military for Fiscal Year 2016.

This year’s report shows fewer Service members are experiencing the crime and a greater proportion of Service members are reporting sexual assault than ever before. The new data suggests about one in three Service members chose to report their sexual assault last year, up from about one in 14 estimated ten years ago.

"We must eliminate sexual assault in the military,” said Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. “Our Department cannot tolerate actions that weaken unit cohesion, leadership, or training – the ingredients of combat effectiveness. The increased reporting and decreased prevalence captured in this report reflect higher confidence among our troops in our programs and policies. Every policy and every decision must keep faith with our people and ensure our military is ready to fight. This starts with treating all hands with respect and setting an atmosphere of trust that builds combat readiness. I will not tolerate conduct prejudicial to our values"

This year’s report contains results from a force-wide survey of active duty members. Survey results estimate that 4.3 percent of military women and 0.6 percent of military men indicated experiencing a sexual assault in the year prior to being surveyed. The rates reflect a decrease from the 4.9 percent of military women and the 0.9 percent of military men estimated to have experienced a sexual assault in 2014. The 2016 rates suggest that about 14,900 military members experienced a sexual assault last year, down from 20,200 in 2014.

“We’re encouraged that there was less of this horrible crime in 2016. However, there are still too many people experiencing a sexual assault.” said Rear Admiral Ann Burkhardt, Director of the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO). “We will continue to provide first-class support to those who have been victimized and further evolve our prevention efforts to stop the crime before it occurs.”

The Department’s dual goals are to reduce the occurrence of sexual assault within the U.S. military and encourage greater Service member reporting of the crime.

Members of the DoD community who have been affected by sexual assault can access 24/7, confidential, anonymous support through the DoD Safe Helpline at www.safehelpline.org or by calling 877-995-5247.