Doha, 30 Nov. 2020 (Qatar Tribune)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

The National Traffic Safety Committee of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Qatar University (QU) on Sunday announced the launch of Traffic Safety Award and website.

The annual award will have three categories -- Personal, Institutional and Educational. The ceremony was attended by Brigadier-General Mohammed Abdullah Al Malki, general secretary of the National Committee For Traffic Safety; Dr Hassan Rashid Al Derham, president of Qatar University; Brigadier-General Muhammad Abdullah Al Shahwani, director-general of Directorate of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior; Dr Nasser Abdulghani, chairman of Abdulla Abdul Ghani & Brothers; Dr Mohammed Al Qaradawi, director of Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Center at the College of
Engineering, Qatar University and representatives of the participating organisations.

Dr Derham said, “It is part of our social responsibility as national university to promote road traffic safety. Road traffic safety is one of the major and
day-to-day concern, specially to educate the youth. We are trying to develop safety culture and to promote awareness in the society about importance
of human behaviour when stepping out of your door.”

He said that Qatar gives high importance to road safety measures, which is witnessed as National Committee for Traffic Safety is chaired by the
Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

He also lauded the measures and efforts taken by the Committee which have produced very good results, specially over the last three years. The Qatar  niversity president said the university is a member of the committee and Road Safety section of the university’s Engineering Department is playing its valuable role and has submitted its research reports. Brigadier-General Maliki said the National Traffic Safety Committee was established in the Ministry of Interior vide Article 101 of Traffic Law No. 19, 2007 and duly approved vide No. 33 2010 by the Council of Ministers.

He said the committee’s responsibilities include drawing the general traffic policy, setting plans, means and methods to develop technical, educational, organisational, legislative and medical aspects of the road safety with the cooperation of public and private institutions.

He thanked all participating institutions for their cooperation and support to the National Traffic Safety Committee working jointly to reduce traffic issues by implementing action plans guided by National Road Safety Strategy 2013-2022.

Nomination to participate for Traffic Safety Award can be submitted between November 29, 2020 and July 31, 2021. The first Annual Traffic Safety Award will be announced in November 2021.

Doha, 29 Nov. 2020 (NHRC)

The Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions with it's headquarters in Doha organized a symposium marking solidarity on world level with the Palestinian People, as per UN 1977 resolution declaring  29th November each year as international solidarity day with Palestinians.

The symposium was attended by a wide range of national human rights institutions in the Arab Network, in addition to the participation of the United Nation represented by the Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The day was remembered as Friends of Palestine, the Center for the Defense of Freedoms and Civil Rights "Hurriyat" in Palestine and the University of Quito, in addition to the participation of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participating in the symposium.

Issam Yunus, President,  Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions, described in its current session the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People as coming to emphasize the set of basic issues related to the Palestinian cause and also to confirm that the Palestinian cause expresses genuine and inalienable rights, foremost of which is the right to Self-determination and in return.

In his opening speech, Yunus said: The process of empowering the Palestinian people of their basic rights is one of the tasks of the international community, led by the Arab countries that are considered an integral part of the issue.

He said that but we now find the international community far from it's moral duties. He pointed out that this year comes in light of a situation that is the most dangerous for the Palestinian issue due to the encroachment on the rights of the Palestinians and the creation of new facts unilaterally.

He said that in addition, settlement activity is the most dangerous crime being committed and is still practiced by the occupying forces. Inspite of in the knowledge of the world, the world has not moved to put an end to the expansionist policy, declaring Capital city on occupied land, thus violating international laws and the the rights of the Palestinian people. Severe human rights violations are war crimes against humanity and the occupied forces be accountable on their in-human crimes

Sultan bin Hassan Al-Jamali, Executive Director of the Arab Network, explained that the official Arab regimes are in a crisis that affected human rights in Palestine, and al-Jamali called on the Arab nation to wake up and rely on oneself by starting to limit Arab concessions and stop normalizing the relations.

He said that in present situation of illegal demolishing of Palestinians houses, expansion by the occupied forces are open violation of human rights of the Palestinians, it is no justification of any concessions and it is violating of international law by these countries, he added.

Sultan AlJamali said this seminar came at a time when the Palestinian issue is going through lack of political solution, ongoing annexation of Palestinian land and the US administration’s attempts to liquidate the Palestinian issue are heading towards more complex of issue. He stressed on the world body to boycott completely and to isolate and force the occupied forces to implement international body decisions.

He said the silence of Arab countries and the media has threatened the basic rights of Muslims and the Christian communities on occupied Arab land.  led to the melting of rights day after day, and led to the development of Christian and Islamic rights in The occupied Arab lands are at stake.  He said that human rights bodies in Arab world can play their role by implementing on established international human rights, standing for right of  self-determination and the basic rights to the Palestinian Arab people. He said that there is need for independent commission for Human Rights to make it's report.

Michael Link, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories presented an intervention on accountability for the occupation crimes.

The symposium called on governments and civil society in Arab countries to provide the necessary support To re-inforce the legal move.

Doha, 29 Nov. 2020 (Qatar Tribune)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

Ambassador of China to Qatar HE Zhou Jian has praised the major achievements made by Qatar in pandemic prevention and control as well as in economic development.

In an exclusive interview with Qatar Tribune, the envoy said that since assuming charge as the Chinese ambassador a year and half ago, he has been impressed by the openness, diversity and dynamism of the Qatari economy.

Highlighting three main reasons for the achievements, the envoy said the Qatari government always puts people’s life and health in first place and has acted decisively taking strict prevention and control measures, treated every patient free of charge, and kept the mortality rate among the lowest in the world.

“The second is the leadership’s effective response. The government has introduced a series of measures, including distributing Qr 75 billion to support the private sector, increasing the liquidity of the market, reducing rent and utility bills, and removing tariffs on food and medicine. These measures have helped in stabilising and boosting the economy, resuming work and production orderly. The IMF predicts that Qatar’s economic performance will be the best among the GCC countries this year,” he said.

Jian added: “The third contributor to Qatar’s growth is a strong recovery momentum. About 90 percent of the World Cup 2022 related infrastructure is complete. Qatar Petroleum has established it's overseas gas exploitation facilities and the world’s largest LNG fleet is ready for voyage. Qatar Airways has fully restored its operation to morethan 145 destinations world-wide. Qatar’s trade surplus in the third quarter rose by 26.4 percent and its foreign exchange reserves repeatedly hit record highs. We can see a vibrant Qatar becoming a highlight of economic recovery in the region.

”He said that cooperation between China and Qatar has been moving forward against the pandemic, achieving remarkable results, adding that in the first nine months of this year, China’s exports to Qatar increased by 10 percent year-on-year and China became the largest trading partner of Qatar.

“China and Qatar have signed a contract worth $3 billion for the construction of LNG ships. Q-mAX, the world’s largest LNG carrier, made its maiden voyage to Tianjin in China. A few days ago, Minister of Commerce and Industry HE Dr. Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari attended the third China International Import Expo,” the envoy said.

He said that China is willing to work with Qatar to strengthen the synergies between the belt and road Initiative and Qatar National Vision 2030. Jian said China will work with Qatar and the rest of the world to pave the way for the world’s economic recovery with confidence and cooperation.

He said that China alone has 30 percent contribution towards world’s GDP, as China recently held the third China International Import Expo in shanghai with the turnover reaching $72.62 billion, adding that total import into China is estimated to top $22 trillion in the coming decade.

He said the impact of CoVId-19 has taken the world economy into deep recession, adding that with unilateralism and protectionism, hot spot issues remain complicated and difficult to resolve.

The ambassador said, as per projection of international institutions, the global economy will contract this year by 4.4 percent and the volume of commodity trade will decline by 9.2 percent.

Talking on recent international conferences, including the 12th BRTCssummit, 27th APEC Economic Leaders’ meeting, and 15th G20 summit, he said the conferences included meetings of emerging economies, major economies of the Asia-Pacific, as well as meetings between the world’s major developed economies and emerging markets.

He said that, in his speeches, Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed that while containing the virus, there is need to strengthen macro-economic policy coordination, restore the secure and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains, and facilitate cross-border flow of people and goods.“I would like to stress that, as a responsible major country, China will always be a constructor of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order.

We will sail in the same boat with the international community and overcome difficulties together, contributing China’s part for the world to get rid of the pandemic and restore its momentum of development,” the envoy said.

Ankara, 26 Nov. 2020 (Anadolu News)

Turkey and Qatar signed 10 new deals on Thursday at a joint meeting held at the presidential palace in Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar's Emir Tamim Hamad al-Thani co-chaired the closed-door meeting. The 10% sale of shares of Turkey's stock exchange Borsa Istanbul topped the list of agreements made during the day.

Another agreement was inked to transfer shares of Istanbul's Istinye Park, a luxury shopping mall.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed for joint investment in the Made in Istanbul Golden Horn Project.

The transfer and purchase of shares of the Middle East Antalya Port Operators from Turkey's Global Ports to Qatar's Terminals W.L.L. were also agreed upon.

An MoU was signed for joint promotion activities between Turkey's Commerce Ministry and Qatar's Free Zone Administration.

Another deal was reached on the establishment of a joint trade commission between the two countries.

Several MoUs were also signed for water administration, improved economic and monetary cooperation, and family and social services.

A statement of intent was signed for an exchange program for diplomats of both countries.

'Deep-rooted ties'

Erdogan later in the day said that the two leaders had very productive meetings. "We will continue our solidarity with the brotherly people of Qatar, with whom we have deep-rooted ties of affection, in every field," Erdogan said on Twitter.

In a tweet, the Qatari emir said he had a "productive meeting" with Erdogan. "During the meetings, Turkey and Qatar reaffirmed that the two sides are determined and willing to enhance the strong brotherhood ties and strategic partnership ties in various fields," Qatar’s Shura Council also said in a statement.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also signed the joint statement of the 6th iteration of the meeting.

The meeting was also attended by Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Treasury and Finance Minister Lutfi Elvan, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli, Family, Labor and Social Services Minister Zehra Zumrut Selcuk, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, Turkey Wealth Fund CEO Zafer Sonmez and many businesspeople.

In the past, the two countries made a total of 52 agreements and five joint declarations. With the latest meeting, the total number of agreements has risen to 62.

In previous meetings, the committee reached consensus in many significant issues in the fields of economy, industry, safety, investment, energy, culture, intellectual property, education and youth.

The trade volume between the two countries increased by 6% in 2020 to reach $1.6 billion. Qatar’s investments in Turkey reached $22 billion, according to data provided by Turkey’s Doha Embassy.

A total of 533 Turkish companies operate in Qatar, completing construction projects to the tune of $18.5 billion. A total of 179 companies from Qatar operate in Turkey.

The number of Qatari tourists visiting Turkey has been rising over the years, with 110,000 in 2019.

 

Nicosia, 27 Nov. 2020

The TRNC Presidency evaluated the decision taken by the European Parliament regarding Maraş and the resumption of negotiations. "Once again the Turkish Cypriot people have been ignored and Turkey continues to be included in the blame game".

The Statement issued from TRNC Presidency says that it was emphasized that Maraş is the territory of the TRNC and the Greek Cypriot Administration has no authority in this region.

"The decisions and the steps taken regarding Maraş belong only to the TRNC. Yet, unfortunately, we are faced with the EU, which is a ready-made tool for the games of the Greek Cypriot Administration, which tries to manipulate this situation in line with its political ambitions and within the framework of the so-called 'occupation' literature.

The EU needs to see that the only occupation in Cyprus is the unilateral and illegal occupation of the 1960 partnership Republic of Cyprus by the Greek Cypriot Administration and this is the source of the Cyprus problem. We would like to remind the European Parliament that it is foreseen that Maraş will be returned to its former owners in the UN Security Council resolutions.

The European Parliament's reference to "concern about the change of property ownership status" in its decision is nothing more than a distortion of the facts. The decision taken by the TRNC is to open the closed city Maraş and return it to its legal owners. We are pleased to see that Greek Cypriot rights holders of Maraş are very willing to take advantage of this decision. Attempts by the Greek Cypriot leadership to prevent the use of the property rights of its own people in order not to lose its political propaganda material based on lies is thought-provoking.

It was also stated “If the European Union really wants to settle the disputes on the island and the region through dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation, as mentioned in its decision, the EU should say to its member – the Greek Cypriot Administration - that the interlocutor of the Greek Cypriot side on the island is the Turkish Cypriot side, not Turkey.

In our opinion, the EU should first of all respect the Turkish Cypriot side, which has equal status with the Greek Cypriot side on the island and in the region, and encourage the Greek Cypriot Administration in this direction.”

Doha, 26 Nov. 2020 (Qatar Tribune)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

HE Eumelio Caballero Rodriguez says Qatar has made tremendous progress in sports in a very short time, and despite the challenges from the Gulf crisis and COVID-19, the country has seen completion of 90 per cent of the World Cup-related projects.

One of the aspects in which Cuba and Qatar most resemble each other is in their respective policies aimed at the development of sport and physical activities for the benefit of their people, Cuban envoy to the State of Qatar Heeumelio Caballero Rodriguez, has said. It’s now less than two years to go for the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar.

The Cuban envoy was talking to Qatar Tribune, in an exclusive interview, sharing his views on Qatar hosting the world’s mega sport. The envoy said that within a few years after the Cuban triumph in the revolution, as a result of the social development program under the slogan of ‘Healthy Mind in Healthy Body’, Cuba achieved a prestigious place among the first 20 nations of the international Olympic movement.

Similarly, he noted, “in a very short time, the State of Qatar has made tremendous progress in the field of sports. The leadership gives  priority to the education of its population and youth health, while promoting physical exercise as one of the fundamental measures to combat sedentary life-styles and associated diseases, including diabetes”.“

One such action was the designation of the second Tuesday of February as the annual national Sport Day in Qatar, by emiri Decree no. 80 of 2011,” Rodriguez added.Since 2012, national Sports Day is celebrated as a holiday in Qatar, he noted, adding that the day starts with the participation in various sports activities by the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, members of the cabinet, government institutions, private sec-tor, nationals and residents.“The diplomats alongwith their family members are seen taking part in various sports disciplines at Diplomatic Club, on the beautiful coast of capital city, under the auspices of HE Minister of Foreign Affairs,” he said.

The envoy said that he participated, along with Cuban embassy staff, in sports activities organised by the Cuban Hospital at Dukhan, where about 500 health professionals joined the Qatari people to celebrate the national Sports Day.

Rodriguez said that host-ingmeg a tournaments like the 2006 Asian Games, fol-lowed by other regional and international tournaments such as Diamond League, 24th Arabian Gulf Cup,FIFA Clubs World Cup, handball, swimming, athletics, tennis, basketball, golf, cycling, artistic gymnastics, equestrian championships, annual traditional camel races, and the Asian Championship title in football gives Qatar a great profile in sports.

“It’s no surprise that the media arealready referring to Qatar as the ‘Mecca of Sport’,” the Cuban envoy said.

Qatar, the envoy said, is an excellent destination for adventure sports through-out the year, including for rock climbing, sky diving, kite surfing and dune patching. “These events get full support as Qatar is the safest and most peaceful country in the MenA region,” he pointed out.

Rodriguez praised the leadership of Qatar saying that despite the challenges Qatar has been facing since June 2017 due to the Gulf crisis, and later from the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has seen completion of 90 per cent of the FIFA World Cup-related projects. The envoy praised the efforts made by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) headed by its Secretary General Hassan Al-Thawadi,who have ensured the success of the world’s mega tournament to be held in the West Asian region for the first time

 

Doha, 26 Nov. 2020 (Qatar Tribune)

SInce Sweden opened its embassy in Doha in 2014, relations between Qatar and Sweden have expanded significantly, Sweden’s envoy to Qatar He Anders Bengtcen has said.

In his exclusive interview with Qatar Tribune, he said, “We have intensified our bilateral dialogue and also signed an MoU with Qatar last year on holding annual political consultations. In January this year, Sweden, Qatar and ILO signed an MoU on cooperation in the areas of health and safety at work and corporate social responsibility.”

Sweden, the envoy said, lauds the recent announcement by the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for holding elections for the Shura Council in October next year.

Talking on Qatar’s role on regional and international issues, he said Qatar has an established and well-deserved reputation in humanitarian assistance and peace mediation. “The ongoing negotiations in Doha on the future of Afghanistan is an important example of the significant role Qatar is playing in this respect,” he noted.

Qatar, he said, has the capacity and interest in bringing together and providing platform to international researchers, scholars, religious leaders and youth to exchange their experiences and views, which is highly commendable.

He said Qatar has wisely handled the challenges from the blockade as well as as the COVID-19 pandemic. “Measures taken to control the pandemic have significantly reduced the infection rate and the second wave that many other countries are experiencing has so far been prevented,” he said.

“The challenges from the blockade were turned positively into opportunity. Qatar turned its food requirements into self sufficiency especially dairy products and poultry. By using smart solutions, the local production of vegetables and fruits has also increased significantly,” he pointed out.

Talking about the bilateral trade relations, the envoy said, “It’s almost doubled from 2015 to 2019, reaching around QR2.6 billion”.

The envoy said that Swedish companies are contributing towards the development of Qatar especially in high-tech areas. “Both countries share an interest in high technology and innovation. Recently, with Qatar Foundation as our main partner, we arranged two hybrid webinars on Precision Medicine and Artificial Intelligence. Twenty-four experts from Sweden and Qatar representing industry, government agencies, universities and hospitals participated as speakers.

We hope that the exchange will lead to increased cooperation in these two fields where both our countries devote considerable resources and see significant opportunities.

”On cultural relations, he said that by practicing preventive health and safety measures, Sweden, together with eight other embassies in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Sports, is organising the European Drive-In Film Festival from this Thursday until Saturday.

“During three nights, nine films from our respective countries will be shown to Qatari audience. Sweden has been entrusted with the task of implementing the Festival and we are looking forward to an event which is Covid-safe while at the same time reaching a large audience and create a sense of togetherness.”

Commenting on Qatar hosting the mega sport event of FIFA World Cup, the Swedish envoy said he was impressed with the preparations for the World Cup adding he was sure the event would be a great success.

On cooperation and support in sports, he said that at the beginning of this year the Swedish national soccer team spent a few weeks in Qatar for training and practicing. The team also played several friendly games. “The team was very pleased with all the arrangements. I hope that the Swedish national team will qualify and many Swedes will come here to watch the matches and experience Qatar”.

Qatar, the envoy noted, “is a very attractive destination for golfers from Sweden to come during winter, and it’s a comfortable 5-6 hours of flight. I hope that with the pandemic coming to an end in next nine-10 months, this could be revived.

Praising Qatar’s role in area of culture, Bengtcen, who himself has deep passion in history and natural sciences, said he was impressed with the exhibition of natural and cultural heritage by Qatar through its museums and Katara Cultural Village. “It seems Qatar has ambition to showcase its past and present to the international public, which is commendable”.

The envoy said, “I will call Doha as a hub when we talk about air traffic. People from Sweden have been using Doha as transit point before the pan-demic and staying for 2-3 days on their way to their destination/s. I have noticed an increase in Swedish passengers.”

He said around 500 Swedish citizens are working in Qatar, mostly highly qualified professionals who are serving in a broad range of sectors.

25 Nov. 2020 (Financial Times)

Diego Maradona, the footballer who led Argentina to victory at the 1986 World Cup, has died at the age of 60, leaving the sport mourning an iconic player with few peers on the pitch but who struggled with addiction throughout his life.

The Argentine Football Association responded to the news on Wednesday by expressing “its deepest sorrow for the death of our legend, Diego Armando Maradona”, saying “you will always be in our hearts”.

Maradona had struggled with his health this year and was hospitalized because of a brain clot in early November. Media reports suggest he died on Wednesday after a cardiac arrest.

He will be best remembered as a diminutive yet powerful player who captained Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. During that tournament, in the quarter-final against England, he scored the opening goal with his hand in an incident he referred to as the “hand of god”. Later in the same match, he would weave through several flailing England defenders to score one of the greatest goals in the history of the competition.

Doha, 22 Nov. 2020 (Excerpts Qatar Tribune)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

H. E. Mostefa Boutora, Algerian ambassador to Qatar hosted a reception at Diplomatic Club celebrating 66th anniversary of immortal revolution of 1st November (Algerian İndependence  Day).

Present on the occasion were Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, Minister of Municipality and Environment of Qatar; Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi; ambassador İbrahim Fakhroo, Director of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ali Ibrahim Ahmed, ambassador of Eritrea and Head of Diplomatic Corp.; Russian ambassador Nurmohammed Kholov; Palestinian ambassador Munir Ghanem, MOFA officials and guests.

Algerian envoy, Dr. Mostefa Boutora in his address described the bilateral relations between Qatar and Algeria as “fraternal ties built on mutual
respect since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972”. He said that the relations are based on several common components that contributed to its development, adding that political consensus between the two countries is marked by continuous consultations and frequent contacts between the two leaders.

The envoy said Algeria’s glorious revolution of November 1, 1954 put an end to 132 years of colonial injustice and tyranny in the country and was recorded by history as the greatest revolution in the 20th century, with the enormous sacrifices made by the Algerian people with more than 1.5 million
martyrs. He added that Algeria gained its freedom from colonialism after sacrificing over 10 million lives.

He said, since it's independence, Algeria has made numerous achievements in various areas, including education, employment, health, housing and infrastructure, following a master plan, in addition to achieving social justice and addressing the implications of the mass destruction at the hands of the French colonial agents.

Talking about bilateral trade and investment, he said there are opportunities for numerous joint investments in all sectors, pointing out that some of the joint ventures recently completed in Algeria in sectors like industry, agriculture, real estate and services. He said that ‘Ooredoo Algeria’
ranks third nationally with over 13 million customers while Algerian Qatar Steel Company with joint investment of about $2 billion will be producing about 5 million tonnes of steel annually in the region of Bellara, Jijel State in the eastern part of Algiers.

The envoy added that Algeria-Qatar bilateral trade volume in the first 10 months of 2019 reached $45.49 million.

He said hosting the 2022 World Cup by Qatar is a matter of pride for Arabs. “We have great confidence in Qatar’s ability to make this global sporting event a success as Qatar has been able to accomplish huge projects under the guidance of HH the Amir. This indicates that the country is deservedly eligible to organise an impressive tournament. Algeria is willing and ready to provide any possible assistance for the success of this great and
wonderful event,” he said.

The diplomat hoped that Algerian national football team qualifies for the tournament and participates in making it a memorable outing on a sisterly
land. He appreciated Qatar’s role in resolving regional and international conflicts through dialogue, describing it as an ideal way for disputes
settlement. He said Qatar has proven its ability to overcome the impacts of the ongoing blockade at all levels and has turned the boycott into an opportunity to diversify and reinforce its economy.

On measures taken by Qatar to combat COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Boutora expressed satisfaction in the steps taken by the government based
on its integrated health system and community senisitisation.

Doha

SOSO Care and Ellen Medical Devices were awarded 2020 WISH cash award in Spark competition and WISH Innovation Booster Competition to  for its affordable dialysis machine, respectively.

The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) announced the grand prize winners of its two latest Innovation Award competitions during the closing ceremony of WISH 2020 on Thursday, 19 Nov. 2020. The awards were presented by WISH CEO Sultana Afdhal.

In her address, Afdhal said that This year represents the first time we have hosted innovation awards at WISH. The awards recognize and support achievement in healthcare innovation, but – more importantly – they shine a light on underlying issues in the innovation cycle, ensuring healthcare startups have access to funding and the mentorship they need to succeed.”

SOSO Care is a micro mobile health insurance start up from Nigeria using an innovative approach to bring health insurance to millions of Nigerians by enabling insurance payment in exchange for recycling waste.

Ellen Medical Devices’ affordable dialysis machine is the world’s first low-cost dialysis system. The Spark Award and Booster Award winners also received US$5,000 and US$10,000 respectively as part of the prize.

On receiving the award, NonsoOpurum, co-founder of SOSO Care, thanked the WISH community for confidence in their work. “I am grateful for your commitment to universal health,” he said.

Professor John Knight, Managing Director, Ellen Medical Devices, said: “Here at The George Institute for Global Health, our mission is to save millions of lives; in this case, by providing affordable dialysis treatment to kidney patients all around the world. This award takes us one step closer to realizing that dream.”

The WISH Innovation Spark Competition and WISH Innovation Booster Competition were launched in early 2020, inviting local, regional, and international entrepreneurs with innovative healthcare products or ideas to participate.The Spark competition aims to help early-stage startups to develop and validate a scalable project, while Booster targets entrepreneurs with exciting innovations looking to scale up and grow.

The competitions received close to 500 applications from 43 countries, setting a record number for WISH, with 30 finalists being selected for exceptionally high caliber innovations. These innovators were given a platform at the WISH 2020 virtual Innovation Hub to showcase their work to global health experts and policymakers during the summit.

Through its Innovation Award Program, WISH aims to promote a wide range of healthcare innovations that can improve healthcare quality while also reducing cost. WISH has partnered with several renowned local and international innovation hubs to provide the winners the opportunity to receive expert mentorship and training workshops, in addition to the one-on-one interactions with potential investors during the WISH 2020.

All selected innovators will receive WISH media support for up to 12 months, and invitations to other summits and events as additional benefits. As WISH innovation program alumni ambassadors, they will also receive mentorship and championship for up to a year.

The closing ceremony looked back at a summit that featured more than 100 sessions and staged an interactive Innovation Hub using the latest in virtual technology.

Commenting on the virtual platform, Afdhal said: “Though this year has brought many challenges for us, it has certainly been an experience to re-engineer what was a physical conference into one that is virtual.”

WISH 2020 is the fifth installment of the biennial summit, which has established itself as a significant fixture of the global healthcare calendar.

More than 300 experts from different fields and countries spoke at the virtual event that featured a wide range of live interactive sessions, discussing critical global health issues and exploring innovative solutions to health challenges worldwide.

WISH is Qatar Foundation’s global health initiative. To attend the upcoming symposium on November 20, held in partnership with UNICEF, register at wish.org.qa