DUBAI / WAM The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) awarded an AED871 million contract for the construction of a 40 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD), Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) based desalination plant in Jebel Ali, to a joint venture comprising ACCIONA Agua S A and Belhasa Six Construct (BeSIX). This new SWRO plant is being developed as a ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, will chair the UAE’s delegation to the UAE-Japan’s Strategic Business Forum, which will be held in Tokyo on March 6 and 7. Abdullah Al Saleh, Under-Secretary for Foreign Trade at the ministry, said the meeting falls within the context of UAE’s efforts to increase its presence in global ...

DUBAI / WAM The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has clarified the criteria that determine whether it is the supplier or end-consumer that bears the cost of the VAT on goods and services set to be delivered fully or partially in 2018, but had been contracted before the implementation of VAT. In a statement, the Federal Tax Authority clarified that according ...

GENEVA / WAM The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has joined a chorus of international actors in calling for respecting a truce in Syria’s eastern Ghouta and affirmed that the Syrian people had experienced brutal confrontations and systematic targeting and could not tolerate another bloody chapter. Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, Permanent Representative of the UAE to United Nations and other International ...

BAGHDAD / Reuters Iraq’s parliament approved on Saturday a long-delayed 104 trillion Iraqi dinar ($88 billion) 2018 state budget, two lawmakers told Reuters, though lawmakers from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region boycotted the session. The budget of 104 trillion Iraqi dinars ($88 billion) is based on projected oil exports of 3.8 million barrels per day (bpd) at a price of $46, ...

DUBAI / WAM Under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Government Excellence Programme (DGEP), is organising the 6th edition of Dubai International Government Achievements Exhibition (DIGAE), from April 9-11, 2018 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The exhibition provides participants the opportunity ...

Dubai / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has affirmed that the UAE supports all forms of creativity and innovation and will continue its efforts to bring happiness and greater welfare to its people. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed made the remarks on Saturday while visiting the Dubai ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM The Ministry of Interior (MoI), has launched the International Shared Services Award. The announcement came during the first edition of the Government Shared Services Conference. Brigadier Mohammed Hamid Dalmouj Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Office of His Highness the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, said that the award was issued based on the directives ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM Aspiring filmmaker Shaima Albuainain has won the twofour54 emerging filmmaker award for the Zayed University Middle East Film Festival 2018 (ZUMEFF), in Abu Dhabi. The award provides Shaima with access to twofour54’s world-class production and post-production facilities, state-of-the-art equipment, cameras, and sound and lighting kits. Shaima will also work with the experienced post-production team at twofour54 to ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM The Federal Authority of Government Human Resources (FAHR), attained the European specification certificate on innovation management system (TS 16555), the first international standard that provides an integrated institutional system for innovation and includes a set of standards and requirements encouraging institutional innovation. The certificate was awarded by the British Standards Institution (BSI), following a thorough auditing ...