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Emirates

UAE National Chapter of the Unstereotype Alliance marks year since launch

DUBAI, 7th December, 2021 (WAM) — Company members of the UAE National Chapter of the Unstereotype Alliance came together to mark the first anniversary of the chapter’s launch at Terra, the Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, at an event that was organised by UN Women and the General Women’s Union.

Representatives of the nine founding members met for an afternoon packed with discussion panels and presentations that covered the challenges and opportunities when overcoming stereotypes in the workplace and accelerating action to eliminate these stereotypes from the perspective of business leaders.

The GCC results from the first-ever Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Census of the global marketing industry, run by the World Federation of Advertisers and analysed by Kantar was unveiled during the anniversary event. It showed that most respondents (58%) believe that their organisations are actively taking steps to become more inclusive and diverse. However, the census showed that women remain vastly underrepresented in senior positions in the industry. Also, indicative average pay data suggested a large pay gap at C suite level and 24% of the surveyed women said they faced obstacles in their career progression.

A Zayed University commissioned research project on Gender Stereotyping in Gulf-focused Advertising, focusing on the portrayal of men and women as central figures in adverts, was also presented during the event. It showed significant stereotyping of women, who are more likely than men to be depicted in adverts of home products (85.7 %), food/ cooking products (73.9%) and body care products (82.1 %). On the other hand, men are more likely to be depicted in non-familial roles (87%) compared to 13% in familial roles (fathers/husbands).

On the occasion, Noura Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the General Women’s Union, the UAE’s leading entity dedicated to women’s empowerment, said that the UAE Government empowers women to play an equal role in public life, business, and professions across all sectors and sets an excellent example for achieving gender balance, so it is important that how they are portrayed in media and advertising is reflective of this fact.

"Media and advertising have greater responsibilities and should keep up with the status of women and their real roles in society." She concluded.

Dr. Mouza Al Shehhi, Director of the UN Women Liaison Office for the GCC, said "Stereotypes stifle women’s and girls’ voices and limit their progress and visibility. We cannot achieve progress on important UN Women agendas such as women’s leadership, economic empowerment and Women, peace and security without combating harmful and unfair stereotypes. The GCC media and advertising sectors are among the fastest-growing globally, so the opportunity to have a tangible impact is significant. Today’s milestone celebration shows that we are making good progress and must persist till we can successfully eliminate harmful stereotypes in all media and content and broaden the representation of both men and women in nontraditional roles in media and advertising in the UAE."

Ali Khalil, Assistant Professor, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, commented, "Ending gender stereotyping in advertising plays a vital role in the fight against gender stereotyping in general, helps in women empowerment and the recognition of the important role of women in the society, and the workforce. Academic research is instrumental in providing thorough studies of the progress in eradicating gender stereotyping. More work should be done across the MENA region to keep an eye on the media content to ensure that stereotyping ends, and to raise societal awareness of the harm of stereotyping."

The UAE National Chapter of the Unstereotype Alliance, the first national chapter to launch in the Middle East and the sixth worldwide, has a core group of seven national and global companies – Etihad Aviation Group, Meta – Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Omnicom Media Group, Snap Inc., and Unilever – alongside the Advertising Business Group and the Dubai Lynx, the premier festival of creativity covering the MENA Region.

The Unstereotype Alliance provides a global platform for members with a shared commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5, gender equality. The National Chapters drive change locally, responding to specific culturally driven stereotypes, social customs, and attitudes. There are 10 Unstereotype Alliance National Chapters worldwide in Brazil, Japan, India, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, UAE, UK, and Australia.

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Emirates

Intermobility Expo 2023 Kicks Off with Grand Opening by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer

Informa Connect, the global leader for events in the Middle East region has successfully
concluded the day one of the most awaited events of its calendar, the Intermobility Expo
2023 started on 21 st November at World Trade Center, Dubai.
The 22 nd edition of the Intermobility Expo 2023, which was known as the Gulf Traffic, the
largest Intelligent Transport and Future Mobility Summit of the Middle East, Turkey, and
Africa was officially launched by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of
the Board of Executive Directors at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), at an exciting
opening ceremony in the presence of industrial experts and government delegates.
On day one of the largest transport expo, key players in the Middle Easts transport industry
came together to discuss how new technological advancements that can be leveraged to
address road hazards and enhance safety, which is a critical factor in managing dynamic cities
in the GCC and beyond. Enriching discussions on topics like Driving Change: Governments
Role in Mobility, underscoring the vital influence of the government in molding the
trajectory of mobility, saw enhanced participation from the attendees.
H.E. Sheikh Nasser Majid Al Qasimi, Assistant Undersecretary of the Infrastructure
and Transport Regulation Sector at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, also
graced the occasion with his esteemed presence and commended the UAEs unwavering
dedication to reimagining transportation. He highlights, “;The country envisions a smart and
interconnected transport system, integrating advanced technologies, autonomous vehicles,
smart infrastructure, and a strong emphasis on green mobility, as showcased by the Global
Market for Electric Vehicles initiative. Recognizing the strategic importance of an integrated
transport system for economic growth, social harmony, and environmental sustainability, the
UAE stands as a global leader in adopting ambitious initiatives.”

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Emirates

Dulsco Group and clients root for climate change action in mangrove tree plantation drive

Dulsco Group has reinforced its commitment to spearheading
and supporting environmental initiatives by bringing together 100 team members from its
portfolio of businesses comprising Dulsco Environment, Dulsco People, Parisima and
Advance Global Recruitment, and corporate clients like BRF, ENOC Link and Fischer to
plant 300 mangrove trees to help in the fight against climate change.
Part of Dulsco Group’s sustainability agenda in the run up to COP28, the event was held to
support the UAE National Carbon Sequestration Project, which Dulsco proudly signed up for
in 2023. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment project aims to plant 100 million
new mangrove trees across the country by 2030.

Each participant in the Dulsco drive planted three trees at Jebel Ali Wildlife Sanctuary, run
by the Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG). And, thanks to new technology and
virtual reality, the trees’ progress and contribution to carbon savings can be monitored
through the EcoMatcher app, which promotes transparency and traceability in tree planting.

Mangrove trees play a key role in conservation, by stabilising and protecting coastlines,
preventing erosion, supporting wildlife within the ecosystem and serving as a habitat for
thousands of species. They also reduce harmful greenhouse gases by isolating up to 13.6
kg of carbon each year. This means that the 300 trees planted on 16 November – and the
120 planted by Dulsco last year – will collectively capture 5,712 kg of carbon dioxide
annually.

The UAE is currently home to 60 million mangrove trees that span 183 sq km and capture
43,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. An additional 100 million trees will mean
115,000 tons of CO2 will be sequestered every year.

John Grainger, Chief Operating Officer at Dulsco Environment, said: “As a leading
force in environmental solutions, Dulsco is proud to support initiatives that preserve and
enhance our planet. Following our first mangrove tree planting initiative with our
employees last year, we made this year’s event bigger and better by bringing together our
valued team members and clients across our businesses as one, reinforcing our joint
commitment to creating a better future for our people and the world we live in.

“The EMEG does a wonderful job in protecting marine life at Jebel Ali, and we are delighted
to play our part in enhancing the sanctuary’s natural eco-system and biodiversity.”

Dulsco’s tree planting initiative also included a beach clean-up drive that resulted in
collecting 1,246 kilos of waste, in line with the company’s continued commitment to
protecting the environment and encouraging more green thinking among team members, key
stakeholders and the public.

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Emirates

UAE President issues federal decree appointing Under- Secretary of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, For Emiratisation

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahya ,

the President of UAE, issued a Federal
Decree appointing H.E. Aisha Mohamed Ahmed Belharfia, as Under-
Secretary of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, For
Emiratisation. Belharfia served previously as Acting Under-Secretary for Emiratisation
Affairs and Assistant Under-Secretary for Labour Affairs at MOHRE.
She also taken responsibilities related to Labour offices and licenses,
and contributed to the development of laws and legislation regulating
the Labour sector. Belharfia launched various projects and initiatives
aimed at raising the efficiency of the Labour market.

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