ABU DHABI, 29th May, 2023 (WAM) — Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), ADAFSA launches Fodder Market, the first and largest of its kind in the Middle East.
The market aims to provide UAE livestock breeders with easy access to high-quality animal feed at competitive prices while ensuring safe and sustainable solutions for local fodder companies to access markets.
The Fodder Market has the capacity to serve around 40,000 breeders across the UAE and cater to more than 5 million livestock.

The feed trade in the UAE is valued at more than AED2.5 billion annually, with a volume of about 3 million tons. The launch of the Fodder Market is expected to boost trade and promote fair competition among suppliers, thereby contributing to the growth of the feed market.
Located near livestock farms (Ezbah), the Fodder Market is linked to a group of existing regular markets, in addition to an online platform for trading feed available to all companies in the UAE.

There are already 12 markets in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, including 85 outlets allocated to 30 companies for the sale and marketing of animal feed.

More of these markets will be established with the inclusion of more companies specialising in the sale and marketing of feed.
The 12 fodder outlets in the emirate are Al Faya in Abu Dhabi City; Al Sila, Al Mirfa, Ghayathi, Khanoor/Hossan, and Tharwaniyyah in Al Dhafra Region; and Wahat Al Sahra, Al Ouya, Bu Kuraya, Al Dhahira, Nahel, and Al Anjah in Al Ain.
His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed the UAE's keenness, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to mobilise resources, capabilities and energies to enable sustainable food production and create an integrated self-sufficiency system that supports the National Food Security Strategy in accordance with the highest food safety standards.
His Highness pointed out that the Fodder Market is an important initiative to regulate the feed trade in the country. It combines physical markets with an online platform, allowing buyers to see their purchases in real time.
His Highness said: “The promotion of the livestock sector is crucial to increasing self-sufficiency in animal products. It is imperative to create an enabling environment for sustainable production, and the implementation of the Fodder Market will play a significant role in enhancing livestock productivity by ensuring proper nutrition, promoting sustainable practices, and empowering livestock breeders as a vital and effective component of the national food security system. The Fodder Market also aims to improve the efficiency of feed utilisation, increase productivity and economic viability, and ensure the continued growth and sustainability of the livestock industry”.
Saeed Al Bahri Al Ameri, Director General of ADAFSA, stressed that the Fodder Market aims to connect feed buyers from all emirates with suppliers approved by ADAFSA. This will allow for transparent and easy sales and purchases, ensuring that livestock breeders obtain their needs of feed with the highest quality and the best prices, ultimately achieving the sustainability and development of livestock.
He said: "Livestock owners across all emirates will be able to obtain high-quality products from trusted suppliers via the Fodder Market, which is linked to regular markets in addition to an online platform. This outlet is the first of its kind in the Middle East and the largest in terms of the volume and value of trades that will take place annually."
In addition to the benefits of diversity and a wide variety of grass and compound feed available through registered companies, whether through the regular market or the online platform, the outlet will also save time and effort for breeders by protecting them from dealing with street vendors or purchasing fodder of unknown origin.
He stated that one of the key pillars for achieving the goals of the National Food Security Strategy and ensuring the abundance and safety of food for all members of society is the development of the livestock sector in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, in line with the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The launch of the Fodder Market would also raise the calibre of fodder that is sold and traded on the markets and spur supplier competition to satisfy market demands for fodder and animal food in accordance with international standards, thus helping to safeguard, advance livestock and boost animal productivity, and increase the economic return of breeders.
He drew attention to the steady support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan to ADAFSA, as His Highness’ directives consistently emphasise the importance of sustaining the agricultural sector, both plant and animal, building the capacities of farmers and breeders, and empowering the private sector. This is to ensure the development of agricultural production and livestock and raise its production efficiency to meet the market's needs of fresh meat, dairy, and other animal products of international quality.

DUBAI, 29th May, 2023 (WAM) — The 2nd Energy Storage Forum revealed that hydrogen momentum continues to accelerate with more than 1,000 projects announced globally.

The announced projects represent USD 320 billion investments through 2030. While renewable generation is projected to reach 80 per cent of the global energy mix by 2050, this will require annual investments in energy supply and production of circa $1.5 trillion by 2035.
Held under the theme ‘Driving Energy Transition Pathways Towards COP28’ and jointly organised by the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) and the independent non-profit energy research and development organisation EPRI, the forum urged financial institutions worldwide to invest in energy storage technologies that support green and renewable energy sources, with a particular emphasis on hydrogen storage.
The forum that commenced with a welcome note by Ahmed Al-Ebrahim, CEO of the GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) and an opening speech by EPRI President and CEO Arshad Mansoor.
Al-Ebrahim highlighted that the successful integration of renewable energy into existing power grids requires efficient and reliable energy storage solutions.
“Energy storage technologies play a pivotal role in addressing the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources, enabling a stable and continuous supply of power,” Al-Ebrahim added. “By investing in these technologies, financial institutions can actively contribute to the global effort to combat climate change and foster a sustainable future.”
One of the most promising energy storage solutions is hydrogen storage that has gained significant attention as a clean and versatile fuel, capable of generating power through fuel cells and providing storage for excess renewable energy.
“The Storage Energy Forum firmly believes that financial institutions have a unique opportunity to become leaders in sustainable investment by supporting energy storage technologies. By allocating resources and capital to these projects, they can drive innovation, accelerate the deployment of clean energy solutions, and pave the way for a greener and more resilient future,” said Al-Ebrahim.
The forum also witnessed several panel discussions focusing on the advancement of regulatory frameworks and incentives to support the energy transition.
Experts participating in the forum said that green financing in the Middle East and worldwide has seen exponential growth.

They emphasised on the role of hydrogen in a decarbonised economy.
The forum also highlighted the challenges of scaling up the hydrogen supply chain and sharing international experiences in hydrogen projects development.
Furthermore, keynote sessions focused on the progress and future plans of energy storage installations to support a sustainable power system and the role of smart technologies and the necessity of intelligent risk and insurance solutions.
The specialised forum welcomed collaborations with financial institutions, governments, and other stakeholders to explore opportunities, share knowledge, and develop partnerships that advance the adoption of energy storage technologies.
The three-day forum offered insightful and interactive panel discussions and technical workshops on the fundamentals driving the energy transition and energy storage.

Moreover, it provided a unique opportunity for international participants to network and build partnerships with industry leaders, like-minded peers, and other stakeholders in the energy sector.

SHARJAH, 29th May, 2023 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, witnessed on Monday, the inauguration of the 4th Arab Forum for Cultural Heritage (2023), organised by The Regional Office for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ICCROM-Sharjah), in cooperation with the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO) and Sharjah Institute for Heritage, at ICCROM's headquarters' in University City.
Dr. Zaki Aslan, Director of ICCROM – Sharjah, pointed to the importance of preserving urban heritage in the Arab world, stressing that the forum is theme mainly focuses on the needs of the current stage and the countries' goals and priorities that fall into sustainable development 2030.
He pointed out that the forum coincides with the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the founding of the office, with the support and generous hosting of the Sharjah government, as the ICCROM-Sharjah office turned the office after its establishment over more than ten years into a reference institution for the protection, promotion, and preservation of the rich cultural heritage.

In his speech, Dr. John Robbins, Chair of the Executive Board of ICCROM, discussed the relationship between three essential concepts in cultural heritage. One of these concepts is very old, urbanism. At the same time, the other two, resilience, and community care for cultural heritage, are contemporary, and the conference highlights the urgent need to address the intersection of these three themes.
Dr. Mohamed Ould Omar, Director General of ALECSO, addressed in a speech that the forum's topic reflects the importance of the results reached by research and studies related to cultural heritage and awareness of various factors involved in it. Furthermore, it deals with one of the oldest concepts known to humanity in organising living and stability, which is urbanisation, and the theories, ideas, and approaches crystallised around it, on top of which is the approach that this forum addresses, which is the culture of urbanisation and the resilience of heritage .

Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam, President of the SIH, explained that the forum met with Sharjah's great efforts, stating that the forum embodies Sharjah's vision of preserving urban heritage.
Dr. Dina Assaf, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the United Arab Emirates, added that cultural heritage speaks out about peoples' identity and who we are as a human society, as the theme of the forum this year is a reminder that urbanisation is not just physical structures, but rather an embodiment that reflects identity, traditions, and ambition.

The forum focuses this year on five main axes: urbanisation, the importance of urbanisation in enhancing the role of society in the sustainability of cultural heritage, heritage as a tool for resilience, societal adjustment and culturally-based flexibility, and inclusion of cultural heritage in policies as a methodology for community cohesion, inclusivity, and equality.
The Fourth Arab Forum for Cultural Heritage sheds light on ways that enable society to preserve its cultural heritage in the face of threats.

It also discusses the role of the culture in the resilience and preservation of historical environments and how they cope during and after crises.

The forum will also discuss the concept of urbanisation, focusing on the societal dimension and adaptation stemming from local contexts, traditional knowledge, and others as tools for cultural heritage sustainability.

It will also serve as a platform to start interdisciplinary conversations on practices to increase the recovery of cultural heritage from conflict and climate change.