Egypt has joined Saudi Arabia as one of two Arab countries capable of conducting advanced research into some of the world's smallest structures.
An agreement to set up a nanotechnology research centre in the most populous Arab country was signed yesterday after the chief executive of IBM Samuel Palmisano met the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and prime minister Ahmed Nazif.
"The seat of one of the world's oldest civilisations is now an emerging player onto the world stage of a new, globalised economy," Mr Palmisano said.
Nanotechnology is generally defined as the ability to manufacture and manipulate objects that are smaller than 100 nanometres across - 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. A nanometre is 1,000 millionth of a metre.
IBM has historically been a leading researcher in the field. In 1990, its researchers achieved a world first when they moved individual atoms into a pattern spelling the company's three-letter name.
In February, the company announced that a similar nano-tech research centre would be opened in Saudi Arabia, in co-operation with the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.
Extremely small nano-scale materials are believed by scientists to hold enormous potential for cleaning oil spills, desalinating seawater, and detecting and fighting disease, along with a host of other applications. Their potential in the energy, petrochemical and water industries is particularly relevant to Middle Eastern countries.
Along with other microchip makers, IBM builds chips with transistors smaller than 65 nanometres across. An industry-wide shift from the 45-nanometre standard is taking place, with IBM already speaking of chips built from components just 22 nanometres wide. The company recently revealed its scientists had made a breakthrough in being able to manipulate the properties of an individual atom, opening the door to future chips that may use atomic-sized transistors.
Since 2004, Egypt's government has been led by a cabinet that is keen to modernise and diversify the ailing economy. Technology investment zones like the flagship Smart Village development, on the outskirts of Cairo, have quickly filled with a mix of local, regional and international IT businesses. It has become a frequent stopover point for the chief executives of technology companies such as Microsoft, Cisco, IBM and Intel, all of which have boosted investments in the country and signed special research agreements with its government.
Hany Helal, Egypt's minister of higher education and scientific research, said the IBM deal was the "key to the implementation of Egypt's science and technology strategy", and reflected a "profound commitment to investing wisely in the development of highly skilled, capable young people".
tgara@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
THE CARD
2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m
3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m
3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m
4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m
4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950