Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the man who invented the world wide web, is looking for Middle East backers for a global charity to help boost internet use in the region.
The World Wide Web Foundation was launched by Sir Tim in 2008, with an aim to "empower all people" through the internet and use of mobile phones.
It won US$1 million (Dh3.67m) of funding from Vodafone Group to help develop mobile-phone training centres in Africa, and is now seeking similar partnerships in the Arab world. "We're very interested in working in the Middle East, and believe that there is incredible potential there," said Steve Bratt, the chief executive of the foundation.
"If we had a funder that was interested in supporting our work, we have the tools and skills to help get something going very quickly. So we'll be looking into that over the next year."
Mr Bratt said the charity's mobile entrepreneurs project in Ghana, which is run in conjunction with Vodafone, would be especially valuable in the Arab world.
The Ghana initiative helps local entrepreneurs use mobile technology to provide both an income stream and services to the local community.
Projects under development include a SMS and mobile web service for jobseekers, and a portal offering information about local pharmacies and the availability of prescription drugs.
Mr Bratt said the charity was seeking funding to launch similar programmes in the Arab world.
"I'm absolutely convinced that mobile entrepreneur training programmes would be very successful there," he said. "Telcos are natural funders for what we are doing. We also have grants from governments and from non-profit foundations."
The charity also promotes freedom of information on the web - and Mr Bratt said there was an opportunity for regional governments to embrace this in the wake of the Arab Spring.
"Egypt and Tunisia would be wonderful places to work on these things if the governments there were interested," he said. "Transparency and accountability are critical to the governance and [gaining the] trust of the people, and preventing another Arab Spring."
The Middle East has mixed figures on internet use, according to data from the International Telecommunication Union. In Egypt, only 26.7 per cent of residents use the internet, compared with 78 per cent in the UAE.
Part of the mandate of the foundation is to encourage more people to use the internet through initiatives such as "voice browsing", where people access information via the web by speaking into mobile handsets.
Encouraging access to the internet through more locally relevant content can have tangible economic benefits, Mr Bratt said.
"If access to information allows a farmer to quadruple his or her agricultural production, to get a 25 per cent higher price on what they sell, to feed more people in their community, this is absolutely critical," he said. "The web can't pour a drink for you, but it can teach you how to drill more effective wells that are more sustainable."
bflanagan@thenational.ae
Honeymoonish
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The First Monday in May
Director: Andrew Rossi
Starring: Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, John Paul Gaultier, Rihanna
Three stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Avatar%20(2009)
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Company%C2%A0profile
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F1 2020 calendar
March 15 - Australia, Melbourne; March 22 - Bahrain, Sakhir; April 5 - Vietnam, Hanoi; April 19 - China, Shanghai; May 3 - Netherlands, Zandvoort; May 20 - Spain, Barcelona; May 24 - Monaco, Monaco; June 7 - Azerbaijan, Baku; June 14 - Canada, Montreal; June 28 - France, Le Castellet; July 5 - Austria, Spielberg; July 19 - Great Britain, Silverstone; August 2 - Hungary, Budapest; August 30 - Belgium, Spa; September 6 - Italy, Monza; September 20 - Singapore, Singapore; September 27 - Russia, Sochi; October 11 - Japan, Suzuka; October 25 - United States, Austin; November 1 - Mexico City, Mexico City; November 15 - Brazil, Sao Paulo; November 29 - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi.
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 White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 366Nm
Price: Dh200,000
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
