Environmental scientists and conservationists will descend on Abu Dhabi this week for a high-level summit to confront the threats facing the world’s oceans.
Experts from around the globe will gather at the World Ocean Summit to debate key issues of the day, including overfishing, aquaculture and climate change.
The three-day event begins today and will feature more than 75 speakers and 400 guests from the worlds of business, technology and government.
Robert Swan, the first person to walk to both poles, will address delegates, as will the Minister for Climate Change and Environment, Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi.
“The world has common challenges, such as declining fisheries, but there is also a lot of opportunity,” said Mohamed Al Madfaei, of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
“The event is being held in the Middle East because of the amount of trade that passes through these waters.
“We see ourselves in the EAD as leaders in the region for protecting the marine environment.”
Last year, the UN said that a third of the world’s oceans were overfished at a time when fish consumption was its highest level ever.
The Abu Dhabi summit will hear about continuing efforts to address the problem, including laboratory-grown fish aimed at relieving pressure on wild stocks.
A second topic under discussion will be increasing concern about the millions of tonnes of plastic waste being dumped at sea each year.
The UN has said that marine life faces “irreparable damage” and that businesses are vital to tackling the problem.
This week will be the first time the World Ocean Summit is being held in the Middle East, a region that is home to a great wealth of marine biology.
But like the rest of the world, the Arabian Gulf is facing its own challenges and several species in the UAE, including whales and dugongs, are threatened with extinction.
A recent study by New York University Abu Dhabi revealed record temperatures in 2017 left more than 90 per cent of the emirate’s coral struggling to survive.
And only last month, the capture of a bull shark off the coast of Fujairah during the closed season highlighted efforts to clamp down on illegal fishing.
Yet despite the obvious challenges facing the Middle East, the fightback has begun. Hotels are eschewing individual plastic bottles for water coolers and many businesses are organising beach clean-ups.
Efforts are also under way to curb the region’s desalination plants from pumping brine into the Gulf, a process known to reduce oxygen levels in the water and harm marine life.
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Marine giants: The big visitors to UAE waters
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Yesterday, UAE authorities banned the use of gargoors, a type of traditional fishing cage used to catch hammour, a popular fish in the Emirates.
“We have salinity affecting the Arabian Gulf and [fishermen’s catches] are declining but we want to build a platform to collaborate, increase knowledge and boost innovation,” Mr Al Madfaei said.
“We also want the youth to get involved [to find solutions].”
Shaikha Al Dhaheri, acting secretary general of the EAD, said hosting the summit was a historic moment.
“It is a very proud occasion for Abu Dhabi to be hosting the prestigious World Ocean Summit in the Middle East for the first time,” she said.
The World Ocean Summit runs from March 5 to 7 on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
THREE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
Last five meetings
2013: South Korea 0-2 Brazil
2002: South Korea 2-3 Brazil
1999: South Korea 1-0 Brazil
1997: South Korea 1-2 Brazil
1995: South Korea 0-1 Brazil
Note: All friendlies
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,200 metres
Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Younis Kalbani (trainer)
5.30pm: UAE Arabian Derby (PA) | Prestige | Dh150,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Octave, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round 3 (PA) | Group 3 Dh300,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Harrab, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Ali
6.30pm: Emirates Championship (PA) | Group 1 | Dh1million | 2,200m
Winner: BF Mughader, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (TB) | Group 3 | Dh380,000 | 2,200m
Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) | Conditions | Dh70,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF La’Asae, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
