Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has pledged Dh35 million to help people in one of the poorest parts of the world.
It will be used to bolster the quality of life among the 360,000 inhabitants of Comoros.
The investment strategy, part of the Mother of the Nation programme, has been launched to enhance the social and financial development of the archipelago.
ADFD signed an agreement with Emirates Red Crescent to boost the public sector, particularly health and education, on the islands.
“Through this agreement we seek to support sustainable development and improve the living standards of people of the Comoros by ensuring their access to basic services,” said Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of ADFD.
The development projects will focus on boosting the agricultural sector as well as setting up clinics and modern schools to improve education and health care.
“This will significantly help families in developing their skills, achieving self-sufficiency, besides boosting economic activities and creating new job opportunities across various regions of the Comoros,” he said.
Made up of three islands off the east coast of Africa – Anjouan, Grande Comore and Moheli – Comoros is regarded as one of the poorest countries in the world.
The average annual wage is said to be about $600 to $700 (Dh2,203 to 2,570).
The money allocated for the project will be used to support the establishment of a clothes factory, costing Dh4.5m, said to benefit 90,000 people.
Dh10m will be spent on a school dormitory with 52 rooms for about 500 pupils.
Another Dh13m will provide dialysis equipment serving two “mother and child” centres that serve up to 260,000 patients annually, while Dh3m is allocated towards the establishment of a separate dialysis clinic, at a centre that treats about 2,500 patients each year.
An “agriculture and livestock” project to support 1,200 families will be created to the cost of Dh1.5m and a model school for up to 1,000 children will be constructed, at Dh3m.
“These projects demonstrate the UAE’s mission to support development projects that cater to the sectors that directly affect the well-being of local population,” said Dr Mohammad Al Falahi, secretary general of ERC.
“Such initiatives reinforce ERC’s leading role in implementing projects and programmes that serve millions of people across the globe.”
The UAE has delivered financial support to Comoros since 1979.
In this time, Dh436 million has been invested into the country to support its infrastructure and encourage economic growth.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
MATCH INFO
New Zealand 176-8 (20 ovs)
England 155 (19.5 ovs)
New Zealand win by 21 runs
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
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2252 - Dh 50
2208 - Dh 100
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*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
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Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
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- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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