DUBAI // It has been a long few months for Mohammed Watfa and the three other contestants who made it to the live finale of Stars of Science tonight.
The programme features the region's top scientific talent competing to see whose innovation is best, with 7,000 contestants whittled down to just four.
Dr Watfa, an IT lecturer at the University of Wollongong Dubai, is one of only two UAE entrants to reach the televised shows stage, which featured the top 20, and the only person from the Emirates in the final.
His virtual computer, designed for use where resources are limited, allows up to 20 people to have their own laptops by projecting a virtual touchscreen on to each person's desk. Different students can use different applications, interacting with the screen using a digital pen.
Dr Watfa, from Lebanon, has spent the last year working on the project.He will face three other entrants from the Arabian Gulf, all competing for the Dh1.1 million prize.
Khaled Eid, from Kuwait, has a 3D holographic screen, while Jaber Henzab, from Qatar, has an automated home pharmacy. Khalid Aboujassoum, also from Qatar, will present an automated home-cooking pot.
Dr Watfa said one of his biggest strengths since the first day of the contest has been his confidence and determination, necessary when facing the tough judging panel, which includes Dr Eyad Masad, a mechanical engineer at Texas A&M University in Qatar, and Dr Farouk El Baz, an Egyptian-American scientist who helped plan Nasa's exploration of the moon.
"I have the best invention that has a purpose," Dr Watfa said. "Also, the fact my invention is one of its kind, has a global purpose and would solve a number of critical problems, including helping provide quality universal education and minimising the environmental impact of using paper in classrooms and the overall power consumed by computers."
In the last month, Dr Watfa has been visiting schools – including Dubai International School and Dubai National School – "to inspire and motivate a future generation of students" to become innovators in a part of the world in which science is not a first choice for a career.
"Our mission as educators and inventors is to become science idols for upcoming generations in the UAE, opening the door for possible exceptional scientific achievements from future UAE students," he said.
Another of the judges, Dr Tarik Yousef, an academic and chief executive of Silatech, a social initiative that works to create jobs and expand economic opportunities for young people across the Arab world, said the show had been vital in promoting science and research.
"What we need in the region is the spirit of innovation, which requires persistence, perseverance and support such as that provided by the Stars of Science programme," he said.
Dr Watfa added: "The support from the UAE has been overwhelming and I am so glad to be resident of a country that supports beautiful minds and innovations like the UAE."
This week, half the votes will be from the judging panel, with the other half coming from the viewing audience.
Dr Watfa said he had learnt personal and professional lessons.
"The most challenging part in the contest is without doubt the fact we had to wear different thinking hats at different stages of the contest," he said.
"At first we were dreamers and innovators of new ideas, then we transformed to engineers, then designers, and finally businessmen working on an efficient business plan for our [projects] to be established companies."
Two weeks ago, viewers saw Naim Yazbeck, the general manager of Microsoft in Qatar, tell Dr Watfa: "I'm pretty impressed with the technology and also impressed with the business thinking behind it.
"So it's not like just a cool technology, but you already thought about some of the business usages.
"Maybe you need to partner with companies like Microsoft, because I can tell you, definitely, we would be interested in looking at something like this, and see how we can take it to the next level."
Despite the positive feedback, Dr Watfa has learnt "not to be over-confident about my invention and overlook small details that might cause the whole system to fail".
"There is a thin line between confidence and over confidence so I try to listen to other people's feedback and don't fall in love with your invention overlooking its drawbacks," he added.
To vote for Dr Watfa, text the number 2 to 5141 (Etisalat) or 9496 (du). The live final is on MBC4 tonight at 9pm.
mswan@thenational.ae
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
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
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
INDIA SQUAD
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
