Okaz/Saudi GazetteRIYADH — Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Saudi Climate Envoy Adel Al-Jubeir said that more than $186 billion has been allocated to implement the Saudi Green Initiative. Al-Jubeir said that the initiatives also include converting waste into energy, as well as planting trees of various types, including mangroves. He called for a pragmatic and practical approach to address climate change issues. Al-Jubeir pointed to Saudi Arabia’s initiatives in the agricultural sector, which include reusing water to water plants, in addition to the launch of the Saudi Green Initiative, which includes 77 initiatives. Those who attended the panel discussion also included UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri; Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology of Maldives Shauna Aminath; and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia Rola Dashti.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank are gathering in Morocco, weeks after a powerful earthquake killed nearly 3,000 people and threatened to derail the event. “A prosperous world economy in the 21st century requires a prosperous Africa,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a speech in Abidjan last week. In a symbolic move, the IMF and World Bank are poised to give Africa a third seat on their executive boards, which Georgieva said would give the continent a “stronger voice”. The World Bank, however, is expected to confirm plans to boost lending by $50bn over the next decade through balance sheet changes. World Bank President Ajay Banga wants to go even further and raise capacity by $100bn or as much as $125bn through contributions from advanced economies.

A US electric vehicle manufacturer has partnered with petrol stations across Nigeria to roll out charging stations. The company also stressed the positives of electric vehicles (EVs) over internal combustion engines (ICE). During a recent launch to speak about the advantages of electric vehicles (EVs) in Lagos, SAGLEV CEO and Chairman Dr Sam Faleye confirmed the partnership with Ardova and Enyo petrol stations. The two companies have more than 500 petrol stations across Nigeria between them, and these would be equipped with charging stations. Misconceptions about electric vehiclesFaleye said that EVs are affordable, needs less maintenance and does not require frequent charging.

Ecentric Payment Systems, a retail payment processor across South Africa has announced its acquisition of innovative technology payment solutions company Thumbzup. This move benefits both companies’ customers and advances Ecentric’s goal of dominating omnichannel retail on a national scale. He emphasizes the need for a physical in-store capability, enabling the integration of point-of-sale devices and technology, especially for national retailers. This strategic move also positions Ecentric to actively engage in best-of-breed Android payment capabilities, expanding beyond traditional payment services. This aligns with Ecentric’s strategy to become a leading retail service provider, supporting consumers’ payment needs in various settings.

By Ruben Huber 09/10/2023Greetings from the Moroccan desert, for what has been a personal excursion following an exciting week in the North African powerhouse. Marrakech was buzzing the other day, with delegates from IMF and World Bank flocking to the city for their upcoming meetings here this week. The Aerospace Meetings in Casablanca passed just last week and the important Fruit Attraction in Madrid – where most of the Moroccan fruit and vegetable exporters headed over to close the deals ... Subscription required for Premium stories In order to view the entire article please login with a valid subscription below or register an account and subscribe to PremiumOr buy full access to this story only for £13.00 Please login to activate the purchase link or sign up here to register an accountPremium subscriber LOGIN New Premium subscriber REGISTERPlease Login Please either REGISTER or login below to continue Forgotten your password? Please click here Email *Password * LOGIN

In the phylogenetic analyses, I. ricinus and I. inopinatus sequences from this study together with sequences from the GenBank database form two well-supported sister clades (Fig. 2 Phylogenetic tree of ticks based on the TROSPA gene samples from this study are indicated in bold font. All I. inopinatus sequences (as assigned based on the TROSPA analyses or by their name in GenBank) form a separate, highly supported subclade, although with very short branch length. All I. ricinus and I. inopinatus sequences (directly sequenced and cloned in this study as well as from GenBank) form a single, highly supported clade. 5 Phylogenetic tree of ticks based on the ITS2 gene Samples from this study are indicated in bold font.

The seventh edition of the international exhibition of technology and machinery for agriculture ended yesterday evening in Bari – with a record number of visitors. Businesspeople from 60 countries, more than 50 conferences, 1,200 business meetings reserved to foreign delegations of the ICE Agency. Agrilevante closes its 2023 edition with a record number of attendees, confirming its position as the reference exhibition for agriculture in the entire Mediterranean area. The number of foreign visitors from over 60 countries was also up, reaching 4,050, a 14% increase over the previous edition. ‘Agrilevante’, Rapastella concludes, “is the place where the agriculture of the future is known and where it is planned”.

A top UAE official said the global stocktake to take place at Cop28 should be seen as a “moment of hope”. “The global stocktake has to have that moment of hope,” said Mr Al Suwaidi, who was the UAE's lead negotiator at Paris in 2015. “I think that makes it really powerful because since Paris we haven’t had a moment like that where we address all the issues simultaneously in one negotiation and I think that gives us a really, really powerful moment," he said. John Dennehy / The NationalHis comments came during a high-level panel discussion at Mena Climate Week dedicated to the global stocktake. Message must be strong“The global stocktake needs to send a very strong message as a global community that we are not on track.

Over 150 community members in and around Mahikeng Local Municipality have been empowered through the Departmental Farmer Development programme as the North-West Provincial Government’s (NWPG) Accelerated Service Delivery programme, Thuntsha Lerole, gains momentum. These much-needed inputs havebeen delivered at Reteng Disability Centre in Uitkyk village, Mahole and Mokoena vegetable garden in Gelukspan as well as households in Ramatlabama, Gelukspan and Bapong villages. Speaking during the handover of a food garden for the youth dominated Mahole and Mokoena Vegetable Garden project, MEC Mohono said it was time for the government to have a meaningful impact on the communities it serves. MEC Mohono and HoD Mokhatla further encouraged all beneficiaries to use inputs they received well so that they can have sustainable production. With the tagline #Beke le Beke, The North-West Provincial Government’s Accelerated Service Delivery programme, Thuntsha Lerole continues weekly and is meant to impact positively on rural communities around the province.

Flat6Labs and North Star collaborate to bring the brightest startups from Flat6Labs’ Ignite Program to Expand 2023 in Dubai Harbor. Flat6Labs has announced a partnership with North Star to hold a Demo Day — showcasing startups from the latest edition of the Flat6Labs Ignite Program — at this year’s edition of Expand, the increasingly popular startup event taking place at Dubai Harbour from 15 to 18 October 2023. The seven startups presenting pitches at the Expand North Star 2023 Demo Day have already raised seed funding anywhere between US$500,000 and US$1.5 million, and this platform will give them the opportunity to gain further follow-on funding. “The MENA VC ecosystem surpassed US$3 billion in 2022,” said Trixie LohMirmand at Expand North Star. “And as it outgrows colocation at GITEX, Expand North Star is the best venue in the world right now to connect investors to the latest rising stars.

The precision farming market is in the introductory growth phase and is expected to grow further due to the growing adoption of global positioning system (GPS), guidance, and remote sensing technologies by farmers/growers. The precision farming market is expected to grow from USD 8.5 billion in 2022 to USD 15.6 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 7.9%. Precision farming has the potential to transform the agriculture industry by making traditional farming activities more efficient and predictable. The major technologies used for precision farming are smart sensors, GPS, GNSS, auto-steering and guidance technology, and variable rate technology (VRT), among others. In the next 10 years, advanced technologies in precision farming are expected to gain momentum and reduce the need for and costs associated with manual labor.

Given their strategic importance for global green and digital transitions, Africa’s vast mineral resources are being widely tapped as the key to unlocking the economic and environmental potential of stronger ties between Africa and G20. The project was announced on the sidelines of the Global Infrastructure and Investment Partnership (GIIP) event at the G20 in India. A UN report published in August highlighted how Africa’s abundance of critical minerals needed for clean energy and next-generation digital technologies paired with growing domestic consumer markets create an opportunity for the continent to become a major player within global supply chains. Seizing the benefits of G20 membership, African countries empowered with advanced manufacturing capacities could help Western countries diversify critical supply chains while fueling local development and bolstering the continent’s own resilience to geopolitical and economic shocks. The AU’s AMV should act as the guiding light for this economic rebirth, given its focus on promoting sustainable mining and tackling the continental ‘resource curse.’

This birthed Handas Juice, a venture he has been running for four years now using hydraulic press machine to extract the khat juice by cold press (without the use of heat and chemicals), distilled and parturition. Others include lkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, sterols, glycosides, tannins, amino acids, vitamins and mineralsAccording to James Lito, Handas Juice Manager, the extract is then flavoured by adding other rich ingredients such as hibiscus, strawberry, passion, pinacolad and apple extracts to also add colour. “We also have the Sparkling Jaba Juice which is carbonated and it is the first one of its kind in the country based on our market research,” said Lito. MarketTheir products are packed in various bottles branded Handas Jaba Juice and then sold to customers in various wines and spirit joints in Nairobi, Mombasa and Eldoret among others. In 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture developed Regulatory Impact Statement for the proposed Crops (Miraa) Regulations 2021 for development, promotion and regulation of miraa value chains for the benefit of farmers and stakeholders in the industry.

IPG Health, the world’s leading global healthcare marketing communications network, is reinforcing its offering and presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with the launch of McCann Health Cairo. That is how we accelerate value, impact, and growth.”Offering a comprehensive suite of health marketing and communications capabilities, McCann Health Cairo is led by Karen Kamel as Regional Managing Director. With McCann Health Cairo, we are now even better positioned to help our clients drive their growth, creativity, and impact in the region to even greater heights.”About McCann Health CairoPart of the global IPG Health network, McCann Health Cairo is a full-service healthcare communications agency. About McCann Health DubaiPart of the global IPG Health network, McCann Health Dubai is a full-service award-winning healthcare communications agency. McCann Health Dubai achieves the right balance of strategic, creative, medical and digital excellence to lift clients to greater heights.

Each of the five regions of Africa has significant wind energy potential, with North Africa having the highest potential at 18GW. This was one of the key take outs from the the Global Wind Energy Council’s (GWEC) Status of Wind in Africa report launched at last week’s Windaba conference in Cape Town. The report notes that the total technical potential for wind as identified by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) is 34,700GW. Southern Africa, dominated by wind farms in South Africa largely installed through the REIPPP programme, has the second highest installed wind capacity. Project to explore South Africa’s offshore wind energy potential“More capacity additions are planned for the established wind markets in Southern, Eastern and Northern Africa.