The Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Amazon Web Services have teamed up to launch a cloud computing programme to train, certify and teach additional skills to small and medium-sized enterprises in the emirate.
It will equip SMEs with in-demand cloud skills to help accelerate their digital transformation, the office said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Cloud technology is a launch pad for companies of all sizes to thrive in the digital economy, generating significant competitive advantages, cost savings and efficiencies that can rapidly propel a business upwards,” said Mohammed Al Shorafa, chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and chairman of the Khalifa Fund.
“With training programmes from AWS and certification, we are equipping businesses with the latest tools and skills to successfully leverage the benefits of the cloud and create lasting transformation in their organisations,” he added.
SMEs account for 98 per cent of all companies in Abu Dhabi, making them a key pillar of the emirate’s economy and diversification strategy. In 2019, SMEs in the capital accounted for 29 per cent of gross domestic product and 44 per cent of the non-oil economy, according to the Abu Dhabi Chamber.
The investment office and AWS will work with Abu Dhabi government bodies that focus on helping SMEs, such as the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, to reach the programme’s target audience, the statement added.
The training programme has been designed to help SMEs stay ahead in the digital economy, according to the office.
Training partners authorised by AWS will work with programme participants to analyse skills gaps, create a customised learning experience and come up with a cloud training strategy. Participants will also gain access to digital on-demand AWS training content, pre-and post-programme assessments and monthly reporting, the statement added.
The curriculum will be offered to eligible SMEs in Abu Dhabi at a discounted rate of 50 per cent, the office said.
“Organisations need individuals with cloud skills to help transform their business and there is a growing demand for IT professionals with AWS cloud skills,” said Vinod Krishnan, head of Middle East and North Africa at AWS.
The training programme builds on the existing relationship between the office and AWS, and focuses on boosting the digital economy in Abu Dhabi.
AWS recently announced that it will expand its cloud infrastructure in the UAE by bringing new infrastructure to the country in the first half of 2022.
The investment office is the government entity responsible for attracting and facilitating investment in Abu Dhabi. It teamed up with Microsoft and Plug and Play earlier this year to roll out initiatives aimed at supporting technology start-ups. Through these partnerships, it will provide strategic funding for key projects that support growth-driven companies.
Global tech ecosystem Hub71 also joined forces with the office in June to help early-stage tech start-ups grow through fresh investment.
Similarly, the Khalifa Fund and Amazon teamed up last year to back SMEs in Abu Dhabi. Under a free online education programme called e-Empower, the US e-commerce company offered a 10-week training course to thousands of SMEs in Abu Dhabi that wished to start a new online business or expand an existing platform.
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
GAC GS8 Specs
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Mobile phone packages comparison
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Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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
