Prince William’s United for Wildlife signs cooperation deal with Dubai Airports
February 12, 2022, 4:06 am

Prince William’s United for Wildlife signs cooperation deal with Dubai Airports

The Mangrove Initiative will focus on sustainability and preserving the natural environment, providing vital research for supporting biodiversity - including the development of more resilient varieties of the mangrove, which will in turn help protect the Abu Dhabi coastline/The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge official Twitter page

The Arab News reported, state news agency WAM reported on Friday, Britain’s Prince William, founder of United for Wildlife, was present for the signing of an agreement with Dubai Airports to prevent the illegal trade in wildlife, during his historic visit to the UAE.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said by signing the “Buckingham Palace Declaration” the international transit hub was committed to thwarting any operations aimed at the illegal trade in wildlife, which is a global issue that ranks among the top five global crimes for profit.

He said the Duke of Cambridge had always been keen to launch global initiatives aimed at preserving the natural environment and combating the illegal trade of wild animals.

Griffiths also said Dubai’s location is a link to all parts of the world, and the emirate has a strategic position as a center for international trade, so strengthening cooperation between Dubai Airports, DP World and Dubai Customs will constitute a strong impetus in the fight against trafficking issues to eliminate the illegal movement of wildlife across borders.

From visiting the Jubail Mangroves and Jebel Ali Port to seeing our Earthshot finalists and celebrating the UK National Day @expo2020dubai/The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge official Twitter page

He continued: “Dubai Airports will provide the necessary support and jointly coordinate with partners and relevant authorities from all over the world to share data, find and develop strategic solutions and set policies that contribute to addressing this international issue because of its critical importance.”

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Meanwhile, Prince William attended the first-ever Earthshot Prize Innovation Showcase at the DP World Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Prince William, was joined by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, CEO of Emirates Group and chairman of Dubai Airports, and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World.

He praised an announcement of a £1 million ($1.355 million) investment in two Earthshot Prize finalists, designed to scale their work in the UAE and Middle East.

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Prince William said: “The Earthshot mission is more than just a prize. It’s a global team effort to spark urgent optimism and game-changing innovation to transform our future. I’m inviting all of you to join the Earthshot team and support our Finalists — the eco-innovators — to take their solutions to scale."

Queen Rania of Jordan, who participated via video message, said: “Every sector has a role to play public, private, philanthropic, and the bottom line could not be clearer: If we work together, everybody wins.”

With the funds, the finalists will begin collaborative work on reef restoration in the region, including scoping for the first commercial land-based coral farm for reef restoration in the Middle East.

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This investment will scale their innovative work creating panels that mimic natural habitats like rock pools and mangrove roots, which are fitted to coastal sea defenses to return marine life to coastal shorelines.

DP World’s commitment will fund the design and installation of the largest living seawall on the planet adapted to support the native marine life of the UAE and wider region.

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Bin Sulayem said: “Our business is connected to the oceans and their protection is an important priority across all our operations as part of our sustainable business commitments evidenced by our target of net zero carbon emissions by 2040.”

Source: arabnews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”