MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2020 www.thepeninsula.qa23 RABIA I - 1442 VOLUME 25 NUMBER 8436

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QA files lawsuit in English High Court against Al ArabiyaTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Airways (QA) has brought claims in the English High Court against the Al Arabiya news channel relating to a video simu-lation published in August 2017 which purported to explain the effect of the illegal blockade on Qatar and Qatar Airways.

In a 130 page judgment of the English High Court published on November 6, 2020, the court dis-missed Al Arabiya’s application to contest the jurisdiction of the English court to hear the claims. The judgment followed the service of extensive evidence and a three- day court hearing.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways is deter-mined to protect its business from such spurious and politically motivated attacks such as this, and we have confidence that the English High Court will deliver justice in this dispute. This judgment is welcomed and it an important step forward for Qatar Airways in its quest for justice.”

The Al Arabiya video included an animation which depicted a Qatar Airways aircraft being intercepted and potentially being shot down by a fighter jet in the context of the illegal blockade. The video was widely viewed in the UK and worldwide and caused a storm of media outrage at the time, with the UK’s Daily Mail commenting that it constituted “a chilling warning that (Saudi Arabia) could blast a Qatari pas-senger plane out of the sky” and which the UK’s Independent newspaper described as “beyond provocative”.

Qatar Airways claims that the video was false and misleading and that it was intended to deter customers from flying with Qatar Airways, being part of a series of

politically motivated anti-Qatar publications by the news channel. Despite arguments by Al Arabiya, the judge found that Qatar Airways had demonstrated that it has real prospects of showing at trial that the video was false and/or conveyed a false impression and that it was published mali-ciously, with the motive of harming Qatar Airways.

Al Arabiya’s arguments that the Dubai courts would be a more appropriate forum for the claims were decisively rejected by the judge noting the impact of the illegal blockade and the “hostile environment for Qataris in the UAE”.

Amir sends congratulations to President-elect Joe BidenQNA — DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent on Saturday a cable of congratu-lations to H E Joe Biden on the occasion of his victory in the presidential elections in the United States of America, wishing him success and further development and pros-perity in the friendship between the two countries.

Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, and Prime Minister and Min-ister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani also sent cables of congratulations to H E Joe Biden on the occasion of his victory in the presi-dential elections in the United States of America.

Apartment owners asked to register their interest in leasing properties for Qatar 2022THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The owners of residential apart-ments are being encouraged to register their interest in leasing their properties to visitors both in the lead-up to and during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) is currently assessing the quantity and quality of properties which may be available. This is the second phase of the Qatar 2022 accommodation project, which was launched earlier this year

and aims to ensure the coun-try’s existing housing stock is fully utilised during the tour-nament, the SC said on its website.

Landlords will have one month to register their interest in leasing their properties. They should register their interest by completing this survey by December 7.

Landlords must take note of the following criteria: Resi-dential apartments of all sizes will be considered and the apartments must be fully

furnished. The apartments can be located anywhere, though preference will be given to prop-erties in The Pearl-Qatar and Lusail City.

There is no minimum requirement in terms of the number of properties landlords must supply and there is no commitment to lease the prop-erties from the SC. Rental fees will be determined at a later stage and the lease duration will be for either one, six or 12 months. Further details will be available from siru@sc.qa.

S&P affirms Qatar rating with stable outlookTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

S&P Global Ratings has affirmed Qatar’s sovereign credit rating at AA-/Stable/A-1+, with stable outlook.

“The stable outlook indi-cates our view that, despite a sharp economic contraction and low hydrocarbon prices, we expect Qatar’s credit profile will remain resilient, supported by its wealthy economy and strong government and external net asset positions,” said S&P Global Ratings yes-terday in a report.

“We also expect that the government will provide timely extraordinary liquidity support to the banking system in the less likely event of sudden and sharp reversals in foreign flows,” it added.

The report noted that despite the sharp COVID-19-induced decline in economic activity and low hydrocarbon prices, income levels in Qatar remain among the highest of rated sovereigns, supporting its strong credit profile. High GDP per capita, rebounding to an average of $61,600 in 2021-2023 from a low of $56,500 in 2020, will mitigate the effect of weak trend growth expected over the forecast horizon.

“We expect the rebound to be linked to increased hydro-carbon prices and gradually abating effects of the pandemic. Despite our expectation of current account deficits through 2021, Qatar’s external balance sheet remains strong, with liquid external assets con-tinuing to offset the country’s stock of external debt by a sizable margin,” said S&P. “We expect the government will provide extraordinary liquidity support to the banking system in case of sudden reversals in capital flows related to nonres-ident funding,” it added.

Despite low oil prices, S&P expects Qatar would continue to generate sur-pluses in its budgetary accounts on the general gov-ernment level. “The country’s strong general government net asset position remains a credit strength. The govern-ment’s large liquid financial assets, averaging about 185 percent of GDP in 2021-2023, provide it with a strong buffer during economic and financial shocks,” it said.

About the ongoing blockade, S&P said that it does not expect the siege to have sig-nificant effect on Qatar’s economy. �P2

Apartments, which must be fully furnished, can be located anywhere, though preference will be given to properties in The Pearl-Qatar and Lusail City.

MME opens two parks in Al Daayen MunicipalitySANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), represented by the Public Parks Department and Al Daayen Municipality, inaugu-rated yesterday two public parks — Al Sakhama and Wadi Lusail — in the Municipality.

This is a part of a major project of the Ministry of Municipality and Envi-ronment to build new advanced parks in all possible areas across the country and renovate the old ones ena-bling citizens and expatriates to do exercise and spend their free time with their families in a healthy environment.

The public parks which reached near 100 across the country also aims at increasing greenery cutting carbon footprint and plant rear species of local trees

under sustainability devel-opment goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

The opening ceremony of ‘Sakhama Park’ and ‘Wadi Lusail Park’ was attended by Rashid Mishlash Al Khayarin, Director of Al Daayen Municipality; Muhammad Ibrahim Al Sada, Assistant Director of the Public Parks Department and a number of officials.

Al Sakhama Park has been built on an area of 6,250 square meters including 2,240 square meters green area with 16 palm trees, a cafeteria, and play areas.

Wadi Lusail Park is stretching on an area of 8,370 square meters, including 2,360 square meters of green areas with 17 palm trees and a football field on an area of 960 square meters, and a bas-ketball field on an area of 970 sq meters, as well as a cafe-

teria, and play areas.The new public parks are

being built according to the international standards. Park facilities include modern play areas equipped with various varieties of games and rubber floor for the safety of the children.

Pergolas (shades) at the parks were designed specially giving touch of Qatari heritage to make the parks more beau-tiful. There are fountains and artificial waterfalls at public parks. Facilities of public parks are also equipped with free wifi connection and solar-powered mobile charging stations.

To make the public parks modern, safer and durable lamp posts have been set up at the parks. To protect the environment, lighting system are fitted with energy saving bulbs. Many solar-powered system are also installed.

Rashid Mishlash Al Khayarin, Director of Al Daayen Municipality, and Muhammad Ibrahim Al Sada, Assistant Director of the Public Parks Department, with other officials during the opening of Al Sakhama Park, yesterday.

Technical tests of Lusail Tram beginIRFAN BUKHARI THE PENINSULA

After successful launch of Doha Metro last year which is providing a hassle-free transport to commuters, Qatar Rail has now started technical tests of Lusail Tram in Lusail City.

“We have started the tech-nical tests of the Lusail Tram in Lusail City, and therefore we urge drivers and pedestrians in that area to abide by traffic signals on the roads to ensure their safety,” Qatar Rail said in a tweet yesterday.

Lusail Tram is a tram service for convenient travel within the new city of Lusail. The network includes four lines and 25 stations above-ground and underground. Lusail Tram connects to the Doha Metro through two inter-change stations at Lusail and Legtaifiya, according to Qatar Rail website. �P3

The Al Arabiya video included an animation which depicted a Qatar Airways aircraft being intercepted and potentially being shot down by a fighter jet in the context of the illegal blockade. The video was widely viewed in the UK and worldwide and caused a storm of media outrage at the time.

No minimum requirement in terms of the number of properties landlords must supply.

Landlords will have one month to register their interest in leasing their properties.

GORD accredits 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar stadiums operating teamTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

To ensure sustainable opera-tions and maintenance of the stadiums during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and beyond, the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD) certified a group of 34 engineers, operators and facility management profes-sionals on November 5.

Titled GSAS Operations Certified Green Professional (CGP) Workshop, the course was organised in collaboration with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) at the site of Al Janoub Stadium – one of the eight stadiums to host 2020 FIFA World Cup.

Attending the training were representatives from SC and Mosanada – the facility man-agement organisation respon-sible for providing the facility management consultancy services for the infrastructure projects of SC. Founding Chairman of GORD, Dr. Yousef Alhorr said: “With most World Cup stadiums in Qatar now nearing completion, it is about time we took sustainability to the next stage that comes after design and construction. �P2

OFFICIAL NEWS

02 MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2020HOME

Amir condoles with Presidentof Philippines

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, and Prime Minister and Min-ister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani sent yesterday cables of condo-lences to President of the Republic of Philippines H E Rodrigo Duterte on the victims of Typhoon Goni which stroke the south of Luzon Island, wishing a speedy recov-ery for the injured. -QNA

Amir condoles with Burkina Faso President

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani sent yesterday cables of condolences to President of the Republic of Burkina Faso H E Roch Marc Christian Kabore on the death of his father. -QNA

Amir congratulates President of Seychelles

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, and Prime Minister and Min-ister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani sent yesterday cables of congrat-ulation to H E President Wavel Ramkalawan on the occasion of his swearing-in as President of the Republic of Seychelles, wishing him success and for the relations of the two countries further devel-opment and prosperity. -QNA

Amir congratulates President of Bolivia

D Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, and Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani sent yesterday cables of congratulations to H E the Pres-ident Luis Alberto Arce on the occasion of his inauguration as President of the State of Bolivia, wishing him success, and the Bolivian people further progress and development. -QNA

190 new COVID-19 cases, 201 recoveries: MoPH

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday announced the registration of 190 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. According to the Ministry, among them 39 were travellers returning from abroad.

Also, 201 people have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 131,276. All the new cases have been introduced to isolation and are receiving necessary healthcare according to their health status. The Ministry further said that measures to tackle COVID-19 in Qatar have succeeded in flattening the curve and limiting the spread of the virus.

Shura Council Speaker chairs meeting of GOPAC Executive CommitteeQNA — DOHA

Speaker of the Shura Council and Chairman of Global Organisation of Parliamen-tarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) H E Ahmed bin Abdulla bin Zaid Al Mahmoud chaired yesterday via videoconferencing the meeting of the GOPAC Exec-utive Committee.

His Excellency opened the meeting, stressing the impor-tance of its agenda, which includes the organisation’s

various future activities and programmes.

In his speech, he addressed the great attention paid by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to combat corruption, referring to the important issues included in His Highness’s speech at the opening of the 49th session of the Shura Council, including the holding of the 7th GOPAC conference in Doha on December 9 and 10.

He explained that based on the position of His Highness in

the fight against corruption, His Highness initiated the estab-lishment of the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani Interna-tional Anti-Corruption Excel-lence Award, which is awarded annually to encourage person-alities who have made distin-guished efforts in this field and in appreciation of their important role.

The Speaker concluded his speech, wishing the meeting success and coming up with decisions that achieve the goals of the organisation.

Speaker of the Shura Council and Chairman of Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption, H E Ahmed bin Abdulla bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, chairing the meeting of GOPAC Executive Committee via video-conferencing, yesterday.

QA Cargo, QDB introduce initiative to support Qatari perfume exportsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Airways Cargo and Qatar Development Bank (QDB) have introduced an initiative to support local perfume manufac-turers in Qatar. The cargo carrier is offering discounted rates to local Qatari perfume manufac-turers to export to international markets.

Through this initiative, the airline will help boost exports and sales of locally manufac-tured perfumes to international markets and provide opportu-nities for Qatari exporters to expand their business activities through business to consumer channels. Local manufacturers, through the airline’s approved network of courier companies, will have access to Qatar Airways’ extensive global network and modern fleet to transport their products.

Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo, Guillaume Halleux, said: “We are pleased to support the growth and success of local exporters and help diversify the economy of Qatar. Being a leading cargo carrier, we are well placed to help businesses in Qatar export their products to an inter-national market utilising our state-of-the-art and modern fleet.”

Hamad Salem Mejegheer, Executive Director of Export Development & Promotion at QDB said: “Through its part-nership with Qatar Airways, QDB is introducing yet another

initiative that supports Qatari export businesses by offering them an additional way to access new markets and compete glo-bally, while acting as a powerful catalyst for socio-economic development. This initiative per-fectly complements QDB’s existing range of SME-focused financial and advisory solutions that empower them throughout the entire entrepreneurial journey.”

Amidst the global pandemic, Qatar Airways Cargo continues to operate its scheduled freighters, passenger freighters, belly-hold passenger flights and charters globally, ensuring the continuity of global trade.

The carrier has remained agile and adapted to the new normal, displaying commitment to excellence and that is one of the reasons it has become the largest international carrier and grown its market share even during the pandemic.

Qatar registers low stroke rate and efficient rehabilitationFAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

Qatar has reported a low rate of stroke cases per year compared to other coun-tries and majority of survivors have regained their functional ability as a result of an efficient rehabilitation programme, said a senior official yesterday.

Qatar has reported low incidence of stroke with 58 per 100,000 people annually. The structured stroke rehabil-itation service at the Qatar Rehabilitation Institute (QRI) has helped majority of patients regain independence and improve quality, according to Chair-person of Physical Medicine and Reha-bilitation (PM&R) at Hamad Medical Cor-poration, Dr. Rafat Mohammed Abdullah Saad.

“South Asian migrants in Qatar suffer from strokes at younger age than Qatari natives. Most common risk factors for stroke incidence in Qatar are hyper-tension (77.9%), diabetes (77.9%) and hypercholesterolemia (28.5%),” he said, while speaking at a webinar on ‘Stroke Rehabilitation in Qatar.’

“At QRI, the stroke rehabilitation pro-gramme is aimed at prevention of stroke in future, management, compensation, maintenance and reintegration into the society. Effective rehabilitation interven-tions initiated early after stroke has enhanced the recovery process and min-

imised functional disability in stroke sur-vivors,” he said.

The QRI provides a range of world-class integrated rehabilitation services and the most technologically advanced patient centred care for patients with stroke from early stages until community reintegration. The sate-of-the-art rehab service is delivered using rehab robotics, cognitive rehabilitation and psychological approaches by a multidisciplinary team.

In 2019, some 375 patients were admitted at QRI for stroke rehabilitation. Among them 350 were discharged and their average length of stay was 35 days.

Between January and October this year, 575 patients were admitted to QRI for stroke rehabilitation. Among them, 550 were discharged and their average hospital stay was 29 days.

“We usually take patients for reha-bilitation within three days after the stroke. The rehabilitation process is very effective when we take patients at an acute stage,” said Dr. Saad.

The combination of conventional physiotherapy with adjunct treatments such as robot-assisted gait training and aquatic therapy contribute to better and faster patient outcomes and culminate into a shorter ‘length of stay’ in QRI for patients.

“The structured rehabilitation stroke programme helps to enhance functional abilities, review care needs, social

circumstances, intervention if needed, management of risk including needs of vulnerable adults, follow up plans,” said Dr. Saad.

“Stroke patients have access to advanced facilities at QRI, which include hydrotherapy pools, advanced gyms, a specialist sensory room, and an Assisted Living Unit in which patients can relearn simple daily tasks and readjust to life at home,” he said.

For individuals whose recovery is considered to be slow or prolonged, QRI provides low intensity, high frequency interdisciplinary therapy for 2-3 hours

per patient per day. The institute also pro-vides, inpatient rehabilitation, day care rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation, community rehabilitation, functional robotic rehabilitation, cognitive rehabil-itation and mobile rehabilitation services, according to the condition of the stroke survivor.

The Stroke Rehabilitation in Qatar webinar was held as part of the WISH — Doha Healthcare Week (DHW) taking place from November 8 to 14. DHW is being held ahead of the World Innovation Summit 2020, which will begin next week.

Qatar Rehabilitation Institute has cared for 575 stroke survivors, between January and October of this year.

GORD accredits 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar stadiums operating teamFROM PAGE 1

The founding Chairman of GORD, Dr. Yousef Alhorr added: “Now is the time for Qatar’s stadiums to gear up for setting yet another benchmark by incor-porating green principles in their oper-ations phase. To this end, GORD is proud to be a part of SC’s journey by providing the necessary knowledge, skillsets and tools within the sustainability realm through its GSAS Workshop series.”

The event was marked by the presence of Engineer Abdulaziz Ali Al Ishaq, Al Janoub Stadium Manager, who said, “Qatar’s stadiums meet all the required sustainability measures to obtain GSAS certificates with outstanding ratings. For these projects, sustainability started from the very beginning. When we issued the documents for tendering, we had specified the sustainability measures we were looking for. These

were incorporated during the design, construction, handover and commis-sioning stages.”

Representing Mosanada’s senior leadership Adam Wood, Deputy Director of Business Solutions at Mosanda, said, “GSAS operations is the framework that has been used and approved for ensuring that the stadiums are sustainably operated. At Mosanada, we make sure that all aspects of the operations of the stadiums are sustainable and are setting world leading trends.”

As Mena's first performance based green building certification system, the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) aims to curb projects’ carbon footprint linked with their design, con-struction and operations primarily through three certifications – GSAS Design & Build, GSAS Construction Man-agement and GSAS Operations.

Speaking about Mosanada’s plans to implement GSAS Operations, Sailatha Theagaraj, Senior Sustainability Engineer at Mosanada, said, “We are currently working on strategising sustainability for the SC stadiums to achieve the GSAS Operations certification. Achieving the GSAS operations certification is itself a statement that we are very sustainable and are performing and achieving all the sustainability requirements. This training session will help us get there easily and will bridge the gap between what is expected and where we are.”

Representatives from SC and Mosanada at workshop held at the site of Al Janoub Stadium.

One arrested for violating quarantine rulesQNA — DOHA

The competent authorities arrested yesterday one person who violated the requirements of the home quarantine, he committed to following.

It is in implementation of the precautionary measures in

force in the country, approved by health authorities represented in the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to ensure the achievement of public safety and to curb the spread of the coro-navirus. The arrested person is being referred to the prosecution has been identified as

Mohammed Abdulrahman Mahmoud Sayouda.

The concerned authorities in the State called on citizens and residents who are subject to quarantine to fully adhere to the requirements set by the Ministry of Public Health, to ensure their safety and the safety of others.

Through this initiative, the airline will help boost exports and sales of locally manufactured perfumes to international markets and provide opportunities for Qatari exporters to expand their business activities.

The Global Sustainability Assessment System aims to curb projects’ carbon footprint linked with their design, construction and operations .

S&P affirms Qatar rating with stable outlookFROM PAGE 1

“Although the siege of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates could continue for some time, we do not expect this to significantly affect the Qatari economy in our base-case scenario, given its very strong gas exports largely to

markets outside the region,” it said.

S&P expects that gov-ernment policy would continue to focus on prudent devel-opment of the hydrocarbons sector, alongside further attempts to promote the private sector and diversify the economy.

03MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2020 HOME

QU marks ISO accreditation for its unitsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Chief Strategy and Devel-opment Office at Qatar University (QU) organised a ceremony in recognition of the university units’ efforts in obtaining the ISO certificates by achieving institutional excel-lence through the pursuit of quality management.

Dr. Hassan Al Derham, President of Qatar University, attended the ceremony along with Directors of university units and several university employees.

The units obtained the internationally recognised ISO 9001:2015 standard certifi-cation, which is concerned with determining a quality man-agement system’s requirements. Chief Strategy and Devel-opment Office, Social and Eco-nomic Survey Research Institute, Research Support Department (Grants and Con-tracts), and Student Learning Support Center all got certified.

The Quality Management System (QMS) enables the Qatar University offices, departments, divisions, and centres to set up and improving internal opera-tions. This system follows a methodology that helps the

administration make informed decisions and provide high-quality services. A well-estab-lished QMS can save time, money, resources, and reduce errors and improve operational performance.

The Facilities Call Center of Facilities and General Services Department has also obtained the certification of ISO 18295-1:2017 standard, an interna-tional quality standard dedi-cated to the call centre industry reflecting the organisation’s commitment to professionalism continuous improvement of the quality of customer service.

In a statement, Dr. Al Derham said, “I am pleased to express my gratitude, and I appreciate the cooperation I receive from you in matters of continuous improvement, which indicates your keenness

and belief in working on insti-tutional excellence through the p u r s u i t o f q u a l i t y management.

“Qatar University’s Institu-tional Excellence strategy has set institutional excellence as a strategic goal for it as one of its components’ transformation initiatives. This can be achieved by implementing the gov-ernance system, which will work based on quality standards and operational effectiveness frameworks.

“First, I congratulate Dr. Khalid Al Khanji, Chief Strategy and Development Officer, and Dr. Darwish Al Emadi, the pre-vious representative of the office; and Dr. Kaltham Al Ghanim, Director of Social and Economic Survey Research Institute, and Dr. Hassan Al Sayed, the previous

representative of the Institute; Dr. Mohammed Al Salem, Director of Research Support Department (Grants and Con-tracts); Dr. Yasser Hussein, Director of Student Learning Support Center for obtaining the certification of ISO 9001:2015 standard. I also con-gratulate Eng Mai Fetais, Director of Facilities and General Services Department for obtaining the certification for Facilities Call Center in ISO

18295-1:2017 standard.”“We are extremely proud of

your achievement, which is the result of the continuous improvement of your services, which could not have been achieved without fruitful coop-eration with your team. It is always important to improve the quality of your services pro-vided to increase the satis-faction of customers, employees, stakeholders, sup-pliers, and society, university

as a whole,” he added.Chief Strategy and Devel-

opment Officer Dr. Khalid Al Khanji said, “The adoption of ISO certification standards reflects the university’s interest in assisting its departments and centres to the highest degree of professionalism in performing their duties and providing services. It is expected that a larger group of departments and centres will obtain similar cer-tificates in the coming period.”

A group photo of QU officials at a ceremony marking the ISO accreditation for its units.

Ashghal launches pilot project to improve, rehabilitate roads networkTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has adopted new technology for quick mainte-nance and restore the road network to its optimal shape and quality to address the challenges of preserving road efficiency and lifecycle amid increasing traffic loads on it.

As part of the preventive operation and maintenance plans for Qatar’s road network, Ashghal has launched a pilot project to apply the technology of Asphalt rejuvenation / fog seal on a local road with a length of 1km in Ain Khaled area, with the aim of improving, preserving and extending its life.

Ashghal works to develop latest methods and techniques of maintaining road networks by finding pioneering solu-tions to maintain their effi-ciency and durability, using the best international prac-tices and advanced mecha-nisms, which support the country’s strategy to achieve sustainable development.

This technique includes applying a bitumen layer mixed with different materials to restore the required elas-ticity of the asphalt and raise its efficiency, which in turn helps resist weather factors such as oxidation and hardness of the asphalt, iso-lates surface water and rain water, prevents it from seeping into road layers, and helps asphalt resist cracks.

This technology, which is being used for the first time in

Qatar, is implemented at an early stage on roads with slight defects with the aim of giving a fresh appearance to the asphalt surface, and ensure that it’s free of defects.

On his part, Eng. Jamal Al Ansari, Assistant Manager of Roads Operation and Mainte-nance Department, said: “With the rapid development and growth of the roads network and the increase in traffic loads, the challenges of pre-serving road efficiency and lifecycle are increasing.

“Therefore through the application of this technology, Ashghal aims to address these challenges aimed at enhancing traffic safety, reducing the total cost of road operation

and maintenance and e n h a n c i n g c u s t o m e r satisfaction.”

This technology will be applied in different areas of the country in cooperation with consultants, contractors and local suppliers in proportion to the condition of each road, the traffic loads, and the most appropriate t ime for implementation.

This technology is con-sidered one of the quick main-tenance solutions to restore the road network to its optimal shape and quality, as it takes only two hours to work on 1km, and it can be applied in dif-ferent colours for each lane on the road according to the type of use and their need.

Ashghal has launched a pilot project to apply the technology of Asphalt rejuvenation/fog seal on a local road with a length of 1km in Ain Khaled area.

The units obtained the internationally recognised ISO 9001:2015 standard certification, which is concerned with determining a quality management system’s requirements. Chief Strategy and Development Office, Social and Economic Survey Research Institute, Research Support Department (Grants and Contracts), and Student Learning Support Center all got certified.

QRCS, WHO provide psychosocial support services in SyriaTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

In partnership with World Health Organization (WHO), Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is working on a project to deploy mobile psychological clinics in northern Syria.

It is part of the efforts to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in relation to mental health and psycho-social support in the north-western parts of the country.

The purpose of the project is to provide integrated, immediate, and culturally high-quality mental health and psychosocial

support services for the inter-nally displaced people (IDPs) who live in remote areas where such services are not available.

To that end, mobile clinics are deployed, including physi-cians trained under WHO’s Mental Health Gap Action Pro-gramme, to provide individual mental health consultations.

It covers 15 districts in north-western Syria whose population do not have access to mental health centres.

During weekdays, three mobile psychological clinics make regular visits to those suf-fering psychological issues or

disorders, provide psychiatric drugs free-of-charge for the cases that require therapeutic interventions, and conduct awareness raising activities such as community mental health education on how to deal with trauma and difficulties of life.

Also, the project involves holding remote psychological support sessions to alleviate the impact of war and COVID-19 on children. Activity bags are dis-tributed to the parents and care providers, containing materials to be used in psychological support and at-home training for children.

Technical tests of Lusail Tram beginFROM PAGE 1

It further says that trams are greener and cope better with traffic than buses. They are also much more efficient in terms of road usage as one train replaces about 40 cars which take up a far larger area of road space. Lusail tram will soon become the main transpor-tation hub for visionary Lusail City - the largest single sus-tainable development being undertaken in the State of Qatar.

Lusail City on its website

says that it has a compre-hensive plan for establishing a network of light trains, which will connect the various dis-tricts. The train network will have low energy consumption, supporting Qatar’s vision for continuous development and ensuring the project is environ-mentally friendly.

Earlier in 2018, Qatar Rail had received the first Lusail Tram at Hamad Port. The design of the Lusail Tram was inspired by ‘Al Mehmel’, which signifies ‘The Dhow’ – the old

traditional Qatari boat used for pearl fishing. The design concept focused on the sea rep-resenting dhow pearl fishing and bringing in the calm, cool, elegant and tranquil elements of that medium to the design.

Lusail tramway is com-posed of five cars per single unit, with each 33-meter long car to carry over 207 pas-sengers. Each tramway features two classes: common and family class. The cars will be fully low floor to enable easier access for all passengers.

Man arrested for burglary, theftsTHE PENINSULA - DOHA

The Criminal Investigation Department arrested an Arab suspect who broke into several shops in the country.

He confessed to committing burglary and thefts by smashing

doors and glass. Investigation team seized many stolen goods from his residence.

The accused was referred to the competent authorities in preparation for presenting him to the Public Prosecution Office to complete the legal

procedures against him. The Criminal Investigation Department calls on the public and shop owners to install security cameras and surveil-lance devices and to comply with security requirements to ensure safety.

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Splash launches AW campaign with new stylish collectionTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Splash, the Middle East’s largest high-street fashion retailer, has unveiled its Autumn-Winter 2020 collection with “in love with fashion “campaign representing a mix of inspiring fashion styles for women and men. The winter lineup also includes sustainable wardrobe alter-natives made from ecofriendly and ethically sourced materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester.

For the women's wear, the key theme is ‘Glowing.’ A tailored and relaxed-based look that takes you from day to evening in style. Statement dresses are worn over jeans for a contemporary take on party wear.

Glossy sporty or smart jackets sit over fabrics with sheen and colour. New embellishment’s emerge as tech-niques and details. Bright colours, modest styling, embellishment, and sheen are the critical highlight of comfort and layering in mind.

For colours, vibrant and a bold palette are the options ranging from vibrant yellow, hot pink, plush purple, flame red, cobalt and black,

and shimmer and gold add a twist to winter’s traditional palette.

Meanwhile, for the men's wear, COCOON, a cosy yet functional,

modern look in a gentle colour palette is the essential story this season in Splash. Soft winter products are consisting of light to mid-weights in new knit pat-terns. New length coats and trend-driven padded jackets and gilets are designed with perfection. Gilets and jackets are given a modern update with borg fabrication in body and collar, respectively.

Soft Jerseys and fleece have a brushed surface for a luxury feel. Fabrics are used in Drop Shoulder shapes. High Neck Sweaters, Casual oversized shirts are vital pieces done in different materials in casual and layered.

Also, for men, elasticated waistband trousers, bi-stretch fabrics for movement, soft hand feel through finishes and washes done in menswear rep-resenting styles such as loose fit cargos, balloon shape trousers, oversize sweats/shirts/t-shirts are key categories in this range.

Stay home style, slounge, and matching sets post-pan-demic gained momentum and perfect for a staycation. Matching sets are done in sweat fabrics and velour in a clean and minimalist look.

Another line adding to the collection is GLOW, a clean look with sports-inspired details perfect for bold, col-ourful days and evening looks. This edgy look is encompassing casual wear and tailoring. The collection is now available in Splash and Centrepoint stores In Qatar.

Qatar attends La Francophonie meetingQNA — PARIS

The State of Qatar participated, via video conferencing, in the meeting of the 112th session of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie, which was chaired by Secretary-General of the International Organization of La Francophonie, H E Louise Mushikiwabo.

Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the French Republic and Qatar’s representative to the International Organization of La Francophonie, H E Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani, represented the State of Qatar in the meeting.

The participation of the State of Qatar in the meeting falls within the context of its constant desire to participate in the various summits, ministerial conferences, and meetings held by the organization at all levels, and its commitment to the values of Francophonie since its accession to the International Organization of La Francophonie as an associate member in 2012.

During the meeting, the members of the Permanent Council of la Francophonie praised the work accomplished by the Secretary-General and her work team regarding the admin-istrative and financial transfor-mation of the organization, and its contribution to the sound management, and approved the

new financial regulations of the organisation.

Member states and govern-ments also welcomed the progress achieved in a number of pilot projects for Franco-phonie, notably the project of teacher mobility in the Franco-phone countries and the estab-lishment of a youth radio station in the Sahel region.

On the other hand, the Per-manent Council of La

Francophonie witnessed the official return of Burundi to the Francophone organisations after adopting the decision to lift the suspension of multilateral coop-eration on it and decided to lift the suspension of the mem-bership of the Republic of Mali in the Francophonie, encour-aging the Malian authorities to continue restoring the constitu-tional order in a sustainable and credible manner.

Ambassador of the State of Qatar to France and Qatar’s representative to the International Organization of La Francophonie, H E Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani, participating in the meeting virtually.

Doha enjoys great regional, global position: Qatar’s envoy to MexicoQNA — MEXICO CITY

Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Mexico, H E Mohammed bin Jassim Al Kuwari, affirmed the high and great standing of the State of Qatar, regionally as well as globally.

In an interview with the Mexican channel Milano, H E the Ambassador said that the State of Qatar is an important centre for sport in the region and the World Cup is an opportunity to transcend all differences between cultures and people.

Regarding Qatar’s prepa-rations to host millions of fans around the world, the Ambas-sador said, “We welcome eve-ryone to the State of Qatar. It will be a distinguished expe-rience through which the audience learns about Qatari culture, customs, and traditions.”

Preparations continue to host the first edition of the World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world.

Four of the tournament’s stadiums have been com-pleted, and construction con-tinues on the rest of the sta-diums, which will be com-

pleted next year, he added.Although the current

period is considered difficult due to the circumstances of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, work continues in the infrastructure as planned, the Ambassador said.

On workers’ rights,

Ambassador Al Kuwari said that working hours have been set for summer work, and workers are not allowed to work during the day.

He said that starting this year, a new wage law was applied, so that the minimum wage is at least 11,000 Mexican pesos, adding that the reforms that have been done will benefit workers and improve their safety. Many accusations about conditions of workers in 2022 World Cup stadiums are unfounded, H E said.

Ambassador Mohammed bin Jassim Al Kuwari also spoke, in another interview with Mexican News Channel 13, about the cultural and tourism aspect of the State of Qatar.

He pointed out that there are many tourist attractions in the State of Qatar and places that can be visited such as museums, markets, and beaches, in addition to the hospitality and diversity of customs and traditions that charac-terize the State of Qatar, which makes the visit distinctive.

Qatar is an important centre for sport in the region and the World Cup is an opportunity to transcend all differences between cultures and people... We welcome everyone to the State of Qatar. It will be a distinguished experience through which the audience learns about Qatari culture, customs, and traditions.

H E Mohammed bin Jassim Al Kuwari, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Mexico

PHCC urges patients with chronic conditions to get flu vaccineTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Patients with chronic conditions have been urged to ensure that they are vaccinated against the flu this year. Flu vaccination is especially important for people with chronic conditions because they are at higher risk of devel-oping serious flu complications.

Manager of Health

Protection at the Preventive Health Directorate at Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), Dr. Khalid Al Awad said, “Flu vaccines are updated each year to keep up with changing viruses. Also, immunity wanes over time; annual vaccinations are recommended for the best possible protection against flu. If you are at high risk of devel-

oping serious flu complications, vaccination is e s p e c i a l l y important. When you get vacci-nated , you

reduce your risk of getting sick with flu and possibly being hos-pitalised from severe complications.”

Individuals who need to be vaccinated against influenza, include those with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, kidney and liver disease. Obesity can signifi-cantly increase the risk of influenza complications. In

addition, pregnant women, older adults, and young children below the age of five years are also encouraged to take the flu shot as they could also be at high risk of severe influenza.

“Last year, Qatar witnessed a large number of people diag-nosed with influenza. Unfortu-nately, many patients with chronic diseases were hospi-talised due to this. Many more individuals presented flu like ill-nesses across the system. To reduce the spread of the influenza and the risk of serious complica-tions, and help protect the most vulnerable in our communities,

it is more important than ever to ensure that you are vaccinated this year if you do have under-lying chronic health conditions,” said Dr. Al Awad.

To avoid a dual infection of influenza and COVID-19, Dr. Al Awad, recommends that patients, specifically those with chronic conditions “take flu out of the equation” by getting vac-cinated this year.

“COVID-19 is truly a trans-forming pandemic and we’re not through with it yet. Patients may face a diagnostic challenge because of the shared signs and symptoms between both

illnesses. As we enter the winter months and into the flu season, the goal is to avoid an overlap of two respiratory-borne dis-eases, namely influenza and COVID-19,” said Dr. Al Awad.

“I urge patients with chronic underlying health conditions, falling under the higher risk group, to ensure that they take the annul flu shot. Whilst com-monly practiced public health measures are good to ensure you protect yourself against the flu, the flu shot is the best way to ensure you prevent infection and avoid serious complica-tions,” he added.

05MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2020 HOME

7th Qatar International Boat Show to open on November 16SANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

Under the patronage of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, 7th Qatar International Boat Show (QAWARIB 2020) will be held from November 16 to 20 at the Porto Arabia, The Pearl-Qatar by following preventive and precautionary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Thirty-two exhibitors will be showcasing various marine related products, including latest model luxury yachts and boats.

This was announced by Khalid bin Issa Al Mannai, Chairman, Al Mannai Plus Events, at a press conference held at Oyster, The Pearl-Qatar yesterday. Al Mannai said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, world-class yachts and marine accessories exhibition of Qatar was postponed in March and rescheduled for November.

Al Mannai paid his grat-itude and thanks to UDC Qatar, the strategic partner of QAWARIB-Qatar, The Pearl-Qatar and Ronautica Middle East being host of the show and to the Ministry of Interior and

the Coast Guard for their coop-eration and support.

He said that by imple-menting required Ministry of Public Health’s instructions on health safety of the exhibitors and visitors, adequate arrange-ments have been made such as additional entrances and exits, monitoring of use of face mask and maintaining social distancing.

Hamad Issa Al Mannai,

Chief Executive Officer of Al Mannai Plus Events said that annual luxury boat show is a solo show being organised since 2013 in Qatar by Al Mannai Plus Events.

“The event provides a single window to the luxury lifestyle enthusiasts of the region. It preserves century’s old relationship of the natives with the sea in addition to its role in positioning Qatar as a regional hub for luxury, highly skilled craftsmanship and most

modern boats and marine related accessories.”

Adel Salem, Retail and Office Management Director, United Development Company (UDC) said: “We are happy to participate in hosting the show.” He said that the venue of event, The Pearl-Qatar is an excellent place as it has port berth, boats, yachts and marine services.

Abdel Bomuttar Al Muhannadi, General Manager, Ronautica Middle East (RME),

said: “We — RME — are partic-ipating in this big show. The company, established in 2007, occupies prominent position. We offer a number of marine services to our customers.”

Ehab Amin, Senior Vice-President, Qatar Airways said: “Qatar Airways is participating in the show as strategic partner and main sponsor for all activ-ities which will enhance the position of Qatar as regional hub for international event.”

Saleh Abdulla Al Harooni,

Executive Vice-President Support Services, Milaha Qatar, said: “Milaha Qatar is honoured to participate in the show as an official sponsor. Thousands of people are expected visit the show to make it a successful event.”

Fahad Zainal, Chief Cor-porate Support Officer and Acting Chief Zones Operating Officer, at Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) said: “The show is very important as it focuses on latest developments in the marine industry, espe-cially small boats, yachts and luxury yachts as well.”

Mohamed Al Yafaei, Head of Public Sector Vodafone, said: “Vodafone is happy to partic-ipate in the show as an official sponsor. It is a big show on the list of events in Qatar.”

He said that Vodafone is committed to support events and sport activities in the country.

Wasim Al Omar, Sales Manager, Bentley said: “Bentley is participating in the VIP section at the show with ded-icated corner for Bentley, dis-playing new flying spur with new edition. We will exhibit also something from Lam-borghini sport cars.”

Khalid bin Issa Al Mannai, Chairman, Al Mannai Plus Events, with other officials during a press conference, yesterday.

AAB upcycles with community for Qatar Sustainability Week THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros. Co. (AAB), the exclusive distributor of Toyota and Lexus in Qatar held a community Upcycling Event to kick off the Qatar Sustainability Week (QSW). The event welcomed community participants who upcycled old and used tyres into ottomans or low seats.

Excess pallets from packaging material were turned into tea coasters, mobile phone holders and cat-scratchers for pet lovers. Being a family-friendly event, children were able to express their creativity and artistic skills by designing on the pallets.

Limited number of families and volun-teers were present due to social distancing and health measures which were strictly in place during the event. In line with the Qatar Sustainability Week activities, the event was made more significant with the participants’ personal pledges on how to play their indi-vidual role for a better tomorrow.

Such pledges included conserving resources in terms of water, food, transpor-tation and electricity. Everyone is encouraged to register their pledge by visiting the Qatar Green Building Council website.

AAB has been very active in recycling excess packaging materials by turning them into functional items, which is a major com-ponent of its Internal Sustainable Practices. Beginning the journey towards sustaina-bility, AAB Green Team consisting of AAB employees as its volunteers was established about five years ago.

Since its formation, the AAB Green Team has produced functional furniture and storage material made up of pallets that are being used in the various locations of the company.

AAB is fully committed to giving back to the community through its CSR initia-tives and environmental awareness pro-grammes as one of its major CSR pillars is focused on caring for the environment.

This commitment is reflected on its support to programmes geared towards a Green Qatar. Its continuing partnership with the Public Parks Department in the Seed-lings to your Home and Reduction of Carbon Footprint projects that promote environ-mental care reinforce and manifest AAB’s commitment and active role in contributing towards the fulfilment of Qatar National Vision 2030.

The event provides a single window to the luxury lifestyle enthusiasts of the region. It preserves century’s old relationship of the natives with the sea in addition to its role in positioning Qatar as a regional hub for luxury, highly skilled craftsmanship and most modern boats and marine related accessories.

Hamad Issa Al MannaiChief Executive Officer of Al Mannai Plus Events

Aspetar introduces Cooled Radiofrequency technology to treat pain conditionsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Aspetar, one of the leading sports medicine hospitals globally, recently introduced a Cooled Radiofrequency (C-RF) treatment, an innovative option for helping resolve joint and spinal pain conditions.

Cooled Radiofrequency is a mini-mally invasive treatment option targeting nerves that transmit pain signals. It can bring non-surgical relief to those suf-fering from chronic pain in some cases resulting from surgery, trauma, or osteoarthritis.

Consultant Pain Management at Aspetar Dr. Yasin S AlMakadma, said: “Radiofrequency (RF) treatment proce-dures consist of applying a strong, high-frequency electromagnetic field at a spe-cific nerve target. The Cooled variant uses a minimal current of water to keep the temperature stable and better con-trolled around the electrode’s tip.

“This technique consists of using a needle probe attached to a particular medical device — the RF Generator. The probe is placed under imaging guidance at the target nerve tissue, followed by nerve testing before applying the elec-tromagnetic field. This results in a special type of non-permanent “lesion” of the nerve fibres allowing very good control of difficult pain conditions. RF lesioning procedures typically require from 15 to 45 minutes.”

On the level of pain involved, Aspetar experts noted, “Unlike surgery, there is

no significant skin incision. Local anaes-thesia is used before the procedure to reduce the discomfort that may be felt during treatment. Most people can return to work one or two days after the procedure.”

Where RF lesioning is designed to help people who suffer from chronic pain. Aspetar experts use C-RF for areas including the knee, shoulder, hip, and spine. “It is essential to be aware that no one technique fits all diseases! Therefore, the patient will have to be well-examined, the medical condition inves-tigated by imaging such as X-Ray, US, or/ and MRI before deciding to perform this technique or another procedure as needed,” added Dr. Yasin.

The use of RF has been known for years. However, the Cooled tech-nology has more recently become available. There is good evidence sup-porting the use of C-RF. A good outcome is also reported from clinical series using the classic RF and the C-RF (depending on the site to treat). With a successful procedure, the pain improves or disappears within hours to days.

RF lesioning may provide the pain relief needed to allow patients to resume their daily activities. Pain relief usually lasts for months to years, although results vary depending on the individual.

While this technique is usually done in the operating area, some minor cases are being offered in OPD clinics every Wednesday morning.

Officials from AAB and community members with upcycled items during an event to mark QSW.

MoCI recallsFord F 150models of2014-2017THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry in cooper-ation with Almana Motors Company, dealer of Ford in Qatar, has announced the recall of Ford F 150 models of 2014-2017 due to a seal in the rear of the brake master cylinder that may become weak and cause leak from brake master in some of the affected vehicles.

The recall campaign comes within the framework of the Minis-try’s continuous efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs.

The Ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will commu-nicate with customers to ensure that they carried out the necessary repairs.

The Ministry urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Com-mercial Fraud Department, which processes com-plaints, inquires and suggestions.

‘Workplace has to create feeling of belonging’RAYNALD C RIVERATHE PENINSULA

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasis on workplace design is placed on promoting a feeling of belonging, and a sense of social community, says an expert.

Arch Michele Rossi, a co-founder of Milan-based Park Asso-ciati architectural practice, said an essential element of their contem-porary projects is recognising the value of the human being in every company.

“We have to make the people who work there happier. It sounds strange, but happiness makes work more productive. People work best when they work in a place they love and somehow take care of them,” he said.

Rossi was one of the speakers at a recent webinar titled “Well-being in the Workplace” presented by the Italian Embassy on the occasion of Italian Design Day in cooperation with Park Associati, the ILO Project Office in Qatar, and the Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar.

“Offices nowadays have to create a feeling of belonging. They have to be able to create a social community,” Rossi stressed.

COVID-19 experience has taught the world the importance of social interaction, and the pandemic has proved it is possible to work any-where well.

“I think nobody is really looking

forward to going back to his office desk or chair. They want to come back for the social experience where they want to have exciting days in the office, so what companies need now more than ever is an exciting space with their community,” he said.

“We need to have spaces that can be utilized in many different ways during the same day, month or year; places that are sufficiently flexible; spaces that allow different ways of working and meeting between people,” he added.

“We also understood that people need more than ever to have a safe and healthy place to work,” he stressed.

He pointed out four elements that will define the future workplace and guide designers in constructing better buildings. These include nature,

community, sustainability, and well-being.

According to Rossi, workplaces should have green areas and natural light that positively impact people’s mood and well-being.

“In everything we do, we must consider the impact that it has on earth,” he said, adding many clients nowadays are concerned about what materials the building will be made up of, how it’s heated and cooled, and how many green spaces it has, among others.

Rossi said he believes the expe-rience of COVID-19 will act as an accelerator of many trends that already started a few years ago.

Michele Rossi

We need to have spaces that can be utilized in many different ways during the same day, month or year; places that are sufficiently flexible; spaces that allow different ways of working and meeting between people. We also understood that people need more than ever to have a safe and healthy place to work.

DOHA TODAY06 MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2020

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Demand for home gym equipment soarsAYENI OLUSEGUNTHE PENINSULA

Many of our daily routines remain restricted during the coronavirus pandemic, and this can make exercising seem like a far-fetched activity.

With the challenges of working from home and limited access to fitness facilities, you may be finding it hard to stick to a workout routine. Various workout activities we do with friends are near not impossible to do anymore. Those whose workout intensity is boosted by

the gym environment may find it challenging to get the same commitment level.

Physical activity releases endorphins, chemicals in the brain that revitalise the mind and body and help improve healthy well-being. Besides boosting mood and sleep improvement, exercise can also strengthen your immune system, something that is particularly important at this time, especially for older adults who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.

In the past few months, most gyms and fitness centers

have had to close. As gyms and fitness centres open, albeit with adherence to preventive measures, there is still an increase in the demand for home fitness equipment like virtual reality fitness equipment, exercise bikes, treadmills, and rowing machines.

Online exercise equipment suppliers have seen a sharp increase in sales as a result.

According to eBay.com sales data, “between March and April 2020, online sales of fitness equipment increased up to 20 times in some categories

compared to the same time frame last year.”

In Doha, most gyms are less crowded, and according to some of the popular apparel and gym equipment sales outlets, they have seen a fair to a good increase in demand during the lockdown and even now despite the easing of restrictions.

“Some people prefer training at home, especially during the lockdown, and now many are still afraid to go to the gyms. Some people had never worked out before, and during the lockdown, they had nothing to do and had to work out. This led to an increase in online requests, and we can say the number of people who started working out at home during the lockdown increased,” a manager at Go Sport told The Peninsula.

“During the lockdown, people were ordering equipment online, but since restrictions have been lifted, people get both apparels and equipment. Some people also discovered working out at home may be better than going to the gym, especially with the locals.”

While some outlets recorded tremendous sales,

others recorded an increase in only equipment order com-pared to apparel.

“During the lockdown, our customers were active on the website with their order. We had just a little bit of increase (10%) because our equipment

sales were moving well even before the COVID-19 lockdown. Apparels sales are also the same,” said a Decathlon manager.

Decathlon is a famous sports retail outlet with 1800 stores worldwide.

“We are a big retail shop, so people do patronize. But with the COVID-19 situation, sta-tionary bikes and treadmills have sold more. We are almost out of stock right now, and we have to replenish soon. Our cus-tomers are 85% of Europeans because of the popularity of the store. But aquatics apparels sales have been the same.”

Gym equipment

VCUarts Qatar announces second Eco Lux Lab workshopTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) has announced the second Eco-Luxury Laboratory (Eco Lux Lab), a virtual workshop series. The online session titled Denim, Designers, and Divas will be held from 5 pm to 6.30 pm on November 10 and presented by Bill Curtin, the owner of Blueprint Denim Wash-house (BPD Washhouse), based in New York. The workshop is open to industry practitioners and the public keen to hone their know-how of sustainable practices in the fashion industry.

During the workshop, Curtin will take the audience through the dif-ferent phases of producing sus-tainable denim clothing, including the processes – such as tinting and washing, typically used to give denim its characteristic look and feel. He will also be sharing his experiences of collaborating with high-end brands and celebrities. Immediately following the session, participants will be allowed to pose questions and share their insights with Curtin.

BPD, which calls itself a denim studio, is one of the few facilities to offer both wet and dry processes

in the USA. Over the years, the com-pany’s clientele has expanded to include Ralph Lauren, Converse, Calvin Klein, OshKosh B’gosh, J C Penny, and Tommy Hilfiger. The company has also been holding workshops and exhibitions for

individuals and retailers keen to expand their knowledge and skills in the denim industry.

“With sustainability being the new focus and responsibility of the luxury sector, both locally and glo-bally, the fashion faculty at VCUarts

Qatar created a new initiative called Eco-Luxury Laboratory,” said Christopher Fink, Chair of Fashion Design at VCUarts Qatar.

“The initiative offers exciting opportunities for the local Qatar community and our students to join forces and engage world-class luxury leaders and pioneers who educate and address the new codes and benchmarks of sustain-ability in the global market today. In our next series called Denim, Designers, and Divas, we will visit the New York-based washhouse of Bill Curtin, who is a master in sustainable denim developments and counts international designers and celebrities as ded-icated clients.”

Eco Lux Lab is a pioneering ini-tiative launched by the Fashion Design department at VCUarts Qatar – a Qatar Foundation partner university – in response to the growing realization that current and future generations of designers need to be taught the importance of sustainable fashion.

Upcoming Eco Lux Lab online masterclasses will feature the famous Brooklyn-based fashion illustrator Richard Haines and artist Helen Kirkum from London.

The online session titled Denim, Designers and Divas will be held on November 10.

As gyms and fitness centres open, albeit with adherence to preventive measures, there is still an increase in the demand for home fitness equipment like virtual reality fitness equipment, exercise bikes, treadmills, and rowing machines.

PIC: DOLLAR GILL - UNSPLASH.COM

8th Ajyal Film Festival to present 13 diverse feature films

THE PENINSULA – DOHA

The hybrid edition of the 8th Ajyal Film Festival, presented by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) from November 18 to 23, will show an inspiring selection of 13 thought-provoking feature films from across the globe online to offer participants a safe event experience.

The hybrid event format expands the spirit of Ajyal into an inclusive virtual space for immersive creative expression and community.

Delivering inspirational stories of hope, resilience and courage using powerfully creative narratives, the selected films will be assessed across three separate juries – Mohaq, Hilal, and Bader. Each jury is presented with carefully curated features and short

films to analyse and deliberate in their respective categories, awarding Best Film prizes accordingly.

DFI supports three feature films screening in competition, underlining the Institute’s commitment to unlock creative voices and support quality film productions and reinforcing Qatar’s continued focus on promoting distinctive and compelling narratives of universal resonance.

Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Festival Director and Chief Executive Officer of DFI, said: “Our carefully curated programme of international feature films inspires our youth to reflect, build important connections, and find a deeper understanding of the shared human experience. With their powerful narratives and diverse storytelling techniques, each of the films instils

lasting messages of hope and resilience across generations and ultimately inspires a sense of unity among our young jurors joining us virtually from across the globe. Despite the challenges of this year, Ajyal continues to provide a nurturing space where youth are empowered to reach beyond physical differences to find their innate creative voice.”

In competition in the Mohaq segment for jurors aged 8 to 12 are Dino Dana (Canada/2019) by J.J. Johnson, Microplastic Madness (USA/2019) by Atsuko Quirk and Debby Lee Cohen, Turu, The Wacky Hen (Spain, Argentina/2019) by Eduardo Gondell and Víctor Monigote, and Bikes (Spain/2019) by Manuel J. García.

Ajyal Jurors aged 13 to 17 in the Hilal category will watch and evaluate My Favorite War (Latvia,

Norway/2020) by Ilze Burkovska Jacobsen, Sun Children (Iran/2020) by Majid Majidi, The Reason I Jump (UK, USA/2020) by Jerry Rothwell, and The Wolves (Mexico/2019) by Samuel Kishi.

Ajyal’s Bader Jurors, aged 18 to 25, will choose a winner from 200 Meters (Palestine, Jordan, Qatar, Italy, Sweden/2020) by Ameen Nayfeh, An Unusual Summer (Germany, Palestine/2020) by Kamal Aljafari, Father (Serbia, France, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia/2020) by Srdan Golubović, Gevar’s Land (France, Qatar/2020) by Qutaiba Barhamji, and Yalda, A Night for Forgiveness (France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Lebanon, Iran/2019) by Massoud Bakhshi.

Tickets can be purchased via: www.dohafilminstitute.com/filmfestival.

A still from the feature film 200 Meters. A still from the feature film Dino Dana.

07MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2020 DOHA TODAY

THROUGH THE LENS

Doha-based Sponix Tech wins‘best startup in Asia’ awardLANI ROSE R DIZONTHE PENINSULA

Doha-based Sponix Tech, which has developed the world’s first technologies on purely software-based immersive replay videos and real time virtual advertisements during football matches, has been winning accolades. The company has been recently selected by Microsoft as the best startup in Asia and was also chosen as one of the five best companies in football inno-vation in Austria.

Sponix is a sports tech-nology startup company which seeks to enhance sports fan experience and provides solu-tions and services that help broadcasters, clubs and leagues, as well as advertisers in the sports tech industry to increase their viewers.

“Our immersive replay technology is the first technology in the world that can produce this kind of immersive content without any hardware in the stadium, it’s purely software based. There’s only one com-petitor in the world, which is a large US-based company that produces similar content. But they need about $8m to $10m installations in the stadium, such as 5K cameras, servers, and infrastructure to produce their content. But we’re entering the market without using any instal-lations in the stadium. We just need the feeds, and we can make rich quality AI-based content for the football fans and sports audiences even while we are sitting in our office in Doha,” Sponix Tech Founder and CEO Mohammad Ali Abbaspour said in an interview with The Peninsula recently.

Sponix has completed its AI-based immersive replay tech-nology last year, while its virtual ads technology was completed in September.

“Also, with the completion

of our unique remote virtual advertisement technology, now we are also the only company in the world that can add virtual ads in live feeds in real time, without any need for staff or installations in the stadium,” Abbaspour added.

Sponix has won the Asia Startup Competition, along with two other winners, which saw the participation of about 100 startups from 22 different coun-tries. The event was jointly organised by the Microsoft-powered Global Sports Inno-vation Center and Sport Sin-gapore recently.

Sponix was also recognised as one of the five leading com-panies in football innovation, and has presented its technol-ogies at the Future of Football Business Conference in Austria.

Most recently, the company has implemented its immersive replay technology in major com-petitions including the UEFA Champions League and worked with a number of clubs in Europe. The company has also conducted live tests on its virtual ads solutions with the English Premier League and UEFA last month.

In Qatar, Sponix, which is part of the second cohort of the Qatar SportsTech’s award winning Accelerator Pro-gramme, is also in close negoti-ations with the Supreme Com-mittee for Delivery & Legacy and the BeINSports.

Mohsen Rajabi, Business Development Director for Sponix, added: “Our team con-sists of 17 smart people who are experts in these new high-end

technologies such as AI, machine learning, and image processing. And they are working with us to develop and maintain our tech-nologies. We believe in com-bining technology with some-thing that’s profitable not only for the market, but for the audi-ences’ passion for the sports. And we think that we are inventing new markets through our technologies”.

Without a doubt, the tech-preneurs behind Sponix are very intentional about their mission to be a game changer in the sports tech industry. They not only seek to increase fan engagement, but also hope to create a new era for sports spon-sorship as well. The company has also set their sights on the Qatari market. In March, the company moved their head-quarters from the UK to Doha, with an aim to add value to the country’s growing sports industry and share their inno-vation to other local market players.

“It’s very interesting for us as a technology provider in the sports field to be here, espe-cially with the ambition Qatar has for sports technology. Also with beIN SPORTS which is one of the biggest broadcasters in the world, and most especially the upcoming Qatar World Cup which is the main reason why we chose to be here. Qatar will have a very big role in the sports industry in the region and in the world. We think we can create and add big value for all these events. Our immersive replay and virtual advertisement tech-nologies were initially for football, but now we’re final-ising our solutions for tennis as well. And there are also a lot of tennis events in Qatar. Our technology is also very native to the Qatar National Artifical Intelligence Strategy, which also has sports as one of its main sections,” added Abbaspour.

Sponix Tech Founder and CEO Mohammad Ali Abbaspour (left) and Mohsen Rajabi, Business Development Director for Sponix, during an interview with The Peninsula recently.

Birla Public School hosts inter-school competitionTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

Birla Public School hosted the Virtual Vista 2020, an Inter-School Competition on Zoom. A P Sharma, Principal, and Rajesh Pillai, Vice-Principal (Co Scholastic) are the reasons behind the amasing initiative. The event focused on changing the tempo of the students from curricular to co-curricular activities.

There were four major cat-egories for students from Grade I to XII, two for the Primary School and one for the Middle and Senior Section each.

A host of events comprising quiz, speech, music, and art were included.

The topics portrayed Qatari - Indian culture and heritage and Qatar National Vision 2030.

Major Indian schools reg-istered their students for the event. Students from various Indian schools in Qatar actively participated and showcased their talents.

Nearly 200 students were part of Virtual Competition. The quiz, show and tell, and speech contestants were live on Zoom.

The entries for the painting, music, and poster making were received by the host school and judged accordingly.

The school also held a painting competition for SEN students in keeping with the inclusive policy of CBSE. Virtual Vista 2020 commenced with an introduction and Arabic prayer recital.

The Leadership team at Birla encouraged the partici-pants with their motivating address. Jalees Bukhari, Co-scholastic Coordinator and Team Virtual Vista were instru-mental in hosting and organ-ising the competitions.

The teaching faculties from various departments put up a wonderful show. The event proved to be a big success.

The results for the various competitions will be announced on November 14,2020.

Students plant vegetable saplings at IISTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

Media Pen and Ideal Indian School (IIS) in association with Radio Malayalam 98.6, One FM and Qatar Stories launched school community based agri-culture project ‘Agriventure’ recently.

The program is initiated and managed in order to educate and bring awareness among stu-dents, parents and others about the importance of agricultural practices and organic farming.

As a part of the project, a practical farming area has been set up in the school premises.

Different varieties of vegetable saplings were planted on the occasion. President of Ideal Indian School, Dr. Hassan Kunhi M.P inaugurated the

project by planting a sapling. Speaking on the occasion

Dr. Hassan Kunhi said that activities of ‘Agriventure’ will provide students with

hands-on learning experience about farming, food and nutrition and also will enhance the chance for students to adopt healthy eating and agricultural practices beyond the classroom.

Principal of Ideal Indian School, Syed Shoukath Ali; General Manager, Media Pen, Binu Kumar; CEO, 98.6 FM, Anwar Hussain, Heads of Sec-tions, Heads of Departments and Media Pen officials were also present on the occasion.

Students, teachers and parents took part in the program by planting a variety of vegetable saplings.

Healthcare Heroes is an exhibition featuring photos of healthcare workers representing more than 45,000 people employed across Qatar’s healthcare system to combat COVID-19. The exhibition is part of Doha Healthcare Week being held ahead of the World Innovation Summit for Health 2020. Healthcare Heroes exhibition is now open at the Fire Station outdoor exhibition space and photographs on display are by Mahmoud El Achi. PICS: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA

Sponix is a sports technology startup company which seeks to enhance sports fan experience and provides solutions and services that help broadcasters, clubs and leagues, as well as advertisers

Sponix is a sports technology startup company which seeks to enhance sports fan experience and provides solutions and services that help broadcasters, clubs and leagues, as well asadvertisers

Al Daayen celebrates Qatar Sustainability WeekTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

On the occasion of the cele-bration of Qatar Sustainability Week, Al Daayen Munici-pality, in cooperation with the Simaisma Al Murwab Tourist Resort, organised a bicycle race at the olympic cycle path in the Simaisma area.

The event which was attended by a number of municipality employees and Simaisma Resort aimed at encouraging the practice of sports in public places for a healthy and sustainable life.

The event included planting different trees in the municipality garden, in the presence of Rashid Al

Khayarin, Director of Al Daayen Municipality, Director o f S e r v i c e s A f f a i r s Department, Director of Public Affairs Department, Head of Parks Department, Head of Cleaning Department, and Director of Simaisma Tourist Resort.

Al Daayen Municipality, represented by the awareness team, and with the participation of all the municipality’s departments, seeks to raise awareness among citizens and residents about the importance of sus-tainability, which greatly contributes in protecting the environment and human health people.

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Biden win a setback for Netanyahu, hope for PalestiniansAFP — OCCUPIED JERUSALEM

Joe Biden’s US election win marks a setback for Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump—but it could spur renewed engagement between Wash-ington and the Palestinians, experts said.

Netanyahu said Trump was Israel’s strongest-ever ally in the White House, and the Republican advanced policies that delighted the Israeli prime minister’s right-wing base.

Netanyahu congratulated Biden and vice-president-elect Kamala Harris on Twitter yes-terday, before thanking Trump for a raft of moves that, according to Netanyahu, advanced Israel’s interests.

Trump unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal —an agreement between Tehran and world powers loathed by Netanyahu —and recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided capital”, moving the US embassy to the city, breaking international consensus.

He also endorsed Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights—which was seized from Syria— and avoided crit-icising Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. According to a pre-vote poll by the Israel Democracy Institute think-tank, 63 percent of Israelis wanted Trump to win a second term.

In fact, Biden’s ties with Israel run deep, and he has been a vocal supporter of the Jewish state for decades. He visited Israel in 1973, months after he

was first elected to the Senate. In a 2015 speech, while

serving as Barack Obama’s vice -president, Biden said the United States was wedded to a “sacred promise to protect the homeland of the Jewish people”.

During the 2012 vice-pres-idential debate, when Biden was facing criticism over the Obama administration’s treatment of Israel from Republican Paul Ryan, Biden asserted that he and Netanyahu had “been friends for 39 years”.

Netanyahu yesterday praised Biden as “a great friend of Israel” with whom he has had

“a long and warm personal relationship”.

Biden supported recog-nising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital two decades before Trump triggered global outcry by doing so. Biden backed a 1995 Senate bill to establish a US embassy in Jerusalem by 1999. Biden’s 2020 campaign said he would not reverse Trump’s embassy move, but would reopen a consulate in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem “to engage the Palestinians”.

But Biden is expected to walk-back parts of Trump’s record, notably by opposing Jewish settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, which the president-elect has described as an obstacle to peace. Biden also said he would restore “humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people,” after Trump cut US support to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Israel’s former envoy to Washington Michael Oren said that tensions will spike if Biden seeks to revive the Iran nuclear deal, a prospect he said had a “very high” likelihood.

Netanyahu, and much of Israel’s security establishment, blasted the Iran deal for offering an arch-foe massive financial benefits while failing to elim-inate the threat of a nuclear-armed Islamic republic. Iran insists its nuclear programme is strictly for civilian purposes.

A Biden effort to restore the pact with Iran could also affect Trump-brokered normalisation deals between Israel and two

Gulf states, said Eytan Gilboa, political science professor at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University.

Experts have said that the normalisation deals, as well as warming ties between Israel and some Arab states under Trump, were partly driven by a desire to forge a united front against Iran. “The Iranians are going to say you cannot have it both ways: you cannot have negotiation with us, and at the same time help to expand the coalition that is basi-cally against us,” Gilboa said. Israeli officials are also concerned that Israel critics in the Demo-cratic Party will influence Biden’s administration, Gilboa said. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders,

tipped for a possible cabinet post, has called Netanyahu a “reac-tionary racist”.

Israel has meanwhile accused two Democratic con-gresswomen, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, of supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanc-tions movement against Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians.

According to Gilboa, “the progressive, radical branch of the Democratic party” is “anti-Israel” and gaining strength.

“We don’t know yet how much influence they will have on policy making,” he said.

The Palestinian Authority cut ties with Trump’s adminis-

tration, accusing it of being fla-grantly pro-Israel.

In a statement congratu-lating Biden and Harris, Pales-tinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the incoming adminis-tration “to enhance the Pales-tinian-American relations”. Abbas said he wanted to work with the new administration “to achieve freedom, independence, justice and dignity for the Pales-tinian people”. Experts agree that while a renewed Middle East peace push is unlikely to top Biden’s immediate agenda, his administration will seek to restore America’s traditional role as a broker in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinians gather outside the Dome of the Rock in the Al Aqsa mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site, in the old city of Jerusalem, yesterday. Experts agree that while a renewed Middle East peace push is unlikely to top US President-elect Joe Biden’s immediate agenda, his administration will seek to restore America’s traditional role as a broker in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Daily tally ofvirus deaths inIran hits 459REUTERS — DUBAI

Iran’s daily tally of coronavirus deaths hit a record high of 459 yesterday, the health ministry announced, increasing the official toll to 38,291 in the Middle East’s worst-hit country.

Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that the total number of con-firmed coronavirus cases increased by 9,236 to 682,486.

Last week, the head of Iran’s Medical Council, Mohammadreza Zafarghandi, doubted the accuracy of the official to