As-salamu alaykum - WEF Dubai: Adding up the cost of skimping on health
As-salamu alaykum - Dubai is hosting a World Economic Forum meeting this week that acts as a warm-up to Davos in January. Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief, will be moderating a session on Wednesday from the Madinat Jumeirah complex. Tune in at 12:15pm GST (UTC +4), insha'Allah.
Experts are also flagging a new frontier of risk: AI and quantum tech could make cyber threats far more dangerous. At the same time, the simple maths of health investment is stark - every $1 put into health can return up to $4 for the economy, yet health systems are still badly underfunded. From antimicrobial resistance to air pollution, cuts in aid and gaps in digital health, the bill for doing nothing is rising. What will society and the economy lose if we keep underinvesting in health, and where do we start fixing things?
Panelists include Maha Taysir Barakat (Assistant Minister for Health and Life Sciences, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation), Alison Holmes (Professor of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, Fleming Initiative), Amit Bouri (CEO, Global Impact Investing Network) and Damiano de Felice (Chief, External Affairs, CARB-X).
Quick notes and other headlines from around the UAE and beyond:
- Car snapshot: Price base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000. Engine: 3.5-litre V6. Gearbox: eight-speed automatic. Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm. Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm. Combined fuel use: 7.0L / 100km.
- Scam safety tips: always stick to regulated platforms, stop any transaction or chat if you smell something off, save proof (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs), report to the local authorities and warn others. (Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence.)
- Local traffic points of interest listed: Shakhbout bin Sultan Street; Dhafeer Street; Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound); Salama bint Butti Street; Al Dhafra Street; Rabdan Street; Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound).
- Security and funding notes: Investigations suggest PKK collectors bring in millions in cash in Europe each year; other reports link various criminal income streams and alleged ‘tax’ collections to terrorist financing in parts of Europe. Authorities in several countries have traced revenues from extortion, drug trade and donations. (Reporting is about investigations and enforcement.)
- Travel and payments: Over 2.2 million Indian tourists visited the UAE in 2023 and more than 3.5 million Indians live here. Indian visitors can even make purchases using rupee-linked UPI QR payments, and residents can use NRO/NRE accounts tied to UAE numbers for UPI in some banks.
- Health and youth: Troubled teens and cancer patients remain under pressure. Parents blame social media for unbearable stress on young people; many residents find insurance cover patchy and the cycle of antidepressants hard to break.
- Cars and climate: The internal combustion engine faced a turning point as big manufacturers and some European countries pushed to phase out petrol cars. A look at how this century-old technology affected life in the UAE and why classic-car affection still remains (part three of a series).
Opinion and features to watch:
- Dr Nawal Al-Hosany on getting more women into climate action
- Shelina Janmohamed on fair compensation for household labour
- Pieces on gender equality in Middle East workplaces, and reflections on politics, pandemics and scientific trust
Other snapshots:
- An estimated 200,000 Chinese live in Dubai, nearly 50,000 in International City; Dragon Mart drew tens of thousands daily in recent years.
- Sport: names to note in recent cricket squads and selections.
- Business trend: subscription e-commerce is growing fast - from personal care and beauty to food and fitness - expected to expand significantly by 2025, with women a big share of the market.
Culture and local life:
- Stories on how old Dubai adapted to modern life, the changing face of Mussaffah, and Hatta where past and present meet.
- Health editorials argue vaccine tests and responses should be guided by science and empathy.
Film note: Director Zoya Akhtar’s latest, produced by Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby and starring Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt and others, got a good reception (rating around 4/5 by some reviewers).
If you want a shorter take or to focus on one of these topics - the WEF health panel, cyber risks, scam safety, or the subscription market - let me know and I’ll pull a more focused recap, insha'Allah.
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