On 18 and 20 April 2024, the Royal Thai Embassy together with the Thai Students’ Association in Cairo under the Royal Patronage organised workshops on “Data Analysis with Microsoft Excel”. The workshops were organized according to the curriculum prepared by Microsoft (Thailand) and ThaiMOOC. The students learned how to prepare, analyze and share data using tools such as pivot tables and graphs. There were 52 students participated and passed the test, and received a certificate from Microsoft/ThaiMOOC.

The said workshops are part of a Digital Skills Training program aimed to improve digital skills of Thai students and prepare them for the world of work.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Royal Thai Embassy, Cairo, Egypt.

The Ministry of Agriculture conducted an assessment of activities from April 16 to 19, focusing on the first quarter and the five-year strategic plan. These meetings took place in the Central, Anseba, and Gash Barka regions and were attended by over 400 individuals including the Minister of Agriculture, regional administrators, senior officials from the Ministry, and agricultural experts.

During the meetings, reports were presented that centered on the key elements of the five-year strategic plan. These included land development, natural resources management, crop development, livestock development, integrated and sustainable agro-business, and human resources development.

Regional heads from the Ministry of Agriculture also delivered reports on various topics such as human resources deployment at all levels, water and soil conservation, the construction of micro-dams, development of vegetables and fruits, health of livestock and crop seeds, agricultural inspection, research and trials, and controlling locust invasions.

Participants engaged in extensive discussions on the presented reports and adopted several recommendations. These recommendations aimed at enhancing environmental sustainability, producing liquid fertilizers from organic waste, providing training to farmers, strengthening surveillance and control of desert locust invasions, and introducing solar-powered irrigation systems, among others.

The regional governors emphasized the need for effective land management and usage, encourage young agricultural experts to increase their involvement in improving agricultural outputs, and highlighted the importance of intensifying water and soil conservation efforts.

Speaking at the events, Mr. Arefaine Berhe, Minister of Agriculture, highlighted ongoing initiatives aimed at increasing agricultural production through exemplary farmers, small and integrated family agricultural programs, and small to medium agro-businesses, noting that these initiatives were yielding encouraging results.

Minister Arefaine pointed out that integrated water and soil conservation, the development of household poultry farms, cultivation of sweet potatoes, beekeeping, and the expansion of improved crop seeds, as well as the use of organic fertilizers, are crucial for ensuring nutritious food availability for everyone. He also urged ministry members, agricultural experts, administrators, and the public to regularly hold assessment meetings to review their activities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Institute (https://IsDBInstitute.org/) is pleased to announce the 18th edition of the IsDB Global Forum on Islamic Finance to be held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 28 April 2024, in conjunction with the IsDB Group Annual Meetings and Golden Jubilee Celebration.

Organized annually as a flagship side event of the Annual Meetings, this year’s Forum will bring together thought leaders, policymakers, financial experts, and other stakeholders in the Islamic finance industry to deliberate on innovative tools to foster sustainable development.

Under the theme “Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership in Islamic Finance”, the forum will have keynote speeches by H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, Chairman of the IsDB Group; H.E. Dr. Stephen Groff, Governor of the Saudi National Development Fund; and Engineer Mutlaq H. Al-Morished, CEO, Tasnee Corporation.

The forum will witness the award presentation to the winner of the 2024 IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics. Professor Mehmet Asutay, a professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Political Economy&Finance at Durham University, won the prize in recognition of his significant and influential contributions to the field of Islamic economics and finance.

Subsequently, the Forum will have two sessions. The first is a panel that aims to explore the pivotal role of entrepreneurship in advancing sustainable development, particularly within the Islamic finance paradigm. Panelists for the session are Mr. Mohammad Abdulhameed Al-Mubarak, CEO of Madinah Knowledge Economic City; Dr. Zeger Degraeve, Executive Dean of Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College (MBSC); Mr. Morrad Irsane, CEO and Founder of TAKADAO; and Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, Acting Director General of the IsDB Institute.

The second session will showcase the Smart Stabilization System, a patent-pending algorithm to enhance stability in financial markets, being developed by the IsDB Institute and implemented by the blockchain company SettleMint. The discussants will be Mr. Matthew Van Niekerk, Founder&CEO of SettleMint, and Dr. Hilal Houssain, Associate Manager of Knowledge Solutions Team, IsDBI.

The Forum will also feature the launching of a new IsDBI report titled “Catalyzing Social Entrepreneurship through Islamic Finance”, which explores the potential of Islamic finance to support social entrepreneurship and impact investing.

The IsDB Global Forum on Islamic Finance is an annual high-level forum initiated in 2006 as a platform for strategic policy dialogue on knowledge and innovation in Islamic finance and development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI).

Media contact:
Habeeb Idris Pindiga
Associate Manager, Knowledge Horizons
hpindiga@isdb.org

For more information, visit the 2024 IsDB Group Annual Meetings website (https://IsDM-AM.org/) or IsDBI media platforms:

Website: https://IsDBInstitute.org/
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About the Islamic Development Bank Institute: 
The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) is the knowledge beacon of the Islamic Development Bank Group. Guided by the principles of Islamic economics and finance, the IsDB Institute leads the development of innovative knowledge-based solutions to support the sustainable economic advancement of IsDB Member Countries and various Muslim communities worldwide. The IsDB Institute enables economic development through pioneering research, human capital development, and knowledge creation, dissemination, and management. The Institute leads initiatives to enable Islamic finance ecosystems, ultimately helping Member Countries achieve their development objectives.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Royal Thai Embassy, Cairo, Egypt.