Dubai International Boat Show postponed due to coronavirus fears
March 2, 2020, 12:13 pm

Dubai International Boat Show postponed due to coronavirus fears

A boat is displayed at the Dubai boat show on March 1, 2018. (File photo AFP)

The Dubai International Boat Show has been postponed until November 2020 with organizers blaming the coronavirus epidemic for the change.

The show had been due to take place on March 10, 2020, and set to last five days, but was postponed by organizers on Monday.

The coronavirus first started spreading from Wuhan, China, earlier this year and has since infected nearly 90,000 people, with over 3,000 dead. The Middle East has been hit particularly hard after Iran became the second deadliest epicenter for the disease after China, with 54 dead in the country.

“In light of the evolving global developments around the COVID-19 virus, Dubai World Trade Centre has been closely monitoring the situation, particularly as it pertains to our key stakeholders and participating delegations from around the world across all our upcoming shows,” a statement posted on the show’s website read.

Airlines and civil aviation authorities have restricted travel to epicenters of the deadly coronavirus around the world, including China, Iran, and Italy. The UAE has banned its citizens from traveling to Iran and Thailand to contain the virus’s spread.

“Whilst the UAE remains completely safe for travel, and has deployed the strictest medical and hygiene protocols, we fully recognize that for some specific shows, we have a high majority of key participants significant to the event’s program that is unable to travel due to restrictions in their home country,” the statement added.

The show is now set to take place on 24-28 November 2020, which coincides with Dubai's upcoming Expo 2020.

source: Matthew Amlôt

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