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Hydrocarbon gains, budget spending to boost Qatar economy published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11449 February 5, 2020 Jumada II 11, 1441 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

QF celebrates 25th anniversary with pride

By Joseph Varghese lenge that we faced always was to try Staff Reporter convincing others to make a positive change, and that is through education, because education is our true wealth. atar Foundation (QF) celebrated “We focused on building our edu- its 25th anniversary yesterday cation ecosystem based on our herit- Qwith a special event named ‘I age, not against it. And looking at the AM QF’ in the presence of its Chairper- activities here today, I was pleased to son Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint see how proud and confi dent the Qatari Nasser, whose vision made the organi- youth are in their culture and identity, sation achieve astounding success in and in speaking the Arabic language. realising its objectives in education, re- This is what we have been aspiring to search, and community development. create through Qatar Foundation, as The event culminated with a pan- well as throughout other educational el discussion moderated by QF Vice institutions in Qatar. Chairperson and CEO HE Sheikha “It was a dream, and we made it Hind bint Hamad al-Thani. The ses- come true through Qatar Foundation sion refl ected on the formation and the and its stakeholders.” journey of QF and the benefi ts it has Opening the panel discussion, HE brought to Qatar and the world, as well Sheikha Hind highlighted the impor- as the road ahead. tance of the power of collaboration. The panel was attended by HE the “QF’s journey has been all about Assistant Foreign Minister and Offi cial producing knowledge, generating ideas Spokesperson of the Ministry of For- and perspectives, and nurturing tal- eign Aff airs Lolwah Rashid AlKhater, ent,” she said. “And we share all of this Public Health Director Sheikh Dr Mo- with the world, from our unique per- hamed bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar spective as a nation proud of its Arab University President Dr Hassan Rashid and Islamic heritage.

O Foundation to help SC improve Qatar 2022 visitor Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, joined QF members and partners at the “I AM QF” townhall to mark the foundation’s 25 years of experience, P 6 accomplishments in education, scientific research and community development. PICTURES: AR al-Baker/Aisha al-Musallam O QF and QU enhance collaboration, P 6 day to its 25th year” – from allowing O QF, ExxonMobil Qatar widen partnership, P 6 students to cross-register for courses at diff erent universities and advancing O Qatar Foundation teaching initiative revolutionises autism research, to supporting young school culture, P 6 Arab innovators, and cultivating young O Sheikha Moza attends ‘I AM QF’ townhall, P 7 people’s STEM skills.” AlKhater, highlighting an experience O Qatar Foundation spearheads national reading from her professional life involving a movement, P 7 student from a QF university, noted how QF has empowered thousands of O Exceeding expectations: QF impact over the past 25 students through quality education. years, P 7 “Any system, no matter how good it is, relies on input, and the message we send to the world will only ever be as al-Derham, and ExxonMobil Qatar “Now, we’ve reached a milestone in powerful as the substance we have, so Vice President and Joint Venture Ex- our journey, and so it’s time to ask our- the way we continue to deliver qual- ecutive Director Dominic Genetti. selves: where do we go from here? How ity education and good health services, The event, attended by several min- do we build on everything we have al- and the way we conduct research and isters, dignitaries and QF members ready achieved? And what do we need train and develop people, is the strong- - from staff and students to teachers, to do to realise everything we now want est message we have to send abroad,” faculty, and researchers and stakehold- to achieve? she explained. ers - highlighted what QF has achieved “For QF, I believe the answer rests “And when I send this message, the since its establishment in 1995. At the on all elements of our ecosystem strongest talking-point I have is QF. event, Her Highness Sheikha Moza shaping, informing, and benefiting All the great work being achieved here was presented a special gift – letters each other. We need to disruptively is not just great work for Qatar, but for and pictures containing messages from collaborate in a way that allows eve- the wider region, and it is very impor- students at QF’s schools and universi- ryone to see the big picture, and rec- tant that we deliver that message.” ties. ognise their role in creating it – be- According to Dr al-Derham, QF Her Highness Sheikha Moza said: cause QF is a platform for everyone to was established through a vision that “Today I am glad to see faces that have engage, and contribute.” changed the way we look at things, and always been present throughout all of She also explained how collabora- that recognised the need to think out- QF’s achievements. The main chal- tion has underpinned QF “from its fi rst side of the box. To Page 6 Turkish president meets FM Coronavirus infects over 20,000, kills 427

he number of patients infected end, taking the toll to 427. dozen countries since being identifi ed, initially estimated. in China with new coronavirus Hong Kong’s authorities said in a prompting the World Health Organisa- Countries calling for bans on trav- Thas reached 20,438, as Hong press release that hospitals reported 64 tion (WHO) to declare a global emer- ellers from China include the Philip- Kong reported its fi rst death from the new cases meeting the criteria of the gency. pines, Singapore, the US, Australia and disease, authorities said yesterday. virus, bringing the total in the territory Chinese authorities said on Mon- New Zealand. China’s National Health Commis- to 982. day that they expect the outbreak to Governments including Spain, Italy, sion said 64 people died on Monday in The virus has spread to about two peak within 10 to 14 days, longer than Britain, France, Belgium, Sweden and central China’s Hubei province — the Finland continue to evacuate people epicentre of the outbreak — bringing from Wuhan. the countrywide death toll to 425. So far, Taiwan has reported 11 con- The rise in the number of infections fi rmed cases. in China, of 3,225 from the previous A repatriated Belgian citizen, also day, and the increase in deaths, were from Wuhan, is infected, Health Min- the highest in a single day since the ister Maggie De Block announced yes- outbreak emerged in the city of Wuhan. terday, according to the Belga news Hong Kong authorities reported a agency, in the country’s fi rst confi rmed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Ankara yesterday with HE the fi rst death due to coronavirus in the case. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin semi-autonomous territory on Mon- A fl ight carrying 107 Malaysians Abdulrahman al-Thani. HE Sheikh Mohamed conveyed the greetings of His Highness day. evacuated from Wuhan landed in Kuala the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to President Erdogan, wishing the The patient had travelled to Hubei in Lumpur yesterday and all were quaran- Turkish people further progress and prosperity. The Turkish president conveyed his January, the South China Morning Post tined for 14 days. greetings to the Amir, wishing him health and happiness and the people of Qatar reported. The same day, Malaysia’s Health more progress, development and prosperity. During the meeting, they reviewed the The death was the second outside Picture shows empty shelves where hand sanitiser gels have sold out in a drug store Ministry announced two more cases, bilateral relations and ways to enhance them, as well as regional and international of mainland China, after the Philip- in London yesterday. Pharmacies and drug stores say