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INFRASTRUCTURE-
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has awarded a contract for constructing the Al Khaleej Street Tunnel Project, part of the Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project, according to a press release, which did not disclose the identity of the company that was awarded the contract. The 1.6 km tunnel, which will consist of six lanes and accommodate up to 12k vehicles per hour, will extend from the end of Deira’s Infinity Bridge to the intersection of Al Khaleej and Cairo streets.
Part of bigger plans to ease traffic: The Al Shindagha Corridor Improvement Project is expected to service 1 mn people and reduce travel times from 104 minutes to 16 minutes by 2030.
ENERGY–
Mubadala-backed Atvos signs agreement for USD 69 mn biomethane plant in Brazil: Brazilian sugarcane processor Atvos, which is backed by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Capital, will build a USD 69.4 mn biomethane factory in Nova Alvorada do Sul in Brazil, Reuters reported on Thursday. Atvos already owns an ethanol factory at this location.
The details: The biomethane plant will run on sugar cane waste and is expected to have a 28 mn cubic meter capacity per crop. Final approval is pending an engineering analysis, but the project should be underway this year. Mubadala Capital — the asset management arm of UAE investor Mubadala Investments — acquired in October Grupo Novonor’s 6.85% stake in Atvos, bringing its total stake to 38.35
AVIATION-
Mubadala-owned Sanad will continue servicing Asiana Airlines’ V2500 engine fleet — exceeding 80 aircraft — for five more years, after inking a USD 145 mn five-year contract extension with the South Korean carrier on the sidelines of the MRO Americas event in Chicago, reports Wam. The Abu Dhabi-based aerospace engineering and leasing solutions company has been the sole maintenance, repair, and overhaul services provider in the MENA region for Asiana Airlines — South Korea’s second-largest airline — since 2018.
EDUCATION-
Social care professionals working in private educational institutions will now be granted licenses by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Community Development and Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) after the two bodies inked an MoU, reports the Abu Dhabi Media Office. The agreement aims to up the qualifications and services provided by social care workers employed in Abu Dhabi’s private schools to support student well-being and improve their academic performance.
The details: The partnership will see the two bodies initially license 80 social care professionals working with ADEK, with the rest of the necessary licenses to be issued in the near future. A joint high-level committee comprising senior management from both departments will oversee the agreement’s implementation and monitor the performance. As part of the agreement, the departments will also coordinate work on priority joint programs between the social and educational sectors, and ramp up information sharing.
HEALTHCARE-
Adafsa joins global efforts to combat Covid: The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (Adafsa) laboratories have joined the World Health Organization’s Coronavirus Network of Reference Laboratories, CoViNet, to participate in global research efforts aimed at early detection, surveillance and genetic characterization of coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 (better known as COVID-19) and MERS-CoV, according to a statement from the Abu Dhabi Media Office.
TRANSPORTATION-
ITC partners with Japanese firm to enhance traffic intel: Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre has partnered with Japanese research company LocationMind to enhance data utilization and support traffic analysis efforts in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Media Office reports. The partnership seeks to deploy AI and machine learning for traffic analysis, accident prediction, and traffic signal optimization. It also plans to deploy smart city applications for real-time public transport updates and event-specific population movement alerts.
