July 25 - AmCham Kuwait's leadership held a meeting with Dr. Lubna Al Kazzi from the WRSC in order to discuss collaborations in regard to AmCham Kuwait's Women in Business Focus Group and the UN Global Compact’s Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs). AmCham Kuwait became a signatory of the WEPs in 2021, allowing us to further support our goals in women's capacity building in the country. Read more...

July 26 - The American Chambers of Commerce (AmChams) of Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar have committed to further cement their partnership through their first ever MoU. AmChams in the GCC will continue to come together by creating events and initiatives as a consortium within the GCC, for the purpose of ensuring collaboration and building strong relationships amongst their members. Read more...

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July 31 - The American Chambers of Commerce from the MENA region held an online speed networking event for the very first time. The purpose of the event was to connect AmCham Members across the region and facilitate relationship building, business opportunities, and expansion of their business network. We look forward to continuing collaboration with our AmCham counterparts, and we look forward to seeing you next time! Read more...

ABK raises awareness on the process of securing loans from banks in Kuwait

Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) continues its support for the nationwide awareness campaign – ‘Let’s Be Aware’, launched by the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) and Kuwait Banking Association (KBA). The campaign aims to raise awareness about customers’ rights and responsibilities with regards to banking products and services.

The ‘Let’s Be Aware’ campaign is geared towards educating consumers about the best use of banking products and services. Enhancing customers’ knowledge of the precautions they must take to preserve their funds is a key priority. Read more...

School of Business Launches New Majors: Marketing & Entrepreneurship

Business skills are more important than ever in today’s world of growing businesses and startup companies. American International University (AIU) has recognized a need to ensure that they provide education that offers students the ability to understand the thought processes of creating a new company along with the tools needed to be successful. Through the School of Business, American International University has launched two new majors: Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Read more...

The Dartmouth-AUK Partnership: Transcending Borders Since 2003

A 19-year partnership is no small feat. The question is, how do the American University of Kuwait (AUK) and Dartmouth College transcend borders to bridge a multinational, cross-cultural population to form a community of informed, worldly, lifelong learners? 

This year’s activities are a great example of how this relationship has been sustained throughout the years and still remains solid. Read more...

Boeing and AE Industrial Partners Launch Second Venture Fund to Invest in Innovative Aerospace and Defense Startups

FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has committed a $50 million investment in AEI HorizonX, a partnership the company established with private equity firm AE Industrial Partners to invest in transformative aerospace technologies. The new funding will anchor AEI HorizonX's second venture fund (Fund II), which plans to raise $250 million to support promising start-ups in future mobility, space, sustainability, digital enterprise applications, networks and security.

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Cisco AppDynamics Study: New Class of Post-Pandemic Technology Leaders Emerges to Tackle the Experience Economy



SAN JOSE, Calif. — July 12, 2022 — Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) AppDynamics, a leading provider of Observability and Application Performance Monitoring technology, has published findings from Agents of Transformation 2022, the fourth annual report that analyzes the skills and attributes of elite global technologists.. Read more...

EY announces strategic alliance with OMP to help drive successful supply chain planning transformations



The EY organization today announces an alliance between OMP, an acclaimed market leader in developing supply chain planning solutions, and Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), aimed at helping organizations accelerate and de-risk supply chain transformations, foster new capabilities in organizational planning, upskill planners and build new operating models. The alliance is also active in Belgium, OMP’s head office, with further global expansion planned over time. Read more...

General Dynamics Land Systems Awarded up to $280 Million for Trophy Active Protection System Kits for Abrams Tanks

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) announced today that it has been awarded a competitive award worth up to $280,112,700 to procure Trophy Ready Kits as an Active Protection System (APS) for Abrams main battle tanks.

Trophy rapidly detects, classifies and engages threats such as recoilless rifles, antitank guided missiles, rockets, tank rounds and rocket-propelled grenades. The detection of threats, including their launch location, allows Abrams tank crews to rapidly handle targets. Read more...

MENA Project Tracker: KSA launches Arts Valley project in AlUla; Honeywell, Anchorage to build $2bn petrochemical complex in Egypt

RIYADH: The Royal Commission of AlUla, also known as RCU, has announced the launch of an Arts Valley as Saudi Arabia moves steadily to become a top global tourist destination, a goal outlined in Vision 2030. 

The Arts Valley, which spreads over 65 sq. km, is touted as a cultural asset of the “The Journey Through Time” masterplan launched in April, Trade Arabia reported. Read more...

L3Harris Secures $700 Millon Advanced Missile Tracking Space Development Agency Program

MELBOURNE, Fla. — L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has been awarded a contract to build the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tranche 1 Tracking Layer satellite program to serve as “eyes in the sky” detecting, identifying and tracking advanced missile threats. The contract has a potential total value of $700 million.



“Investing in resilient space assets and acting as a Trusted Disruptor in this market are core to our long-term strategy,” said Christopher E. Kubasik, Chair and Chief Executive Officer. “Our customers have been clear; missile defense technology and space domain awareness architecture must be diversified, and our teams are positioned to deliver those cutting edge solutions.”

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Lockheed Martin To Support Severe Weather And Climate Monitoring For NOAA With Instrument And Spacecraft Studies

DENVER, JULY 27, 2022 – Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to further refine concepts for a critical instrument and the spacecraft bus for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) GeoXO weather satellites, the next generation after the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites – R (GOES-R) series. These future satellites will ultimately help save lives by enabling even more accurate weather forecasting and measure environmental impacts driven by global climate change. 

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Raytheon Intelligence & Space to create automated Civil Affairs field tool

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., (July 26, 2022) – Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business, begins development this month on the Civil Knowledge Integration - Tactical Assault Kit. Sponsored by the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate or IWTSD, the Raytheon BBN system facilitates knowledge collection, fusion, translation, and dissemination for civil affairs personnel who act as a liaison between the Department of Defense and foreign civilian authorities and populations.  Read more...

Zain awarded presitigious World Finance 'Best Corporate Governance Award 2022'in KUwait for 2nd consecutive year

Zain Group announces it has won the World Finance ‘Best Corporate Governance Award 2022’ for Kuwait for the second consecutive year. Zain’s Investor Relations and Corporate Governance Framework continue to attract high praise and gain market confidence as the functions provide stakeholders including shareholders, industry analysts, and regulatory authorities with accurate, timely, and actionable information in a transparent and accountable manner. 

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New OPEC chief seeks oil market stability

VIENNA, Aug 2: Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Haitham Al-Ghais of Kuwait promised Monday to do all in power to guarantee a stable and balanced global oil market. In statements to KUNA and Kuwait’s state TV on his first day at office, Al Ghais expressed firm determination to spare no effort to continue OPEC’s instrumental role in the global oil market since its inception in 1960. The new Secretary General pointed out that he looked forward to working hardly and constructively with member states and non-member partners, particularly of the OPEC Plus alliance, to add more to OPEC’s successes and achievements. Read more...

Cabinet formed - Amir titles PM HH

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 1, (Agencies): His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah approved in a decree on Monday the formation of a new cabinet led by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The first article of the decree included the lineup of the new cabinet consisting of: ​Read more...

‘Al-Zour’ to prop up refining limit

KUWAIT CITY, July 19: According to a report published by the MEED magazine, the $16 billion Al-Zour Refinery Complex, which is expected to start operating soon, will be an influential factor in increasing global refining capacity.

This is in addition to other projects to implement major expansions in refining capacity that are now underway in the Middle East, such as the Duqm Refinery in Amman, which has reached about 92 percent completion rate and costs about $7 billion.. Read more...

Kuwait military chief meets head of US Central Command

KUWAIT: Kuwait Armed Forces Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Sheikh Khaled Saleh Al-Sabah met with the Commander of US Central Command Gen. Michael Kurilla, Kuwait News Agency reported.

The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Kuwaiti Army General Staff. Read more...

Chief of Staff speaks about his vision for Kuwait’s security

KUWAIT: Kuwait Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Khaled Saleh Mohammad Al-Sabah spoke in a recent interview with Unipath about various topics related to his vision for his country’s security, cooperation with regional and international security agencies among other issues.

“Before taking an oath to defend my country until the last drop of my blood, I want to emphasize that it is every Kuwaiti’s patriotic duty to protect his homeland,” Gen Khaled said in the interview. Read more...

Kuwait’s real estate market liquidity drops marginally

KUWAIT: The latest data released by the Ministry of Justice -Real Estate Registration and Authentication Department- indicate a slight decline in real estate market liquidity during June 2022 versus May 2022 (excluding the artisanal activity and the coastal strip system), whereby the total value of contracts and Power of attorneys (POAs) decreased by 2.4 percent from May to June, dropping from KD 368.6 million to KD 359.6 million. Read more...

Gulf expats returning to home countries

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 1: The expatriates residing in the Gulf states are slowly returning to their countries voluntarily due to the very high cost of living, which made the GCC countries less attractive to work in, especially since most GCC governments distribute in cash and in-kind subsidies for their citizens only, reports Al-Qabas daily. A report by the US Agency for the Middle East News ‘themedialine’ stated that about 21 million expatriates work in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain, while there are no official statistics for expatriates in the UAE, where citizens constitute about 20% of the total population and 11% of the workforce. Read more...

Math done on ‘national labor ratios’

KUWAIT CITY, July 31: According to informed sources in the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM), the authority has completed the preparation of a study on amending the ratios of national labor in non-governmental agencies. They explained that the sectors concerned with determining the ratios are waiting for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to update the National Classification for the Economic Activities currently in force, which is “ISIC2” to “ISIC4”, especially after the success of the government agencies in upgrading their classification and working according to the latest standard. Read more...

Rising inflation forces contractors to shun major projects

KUWAIT CITY, July 31: A recent report by the MEED (Project Monitor in the region), expects scores of contracts worth billions of dollars to be re-floated in Kuwait, as a result of long delays and high inflation that forced companies to refuse to implement them, the situation that was brought about by the political stalemate and the Covid-19 epidemic, the contracts whose budgets were approved took up about three years to set the wheel moving from the bidding stage to the award stage, reports Al- Qabas daily. Read more...

Kuwait Calls for Clear-cut vision on Cooperation 

RIYADH, July 17: Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and US have agreed on enhancing defense, security and intelligence cooperation to protect the Gulf region’s security and stability as well as the freedom of maritime navigation. In a joint statement following their summit in Jeddah on Saturday, the leaders also voiced their support for all diplomatic efforts to reduce regional tensions. “The GCC welcomes the US’ reaffirmation that it will always work with the GCC to deter and confront all external threats against the [GCC’s] security and against vital maritime routes particularly the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb,” reads the statement. Read more...

DOE Launches New Research Group to Grow America's Solar Industry

WASHINGTON, D.C. —The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the launch of the Cadmium Telluride Accelerator Consortium—a $20 million initiative designed to make cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells less expensive, more efficient and develop new markets for solar cell products. CdTe solar cells were first developed in the United States and are the second-most common photovoltaic technology in the world after silicon. Without strengthened domestic manufacturing capacity, the U.S. will continue to rely on clean energy imports, exposing the nation to supply chain vulnerabilities while simultaneously losing out on the enormous job opportunities associated with the energy transition. Read more...

U.S. Department of Agriculture to Invest up to $65 Million in Pilot Program to Strengthen Food Supply Chain, Reduce Irregular Migration, and Improve Working Conditions for Farmworkers

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2022 - President Biden joined leaders from across the Western Hemisphere to present the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection at the Summit of the Americas. The Declaration seeks to mobilize the entire region around strong actions to bring the historic migration crisis under control. The Declaration is organized around three key pillars: (1) stabilization; (2) legal pathways and protections; and (3) humane migration management. In preparation for the Summit, the United States and other countries in the region developed a suit of bold new migration-related deliverables.

Read more...

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE INVESTS $3.9 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE CARBON MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN PINEVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.9 million grant to the Wyoming County Economic Development Authority, Pineville, West Virginia, to construct three buildings needed to support manufacturing in the Barkers Creek Industrial Park.

This project will support a new industry in carbon products manufacturing, creating jobs while diversifying the local economy. This EDA grant will be matched with $975,000 in state and local funds and is expected to help create 59 jobs and generate $85 million in private investment. Read more...

USPTO and WIPO agree to partner on dispute resolution efforts related to standard essential patents

WASHINGTON — The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today agreed to undertake joint efforts to facilitate the resolution of disputes related to standard essential patents.

Standard essential patents, or SEPs, are patents that have been declared essential to a given technical standard. As part of the standards-setting process, patent owners may agree to license SEPs on fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) terms. Standards touch all aspects of modern life and include video compression, wireless communication technologies, computer connection standards, automotive technology, and more.

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Vehicle Technologies

The National Energy Technology Laboratory invites research projects to address priorities in the following areas: the cost-effective deployment of EV charging for those without easy home charging; innovative solutions to improve mobility options for underserved communities; community engagement to accelerate clean transportation options in underserved communities; batteries and electrification; materials technologies; energy-efficient commercial off-road vehicle technologies; medium/heavy duty vehicle corridor charging and advanced engine and fuel technologies to improve fuel economy and reduce GHG emissions. Mandatory concept papers are due August 25, 2022. Award size, cost share requirements, and federal funding availability vary across 13 specific topic areas described in detail in the solicitation. The announcement also specifically excludes several topics as well.

Awards:

$95.7 million is available to support up to 82 awards.

Eligibility:

Unrestricted, with exception of 501(c)(4) organizations.

Deadline:

08/25/2022

Awards ID(s):

DE-FOA-0002611

Links: Click to proceed

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

BRAIN Initiative: Brain Behavior Quantification and Synchronization

Multiple NIH Institutes invite applications for the development and validation of next-generation tools, methods, and analytic approaches to precisely quantify behaviors and combine them with simultaneous recordings of brain activity in humans. This opportunity is intended to support biphasic applications for novel tools development (i.e., hardware/software) in the initial (R61) phase, followed by the integration/synchronization of these novel tools with established methods for recording human brain activity in the development (R33) phase.

Awards:

$10 million to fund up to 10 awards

Eligibility:

Unrestricted

Deadline:

02/17/2023

Awards ID(s):

RFA-MH-22-240

Links: Click to proceed

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Alan T. Waterman Award

NSF is seeking nominations for exceptional candidates that represent the diversity of the U.S. The Alan T. Waterman is the NSF's Highest Honor. The award recognizes an outstanding early career researcher in any field of science or engineering supported by the NSF. In addition to a medal, the awardee receives a grant of $1 million to use over a five-year period for scientific research or advanced study in the mathematical, physical, biological, engineering, social, or other sciences at the institution of the recipient's choice. Nominees should have demonstrated exceptional individual achievements in scientific or engineering research of sufficient quality, originality, innovation and significant impact on the field to place them at the forefront of their peers.

Awards:

one

Eligibility:

Be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, 40 years of age or younger OR not be more than 10 years beyond receipt of their Ph.D. by December 31.

Deadline:

09/16/2022

Links: Click to proceed

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Mine Drainage Technology

The DOI Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement invites applications for studies that address the goals listed below that have the potential for improving the effectiveness of both the coal industry and the regulatory authority to conduct and regulate surface coal mining and reclamation activities that protect the environment and the public:

• Develop an understanding of acidic and toxic mine drainage (MD) so as to better predict, avoid, monitor, and remediate mine drainage;
• Develop innovative solutions to acidic and toxic MD water-quality problems;
• Identify, evaluate, and develop “best science” practices to predict acidic and toxic MD prior to mining;
• Identify successful remediation practices for existing sources of acidic and toxic MD and describe the best technology for its prevention; and,
• Develop an understanding of the availability and cost-effective feasibility of critical minerals (including rare earth elements) recovery from coal waste and acid mine drainage on coal mine sites.

Awards:

One cooperative agreement award of up to $200,000.

Eligibility:

U.S. institutions of higher education, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Native American tribal organizations, and federal agencies.

Deadline:

09/20/2022

Awards ID(s):

S22AS00003

Links: Click to proceed

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