HH the Amir Attends Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2023 Closing

Doha: HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani attended the closing day of the 21st edition of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, which was held at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.

HH the Amir watched the tournament’s final match between World No.1 Polish Iga Swiatek, and World No.4 Jessica Pegula of US, which ended with the victory of the Polish player 6-3 6-0.

The tournament’s closing was also attended by HE Qatar Olympic Committee President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, together with line up of Their Excellencies sheikhs, ministers, senior officials, guests of the tournament and tennis fans.

Source: Qatar Olympic Committee

Zeeenah Initiative’ Committee announcing the winners

The organizing committee for ‘Zeeenah’ initiative, which was launched by Public Works Authority (Ashghal) represented in The Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar and Public Works Authority “Ashghal” in cooperation with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Ministry of Municipality, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Ministry of Culture, Qatar Museums, and Central Municipal Council, in order to highlight the celebratory activities of Qatar during hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022, has announced the winners.

The initiative recognizes individuals, businesses, schools, and government entities that have worked to beautify and decorate the facades of workplaces, schools, universities and real estate, in addition to squares, roads and other public services ahead of and during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. People and organizations in Qatar are familiar with the concept of themed beautification and decoration as it is done across the country during Ramadan, Qatar National Day and Qatar National Sports Day.

Below is a breakdown of the competition’s winners.

Kindergartens, Schools and Universities category:

The winners for the kindergartens and schools category have received the following monetary prizes:

1. 40,000 QAR

2. 30,000 QAR

3. 20,000 QAR

The winners for the universities category have received the following monetary prizes:

1. 60,000 QAR

2. 50,000 QAR

3. 40,000 QAR

Kindergartens:

1. Hetteen Model Kindergarten for boys

2. Al Safeer International Kindergarten

3. Al salam Kindergarten for girls

Primary Schools:

1. Ali Bin Abdulla Model School for boys

2. Saad Bin Abi Waqas Model School for boys

3. Abdulla Bin Alzubair Model School for boys

Preparatory Schools:

1. Barzan Preparatory School for girls

2. Amna Bint Wahab Preparatory School for girls

3. Ruqyya Preparatory School for girls

Secondary School:

1. Ramla Bint Abi Sufyan Secondary School for girls

2. Qatar Banking Studies Secondary School

3. Abdul Rahman Bin Auf Secondary School

Coeducational Schools:

1. GEMS American Academy

2. Arab International Academy

3. Nord Anglia International School

Universities:

1. Lusail University

2. University of Doha for Science and Technology

3. Qatar University – College of Engineering

Municipalities Category:

1. Al Rayyan Municipality

2. Doha Municipality

3. Al Daayan Municipality

Government and Private Entities Category:

Low-rise buildings:

1. Tameer Real Estate

2. Frames Beauty Center

3. Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation “Kahramaa” – Al-Hilal Building

Medium-rise buildings:

1. General Takaful Company

2. Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation “Kahramaa – Abu Hamour Building

3. Al Darwish United Company

High-rise buildings:

1. Qatar Insurance Group

2. Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation “Kahramaa” Headquarters

3. Qatar Media Corporation

Banks:

1. Commercial Bank

2. Mashreq Bank

3. Ahli Bank

Malls:

1. Hayat Plaza

2. Pari Gallery

3. Royal Plaza

Embassies:

1. The Embassy of Afghanistan

2. The Embassy of Ecuador

Urban areas development:

1. The United Development Company

And It is worth mentioning that Ooredoo and the Seashore Group are the co-sponsors of the “Zeeenah” initiative.

On this occasion, Eng. Mohammad Arqoub Al Khaldi, Chairman of The Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar and the Initiative’s Organizing Committee sataed: For the committee to have an effective role in achieving the dream of Qatar hosting an exceptional edition of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, we have developed a plan in collaboration with our partners to make various regions in the state come alive with the event’s spirit. Today, we reap the benefits of the initiative, as the outcome is a true legacy for future generations to be proud of. The participants of the initiative took on the role of ambassadors to spread the rich culture of Qatar from the comfort of their homes and workplaces. The initiative has contributed to making Qatar fully prepared to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™societally and present our Qatari identity and culture to the world, especially Qatar hosting fans from all over the world.”

From his side, Mr. Khaled Al Suwaidi, Stakeholders Relations Director in the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the initiative said:“‘Zeeenah’ initiative was able to create more enthusiasm and excitement for the most prominent football event in the region. It has contributed to making many plazas, roads, and buildings adorned football themed decorations in in a way that highlights the creative side of each participant. Therefore, we are all proud of the success achieved by the initiative, as it reflects the community’s passion for sports.”

Mrs. Huda Al-Saadi, Manager of Visual Arts Center Department at the Ministry of Culture said: “‘Zeeenah’ initiative has proven that the World Cup is not limited to the participating stadiums and teams only, but rather it is a culture and legacy that we are proud of having contributed to highlighting and promoting in a way that befits the status of Qatar. The Qatari culture was part of the fabric making up the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, and the Qatari creative scene was presented to the country’s guests in a distinctive style that remains immortal in their memories.”

Dr. Fayqa Ashkanani, Manager of Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Municipality said:“the cooperation between the ministry and the organizing committee of “Zeeenah” initiative during FIFA World Cup 2022™ activities comes within the Ministry’s keenness to support and promote societal partnership with different entities and civil society organizations in Qatar. “Zeeenah’s” participation in the implementation of some decorative works during FIFA World Cup 2022™ are representative of the tournament, contributed to highlighting Qatar’s civilization and aesthetics, as well as introduce visitors to the most important features that reflect the identity and culture of Qatar.”

Mr. Ali Jassim Al-Kuwari, Director of Schools and Education Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education said: “We are proud of the role played by schools and universities in Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2022™, their valuable and creative contributions that expressed our Qatari identity and sports culture while reflecting the commitment of the educational process to be part of the most important events hosted by the country.”

Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Ishaq, Director of the Public Art Department at Qatar Museums Authority said: “After the success it achieved, ‘Zeeenah’ initiative was able to prove, in turn, the extent to which sport is linked to art. The initiative was an invitation to every creator to participate with their creativity. The community responded to the call, and their work bear witness to the extent of the momentum and cultural diversity witnessed by our beloved country, Qatar.”

Mr. Affan Al-Shamlan, Director of Studies and Development Department at the Central Municipal Council said: “The success achieved by the initiative is a success for all its partners, as it is the result of the efforts exerted during the past months, through which the people of Qatar and its residents had their own mark that contributed to spreading the sports culture and to the success of this edition of the World Cup.”

Source: Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’

Sidra Medicine publishes groundbreaking study of immune response to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine

Doha, Qatar – A consortium of researchers, lead by Sidra Medicine (a member of Qatar Foundation), have published a ground-breaking study that illustrates the actions of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and identifies the molecular mechanisms that can predict the severity of the disease. The findings will be instrumental in the development of new versions of the vaccine as well as aid in the treatment of patients with severe symptoms of SARS-COV-2.

mRNA vaccines have become central in controlling COVID-19 worldwide, yet relatively little is known about the immune responses it elicits. The Sidra Medicine study employed cutting-edge technology and approaches to better understand the response to the vaccines. It also highlights significant differences between the first and second doses of vaccines, which have been administered to billions worldwide.

The study, High temporal resolution profiling following the first and second doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, has been published in the prestigious journal Science Advances. It was done in collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Qatar University and international partners PREDICT-19 and the University of Genoa in Italy.

The study highlights a novel technique that can assess hundreds of various immunological pathways and antibodies (using a custom-made serological assay) with just a small amount of blood. The process can be done at home with a finger stick, similar to how diabetic patients test blood sugar levels.

Using RNA sequencing, the team monitored genome-wide responses to approximately 20,000 genes over ten days, around the first and second doses of mRNA vaccines. With this technique, they monitored daily the immune response in subjects who received the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at Sidra Medicine and compared it with that of patients with various levels of COVID-19 disease severity enrolled in Intensive Care Units at HMC and other institutions in Italy (PREDICT19 Consortium). Overall, more than 600 samples were analyzed.

Dr. Davide Bedognetti, A/Executive Director of Translational Medicine, and co-senior author of the study said: “The scientific community is still working to address some big questions about COVID-19 particularly related to the vaccine as well as the varying symptoms experienced by those affected by the disease. Previous approaches based on weekly or monthly monitoring do not accurately capture the intricate changes in the immune system’s response. Our research demonstrates the advantages of using frequent sampling techniques to better understand the immune response triggered by vaccines. We hope that it will be instrumental in transforming the way immune responses can be tracked and analyzed in real time.”

The team found several differences in the strength and type of immune response elicited after the first or second dose of vaccine. For instance, a strong interferon response was detected just one day after the second dose of vaccine, but it was weaker after the first dose. Remarkably, a type of interferon response not seen in response to vaccines, was associated with COVID-19 severity and prolonged duration of intensive care and hospital stays.

By gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of COVID-19 vaccines, researchers hope to be able to develop more effective and safer vaccines and to identify strategies for treating and possibly preventing severe COVID-19 infections.

Dr. Khalid Fakhro, Chief Research Officer at Sidra Medicine said: “Sidra Medicine is committed to publishing high quality research that advances precision medicine in Qatar and the rest of the world. This study extends our team’s impressive track record of contributing to over 100 COVID-19 studies globally, and demonstrates our expertise in publishing high impact papers that move the needle in our understanding of the human body’s dynamic immune response to mRNA vaccines, using tools that our scientists built in-house.”

Dr. Ali Ait Hssain, Senior Consultant Intensivist, and lead Investigator at HMC said: “I am pleased that HMC partnered with Sidra Medicine in this study, as it highlights the extended role of Qatar’s healthcare network in addressing key challenges related to tackling COVID-19. The findings of the study are extremely important as they offer the opportunity to identify patients that might require tailored or personalized treatments, particularly those with severe symptoms of the disease.”

The Sidra Medicine research team, included Dr. Darawan Rinchai and Dr. Sara Deola (co-first authors), and Dr. Davide Bedognetti, Dr. Jean-Charles Grivel, and Dr. Damien Chaussabel (co-senior authors).

Source: Sidra Medical and Research Center