The UAE is at the forefront of global attention with the launch of Expo 2020 Dubai in early October, which represents the largest economic and knowledge gathering. Where economic elites gather during this event; To draw a new map of the global economy, which was severely exhausted by the virus crisis, and made it reconsider its calculations, and direct its future compass according to new data. “Expo 2020 Dubai” will be launched less than 7 months from now, which is the first international Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, in its history spanning nearly 170 years, at a time when the world needs such an international forum more than any time ago; In order to discuss the urgent challenges facing the contemporary world, and to develop innovative solutions to them, under the slogan: “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”

The UAE has mobilized many of its resources and energies, in cooperation with more than 200 participating international bodies; To organize an exceptional version of this international event that inspires the world with positive change, provides effective solutions to some of the most prominent challenges of the time, and leaves a meaningful impact that extends for decades to come. In this context, Expo 2020 Dubai will discuss many of these challenges within 3 main topics; They are: “Opportunity, mobility and sustainability.”

These three topics constitute the main axes for the development of all world economies in the modern era. No development is in the interest of all without ensuring that the elements of sustainability are achieved in it. Nor will economic growth be enhanced in any country without having the basic infrastructure; To facilitate the movement of people, goods, data and ideas; No economy will grow anywhere on the planet without creating growth opportunities for that economy.

Sustainability at Expo 2020 Dubai

In 2015, the member states of the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, 17 goals also known as the Global Goals, as a global call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

The international event, throughout its 6-month duration, will be a platform for creating change, sharing solutions, and exploring new ideas that encourage working together to protect our planet and achieve sustainability within the framework of global development goals.

The theme of sustainability in Expo 2020 addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the places we live in, and seeks to have a positive environmental impact at the local, regional and global levels.

The Sustainability Pavilion will be an example to follow in terms of sustainable architectural design, and will be part of the legacy that Expo 2020 will leave after its activities. It will turn into a science center and the people behind the Sustainability Pavilion are looking forward to becoming a legacy building that generates 100% of its own energy and water needs.

The Sustainability Pavilion tells its visitors the story of humans’ relationship with nature, while at the same time addressing the negative environmental impact largely caused by human behavior. This helps visitors understand their impact on the environment, and then motivates them to become advocates of change. During the Expo 2020 period, the pavilion will also host entertainment and educational events, such as scientific and cultural performances centered on the theme of sustainability.

Expo 2020 and Mobility

Mobility is one of the basic pillars of economic development in all countries of the world. The concept of mobility in our time is not limited to the movement of people and goods only, but this concept has become more and more extensive. As it now includes the movement of data, information, ideas, services, cultures, and of course, the movement of capital.

Therefore, mobility is a major driver for the growth of trade traffic and thus boosting economic growth in the countries of the world. Who can imagine, for example, what the situation would have been in the time of the pandemic if humanity had not possessed the means of transporting medical supplies and vaccines that it now possesses, as well as the transfer of information, data, ideas, money and also goods? How would the educational movement continue without modern audiovisual means of communication? How would the movement of money continue without having the technologies that enable us to achieve this in a matter of seconds and with the click of a button through cyberspace? Indeed, how would supply chains continue to exist without possessing all these new technologies? All this and more prove the importance of these technologies to the continuation of life on this planet.

At Expo 2020 Dubai, many international participants and partners will discuss mobility solutions. Expo 2020 Dubai has entered into partnerships with a large number of companies specializing in related fields, including Accenture (Digital Services Partner), Cisco (Digital Network Partner), and Dubai Ports World (DP World). International Trade Partner), Emirates Airlines (Official Airline Partner), Emirates NBD (Official Banking Partner), Etisalat (Telecom Services Partner), MasterCard (Official Payments Technology Partner), Nissan (Official Automobile Sector Partner), S. Verse. B. (Innovative Software Solutions Partner), Siemens (Infrastructure Digitization Partner), and Terminus Technologies (Official Robotics Partner).

Opportunities Created by Expo 2020 Dubai

Expo 2020 Dubai will be a platform to showcase opportunities in all areas related to its themes and inspire new opportunities through the exchange of ideas. Expo 2020 Dubai supports many innovative ideas and solutions through the Expo Live Program, which provided grants to 140 projects from 76 countries, each worth 367,000 dirhams ($ 100,000), all of which aim to improve the lives of people in local communities or protect the planet.

Expo 2020 Dubai will contribute to achieving the UAE Vision 2021, by supporting tourism and creating innovative projects.

Corporate support

Expo 2020 Dubai pays special attention to small and medium-sized companies. Realizing that it plays a major role in achieving growth and creating job opportunities in the UAE, Expo is committed to allocating 20% of direct and indirect expenditures to small and medium-sized companies.

The volume of contracts awarded by Expo 2020 Dubai to SMEs until October 2020 amounted to nearly 5.12 billion dirhams, and the number of companies registered to work with Expo 2020 Dubai exceeded 46,000 enterprises from more than 180 countries, and small and medium-sized companies represent 54% of the total. Companies registered with Expo 2020, winning 55% of Expo 2020 contracts.

An innovative system of Expo 2020 Dubai

After the curtain falls on Expo 2020 Dubai, the location of the international event will turn into District 2020, the human-centered smart city that will re-employ more than 80% of Expo 2020 Dubai facilities.

District 2020 will constitute an innovative system aimed at supporting the progress of the UAE in its march towards an economy based on innovation, and will also support industrial and technical growth in the region, and embrace a group of the finest educational, cultural and entertainment facilities.

Two of the Expo 2020 Dubai partners in the category of official first partner, namely, Siemens and DP World, have expressed their commitment to have their permanent headquarters in District 2020. In this regard, Siemens will establish its headquarters for global logistics operations. For airports, cargo and ports at the site, DP World plans to open a training center on logistics operations in District 2020. As for Terminus Technologies, Expo’s partner for robotics in the first official partner category, it has entered into a long-term lease agreement in District 2020, where it will establish a research and development center. As well as its first headquarters outside of China. The Sustainability Pavilion will turn into a science center after the end of the Expo, and many other major facilities, such as Al Wasl Square, the Mobility Pavilion and the Dubai Exhibition Center, will become permanent parts of District 2020.

Prolonged effect of Expo 2020

All global expectations indicate that the economic impact of Expo 2020 Dubai on the UAE will extend for many years and on a wide range of sectors, most notably tourism, travel, logistics, retail and construction.

The UAE recently launched new legislation, policies and stimulus initiatives that have strengthened the economy’s ability to face the challenges facing the global economy.

The UAE’s new trends, especially regarding freehold property, golden residency, extended visas, and others, come as a link in an extended chain aimed at enhancing its position in attracting new investments and competencies from all over the world.

Expo 2020 Dubai is a historic opportunity for the countries of the region and Africa to present the investment opportunities available in them, especially those related to health, food, sustainability, mobility and others, in an effort to create development that enhances their ability to face future challenges.

The World Expo has been an important platform to highlight the innovations and innovations of the human mind, more than 169 years ago, when the first session was launched in Britain in 1851, which paved the way for its transformation into the largest comprehensive global event concerning the future of mankind.

The holding of Expo 2020 Dubai, on the land of the Emirates, for the first time in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, in early October, not only completes the march of successes of this global event, which was able to attract over its previous sessions more than a billion visitors, but to launch a stage Another milestone in the history of Expo exhibitions and in shaping the future of the world, especially at this unprecedented stage that it is going through as a result of the challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused the event to be postponed for a year.

Over its six months, Expo 2020 Dubai will bring together a crowd of his family, including international participants, official partners and the public, to discuss common solutions to pressing challenges, and to encourage cooperation in order to shape the features of a better and more sustainable tomorrow for all by developing appropriate solutions to these challenges.

Expo 2020 Dubai and Covid-19

Now, more than a year after the outbreak of the Covid-1 pandemic, Expo 2020 Dubai has a firm conviction that humanity needs, more than ever before, for joint solidarity to reach participatory solutions to the world’s most pressing problems in health care. Climate, biodiversity, knowledge and learning, water – to help shape a better and more sustainable future for all.

As the International Expo shows throughout its history have unveiled some of the most prominent innovations, achievements and architectural masterpieces of the modern era, including the Eiffel Tower and the Space Needle Tower in Seattle, the typewriter, and the TV set, Expo 2020 Dubai is preparing to represent hope and confidence in the future of humanity in an era After Covid-19, by inspiring new and exciting solutions to the world’s toughest challenges, and by celebrating creativity, innovation, humanity and cultures around the world.

The main slogan of Expo 2020 Dubai, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future” is based on the firm conviction that progress and innovation can only be achieved by investing in human capabilities and creative ideas in new and unique ways and consolidating global solidarity values to change the world for the better, while the Expo 2020 Dubai site will represent a vision for the city of the future, Designed for a more sustainable, human-centered lifestyle brimming with architectural and operational inspiration.

Food and Expo 2020

Today, food security is an indisputable fundamental belief of true human dignity. In the first weeks and months of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the capacity of all countries was tested, which clearly revealed the weakness of the global food value chain.
However, after this grueling test, the world now has the opportunity to reimagine that chain, learn to make the right choices and implement more sustainable systems.
Expo 2020 is being held against the backdrop of a pandemic that shook the world and disrupted its food systems to an unprecedented extent, threatening millions with hunger and malnutrition. This situation gave Expo 2020 Dubai, with its slogan “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future”, a new importance, which is that it will represent a vital forum in which the world’s governments work on Engineering the transformation of global food systems for the future.
Fortunately, modern agricultural technologies give hope in being able to produce food using less resources and with less environmental impact, as the United Arab Emirates has taken the lead in this sector based on the need to raise its self-sufficiency rates due to the challenges it faces in growing crops in ways It has made the adoption of modern agricultural technologies a major direction in the National Food Security Strategy, which aims to make the UAE a leading global center for innovation-based food security by 2051.

Uniting the world

The United Nations World Food Program believes that Expo 2020 Dubai can be a platform to unite the world in order to change the way we grow, distribute, consume and dispose of our food, calling for urgent international action towards building reliable global food systems, and for taking bold cooperative measures. To build robust and reliable food systems.

The future of communication

Despite what the world faced during the past twelve months of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which posed a huge challenge by all standards, and required necessary restrictions on mobility and discovery, we also witnessed an exceptional era of innovation, embodied by the success of the Hope Probe, which is the first mission. Arab Planet Exploration, while the travel, tourism, and logistics sectors continue to adopt the latest technologies and methodologies, to consolidate the principles of participation in an interconnected and interconnected global society based on travel and communication as essential factors for the advancement of societies and economies.

Knowledge and learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that reform and innovation in the education system has become an urgent priority to transform the education sector into a digital world, after the potential of technology and digital transformation emerged during the pandemic to accelerate the need to rethink education, skills and lifelong learning systems.
During its holding, Expo 2020 Dubai, in cooperation with Dubai Cares, will host (Rewired Summit), which will reshape the global dialogue on education, to push the boundaries of current thinking and strengthen cooperation between the new allies from various sectors and governments, as well as between global education actors, strategic partners and the sector. The private.

New principles

Among the many other topics that Expo 2020 Dubai will contribute to shaping its features, urban and rural development comes at the forefront, after the world has become in dire need to formulate new principles of urban design that keep pace with the needs of the future and the way the world’s population will live, especially with regard to efficiency. Energy consumption, water system protection and sustainable farming practices.

Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to witness widespread interest from more than 100 countries that will address urban and rural issues and solutions at the forefront, after the world has become in urgent need to formulate new urban design principles that keep pace with urban and rural warmth, and the future of smart cities that will be populated by 2050. What this development means with regard to infrastructure, services, and models affecting the provision of services, such as water, sanitation and health, and the role of technology in this field, as well as the integration of best practices in the public and private sectors to improve the quality of services and create opportunities for all.

Health Care

The issue of global health and fitness is one of the most prominent challenges that Expo seeks to address by bringing individuals, societies and countries together to build bridges, enable work and inspire solutions. Expo already supports a number of innovations and projects related to health care around the world.

Expo 2020 Dubai also seeks to answer a range of questions, most notably the innovations and technologies that change the way societies deal with global health concerns, and how to harness them to build happier and healthier societies.

While health and fitness are two primary drivers of human development, they are under threat – after the difficult test produced by the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, which will make Expo 2020 Dubai the ideal platform in which all stakeholders, at all levels, can come together to re-establish a system. A comprehensive global health that facilitates community access to health care – a preventive system that protects everyone, rather than just some of them.

Climate and Biodiversity

Among the challenges that the Expo will work to discuss and develop solutions to, those related to climate and the preservation of biodiversity, especially since the success of humanity in overcoming climate change and biodiversity losses – which together constitute an existential threat to life on the planet – is held to the union of the world. Which will make Expo 2020 Dubai a meeting place for the most ingenious, inspiring and ambitious minds from around the world to collaborate on how to address two of the most pressing global challenges, in order to preserve nature and humanity.

Expo 2020 Dubai sets a March 31 deadline for volunteer applications

The Expo 2020 Dubai Volunteer Program announced that the deadline for submitting applications to participate in it will be on the 31st of this March, once again inviting UAE citizens and residents to participate, to represent the nation’s façade in front of the international event’s guests and contribute to welcoming millions of visitors to the first “Expo. »International in the region.

And a statement issued yesterday stated that after the great response that the volunteer program received in “Expo 2020 Dubai”, with the support of “Etisalat Group”, the program’s partner in the category of the official first partner, “Expo 2020 Dubai” has already received more than 160 thousand requests for expressions of interest, He surpassed his initial goal of 100,000 requests, pointing out that the huge international event will use 30,000 volunteers to be the face of Expo 2020 Dubai, and help introduce the whole world to Emirati culture, values and traditions.

The Director of the Volunteer Program at Expo 2020 Dubai, Abeer Al Hosani, said that “Expo 2020 Dubai,” as the first international “Expo” to be held in the Arab world, promises to be an experience of a lifetime for everyone.

She explained that the volunteers will be at the heart of the event, as they will acquire skills that will remain with them for life, and get to know visitors, participants, businessmen, and project leaders from different parts of the world, and build relationships with them.

“We are delighted with the tremendous response and commitment from the Emirati community, which has stood by our side along this path,” she added. I invite all those who have not yet submitted their application to seize their opportunity, before the application deadline closes on March 31, to contribute to the volunteer legacy of Expo, which is based on the spirit of volunteering rooted in the UAE. ”

For his part, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications at Etisalat Group, Dr. Ahmed Bin Ali, said: “We are proud of our partnership with the Volunteer Program at Expo 2020 Dubai, which is witnessing a wide response from the UAE community, to participate in the largest international event in the Arab world. , Where volunteers will have a prominent role in familiarizing Expo visitors from around the world with Emirati customs, traditions and values. ”

He explained that this program is in line with the company’s slogan “Together”, which embodies the importance of technology in ways of communication and enriching the lives of individuals, in line with the vision of the leadership in the UAE aimed at promoting the values of coexistence and volunteer work.

According to the statement, the volunteer program at Expo 2020 Dubai was designed with diversity and flexibility in mind, and it welcomes the participation of all those over the age of 18, regardless of their nationality or educational level, as long as they are proficient in the English language, possess high communication skills, and the ability to Volunteer for 10 shifts.

After the deadline, Expo 2020 Dubai will continue to study applications and conduct personal interviews to select a distinguished team of volunteers, who will then go through a series of activities aimed at preparing them to carry out their duties.

Many volunteers have already provided support in many prominent events along the march to Expo 2020 Dubai, which will open its doors on October 1, 2021.

New Zealand Prime Minister: The Dubai Expo is a very important event for the world

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed that Expo 2020 Dubai is a very important event for New Zealand and the world as everyone looks to recover from the repercussions of the pandemic.

While attending an event held by the New Zealand pavilion at Expo Dubai on the occasion of the launch of the event in less than 200 days on October 1 of this year, Ardern indicated through her Instagram account that the last quarter of 2021 will witness a real movement, which constitutes a vital opportunity for exporters and innovators from New Zealand, as well. Pictures were published from the event, which was held in New Zealand with the participation of a number of officials, businessmen and partners of the New Zealand Pavilion at Expo.

The New Zealand Herald published videotaped press statements by Ardern during the event, confirming that Expo 2020 Dubai will be a launching pad for countries of the world towards international markets, and expressed her hope that the event will contribute to highlighting New Zealand’s unique ingredients and innovations.

Ardern pointed out that the previous sessions of the international expos provided opportunities for New Zealand to enter new markets, noting that the Expo 2020 Dubai, which is taking place in the wake of the Covid 19 virus, will allow her country to reconnect and connect with the rest of the world.

She explained that the event will see interactive attendees through the virtual media and the Internet, but explained that the exhibitions Expo International has long focused on the actual attendance and direct communication on the ground definition as provided by each country
and by another New Zealand Pavilion account emphasized the social media in Tdionh pictures about the event that the world will meet under One roof at Expo 2020 Dubai, where exporters will be able to communicate with business and corporate representatives from the 192 participating countries, will form a vital platform for New Zealand’s export-dependent recovery journey.

The logo of the New Zealand pavilion at the Expo reflects the heritage and values of the Maori people. The pavilion also displays indigenous civilization through the design of the pavilion, which depicts “Waka Tuanga,” a Maori tradition of using handcrafted boxes to preserve valuables that were presented as gifts. Connecting people and the pavilion is located in the Expo sustainability zone.

World Food Program: Expo Dubai is a great opportunity for great actions

About 6 months ago, we were separated from the launch of Expo 2020 Dubai, the international event that is being held for the first time in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia in its nearly 170-year history, and which comes at a time full of challenges facing the world, which makes it more important than As ever, because of its power and influence in developing solutions to some of the most pressing of these challenges, by bringing together countries and peoples of the world around the common goals of humanity, enhancing cooperation and inspiring innovative ideas that contribute to building a better future for all.
Among these challenges are those related to food security, agriculture and livelihoods, and because the main goal of “Expo 2020 Dubai” is to mobilize energies capable of devising effective solutions to the most prominent challenges of the age through dialogue and cooperation under the slogan “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future”, this topic was within The themes that the international event will focus on in its programs, initiatives and events, including the Expo talks, organized by Expo 2020 Dubai last month under the title “Expo Talks: Food, Agriculture and Livelihoods.”
Within the framework of these talks, which are the last in a series of 10 talks dealing with specialized topics in preparation for extensive discussion during the international event that takes place from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai hosted a session entitled “Who Farm to the Table: Creating a Flexible Food System », held in cooperation with the European Union and the United Nations World Food Program, to explore some of the innovative practices and technologies needed to change the way the world produces, transfers, consumes and disposes of food, and also highlighted the importance of cooperation in this field.

Bold actions

In exclusive statements to Al Khaleej, Amir Abdullah, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Program, expressed the importance of the role of Expo 2020 Dubai in bringing together international institutions and other parties concerned with this issue in order to make a quantum leap in the food management systems in the world, saying: «We are At the World Food Program, we eagerly await this year’s World Expo as another important opportunity for partners to meet and commit to taking bold action to transform our global food systems. ”
In this regard, Abdullah pointed out that the World Food Program’s approach depends on successful cooperation with an ecosystem of partners, including the UAE, explaining that the program is working with it “to gather strengths, exchange experiences and promote innovation.”

Defective diets

“With less than 10 years left, many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are still elusive, in many cases, with defective or disrupted food systems part of the problem,” he added. We cannot waste time .. Today, many fast-transforming food systems in the world have become fragile, defective, or disrupted, as these systems fail to achieve food security for all, and these systems also cause the natural environment to deteriorate for future generations, and some of them are disrupted by environmental shocks.

He said: “The fact that 690 million people routinely go to bed hungry is evidence of the failure of many food systems .. The“ Covid-19 ”pandemic has been a wake-up call, in light of the unprecedented repercussions of the pandemic, the World Food Program estimates that The number of people worldwide who suffer from acute food insecurity – life-threatening hunger – has nearly doubled, to 270 million.Image

He noted that more than a billion tons of food is lost or wasted every year, despite the fact that levels of hunger in the world are on the rise again. The demand on global food systems is also increasing, and it is expected that food systems will need to feed 10 billion people over the next 30 years while bearing the effects of climate change and protecting natural resources for future generations.

Flexible management

He explained that flexible, high-performance food systems provide food security and nutrition for all “by supporting efficient, equitable, predictable and sustainable food production, transformation and consumption,” noting that “these systems also provide adequate incentives and revenues for producers and distributors, and provide adequate, safe and nutritious food. Affordable prices to consumers, and supports the overall structural transformation of economies, which enhances productivity and income that reduce poverty and hunger, and make these economies able to withstand shocks and pressures effectively.

Front lines

Abdullah said: The World Food Program is working on the front lines of food insecurity and malnutrition, as food systems are still far from those lines, indicating that people in these places face 3 deep systemic problems, which are: the “last mile”, referring to To the isolation of many poor communities that cannot afford the food available to them; The “bad year”, when food supplies are limited, often due to poor harvests; And the ‘Year of Giving’, in which insufficient capacity to store, market and transport food surpluses can cause spoilage and waste. He stressed the importance of food systems and improving their performance in a way that makes them more inclusive, efficient, sustainable, and resilient in order to end hunger by 2030.

He continued: “On the ground, the World Food Program benefits from its experience, knowledge and reach to improve the performance of food systems by addressing their problems at their roots, and a large part of this work is related to ensuring access to adequate and healthy food, and every year, the World Food Program supports more than 100 million people around the world meet their basic nutritional needs – and many of these would be excluded from the diet altogether without program support. ”
He stressed that the program strongly encourages technologies and practices that help food-insecure communities anticipate and adapt to the impacts of climate change and enhance their resilience in the face of shocks, and helps partners anticipate risks and take appropriate measures to mitigate their impact on the food system through early warning systems and associated insurance programs.

Best practices

Expo 2020 Dubai also supports projects that provide innovative solutions to some of these challenges, including those related to agriculture and food security, through the global best practices and Expo Live programs.
Among the projects directly related to agriculture and food, which are supported by the best global practices program, is the Digital Farm Service Project from “ISOCO” in Ghana, whose goal is to facilitate access to the latest agricultural information and digital financial services and to achieve transparency in agricultural value chains, by providing rich local agricultural content. , And information on the market for farmers via phones. Among the projects joining the program is also the “Plus School Menus” of the World Food Program, which works to improve school menus using algorithms through an online application that calculates the least expensive school food menus, which correspond to local food requirements and resources.
The Expo Live Innovation Impact Grants Program also supports a number of projects related to food and agricultural security, including the “Desert Controls” project, which addresses the problem of desertification through a technology that consists of an innovative mixture of water and mud that transforms dry sandy soil into arable land. There is also the “Second Harvest Japan” project that works to overcome obstacles in the area of donating food.
In the UAE, Expo Live is supporting the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, which provides agricultural systems that increase production and reduce harmful impacts in areas with saline soils.

Dubai Sports Conference and Dubai Globe Soccer concert at the Expo

The Board of Directors of the Dubai Sports Council reviewed the work plan of the organizing committee of the Dubai International Sports Conference and the “Dubai Globe Soccer” 2021, which will be organized during the month of December in the “Expo 2020” region, as the event will coincide with the holding of the largest economic, tourism and knowledge exhibition and forum in the world.

A press release said: “His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, has directed to organize a distinguished version of the conference and ceremony commensurate with his global sporting stature and with his stay at the Expo headquarters, and that he will bring together world football stars and international dignitaries in the various fields that You will attend Expo events. “

The second meeting of the Dubai Sports Council Board of Directors for the year 2021 reviewed the controls and conditions for using the name “Dubai” in various sporting events in line with the position of the Emirate of Dubai and the level of the name, which has become a symbol of distinction, creativity and dazzle in all fields. The conditions and controls will be raised to the official legislative authorities in the emirate. Dubai, for the purpose of issuing it as part of an official decision that is binding on all parties operating in organizing sporting events and the sectors that support them.

The meeting approved the organization of the eighth edition of the Sports Excellence Ceremony for clubs and football companies in Dubai, according to the Dubai model for sports excellence.