Dubai – United Arab Emirates, March 24th 2014: Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (DIHAD) kicks off Tuesday 25th of March at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The 11th edition of DIHAD will be under the theme “Women and Aid, Women on whom disasters and crises inflict a disproportionate amount of suffering and women, essential providers of relief and assistance.”
The conferences’ topics for this year revolve around the women’s role in international relief campaigns, and the suffering that they face due to disasters and crises. The conference’s objective is to initiate humanitarian relief and development activities, and to coordinate the stances and joint programs in order to alleviate the suffering caused by natural disasters, conflicts and wars.
The conference will also touch upon key issues related to improving partnerships within critical humanitarian and development issues, and it will host special sessions about the humanitarian crises in Syria and the necessary in-country assistance requirements and the assistance required from the neighboring countries. In addition to that, the conference will highlight the progress that DIHAD achieved during the past editions and will discuss the plans for this highly important conference.
DIHAD Exhibition hosts this year 330 specialized companies from 66 countries in addition to a number of specialized speakers. On the other hand, the conference hosts a number of specialized sessions and workshops that cover important topics such as: Women and War, Women and Development, Women and Food Security, Women and Health in Crises, Women and Education, and many more.
DIHAD Conference & Exhibition enjoys attendance of a large number of local and international figures and participation from important institutions in the field of relief and development, on top of these figures is HE Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development in the UAE, HE Ibrahim Bumelha, Cultural and Humanitarian Advisor of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Est. and Chairman of the Higher Committee DIHAD, President of DISAB, HE Dr. Hamdan Al Mazroui, Chairman of the UAE Red Crescent Authority, and HE Ms. Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director of World Food Programme.
Important & Prominent Figures at DIHAD:
• H.E. Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response
• H.E. Ms. Baige Zhao, Vice-President, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Executive Vice-President, Red Cross Society of China
• H.E. Mr. Atta Almanan Bakhit El-Haj, Assistant Secretary-General, Humanitarian Affairs, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
• H.E. Mr. William Lacy Swing, Director-General, International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
• H.E. Mr. Gerhard Putman-Cramer, Director, DIHAD International Scientific Advisory Board
• Dr. Fathima Gailani, President, Afghanistan Red Crescent Society
• Mr. Amin Awad, Director, Middle East and North Africa Bureau and Regional Refugee Coordinator (UNHCR)
• Imam Qasim Rashid Ahmad, Founder and CEO, Al Khair Foundation, United Kingdom
• Ms. Muna Abu Suliman, Goodwill Ambassador of United Nations Development Programme, Former/Founding Secretary-General of The Al Waleed Bin Talal Foundation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Ms. Imogen Foulkes, BBC Geneva Correspondent
• Mr. Mohammed Assaf, Singer and Goodwill Ambassador for Peace of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)
Organisers & Sponsors:
DIHAD is organized by INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions - member of INDEX Holding and supported by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Est., the UN, the UAE Red Crescent Authority, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, International Humanitarian City, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai and Dubai Cares. DIHAD is also sponsored by Al Khair Foundation & IQRA TV.
International Emergency & Catastrophe Management Conference & Exhibition- IECM 2014:
Parallel to DIHAD Conference and Exhibition, the International Emergency & Catastrophe Management Conference & Exhibition, held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai is continuing for the three days of DIHAD. The objective of IECM Conference & Exhibition is to contribute towards the capacity building of the responders during an emergency. The event will focus on issues faced during emergencies through new practices, methodologies, and case studies discussed by experts from the field. IECM Conference and Exhibition is supported by Coventry University, Government of Dubai and Dubai Police, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services and the Emirates Society of Emergency Medicine.
The Conference agenda covers several topics such as: How Regional Organizations can Collaborate when Combating Emergencies, Emergency Management in Healthcare, Disaster Preparedness – Interoperability: Technical &Non-Technical Approaches to Multi Agency Disaster Response, How prepared we are to National Disasters : Unified Communications and Command, Emergency management in Healthcare, Pre-hospital Care/ Mass gathering treatment & response program, and several other topics.
The Coventry University is also presenting a number of disaster management workshops such as Disaster Preparedness – Interoperability: Technical &Non-Technical Approaches to Multi Agency Disaster Response, Disaster Preparedness – Wide Area Emergencies: Issues & Challenges for Command & Control, How to plan, Deliver and evaluate disaster Response training and exercise, and Post Disaster Reconstruction.
Index Shared Services
Suzan Mounzer
Media & PR Executive
Phone: 04 362 4717 Ext: 505
Mobile: 056 907 0443
Email: suzan.mounzer@index.ae
Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition
Attracta D'Silva
Project Manager
Phone: 04 362 4717 Ext: 116
Mobile: 050 515 2975
Email: attracta.dsilva@index.ae