Omar Abdulrahman, the region’s most famous footballer, has been confirmed as ambassador and front cover star for the Middle East edition of Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 (PES 2016), the latest edition of the hugely successful football game produced by Konami Digital Entertainment B.V.
Omar, who plays for Al Ain football Club in the UAE, will appear alongside global footballing icon Neymar Jr. when he becomes the first Arab player to grace a cover of one of the world’s most acclaimed video games, already an established favorite in the region.
The new edition of the game, featuring the historic cover, PES 2016will be released across Egypt, the GCC and Levant countries on Sept. 17, with a 20th anniversary edition also available.
Despite being just 24 years old, Omar has made headlines around the world over recent years with sparkling performances on the pitch helping to light up the 2012 London Olympics and 2015 AFC Asian Cup in particular.
He scored in the final as the UAE won the 2013 Gulf Cup of Nations, and was subsequently named player of the tournament, while in the same year he was listed byFIFA.com as one of the most promising future stars in Asia.
Omar Abdulrahman commented: “I have played Pro Evolution Soccer since I was a child. Growing up, I never imagined that I would be on the cover one day, so I am excited to be featured on it in this year’s edition and I can’t wait to see the game in action this September”.
PES 2016 aims to retain the title of ‘Best Sports Game’, which was bestowed on the previous edition at games shows and by major media outlets across the world last year, by continuing to lead the way in the recreation of ‘The Beautiful Game’. The series aims to go back to its roots to create an exciting match between users, and proudly present PES 2016 to deliver quality gameplay following ‘The Pitch is Ours’ mantra. From using the latest technological advances to bring the on-pitch action to life and being fully committed to centering the product around creating the best gameplay experience, to the full redevelopment of Master League, every facet of the game has been enhanced to deliver yet another outstanding product.
PES 2016 will also exclusively retain its use of the AFL Champions League club competition — this partnership allows KONAMI to feature both the AFL Champions League club competitions within its many options, with both featured as individual modes or within the larger season overview upon qualification including the iconic Master League mode.
Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among the countries with teams featured in PES 2016.
Adam Bhatti, brand manager for PES added: “We couldn’t be happier with the addition of Omar Abdulrahman facing the front of PES 2016 for the Middle East region. Omar has been a massive success at the Al Ain football club and has a huge fan base across the region. Omar’s amazing skills on the pitch in real life inspire our gameplay design and emulate the PES 2016 experience, and we are confident will help to raise the game’s profile in the Middle East.”
Omar Abdulrahman becomes first Arab star to feature on front cover of Pro Evolution Soccer video game
Omar Abdulrahman becomes first Arab star to feature on front cover of Pro Evolution Soccer video game
Jameel Research project at MIT tackles antimicrobial resistance
Jameel Research, part of Abdul Latif Jameel International network, is sponsoring a research project in the Department of Biological Engineering and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, aimed at tackling the global public health crisis of antimicrobial resistance.
This ambitious, multi-disciplinary project is led by Professor James J. Collins, Termeer professor of medical engineering and science at MIT and faculty lead for life sciences at the MIT Jameel Clinic, the epicenter of artificial intelligence and health at MIT.
The project, spanning at least three years, will leverage the Collins’ lab’s cutting-edge strengths in synthetic biology and AI to create next-generation diagnostics.
The growing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and a declining antibiotic pipeline has led to a global public health crisis. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has predicted some 2 million infections and 23,000 deaths occur each year in the US alone, costing $55 billion. The World Bank predicts that up to $100 trillion of economic output may be at risk by 2050. The UK government-commissioned Review on Antimicrobial Resistance is projecting more than 10 million deaths worldwide per year by 2050 if the crisis is not addressed.
Professor Collins and his team at MIT are setting out to develop the next generation of antibacterials and rapid diagnostics to overcome AMR — using synthetic biology and advanced generative AI to deliver faster results and help control the use of antibiotics to where they can be effective.
With support from Jameel Research, the first phase of this project will develop and validate programmable antibacterials to overcome AMR in a range of bacterial pathogens. These AI-designed minibinders will be delivered by engineered microbes to neutralize key toxins and protein targets.
This directed design and engineering approach to antibiotic development technology advances a long-term vision to create programmable antibacterials to address the AMR crisis. This would then offer the potential for the more rapid development of medical countermeasures to emerging and re-emerging pathogens and a swifter response to future outbreaks and pandemics.
Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, KBE, chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel, said: “Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent challenges we face today and addressing it will require ambitious science and sustained collaboration. We are pleased to support this new research, building on our long-standing relationship with MIT and our commitment to advancing research across the world, to strengthen global health and contribute to a more resilient future.”
“This project reflects my belief that tackling AMR requires both bold scientific ideas and a pathway to real-world impact,” Professor Collins said. “Jameel Research is keen to address this crisis by supporting innovative, translatable research at MIT.”
Jameel Research is advancing the work of pioneering pathfinders to create an extraordinary impact on a global scale.
This initial project holds the promise of rapidly developing medical countermeasures for emerging and re-emerging pathogens, offering a rapid response to future outbreaks and pandemics.
The new research project builds on the close and long-standing relationship between MIT and the Jameel family. This includes the MIT Jameel Clinic, which was co-founded in 2018 by MIT and Community Jameel, the international nonprofit organization founded by Mohammed Jameel, KBE, to advance science and learning for communities to thrive, and one of the Jameel family’s philanthropies.
