Arab Maghreb Union for Dentists Joins the “Waterfalls” Initiative
Dubai – United Arab Emirates, 3 April, 2021: A session was held on Friday, April 2nd 2021 to announce the Arab Maghreb Union for Dentists’ joining of ‘Waterfalls’ Initiative, in the presence of the most prominent names in Dentistry in the Arab World.
The session, moderated by Eng. Anas Al Madani, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of INDEX Holding, began with an opening speech delivered by Dr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, Executive Chairman of Waterfalls Initiative for Continuous Education from UAE to the World, and Executive Chairman of ‘AEEDC Dubai’ and the ‘Global Scientific Dental Alliance’, where he welcomed the participants and said: “The pursuit of education does not stop, and the COVID-19 pandemic cannot prevent those who seek knowledge from finding it, and from this perspective the ‘Waterfalls’ Initiative for Continuous Education was born, and it is our duty to extend a helping hand to those in need, and the United Arab Emirates has always been amongst the first to offer help and support.”
From his side, Colonel Abdulrahman Ali Al Mansouri, Director of the Executive Office in the Department of Behavioral Rewards at the Ministry of Possibilities delivered his speech and said: “We would like to thank you for your participation in this initiative launched under the theme ‘From the UAE to the World’, which is an initiative that aims to empower one million doctors, enabling us to actively deliver the message of frontliners to the world.”
He added: “We have seen the great role of frontliners, which was more evident in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we have seen the tremendous efforts made by the medical sector around the world, and therefore we have thought of ways that allow us to support workers in the health and medical sectors and empower them to perform their lofty mission with our strategic partner ‘INDEX Holding’. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of communication and continuous education has become even more significant, and it is very important for doctors and specialists around the world to share their expertise and knowledge, which is a fundamental requirement in scientific research at this time.”
Furthermore, Mohamad Jarrar, President of the Arab Maghreb Union for Dentists said: “The COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to re-examine the definition of traditional education, and adopt more modern methods of teaching, based on modern technologies to accelerate the development of our educational system in the Maghreb countries. Remote learning and education allows dentists to acquire the skills and competencies needed to use modern communication and information technologies and tools, and spread technology in the medical community in general, and dentistry in particular, and give a broader concept of continuous education, as well as help create a society capable of keeping up with recent developments. It also contributes to facilitating communication between learners and teachers via e-mail and chat rooms. Remote education and e-learning also provide an opportunity to benefit from self-learning lessons, and eliminate the restrictions of time and place as well.”
He concluded: “I would like to thank the United Arab Emirates, and its wise leadership, and everyone involved in the ‘Waterfalls’ Initiative for Continuous Education.”
During his speech, Gerhard Seeberger, President of FDI said: “When initiatives are based on commitment and passion, growth and development will not be linear, and this is what we see in the “Waterfalls” initiative for Continuous Education and ‘Tawassol Dentists Group’ where the joint cooperation between these two initiatives will result in tremendous growth and great benefit.”
He added, “I also see this as a great opportunity for cooperation between all member countries of the ‘Tawassol Dentists Group’ with the FDI, as this cooperation will be of great benefit to everyone.”
From her side, Prof. Ihsan Binyahya, President Elect of FDI, said: “The Waterfalls initiative witnesses the key role of continuous education, and indeed, all professionals must participate in continuous education policy, as it is very important today to stay up to date with the latest developments, information and technologies to increase professional and clinical competencies to better care for patients.”
Furthermore, Dr. Majd Naji, Member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and Founder of Liberty Medical group said: “Through the Waterfalls Initiative for continuous education, we were able to benefit from the COVID-19 pandemic, and bring together doctors and professionals, regardless of physical distance. I am very happy that a group of Moroccan dentists joined this unique initiative, as this cooperation will provide an opportunity for dentists around the world to benefit from the great experiences of dentists in the Maghreb countries.”
For his side, Dr. Kamal Benmansour, Director of the Tawassol Dentists Group, Treasurer of the Arab Federation of Dentists, General Secretary of the Maghreb Union for Dentists, and Former treasurer of the national council of the order of dentists of Morocco, said: “I would like to extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the government of the United Arab Emirates. Such humanitarian educational initiatives from the United Arab Emirates are always welcomed, and on behalf of the ‘Tawassol Dentists Group’ team, I would like to express our absolute happiness with this session that is at the heart of our group’s interests, which is he continuous training in the field of dentistry and the empowerment of everyone in the most efficient and effective way, to be able to achieve educational and scientific development in our field of specialization, regardless of the circumstances and obstacles.”
From his side, Dr. Chouaib Rifki, Dean of Faculty of Dentistry, University of Casablanca, said: “Continuous education is a right of every person on earth, and every doctor, and we are always called to search for knowledge from cradle to grave, and through this valuable ‘Waterfalls’ initiative for continuous education, education has become available to specialists everywhere. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world’s perception of remote education, and has contributed to a significant increase in the number of virtual educational platforms around the world, and this pandemic has brought many continuous education opportunities for doctors, pharmacists, dentists and all health professionals to be able to learn and benefit from each other’s experiences. I would like to thank everyone involved in this initiative for their great role in providing an opportunity continuous education for healthcare and medical professionals around the world, and assisting them in spreading knowledge to everyone in various parts of the world.”
In addition, Dr. Dib Mohamed Reda, President of the National Council of Dental Ethics in Algeria said: “We consider this initiative to be a bridge and link between the countries of the Maghreb and the Arab countries, and it is an honorable initiative for us, and we would like to thank all those involved in it for their tremendous efforts.”
From his side, Dr. Bassem Maatar, President of Tunisian Dental Syndicate for Private Sector said: “We offer our support to this unique initiative, and we are confident of the great benefit that will result from this collaboration for all participants, as doctors from the Maghreb countries will be able to share their expertise and knowledge through the lectures.”
Lastly, and Dr. Mohamed El Moustapha Brahim, President of the National Syndicate of Mauritanian Dentists said: “The United Arab Emirates has always been able to make the impossible possible, and through these initiatives, the UAE has provided an impressive model that cannot be underestimated in the field of knowledge and education.”
The session was attended by Prof. Nawal Bouyahyaoui, Professor of Higher Education, Specialist in Orthodontics, and Dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine at Mohammed V University in Rabat, Dr. Dib Mohamed Reda, President of the National Council of Dental Ethics in Algeria, Dr. Mohamed Sdira, Former Chairman of the National Council of the National Dental Council, Former Secretary General of the Arab Dental Federation and Ex-president of the National Federation of Dental Unions in the private sector in Morocco, Dr. El Jai Taoufiq, President of the National Federation of Dentist’s Union of Private Sector in Morocco, in addition to a number of ‘Tawassol Dentists Group’ board members; Dr. Karim Slaoui, Dr. Houda Moussahim,, Dr. Wijdane Ait Rai, and Mrs. Elham Rashida Sadouq.
This cooperation between the ‘Arab Maghreb Union for Dentists’ and ‘Waterfalls’ Initiative was made through ‘Tawassol Dentists Group’, a comprehensive group for dentists founded in 2016 in Morocco, with a goal to stay up to date with industry development and communicate across all sectors of the profession to discuss all affairs of the dental profession by the authority, federal authorities, unions, associations, and the general population of dentists, as well as discuss dental clinical cases.
‘Tawassol Dentists Group’ organizes workshops and online lectures with the participation of experts from different countries, especially from the Arab region. It also aims to create several national and global partnerships to promote remote education and the transmission of knowledge to all parts of the world, with plans to produce various Educational Capsules and webinars intended for the general public for a better motivation in oral hygiene and to fight all forms of illegal practice of dentistry.
It is worth mentioning that the number of beneficiaries of the global initiative “Waterfalls” has reached more than 271,861 beneficiaries from 197 countries around the world since its launch, through sessions that contribute to enhancing participants’ skills and experiences in 15 sectors, and assist in keeping them up-to-date with the latest developments in their fields, which empowers and equips them with the necessary knowledge, and paves the way for them to face any health crises and emergencies that might occur in the future, presented by over 331 of the world’s most prominent lecturers and specialists in various medical fields in the world.
‘Waterfalls’ initiative was developed by the Department of Behavioral Rewards at the Ministry of Possibilities, in cooperation with ‘INDEX Holding’.
