Hundreds of workers went on strike claiming unpaid salaries, and though the Ministry of Labour found no labour discrepancies, the protests continued till late on Monday.
About 300 workers of Al Habtoor Engineering demonstrated peacefully at a Deira labour accommodation on Sunday night. By Monday morning, the protests spread to the accommodation in Jebel Ali and a worksite in Deira.
Though these sporadic incidents were brought under control by the police and labour ministry officials, amid claims of resolution, it was clearly far from over.
Police control said 400 people marched from Jebel Ali to Al Quoz on Monday night over the same issue. Some were seen throwing garbage cans in departure from the peaceful trend.
Acting Labour Ministry Director-General Humaid bin Deemas told official news agency Wam, “An inspection of the company records clearly showed that it had been paying the wages of the workers with delay or deductions.”
Colonel Ali Abdulla Al Ghaithi, Deputy Director of General Department of Emergency of the Dubai Police and Transport Security Supervisor, said of the earlier two incidents, “It was a peaceful.” None was injured nor
damage caused… SOURCE
Sphere: Related Content Posted 1 year ago at 11:34 am. View Comments
Lately, I received almost half a dozen emails accusing me of being too “pro-Dubai,” “a brown-nose for the government”, “too blind to see what is really happening here” and -my personal favorite- “I get paid by Dubai’s gov to promote positive news about it.
I won’t post any of those emails because they don’t deserve that credit.. but allow me to clear it out for those nice chaps..
If because I admire HH Sh Mo, you’re gonna call me a brownnose, then knock yourself out.
I am one of the biggest fans of HH Sheikh Mohammed and my only wish before I leave this earth is to have the opportunity to shake his hand. This man is doing so much for his people and country, few leaders have come close to his accomplishments.
No, I am not too blind to see what is happening in Dubai. As a matter of fact, I see more clearly than many of you because I refuse to be herded like cattle to blindly follow the drivel published about Dubai in some of the world mainstream media.
And yes, Dubai government is paying me…… and you and you and everyone. Not in cash, but in something much more valuable: An experience.
Living and working in Dubai gave me the chance to be. To do things and go to places I wouldn’t even dream of. Dubai is one of the safest places I have ever been to. (And believe me, I’ve been around). I am usually happy to see Dubai police officers, in many other places I’ve lived in before Dubai, I was beaten, insulted and humiliated by police officers for literally doing nothing. I’ve left my car, house, office unlocked, many many times and nothing happened to them. If I have a claimed right, there is a law mechanism that I can count on. It may take time, but I know I will get my right.
I am not saying there is nothing wrong with this place. There is plenty of room for improvements. Everywhere needs improvements. Even the most advanced “1st world cities”. ‘Improvement’ is a journey, not a destination. No body or place will reach a point, stop and say: “that is it. we are fully improved”. You just keep that engine running. And this is what Dubai is doing.
So, bottom line to all ye Dubai-haters out there: Yes, I am pro-Dubai. A 1000 times more than you think. Now go @#$! yourselves.
Sphere: Related Content Posted 1 year, 1 month ago at 9:55 am. View Comments
04/14/2009 02:39 PM | By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter
Dubai: The Dubai Police chief expressed surprise at the response of Doha Centre for Media Freedom in condemning Dubai Police’s request to restrict access to pornographic materials on the internet.
The Doha Centre for Media Freedom stated in a press release that they sent an open letter to the internet giant Google “warning it not to give in to calls for censorship [by Dubai Police].”
Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police, said: “I did not request Google representatives to block pornographic materials uploaded on YouTube from Qatar internet services, but asked them to take this into account in the UAE.”
He was responding to a press release released by the Doha Centre for Media Freedom in which they condemned the Dubai Police for calling for a campaign to restrict electronic content that is pornographic, mocks religions, strengthens atheism, fosters a feeling of insecurity or is unsuitable for young children.
YouTube, a video sharing website, was the focus of a much-debated discussion reported earlier in Gulf News between Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Muzainah, Deputy Chief of Dubai Police and Giselle Hescuk, Google’s head of development for Europe and the Middle East.
The press release incorrectly stated that Lieutenant-General Dahi drew up a censorship plan with Hescuk, “which the UAE authorities said would maintain religious harmony and prevent any infringements of religious and ethnic integrity in the light of local culture and traditions.”…
Sphere: Related Content Posted 1 year, 4 months ago at 3:17 pm. View Comments
Hmmmm. Seems like Dubai authorities are getting a little defensive on the PR front concerning the economic downturn. The facts remain that ‘several’ sources have reported the car story over the last 6 months, not just the Times article. Additionally, the facts are scary enough about the downturn in the UAE. Do you really need rumor at this point? I think we are going to see more of this type of reaction as Dubai struggles to cope with the hard reality of the economics of now.
02/07/2009 08:24 AM | By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Lieutenant-General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police, has strongly denied a rumour that many people are abandoning their cars at Dubai International Airport amid the global economic crisis.
The report was published in the Arabic electronic newspaper Elaph.com.
During an urgent press conference in Dubai, Lieutant-General Dhahi denied the report published on Thursday, which based its information on The Times of London which claimed there were 3,000 abandoned cars at Dubai International Airport.
“I swear by the Lord that Benyamin [writer of the article] lied even as he based his report on The Times article,” Lieutant-General Dhahi said at the beginning of the press conference.
The reporter contributed to spreading a rumour that many people are greedy, envious and resentful about the economic growth of Dubai, he said.
“A reporter should always verify the facts of a report. Did the reporter come back to us or request a comment and we said ‘No’ to him?! Credibility, objectivity and accountability are essential in journalism and this report lacked credibility.
“Be assured that if we had at least 50 or 25 or 15 cars abandoned at the airport, I would have told you about it. There have only been 11 cars left at the airport since January 1, 2008, which is before the global economic crisis,” he said.
“False statements on the market collapsing, as stated in the article, are nothing but incorrect rumours. If there is any disruption we will inform the media about it,” said Lieutant-General Dhahi.
“It is not even worth a story to write about the abandoning of 11 cars in a 6,000 car parking lot,” he stated.
“We are not denying the presence of the global financial crisis, but what’s been attributed to Dubai is completely false whether it is locally or internationally published. There is a fierce campaign against the reputation of the blooming city of Dubai.
I have clear and direct instructions from His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to be completely honest with the media.”
“The country is still witnessing a smooth flow in its economy. The title of the article creates an atmosphere of fear, mistrust, and contributes to spreading a rumour of a rumour. We have to put a limit to this, we are aware of the reports published on this but now it has gotten out of proportion,” he said.
Sphere: Related Content Posted 1 year, 6 months ago at 10:17 am. View Comments
he General Department of Traffic of the Dubai Police has decided to give one month grace period to car owners who have been issued traffic offences in absentia to inform the department on the person who committed the violation in order to record the black points against the license of the driver.
He said that the traffic department will send SMS by sending SMS through mobile or fax to the car owners about the violations recorded in absence
When receiving the messages the car owners should inform the department if the car was driven by himself or somebody else. The department should give the name of driver and the number of his driving license in order to record the black points on the driving license. He added that the cars owners should send the details to the traffic department within one month to avoid car seizure.
The maximum number of black points a motorist can incur in a year is 24 at which point his license is suspended. Once a person collects 24 black points, the license will be suspended for three months. If a motorist collects 24 points for the second time, the license will be suspended for six months. If it happens for the third time, the license will be taken away for one year and will not be returned until the driver passes a training course from an authorized institute…SOURCE
Sphere: Related Content Posted 1 year, 7 months ago at 10:56 am. View Comments
DUBAI – More than 80 vehicles found abandoned at the Dubai International Airport recently may 
have been left by people fleeing the country, apparently because they couldn’t repay loans after losing their jobs, according to police officials.
The Director of the General Department of Airport Security, Mohammed bin Thani, said 60 cars were seized recently.
Another 22 were seized by Dubai Police when they were found abandoned in a prohibited area in the airport, according to Colonel Saif Mohair Al Mazroui, Deputy Director of Traffic Department.
Col Saif said police noted the increase in the number of abandoned cars in the airport after the recent lay-offs by companies due to the economic downturn. “Police found that owners of some of the cars had dumped them in the airport parking lots after they failed to pay the loan instalments, and travelled to their countries,” he said.
However, Bin Thani said the evidence that the cars had been abandoned by loan defaulters was still not conclusive. He said the airport authorities had contacted banks and financial institutions to check whether the seized cars were purchased on loans…SOURCE
Sphere: Related Content Posted 1 year, 8 months ago at 12:00 pm. View Comments
Now if they just give idiot drivers some taser and jail time!
12/17/2008 11:27 PM | Staff Report
Dubai: Police will soon install radars every two kilometres on the roads to deter speeding and 
reckless motorists, a senior police official said.
Lieutenant Colonel Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Acting Director of Dubai Police’s Traffic Department, said the traffic will work to install radars every two kilometres in addition to mobile radars to deter speeding and reckless motorists and protect road users.
He said the department has installed 90 new digital radars on several internal roads and highways in Dubai to reduce the number of fatal accidents resulting from speeding and reckless driving.
He said the traffic department had installed the new radars’ beams on different roads such as, 30 radars on Shaikh Zayed Road, 22 radars on Dubai-Al Ain Road, 17 radars on Dubai-Hatta Road, 10 radars on Emirates Road, six radars on Al Khail Road and five radars on Business Bay Bridge.
Sphere: Related Content Posted 1 year, 8 months ago at 11:47 am. View Comments
Way to go!
12/16/2008 09:01 AM | Staff Report
Dubai: Police have arrested a gang of four who swindled more than Dh223 million by stealing credit card information used in online transactions and withdrawing money from the accounts of the owners, police said on Monday.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had received information in July this year that a gang of Arab men were stealing credit card information from people making online transactions on websites that offer government and semi-government services, and purchasing online from some shops.
After monitoring and collecting evidence, the CID teams then raided the gang’s den and arrest them red-handed with the devices they were using to carry out their operations.
Sphere: Related Content Posted 1 year, 8 months ago at 1:50 pm. View Comments
Seems like we have a mystery…
12/13/2008 11:45 PM | By Kevin Scott, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Friends and family of a missing 25-year-old British man are appealing for help in the search to locate his whereabouts.
Stephen McKeown, originally from Middlesborough, England, was last seen on Friday, December 5, in the Aussie Legends bar at Satwa’s Rydges Plaza hotel, Gulf News has learnt. 
He was having a night out with friends.
CCTV footage showed him leaving the hotel and walking in the direction of Satwa roundabout at approximately 9.30pm. Nobody has heard from him since.
Stephen had been living in the UAE for about a year, but faced a difficult time moving between various jobs.
Mystery
Natalie Jeynes, 24, was in a relationship with Stephen for about seven years and they remain close friends. She told Gulf News that Stephen had been staying with her at her home in The Gardens in the days before his disappearance.
She said: “He had just lost his job, but I still have his passport so he has definitely not left the country. His mobile phone has been switched off since Friday and the Dubai Police has checked all the city’s hospitals, jails and morgues.”…
Sphere: Related Content Posted 1 year, 8 months ago at 9:51 am. View Comments
Doesn’t this usually only happen in RAK?
12/11/2008 10:55 PM | Staff Report
Dubai: Police arrested a gang of four people including a woman, who impersonated police personnel, and used swords and knifes to threaten victims and robbed them.
In the last week of October, Dubai Police’s Control and Command Room had received a report of theft in Al Satwa area.
Police patrols arrived to the scene and found out that the theft took place at one of the traditional houses rented by Asian bachelors.
The bachelors told police that they woke up at around 1.30am after two men and a woman broke into the house armed with swords.
The gang threatened them and asked them to hand over everything they owned from money to mobile phones. The bachelors told police that they had to obey to save their lives.
The bachelors gave the gang eight mobile phones, Dh7,500, 1,500 Indian Rupees (Dh115) and a golden ring.
After the gang got the items, they locked the bachelors in the room from outside and fled the scene.
Dubai Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), assigned a special team to follow up the case and trace the suspects based on the description given by the victims.
Investigations revealed that the suspects had criminal records and their description matched 
the ones given by the victims.
On November 6, around 7.30pm, the CID team was able to arrest one of the suspects in Al Satwa area identified as Salem Ali Shambaih who does not carry identification papers.
CID found with him three mobile phones which were reported stolen. He confessed to the crime in participation with other suspects and told police they carried out many robberies, most of which had not been reported.
The CID teams then arrested the other suspects. They arrested the second suspect identified as Badr Ghali Shawi, an Iranian, near a bus stop by setting up a trap for him.
The teams also arrested Nada Ghali Shawi, an Iranian woman and Fareed Darwish from the UAE who possessed a large size knife.
CID teams found the stolen mobile phones at the residence of the suspects and found a large amount of swords and knifes at the residence of the second and third suspects.
The suspects were detained and referred to the Public Prosecution on the charge of theft.
The bachelors told police that they woke up at around 1.30am after two men and a woman broke into the house armed with swords. The gang threatened them and asked them to hand over everything.
Sphere: Related Content Posted 1 year, 8 months ago at 2:39 am. View Comments
