Gulf News observed a large number of pilgrims talking on mobiles while doing their tawaf (circumambulation) or sa’i (long walk between the mountains of Safa and Marwah).
The pilgrims take advantage of the time it takes to do sa’i to talk to their families and friends or send text messages. Some of them even discuss business projects while performing Umrah.
The use of mobile phones is particularly worrying when thousands of worshippers leave the mosque at the same time. Many insist on stopping to finish a chat while actually obstructing the flow of movement out of the Grand Mosque… MORE
More than two million national ID cardholders will soon be able to renew their cards at certified typing centres, cutting out the need to go to Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) registration centres, a top official told Gulf Newsyesterday.
The advantage of the new renewal system is that ID cardholders will not have to make an appointment or check the working hours of Eida centres, Dr Ali Al Khoury, Acting General Manager of Emirates Identity Authority (Eida), said.
“Instead they can visit any certified typing centre which mostly work long hours,” he said.
He said the new renewal system was expected to be operational by next month.
At present ID cardholders have to visit Eida registration centres for renewal with separate counters set aside for them… MORE
Petrol prices in the UAE are set to rise a third time this year. Sources from oil company Adnoc told Gulf News that the fuel distribution companies are about to increase price on fuel… MORE
Ajman: An Emirati man has been interrogated by police for attempting to organise an illegal march in the country, and subsequently fired from his job, Gulf Newswas told on Monday.
A top Ministry of Interior official said the man, who apparently circulated messages though a Blackberry Messenger (BBM) in an attempt to organise the march, in response to the recent fuel price increases, worked for Dubai Police.
“If anyone wants to organise such a peaceful protest they can but they should do it through the legal channels,” Brigadier Ali Abdullah Alwan, Chief of Ajman Police, told Gulf News on Monday.
He said a number of people were also questioned in other emirates about the issue. He said a group of men from various emirates were detained briefly after they circulated messages via the BBM, “calling for 400 participants” to take part in a march from Fujairah to Abu Dhabi. The message asked participants to confirm attendance and cited a BB Pin Code, which matched the account of a 23-year-old man from Ajman.
“They were questioned not over sending the messages or their decision to protest. It is about attempting an illegal protest.”… MORE
Tourists visiting the Burj Khalifa have told how dozens of people “began to cry” after being stranded on the building’s observation deck for over an hour.
At the Top, a visitor attraction located on the 124th floor of the world’s tallest building, is temporarily closed to the public following “technical issues with the power supply” but is scheduled to reopen on Sunday, February 14.
A senior Dubai Civil Defence official confirmed to Gulf News on Monday there was an incident at the Burj Khalifa on Saturday evening.
The official said: “This is a minor case; it was not serious at all. Staff members at the Burj Khalifa handled the situation perfectly. Our role was to ensure the safety of the public. It is absolutely normal for a new building to face minor issues such as this, which involved one of the Burj Khalifa’s elevators.”
Gulf News spoke on Monday to several tourists who were stranded on the observation deck for over an hour on Saturday.
Michael Timms, a 31-year-old telecommunications engineer from the US, said: “I was walking around the observation deck when I heard this really loud noise and what looked like smoke or dust coming out from one of the elevator doors. There were at least 60 people on the deck at the time. Employees and security staff were telling people that everything was ok. But once it became clear we were not being allowed back down, some people got really angry while others started crying.”…SOURCE
Hundreds of employees of etislalat’s 181 directory service are not under the company’s sponsorship, Gulf News has learnt.
The call centre employees, who are based in Ajman, say they have never been issued with employment visas or labour cards. They told Gulf News they are paid Dh16 per hour but have no contract. Many of them have been working there for more than five or six years.
“I was sponsored by my father,” said a 25-year-old Arab employee, who has been at the centre for five years. “I was able to obtain a visa from a company in Dubai and am working at etisalat,” he said.
Another employee, who has been working there for three years, said he was sponsored by his father. His sponsorship is going to expire in three months, he added.
A woman employee said she worked for the call centre for one and a half years but has stopped working for them now.
“I was on the sponsorship of my father,” she said…SOURCE
I read this story in the ‘Letters to the Editor’ section in Gulf News this morning. The headline was sizzling with words such “losing control” and “poses danger”..
The report suggests a driver was using a “malfunctioning spare tyre…” and that “.. it belonged to a small car” and labeled the driver as a menace to society.
30 seconds on Google can reveal that this type of cars, GMC Acadia, is equipped with what is called a ‘Compact Spare Tire’. It is very commonly supplied by many US and European car makers and is designed to be used temporarily for a limited number of miles…check here: http://www.gmc.com/acadia/acadia/specsExterior.jsp
And since no one asked the prejudged/condemned driver, I can see that (by the supplied photo), the driver is sticking to the far right (slow lane), most likely at low speed, which usually aggravates our short tempered Dubai motorists. One can also assume he JUST had flat tyre and most probably is on his way to fix it to avoid over-running his compact spare tyre as well.
Sadly, people here get off on negative criticism, jumping the gun and making false assumptions. I can’t blame Mr. Anil Nair (the letter author) for his ignorance about cars. But the Gulf News staff who endorsed his intolerant letter, should know a bit better.
Dubai seriously needs to reconsider what it wants to be. No one will visit the equivalent of Saudi Arabia on a vacation.
Dubai’s shopping malls don’t just combine the awesome collections of international brand labels, but go further to enlighten newcomers on Emirati cultural rules and what’s the acceptable general behaviour.
The rules are on signs at the main entrances and distributed by security personnel as well.
It includes no smoking in the mall, wearing of respectable clothing and no kissing or public displays of affection, no consumption of alcohol in the mall and few other don’ts.
Sabina Khanvwani, Head of Public Relations and Marketing Department at Burjuman Centre, said despite the signs, there are still visitors who still need to be reminded of what is and what is not acceptable.
“Burjuman has already fixed stickers on the main entrances in order to deliver the message directly to them, some of them adhere and others don’t. We cannot enforce them to comply but we keep reminding them that Dubai is part of the UAE and it’s a Muslim country with a conservative society and must be respected.”
Most expatriates Gulf News spoke to say they didn’t do things on purpose or to annoy the Emirati community. They just grew up dressing that way.
Tania N. a 29-year-old Russian businesswoman, said she got confused when a security guard at the Mall of the Emirates handed her a brochure on how to dress appropriately.
“I respect Dubai, its religion, culture and people, I come here frequently for business and pleasure, and I was never asked to cover my shoulders or my knees until recently,” she said.
“I used to wear a sleeveless short gown or miniskirt and according to my background it is a decent outfit and doesn’t cause any kind of embarrassment. But lately a security approached me and in a polite way handed me a brochure that includes the mall’s courtesy policy regarding dress code and general behaviour.”
Asked whether she will adhere to the mall’s dress code, she said: “I really don’t find it necessary, besides I don’t have long or covered outfits, and the most importantly I didn’t do something bad to Dubai or its people.”
Katayoon Tahmoress M, an Iranian writer based in Dubai agrees with Tania.
“I love Dubai and I like its style. But the way I dress is completely a personal matter and I don’t allow anybody to educate me on what to wear and what not to wear.”
Gabriel and Elena, both Americans, said the visitors and expatriates should’ve been informed of the dress and behavioural rules before they fly into the country.
“Such instructions should be informed before we enter the country not while we are shopping. Besides the weather in Dubai is truly hot,” they said.
Mariam Al Salem and her Emirati companions said visitors and expatriates should tow the line.
“Our rules must be strictly followed,” Mariam said… SOURCE
04/14/2009 02:15 PM | By Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff Reporter
Sharjah: An 18-month-old baby has been declared an illegal resident by the Sharjah Naturalisation and Residency Department (SNRD) and has been given one week to leave the country after which she will get a one-year ban.
Nayana Sanjay Kumar was born in October 2007 at Al Qasimi hospital in Sharjah, but her parents, both Indians from Kerala, could not sponsor their new-born baby as their salary was not enough at the time.
The girl’s mother, Sheeja, who works as a nurse at a Ministry of Health run government hospital told Gulf News that when her baby was born, she tried to sponsor her, but the application was rejected by the SNRD as she and her husband were not earning enough to sponsor the girl.
“In October 2008 my salary was increased. I was then able to sponsor my baby, but when I applied for a residency visa for her at the SNRD it was rejected too. My baby was declared an illegal resident and I had to pay hefty fines because she had been staying illegally in the country for one year since she was born,” the mother said.
Sheeja said SNRD officials told her the baby had to leave the country in less than a week with an outpass to avoid the fines, otherwise she would get a one-year ban.
“I was told that after one year I could obtain a new visa for my baby and bring her back to live with me,” she said.
“I told them my baby is very young, she is only one year old and I cannot send her away from me, but they did not listen to me, saying the law will be implemented equally.”…
04/14/2009 12:19 PM | By Kevin Scott, Staff Reporter
Dubai: The world’s first cloned camel has been born in Dubai.
The female calf, called Injaz (meaning achievement), was produced at the Camel Reproduction Centre (CRC) last Wednesday.
The team at the CRC, headed by Dr Lulu Skidmore and Dr Ali Redha, said Injaz was created from cumulus cells harvested from the ovary of a female adult camel, which were grown in culture before being frozen in liquid nitrogen.
Dr Lulu Skidmore, Scientific Director of the CRC, told Gulf News: “We are all very excited at the birth of Injaz as she is the result of great skill and teamwork of everyone at the Camel Reproduction Centre. This significant breakthrough gives a means of preserving the valuable genetics of our elite racing and milk producing camels in the future.”
The team said the camel was born after an uncomplicated gestation period of 378 days. Injaz currently weighs 30kg. The DNA of Injaz’s cells and that of the original ovarian cells have been tested using microsatellite DNA analysis at the Molecular Biology and Genetics Laboratory in Dubai, and have been found to be identical, thereby proving that Injaz is indeed a clone of the original female camel….
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.”…
04/07/2009 09:09 AM | By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Beaches near Burj Al Arab and another one located close to the Umm Suqeim Park have been closed by the Dubai Municipality as traces of Red Tide in these two beaches have surfaced again.
Mohammad Abdul Rehman Hassan, the head of the marine environment and wildlife section, told Gulf News that there were no traces of Red Tide found on Dubai shores in the morning during water testing.
Red tide is the result of an influx of a type of algal bloom; it is so named because it turns the water a reddish colour.
“They have surfaced again and so we have decided to close the beaches to ensure the safety of beachgoers. People are advised not to venture into these two beaches. They should make no contact with the water, nor consume the dead fishes that are washed ashore. Care should also be taken not to inhale the air after a wave hits the shoreline. This can prove hazardous to health,” he said.
Hassan did not rule out the possibility of shutting down more beaches if the Red Tide continues to frequent the area.
04/02/2009 09:04 AM | By Shakir Husain, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Car sales nationwide fell more than 40 per cent in January and February amid tightening bank conditions for automobile loans and low consumer confidence, the head of a leading car dealership said on Thursday.
If banks continue to impose strict criteria for car loans, sales are unlikely to improve anytime soon, said Michel Ayat, chief executive officer of Arabian Automobiles Company (AAC), the Nissan, Infiniti and Renault dealer in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
“Indications are that there was a drop of 40 per cent to 45 per cent in sales as a whole in the UAE in the first two months. The numbers for March are still not available,” he told Gulf News, citing data from leading global car manufacturers with a strong local presence.
Al Futtaim Automotive, which represents several global brands, including Toyota, in the UAE, said sales have fallen back to the 2007 level.
“The global crisis has brought sales down from the unusual peaks of 2008 to 2007 levels, but we are optimistic the UAE’s resilience will see auto sales bounce back significantly,” an Al Futtaim spokesperson said and noted that there was “a positive growth in both enquiries and car sales” for new and old vehicles between January and March.
More than 80 per cent of individual car purchases locally are through bank financing, and potential buyers are discovering that conditions of loan eligibility have become stricter in the economic downturn…
03/04/2009 11:54 AM | By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Starting September, tobacco products in the UAE will carry a message and a warning that will be hard to ignore.
Graphics of blackened lungs and a haemorrhage-impacted brain, among others, will provide stark warnings about the dangers on cigarette packs sold in the country, following in the footsteps of the UK, Canada and Brazil.
Dr Wedad Al Maidoor, head of the National Tobacco Control Committee, told Gulf News the World Health Organisation (WHO) donated the pictures to the UAE to help with its tobacco control efforts.
“We have received donation of pictures from the WHO. Six months from now, they will be on cigarette packs,” she said.
Health officials hope the graphic warning, with its inherent shock value, will help deliver the message better and discourage people to smoke.
Previous revamp of the health warning on cigarette packs in September 2007 only required manufacturers to enlarge the warning text and to make the warning available in English and Arabic.
The graphic warning is one of the many steps the UAE, a signatory of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), is taking to clamp down on smoking. A federal anti-smoking daft law is expected to be passed into law soon by the Cabinet and President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan after the Federal National Council (FNC) approved it last month.
03/02/2009 08:51 AM | By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
Dubai: The fear of changing schools, saying goodbyes and having to sign farewell cards to their best friends who will be moving to India as a result of the 90 per cent fee hike has cast gloom over the otherwise stress free and happy school life of the pupils of Dubai Modern High School (DMHS).
While the parents committee is battling it out with GEMS (Global Education Management Systems) on the fee hike, at home they have to calm their children who are against moving schools and losing their circle of friends.
For them, they just want a school with teachers to guide them to grow up to be responsible and educated citizens, and not face the possibility of being plucked from the environment to which they have bonded emotionally.
All the pupils who spoke to Gulf News said they were happy attending school and have never demanded a bigger school.
“Nobody asked us what we want. We are the ones who are affected in their whole fee hike business. Be it at home or at school, all we talk about is the fee hike and the fear of moving schools and starting all over again. If you want to move us to bigger school premises why hike the fees?” a Grade 8 pupil who has been studying in the school for the last five years said.
The insecurity among the pupils can well be guessed by the fact that a Grade 2 pupil is unable to digest the possibility of changing schools.
She told Gulf News: “I told my papa that I want to continue at the school. I have a lot of friends and I like my school. I want to be with my friends.”
Another 13-year-old pupil said he is yet to come to terms that his best friend is moving to India permanently because of the fee hike.
He said: “I joined DMHS a couple of years back. It took me awhile to settle down and now I am just not ready to move and undergo the exercise all over again.”…
Dubai Municipality as traces of Red Tide in these two beaches have surfaced again.
