For seven long months, driven by want and hunger, these unpaid industrial workers have been surviving on fish they catch each day.
More than 50 workers of Asian descent employed in a Sharjah dhow and shipbuilding firm say they have been driven to the desperate act as they have not received salaries for seven months.
They gathered in protest at Al Buhaira Corniche near the Millennium Hotel in Sharjah on Thursday afternoon. They told Khaleej Times they were not provided with food, forcing them to catch fish every day, which they grilled to ward off hunger.
Police officials at the protest site refused to talk to the Press. However, they asked the protesters to nominate three representatives to present their charter of demands to the company. The rest were sent back.
Arshad, one of the protesters, said the company based in Al Hamriya Free Zone specialised in making yachts, dhows and ships. Salaries in the range of Dh1,500 to Dh3,000, depending on the type of work, remained unpaid… “We are suffering from lack of food and have no money to send back to our families waiting for us,” Arshad said. “We only just want our salary due and the company can send us back home. We eat sea fish and drink dirty water. What a life it is! It’s better to go back home than being humiliated this way,” he added… SOURCE
The education ministry asked all private schools on Sunday to scrutinise textbooks, before prescribing them to students, to ensure they do not contain texts or images ‘defaming’ or ‘affronting’ God, religion or the UAE.
This move follows a recent complaint against a Grade VIII English textbook Elements of Literature — The Holt Reader (Second Course) in which God is reportedly described as a ‘toy’.
“We took the book and studied it case by case after we received complaints. There were certain pages that were inappropriate and there was a chapter that specifically described God as a toy. The education zone should now follow up with the schools,” Dr Mariam Al Ali, Director of the Supervising and Monitoring of Private Schools Department, Ministry of Education, told Khaleej Times.
Schools that follow international curricula are expected to strictly adhere to the ministry’s new standards, introduced last year, while prescribing books, or face ‘closure’. The new standards urge schools to omit flags and emblems of countries and organisations that do not share normal relations with the UAE. They have also been asked to refrain from discussing alcohol, drugs or homosexuality — issues unacceptable to the Arab and Muslim society.
“Schools should keep in mind the rules and regulations of the ministry and scrutinise text books for the best interests of the child,” Dr Ali said. “Schools have to abide by the new bylaws. We will warn schools and will not hesitate to close them down if they do not follow our norms. Our objective is not to close schools but make them aware.”…SOURCE
Dubai will survive the global credit crunch and the UAE Central Bank may subscribe further bonds other than the $10 billion bonds in February to meet the commitments and spending programmes, according to a top professor here.
Dean of Dubai School of Government Dr Tarik Yousef, in an interview with Khaleej Times, said Dubai is not just a city or an emirate. It has gained regional and global importance. Many people, sectors institutions, companies, entities, leaders want to achieve what Dubai has achieved because it is in everyone’s interest. Therefore, Dubai will remain socially, economically and politically a major hub for the world
“Dubai cannot be allowed to fail, and there is a strong commitment to ensure that Dubai is protected and remains attractive. Steps have been taken in Dubai to contain the crisis and set an amazing balance between the impact of the crisis and protecting whatever has been achieved,” Dr. Tarik said.
“Dubai is restructuring its public finance and has so far taken essential steps to reverse the current negative situation. The UAE government as well has shown a sense of seriousness and commitment to the growth and revival. The government has tried to balance everything and done what is right and pragmatic. There has been very little panic and more sense of coordination and thoughtful action.”
He added, “I am sure Dubai and the UAE together are dealing with the plunge effectively. We must remember that their futures are tied and one cannot exist without the other. All the emirates need to come together to face the challenges that we are facing,” he said.
Observing that 2009 is going to be a difficult year for Dubai as for the rest of the world, Dr. Tarik said 2010 may also be a difficult year too.
However, “We are thankfully in a part of the world which doesn’t have to go the IMF for a bailout or for cash,” he said…SOURCE
Plummeting rents are luring expatriates from cramped flats in Dubai’s older suburbs to more modern and spacious accommodation in new areas of the city.
According to a Khaleej Times straw poll, rents have declined by up to 45 per cent in some areas of Dubai.
However, an online survey has shown that the same areas have experienced a spike in interest.
Manager of Dubai-based Geometrics Real Estate, Musham Khan, said that a number of people who had been living in cramped accommodation in older areas of Dubai could now afford to live in newer areas of the city.
“We have seen a significant decline in the rent in Discovery Gardens,” he said. “As it becomes affordable more people are going to move there.
“I had two customers who were living in old buildings in Bur Dubai who moved to Discovery Gardens after their previous landlords raised their rents. They were paying the same as they were in their old accommodation.”
Over February, a fifth of all page views on UAE real estate web site, Propertyfinder.ae, came from people looking into renting in Discovery Gardens.
According to averages calculated from five properties listed on auction web site Dubizzle.com, rents for a studio in Discovery Gardens now stand at Dh45,000.
Data from the third quarter of 2008 listed on the Real Estate Regulatory Agency rent index shows a studio as listed as Dh70,000, making the price now a drop of 35 per cent…SOURCE
Puffing shisha (hubble bubble) in public parks could be a recreation option of the past soon.
The Dubai Municipality is discussing options to ban or regulate the use of shisha in public parks, officials told Khaleej Times on Wednesday.
The move, which is likely to be announced soon, is an extension of the smoking regulations announced by the civic body from time to timein the past.
Salem bin Mesmar, the Assistant-Director General of Health, Safety and Environment Control said, “the matter is being considered and discussions are on with the concerned authorities at the moment. The decision in this connection will be taken soon.”
Many people, mostly Arab nationals, puff the hubble bubble in public parks and beaches, particularly during the weekends, which is one among their favourite leisure options.
The same could be extended to shisha smoking in public beaches too.
Civic body officials have earlier said that the aim of introducing smoking regulations in public places is aimed at protecting people from the harmful effects of smoking.
Last month, Redha Hasan Salman, the Director of Public Health and Safety Department at the municipality had told Khaleej Times that there will be new and more stringent regulations against smoking in public places this year.
The official had pointed out that 25 per cent of the coffee shops in the emirate continue to serve shisha without abiding by the regulations.
Last year, the civic body had announced regulations on shisha smoking giving a one year grace period for the those operating the business to make necessary changes, which ended in December last year…SOURCE
Commuters battling huge traffic snarls between Dubai and Sharjah will be able to breathe easy with the much-anticipated opening of Al Qiyadah Intersection for traffic today.
The project, a part of the first phase of the Al Ittihad Road Improvement Plan of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), is expected to reduce traffic jams by 27 per cent, an official told Khaleej Times.
The two-lane underpass of the intersection has been widened to four lanes in each direction.
The number of vehicles using the route is all set to increase with the RTA estimating it to be around 6,000 vehicles per hour.
The interchange also includes a two-lane bridge serving traffic from Abu Hail and Salahuddin Road towards Sharjah, in addition to another two-lane bridge for vehicles coming from Al Quds Street towards Al Ittihad Road in the direction of Dubai.
Phase one of the project also includes the widening of the Al Ittihad Road to 16 lanes — eight in each direction.
The Al Mulla Plaza Intersection will be opened to March 10, thereby completing phase one.
The whole Ittihad Road Improvement Plan project consists of two phases initially. Phase two focuses on Airport Road, Shaikh Rashid Road until Garhoud Bridge. The work on this phase has begun and will be completed by the end of the year, the official said.
The Al Mulla Plaza Intersection, once completed, will be able to accommodate around 4,800 vehicles per hour in each direction…SOURCE
The Dubai Modern High School (DMHS) will witness a pull out of two-thirds of its students in the next two years according to a professional survey conducted by the parents of the school.
However, the withdrawal will not be immediate because parents say they haven’t been given sufficient time to opt out.
This comes after the schools hiked its fee by 90 percent to relocate to a bigger premise at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai.
Parents organised a Press conference on Wednesday to reveal data collected from a sample size of 909 parents using surveymonkey.com, a tool to create web surveys. The survey was monitored for discrepancies for a period from January 29 to February 5.
“The survey has been filled by random parents of the school and represents 50 per cent of the student base,” said a committee member who disclosed the results to the media and will be forwarding it to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) for review.
The concerned authorities declined from attending but GEMS, in a statement sent to Khaleej Times, said it valued the views of parents that were expressed, and will continuously engage in dialogue with them.
Sixty-seven of the 98 per cent of respondents, who are unwilling to pay the increased fees, will look for alternative schooling over the next two years contrary to the 50 Transfer Certificate request claimed by the school.
On the sidelines of the conference, many parents stated that they will continue educating their children at the school this year because they have passed the admission deadlines for most of the schools in Dubai.
“Schools say they have waiting lists, so how will they accommodate our children,” said one parent.
Parents received a circular on January 22 citing the fee hike and have time until February 20 to apply for a TC.
The parents are also determined to not adhere to the revised fee this year…SOURCE
The aftershocks of the global financial meltdown could shrink the GCC labour market by up to 30 per cent, according to an expert.
Dr Baqer Al Najjar, Professor of Sociology at the University of Bahrain, who was attending the 14th annual three-day conference on “Human Resources and Development in the Arabian Gulf”, told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the conference that the labour market in the GCC as a whole could see up to 30 per cent of its workers laid off, with the construction sector hardest hit.
“The job market in the Gulf countries is badly affected in real estate, construction, service, retail and wholesale sectors. The construction sector could reduce workers by up to 40 per cent due to the downturn,” Al Najjar said.
His opinion was echoed by other scholars at the conference who were unanimous in the view that the situation would take at least three years to stabilise…SOURCE
If you are fond of travelling, this is an excellent time to do so as airlines are offering heavily reduced fares.
Airline companies in the UAE have told Khaleej Times that they still have a healthy rate of ticket bookings, but not as much as before the global crunch unravelled. They are coming up with ‘crazy’ packages to lure tourists to the UAE.
Emirates Airlines, for instance, is offering special Dubai Shopping Festival packages to its customers who fly to or stop over in Dubai, regardless of the class of travel.
“They can choose from a wide selection of 20 hotels at highly competitive prices starting from as low as $55 (Dh200) per person per night,” Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ senior vice-president, commercial operations Gulf Middle East and Iran, told Khaleej Times recently.
Kazim said travellers could opt for a luxurious experience at Atlantis, The Palm, the renowned JumeirahEmiratesTowers or the Grand Hyatt Dubai, according to their personal preferences.
The offer, he said, could be had by booking for a minimum of three nights, with the option of extension.
Similarly, Malaysia Airlines is giving a juicy offer to travellers to Beirut, Lebanon and Karachi, Pakistan.
Dubai-Beirut return in economy class costs only Dh100 and in business class Dh1,800. Dubai-Karachi travellers can go in economy class for Dh50 and business class for Dh600. These packages are valid for travel till February 28. The offer ends on February 10, exclusive of taxes and surcharges…SOURCE
The draft media law passed by the Federal National Council (FNC) was criticised for its shortcomings by media professionals on Sunday, but a senior minister said it would encourage freedom of speech and protect journalists.
The FNC has sent the new law, which details fines for irresponsible reporting and other violations, to the cabinet for ratification.
Mohammed Yusuf, chairman of the UAE Journalists’ Association, told Khaleej Times that the law was not clear on prohibiting jail sentence for journalists who criticised the ruling family or committed media-related offences.
“The law is more inclined towards publishers, dealing at length with the licensing procedures rather than the rights and protection of UAE journalists,” he said, adding, that of the 45-odd articles outlined in the amended draft law, only about four focussed on media professionals.
The new draft law ratified by the FNC “is a sharp U-turn on the principles and policies of press freedom encouraged by the UAE leaders,” Yusuf said.
“The new law is very weak, having failed to comply with the prior directives and vision of UAE leaders,” he added, while pointing out that it will be discussed by journalists in the country today.
‘They would then take up fresh proposals from the meeting with the Rulers before the law is ratified by the cabinet…SOURCE
It looks like another misguided attempt to provide government jobs and worsening service. Is it any coincidence that most of the typing centers are owned by expats?
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) is taking the final steps to launch a semi-government typing company under the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department and close private typing centres across the country, said a top official in the ministry.
In Abu Dhabi emirate alone, 126 private typing centres will be affected.
Brigadier Nassir Al Awadi Al Menhali, Acting Director-General of the department, told Khaleej Times recently that the private typing centres would not be allowed to type the departments applications once the new company is formed.
This company would unify the procedures and charges of the applications among the naturalisation and residency departments (NRDs) nationwide.
“We work on unifying the formalities in all departments in the seven emirates. Right now, some NRDs demand more documents or additional fees than others to type the applications,” said Brig Al Menhali.
“We discovered that many of the private typing offices charge up to Dh80 for printing applications when the actual fee is Dh40. They also collect more money for online applications.”
The ministry would inaugurate the Naturalisation Institute soon to prepare the staff joining the new typing company, the NRDs and also the new information centre.
“The current steps have been taken in line with the MoI’s strategy to provide the best services to the applicants countrywide,” added Brig Al Menhali.
He added that the staff of the proposed company would be trained by the MoI…SOURCE
Here is another telling quote?:
…Ayman Al Zaytoni, owner of Stroika Contracting Company based in the capital, said the typing centres cause many problems. “The staff members at these centres are unprofessional. They make mistakes while typing and sometimes, I had to pay the printing charges twice or thrice.”
He believes the semi-government company would be better as the staff would be well-trained and they would use Arabic language. “We find it difficult to communicate with the Indians now.”…
Supermarkets and traders in Dubai say food prices have dropped significantly because of the global economic downturn and falling oil prices.
Perishable items such as fruit and vegetables were up to 30 per cent cheaper, and some traders say shoppers will benefit further during the next few months as prices continue to ease.
“The prices of food items have declined sharply since the past two months,” said Nandkumar, communications manager of Emke Group that runs the Lulu supermarket chain.
“The global economic crunch along with falling oil prices are the causes of this trend,” he said.
Khaleej Times first reported in December that officials expected prices of basic food items to drop by 25 per cent in January.
Dr. Hashim Al Nuwaimi, Director of the Consumer Protection Department in the Ministry of Economy, had said the department had reached an agreement with retailers to reduce prices in line with lower oil prices.
Faisal Al Arshi, deputy director of the Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society, told Khaleej Times then that they were expecting a price drop of at least 30 per cent.
Mohammed Haji, the owner of Family Supermarket chain in Dubai, said on Tuesday prices had started fallingsince December and the trend was expected to continue.
“The prices of all perishable food stuffs, including rice, vegetables and fruits have been falling due to the plummeting oil prices,” he said.
“The current scenario has forced all to spend only for the essential items. The stocks are getting stuck due to this,” he said.
Shakeer C., divisional manager of fruit and vegetable wholesaler Jaleel Trading, said the prices of fruits and vegetables had dropped by almost 30 per cent.“A kilo of U.S. apples, the cost of which was Dh3.65 in December, now rests at Dh2.25. Grape prices have fallen from Dh8.30 to Dh6.65. Similarly all the vegetable prices have also declined,” he said. “The fall in oil prices reduced the transportation costs and the credit crunch made people spend less, causing the price decline,” he said.
Dubai residents, used to climbing prices, welcomed the trend. “It’s really a relief. The prices of food items were high in Dubai and everybody was worried about the high inflation,” said Maria Liyasova, a Dubai resident. “The fall in prices in food items will help to organise the family budget…SOURCE
Tourism doesn’t seem to be a priority any more. What happened UAE?
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) is considering a Federal National Council (FNC) proposal that visitors to the UAE will have to furnish a clean police record and a bank statement from their country of origin, senior immigration officials told Khaleej Times on Monday.
Ministry figures show that 80 per cent of pickpockets and thieves, nabbed in recent crimes, entered the country on tourist and business visas.
Brigadier Nasser Al Awadhi Al Minhali, Acting Director General of Naturalisation and Residency Department at the ministry, said the restrictions under consideration would be applicable for visit, business and tourist visas.
“General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, has issued these directives calling for studying the proposal of the FNC, and take action on it as soon as possible, if the new restrictions prove practical and realistic,” he said.
“The Naturalisation and Residency departments in the country have arrested many criminals, the majority of whom had entered the country on visit, tourist and business visas. This has prompted the department to chalk out new steps, including the ones proposed by the FNC,” the minister said.
Major General (retired) Ali Majid Al Matroushi, a member of the FNC and the Chairman of the Internal and Defence Affairs ad-hoc committee in the House, told Khaleej Times the high statistics had been taken seriously and prompted the recommendations…SOURCE
The Government of Dubai plans to boost public spending by 20 per cent next year to stimulate the economy and keep pace with its infrastructure development targets, Nasser Al Shaikh, Director-General of Dubai’s Department of Finance, told Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview on Saturday.
To better-position itself to face challenges posed by the global economic crisis and its impact on the domestic economy, government also plans to merge and consolidate operations of some of its departments and agencies, he said.
Al Shaikh said that the increase in 2009 public expenditure, over the budgeted public spending of Dh30 billion in 2008, would be to mostly meet the cost of construction of the Metro (the first section of the $14.3 billion mass transit project is expected to open by September 2009), the new Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, bridges, roads and another infrastructure projects…SOURCE
Thousands of laid off construction workers have applied for visa cancellations and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce predicted on Tuesday that as many as 45 per cent of such labourers might be sacked.
Minister of Labour Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, in an earlier interview with Khaleej Times, had said that his ministry would handle the application of terminated workers quickly to enable them to take up other job offers.
“Thousands of applications for visa cancellations are already being processed by the ministry,” said a Ministry of Labour official who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Syed Mohammed Ali, Chief Executive of Fortune Group, a leading property developer, said only a small percentage of construction workers were affected so far. “There has been some job cuts, in recent weeks, which is in the range of one or two per cent of the total workforce, in one of the largest sector of the UAE economy,” Ali said.
However, Khalfan Al Kaabi, a member of the board of directors of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce saw 40-45 per cent jobs being lost in the construction sector during the next year, if private sector projects are delayed or cancelled for lack of finances…SOURCE
Puffing shisha (hubble bubble) in public parks could be a recreation option of the past soon.
The number of vehicles using the route is all set to increase with the RTA estimating it to be around 6,000 vehicles per hour.
The FNC has sent the new law, which details fines for irresponsible reporting and other violations, to the cabinet for ratification.
In 
