Meldungen

UAE first among Arab countries and 19th in the world in World Economic Forum's Global Enabling Trade Report 2012

The UAE continues to lead the Arab region and is ranked 19th globally in the Global Enabling Trade Report 2012 released by the World Economic Forum (WEF). It also figures among the top 10 nations in Efficiency of Import-Export Procedures as well as Physical Security in the report covering 132 countries.
The Enabling Trade Index developed in consultation with key industry leaders, academics and international organisations in the trade arena measures the extent to which economies have developed institutions, policies and services facilitating the free flow of goods over borders and to destinations. It assesses four key areas of performance, namely Market Access, Border Administration, Transport and Telecommunications Infrastructure and the Business Environment, and sub-indices within these broad areas. The index provides a yardstick of countries' performance in creating enabling trade environments and pin-pointing where improvements are most needed.
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the Minister for Foreign Trade, said: "The Global Enabling Trade Report 2012 highlights the UAE's excellent trade infrastructure and its resilience in the face of a global economic downturn. Our performance is significant in a world of rising global interdependence and growing international trade. The UAE has created competitive advantage in trade through targeted policies, infrastructure investment and innovation in improving the efficiency of its trade process." "Trade has historically been a key economic driver of the UAE and that the country will continue to adopt policies and measures aimed at enhancing trade in the region and around the world as a source of prosperity and growth, and towards reaching the country's Vision 2021 to become among the world's most competitive nations," she added that She added that the UAE's role in the global trading system does not reflect positively on the domestic economy alone, but also is a key driver in the global economy and positively influences global trade. The UAE is ranked fourth among the re-exporting countries, which indicates its pivotal role in linking the world's economies through its contribution to the free movement of global trade. Sheikha Lubna expressed appreciation for the UAE's customs outlets and port authorities for their contribution to the development and facilitation of trade.
The WEF report highlights other strong areas of performance reflecting the UAE's on-going commitment to trade, including, Border Administration (11th globally), Transport and Communications Infrastructure (18th globally), and Business Environment (12th internationally). The UAE tops the region in all these areas.
Within the report's sub-indices, the UAE is ranked as follows: seventh in the world in terms of Efficiency of Import-Export Procedures in Border Administration; fifth in Physical Security in Business Environment category; and 26th in Availability and Use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology), all of which are leading positions in the region. The Emirates also placed 16th in Regulatory Environment among all the countries covered in the report.
The Global Enabling Trade Report was first published in 2008 by the World Economic Forum.
The World Trade Organisation and many of its Member States that participated in the meetings of the second review of the trade policy of the UAE in Geneva last March have praised the UAE's policy of opening up its trade and economy. The WTO commends the country's efforts to facilitate trade and investment and minimise trade barriers such as customs procedures, fees and taxes. The latter has made the UAE a global centre for various industrial and services sectors, bolstering the country's status in world trade.
Furthermore, the ideal environment provided by the UAE government for foreign direct investments - characterised by the ease of establishing projects and businesses and the and lack of taxation - have contributed significantly to the emergence of the UAE as an important global trade hub. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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Al Gergawi: SME sector is a major factor of economic growth in the region

Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the chairman of the organising committee of Middle East SME, a forum for SMEs, emphasised that the forum, which is the largest in the region, reflects the UAE Leadership's support to the youth in view of the importance of this sector in the future economic growth in the region.
He said the Middle East SME will represent a major international forum aiming at sustainable development in the sector through developing government policies and funding, integrating SME effectively in the national economic circle and encouraging youth innovation and creativity.
The forum will be organised at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 11 to 13 December 2012, offering a platform for public and private sectors, financial corporations and experts to create business opportunities for the youth in the region, address SME challenges and find suitable solutions.
He said that the UAE Leadership believes in youth capabilities and the great opportunities which can be generated by this sector, as the UAE had launched many initiatives during the past years to support youth projects, and these initiatives have enhanced the UAE experience in this vital sector.
The Middle East SME seeks to find a platform that addresses the challenges facing the SME sector in addition to providing the opportunities for initiative owners from the youth to present their plans and projects to decision makers representing government, semi government and private sectors.
The Middle East SME will organise a number of initiatives such as awards for investment and ideas, enabling owners of projects and initiatives to present their ideas to international experts and investors. The forum also includes "knowledge sharing among purchase managers" initiatives that will motivate SME companies to penetrate the procurement process in specific sectors along with special sessions that will allow SMEs to interact with investors. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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Proposals adopted to insulate UAE from global crises

The UAE Higher Committee overseeing the crafting of laws to regulate the country's financial sector on Wednesday adopted several recommendations aimed at insulating the country from any future global financial crises.
A committee meeting chaired by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, instructed a technical team to complete the task of reviewing the draft laws in preparation for submitting it to the cabinet for approval.
The committee discussed a number of topics on its agenda and reviewed previous resolutions issued by the federal government to address the effects and reduce the impacts of global financial crises by forming a temporary ministerial committee headed by the Minister of State for Finance, the Minister of Economy and the Governor of the UAE Central Bank.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Finance and the Committee's Vice-Chairman Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of Economy, Chairman of the Securities and Commodities Authority and the Insurance Commission Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UAE Central Bank Khalil Mohammed Sharif Foulathi, Central Bank Governor Sultan bin Nasser Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Finance Younis Haji Khouri and Director of Revenue Development Department at the Ministry of Finance Faisal Ali Al Mansouri.
"With the rapid developments in the financial sector and in the quest to avoid falling into any crises that might face the global financial sector, the thinking about creating an integrated financial system that contributes to the protection of the country's rights as well as the protection of consumers had become a matter of urgency. Accordingly, the committee adopted several recommendations that were proposed for submitting to the cabinet which, in turn, will contribute to the development of the country's financial sector through legislation with a view to becoming one of the best legal systems in the world,� a statement at the end of the meeting said.
Among these recommendations were the adoption of a binary system called Twin Peaks, which is based on the establishment of a state control mechanism to avoid structural risks in the banking and financial system of the country. The committee also agreed to propose to the Cabinet to form a permanent higher committee for continuous supervision of the financial sector.
Such a committee will function as a safety valve protecting the sector from any financial risk that may threaten the country's banking and financial system, suggested the meeting. The committee, within its powers as enshrined in the new law, will have a major role in making key decisions to control the financial sector.
The committee is proposed to work as a link between the Cabinet and the two prime regulators of the financial sector in respect to the development of all laws regulating financial services. The committee also stressed the Central Bank's important role of issuing periodic reports on the state of the country's economy and taking all precautionary measures to prevent any financial risk. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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Korean News Portal: UAE's success attributed to visionary leadership combined with people's unbounded confidence

The sustainable mutual trust between the UAE leaders and the people seems to be a decisive factor and driving force behind the miraculous prosperity which transformed once a barren desert country to one major economic hub in the Middle East, Breaknews.com, one of Korea's leading news portals, reported Tuesday.
The fourth in a series of articles about UAE, Moon IL-suk, the portal's publisher and editor, lauded UAE's "miraculous success story", which he described as a "reflection of the visionary leadership of the late Sheikh Zayed, who is widely respected as founding father of the UAE." Moon attributed the phenomenal development of UAE in less than 40 years was to its visionary leadership and tolerance policies.
In his visit to the UAE last month upon an invitation from the National Media Council (NMC), Moon said he had seen with his own eyes the "unbounded confidence" in President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, being shown by UAE citizens.
He also highlighted the feeling of mutual trust between the people and the two leaders, the high sense of morality, tolerance and the freedom of the press in the UAE.
"Tolerance policies toward differing religion and beliefs, as well as cultures and ethnic groups, are among the key factors upholding socio-political stability of UAE," he added lauding the religious tolerance and strict law system in the UAE under which no one is above the law.
Moon spoke very highly of the moral fibre of the UAE society, which carries a strong emphasis on family, morality and personal responsibility, among others.
Connecting cultures is the prime value of the UAE which has one of the most accepting and welcoming cultural environments, Moon said, introducing his visit to the construction site of the "multi-faceted Saadiyat Island, where a great variety of cultural attractions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Museum are being constructed." – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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RAK Petroleum posts Dh81.3m Q1 profit

RAK Petroleum Public Company Limited, the energy investment company, has announced unaudited net profits of Dh81.3 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012, continuing the company's profitability into the fourth consecutive year.
The announcement follows the release by DNO International ASA of its quarterly financial and operating results.
"Integration of RAK Petroleum's former operating subsidiaries into DNO International is now complete following legal closure of the merger in January 2012 and an organised handover and restructuring of key management positions,� said Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of RAK Petroleum.
"We are pleased with our investment in DNO International, our single largest asset, and will continue to do what we can to support their management team, including many former RAK Petroleum staff, to build on the solid performance so far this year,� Mossavar-Rahmani added.
RAK Petroleum holds a 42.8 per cent ownership stake in DNO International, a publicly traded Norwegian oil and gas company with assets in the Middle East and North Africa region (Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Yemen, Oman, UAE and Tunisia). – Emirates 24|7

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Sharjah may achieve 5% industrial growth in 2012

Sharjah, the industrial capital of the UAE, expects to achieve up to five per cent industrial growth in 2012, compared to last year, according to a top official of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).
The Emirate's manufacturing sector contributes more than 35 per cent of the country's total production. Last year Sharjah achieved Dh21 billion industrial production, so it's expected to achieve Dh22.1 billion production.
"On the basis of GDP forecast, we can target 3-5 per cent increase in industrial growth (this year). To make it very conservative let's say three per cent,� director general of SCCI Hussain Mohammed Al Mahmoudi told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of a news conference, which was held to announce the third edition of ‘Made in Sharjah' exhibition.
There are over 1,700 industrial units in Sharjah and out of that 1,000 are based outside free zone in the Emirate. Al Mahmoudi mentioned that doing business in Sharjah is more economical than China. Citing reasons, he said here you are very close to your target market and most of the people don't know about custom duty waiver within GCC countries.
Earlier at the news conference in response to a question, he said power problem is being taken care and it's reducing gradually. "There was less electricity problem, compared to previous year and this year again less issue over the last year,� he said. I believe it's real issue, but it's all over the Gulf countries, he added.
The news conference was co-addressed by Lalu Samuel, chairman of the Preliminary Committee of the Industrial Business Group at SCCI.
Samuel, who is also chairman of Kingston Holdings, highlighted cost effectiveness in doing business in Sharjah. Cost of finance is more than half compared to India, cost of power is also cheaper compared to India & China and there is no tax in the country, he said. - Khaleej Times

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etisalat plans to cut international tariff by up to 30%

etisalat plans to cut international call tariffs to various countries by up to 30 per cent, an executive said, as the former monopoly tries to win back market share and stem the spread of internet-based phone calls.
The plans need regulatory approval and are at an early stage, but are likely to come into force in the second half of 2012, said Rashid Al Abbar, etisalat's vice-president for home product marketing.
etisalat already has a favoured country call plan where customers can get up to 40 per cent off standard tariffs.
"On top of that, we're studying whether to further reduce international rates," said Al Abbar. "If we are going to implement something in landline, probably it will also be in mobile because we wouldn't cannibalise other product lines.
"A 10 to 30 per cent [cut] is what we are looking at across local and international calls. It should cover the most popular destinations."
These may include India, Philippines and Pakistan.
International calls are a crucial revenue source for etisalat and rival du, with about 89 per cent of the UAE's 8.3 million population foreigners.
The proposed cuts come as etisalat, which operates in 17 countries, refocuses on the domestic market.
According to a fourth-quarter results presentation, the UAE is home to about six per cent of etisalat's 167 million subscribers yet provided 73 per cent of revenue in 2011, with foreign units — which span from West Africa to Indonesia — providing limited revenue diversification.
Analysts say etisalat was distracted by its foreign expansion, allowing du to build up a 47 per cent share of UAE mobile subscribers since launching services in 2007.
"Du has been taking the initiative, primarily in the mobile market," said Matthew Reed, senior analyst at Informa Telecoms and Media in Dubai.
"etisalat has been losing market share quite substantially and part of that is from du being more competitive on pricing."
etisalat also faces a rising use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services — free internet-to-internet calls and cheap internet-to-phone calls - as people upgrade to smart phones with VoIP capabilities and broadband penetration rises.
"That's one of the reasons, but not necessarily a major one (for price cuts) — the destination countries we're targeting, not all customers have PC-to-PC VoIP capabilities," Al Abbar said.
"People making free calls, no one can compete with that."
etisalat recently changed its low-end broadband tariffs so that subscribers get double the bandwidth for the same price.
"It's part of the overall product revamp for home products," said Al Abbar. It comes ahead of a long-delayed network-sharing deal to allow competition in fixed-line services.
Both du and etisalat offer fixed-line voice, broadband and television services but not in the same districts. - Reuters

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UAE 'to invest Dh51bn in desalination stations'

The UAE is to invest Dh51 billion in desalination stations and distribution networks over the next four years.
At the global summit for water in the oil and gas sector that began yesterday in Dubai, Dr Mariam Al-Shenasi, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment and Water, revealed that the UAE will invest in a programme of works to run until 2016.
She explained that the UAE relies on three main sources of water; groundwater makes up for 51 per cent of the country's resources; desalinated seawater is 40 per cent and processed wastewater 9 per cent, which is used in irrigation, esthetic agriculture and some industrial activities.
Dr Al-Shenasi noted that the county's demand for water increased from 190 million cubic metres in 1985 to more than four billion cubic metres in the present day. – The National

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EMAL named 'Best Industrial Project in the GCC' for 2012

Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) has been awarded the prestigious GCC Industrial Project of the Year at the MEED Quality Awards for Projects 2012.
The award is in recognition of the successful completion of Phase I of the Al Taweelah-based smelter, which was delivered ahead of schedule and to budget. The accolade was announced in a ceremony held at The Westin Resort in Abu Dhabi.
The MEED Quality Awards for Projects are for projects fully completed and successfully operating and that cover some of the biggest social and economic developments. The projects are assessed for quality of design, planning and delivery upon completion. MEED were particularly impressed by the cross-Emirate cooperation involved in creating the smelter, a US$5.7 billion joint venture between Mubadala and DUBAL. MEED also cited the efforts made to preserve the natural habitat when building on the 6 sq km site. It took 90 million man hours to complete the project and over 18,000 workers were employed during construction. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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TDIC's construction village receives MEED award for sustainability

Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), master developer of Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi, was awarded the Sustainability MEED Quality Award for Projects 2012 for the Saadiyat Construction Village - a model of best practice that was built to house workers employed by contractors during the construction phase of the island.
The project was nominated by HLG Leighton Contracting, who constructed the building. TDIC's Chief Development Officer, Nabil Al Kendi, and Leighton's General Manager, UAE Infrastructure, Jeremy Truebridge, received the award last night at a ceremony at The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort '&' Spa.
The Saadiyat Construction Village's facilities have set a new benchmark for workers' living standards in the region. It currently houses more than 10,000 workers and covers 40 hectares, and facilities include shops, Internet booths, recreational parks, laundry facilities, dining areas, and sports and leisure facilities such as a cricket pitch, multi-purpose courts and landscaped gardens.
The Saadiyat Construction Village is built with environmental sustainability in mind. Features include a solar hot water system, natural light via windows and sun pipes, energy efficient appliances, insulated roof and wall panels to reduce heat gain, and the use of recycled materials in construction.
Saadiyat Island is a natural island alongside Abu Dhabi's coast, celebrating the renaissance of Arabian living; and a place where iconic landmarks and azure Arabian waters create a thoughtful harmony of culture, leisure and business in a vibrant community.
It covers 27 square kilometres (2,700 hectares), the island will eventually be home to 145,000 people. Saadiyat island hosts premium brands in hospitality, education and leisure, combined with the world's largest concentration of cultural institutions, all within easy reach. There are plans for luxury hotels, over three million square metres of office space, marinas with berths for 1,000 boats, two championship golf courses, civic and leisure facilities, sea-view apartments and elite villas. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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UAE recommends to GCC states its three initiatives for labour welfare

Riyadh - The United Arab Emirates has recommended to the other member states in the Gulf Cooperation Council, its three initiatives for labour welfare.
The initiatives, hailed worldwide, includes the unique Wage Protection System (WPS), the Tas'heel Centres and the electronic ratification of labour contracts for expatriate workers. UAE explained these three initiatives at a meeting of the Undersecretaries of Labour ministries in the GCC States concluded Monday in Riyadh.
WPS is an initiative conceived and developed by UAE to safeguard payment of workers' wages via transfers through selected financial institutions, that will be authorised as well as regulated by the government. The initiative benefitting over four million workers was launched early in 2009.
Tas'heel, an online government system designed to simplify all labour-related processes, was introduced to save the time and effort of customers by providing the services, from typing application to cancelling of cards, at one stop, without having to visit the Labour Ministry offices.
The electronic ratification system on the labour contracts over the Internet was introduced recently in collaboration with India's Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. It is a quantum leap providing greater protection to the interests of workers coming to or leaving the UAE. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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Fire alarm system in Dubai towers to be extended across UAE

A system that ensures fire alarms in Dubai's high-rise towers are working properly will soon be introduced across the UAE.
Maj Gen Rashid Al Matrooshi, director general of UAE Civil Defence, yesterday said the "24/7 control system", which monitored 40 per cent of the fire alarms in the emirate's towers, had proved successful.
Gen Al Matrooshi, who was speaking on the sidelines of the Fire Safety Technology Forum in Abu Dhabi, said the rest of the country would start to apply it "within the coming days or weeks".
"The speed of implementation will depend on the infrastructure of each individual emirate," he said, adding that he expected Abu Dhabi to follow quickly.
The system, which has been operating in Dubai for four years, continuously monitors alarms for defects. If any are found, a message is transmitted to the Dubai Civil Defence headquarters and a team is immediately sent to repair it.
Dubai Civil Defence plans to apply the 24/7 system to another 10 per cent of the emirate's high-rise buildings within the next five years. Smaller buildings and villas will be included in the next phase.
Gen Al Matrooshi said he been instructed by the Ministry of Interior to "unify the fire fighting systems between all the emirates".
"It has been decided that Dubai has the best-practice in handling fire incidents, which will now be applied in all of the UAE," he said.
Sharjah Civil Defence, which has dealt with a spate of high-rise blazes in recent months, will be the first to apply the standards, Gen Al Matrooshi said.
Those will include an upgrade to procedures of monitoring buildings and the Fire and Life Safety Code.
"Within a couple of months you will see big improvements in Sharjah," Gen Al Matrooshi said.
Maj Ali Al Mutawa, the operations director at Dubai Civil Defence, said the problem in Sharjah was that building materials were too old and dangerous.
"We all should learn from our manufacture and building-design mistakes so we can avoid this stuff in the future," Al Mutawa said.
He said fighting fires in Dubai towers were "not a big challenge, as we are well-prepared".
"We are adopting the highest technologies and regulations to have the safest buildings in the world. That's why high-rises in Dubai are a benchmark for everyone else."
But Fred McKay, the district chief of the Toronto Fire Services department, said human behaviour was the "Achilles heel" when it came to fighting fires in tall buildings.
The problem was that people do not react to sirens as they think it is a false alarm, said Mr McKay, who also spoke at the forum.
"As soon as the alarm goes off, leave immediately," he said. "Don't wait, because when you finally realise there is actually a fire the window of opportunity for evacuation has come and gone."
Mr McKay said those in residential buildings had a higher chance of survival if they stayed in their flats during a fire, as apartment buildings are like "giant honeycombs" with each flat its own safe haven.
"It's when people come out of the safety of their apartments and go into corridors and stairwells that are filling up with smoke that we find their bodies," he said.
Gen Al Matrooshi said some of the challenges facing Civil Defence were cultural differences and language barriers.
Last year the Civil Defence held two awareness campaigns across the UAE to teach residents and businesses how to detect fire hazards and comply with safety regulations. – The National

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UAE launches e-visa system for visitors in Argentina

Buenos Aires - The UAE has launched an electronic visa system in Argentina to facilitate issuance of entry permits to the UAE. UAE Ambassador to Argentina Mohammed Isa Al Za'abi said as he launched the e-service that the system is more accurate and advanced and has high technological and security features. 'The new e-visa system is in line with sound directives and wise policy of UAE leadership for serving national interest,' he added. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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Enjoy a unique experience in the heart of Sharjah

Visitors of the newly opened Sharjah Heritage Museum will be able to learn about the UAE's rich heritage and culture through the displays which include tools, clothes and videos.
Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, accompanied by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Salim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the museum on Tuesday, in the presence of a number of dignitaries and officials. Manal Ataya, director general of the Sharjah Museums Department, and Muna Mukhashab, curator of the Sharjah Heritage Museum, took the guests on a tour of the museum. Manal said the Sharjah Heritage Museum was a new landmark in the heart of the emirate that embodied the stories of the emirate's forefathers and the rich history of the UAE as a whole.
‘Innovative'
She exclusively told Gulf News: "This museum is different because we have researched various aspects of heritage and have provided new in-depth information for our visitors. The design of the museum and interactive children's gallery on storytelling is innovative and provides a unique experience for the visitor."
The museum is housed in the "Bait Saeed Al Taweel" (tall Saeed's House), which was built by the Qasimi family around 1795 in the Old Sharjah area.
There are six permanent exhibitions at the museum: landscapes, which features the natural environments found in the emirate; lifestyles, which showcases the variety of social and religious values of the UAE; celebrations, which highlights traditions practised on special occasions; livelihood, which shows how everyday life was years ago; traditional knowledge, which includes displays of folk medicine tools and astrological knowledge; and oral traditions, an interactive gallery displaying the UAE's heritage in proverbs and children's stories.
Sharjah Heritage Museum also has a temporary exhibition and a cinema. Other activities held at the museum will include educational programmes and various workshops. – Gulf News

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University of Dubai to get new campus

The University of Dubai (UD) unveiled plans to set up its own dedicated campus in Dubai International Academic City as part of an expansion plan.
The announcement came at the university's 10th graduation ceremony hosted at the Sheikh Rashid Hall in Dubai World Trade Centre.
Announcing the university's ambitious plans, Majid Al Shamsi, Chairman, UD Board of Trustees, said: "In recognition of the university's growing role, His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has granted a plot of land of 3 million square foot at the Academic City to establish a campus that befits the status that UD has reached.�
The design of the new campus is nearly finalised and it is expected to be fully ready in 2014. Construction for the first phase of the new facility will begin in December this year. Once completed, it will have buildings for the College of Business Administration, College of Information Technology, College of Law, General Education Department and a state-of-the-art library among other facilities.
Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, Director-General of the Dubai Department of Information, gave away the degrees to the graduating students.
In addition to its MBA programme, The UD will begin a new Master of Science degree with a concentration in Information Systems Management in September 2012. The university also has a proposal under review to offer a Master in Law (LLM) degree in September 2013 and will launch a PhD programme in Business Administration by September 2014.
The university which was founded in 1997 by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry holds the distinction of being accredited by international bodies like AACSB and ABET. – Khaleej Times

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For UAE filmmaker, six minutes at Cannes is a good start

The American University of Sharjah graduate Mohammed Mamdouh hopes his short film will turn heads towards his full-length project, writes Alex Ritman
Among the hundreds of titles jostling for attention at the Cannes Film Festival are nine shorts from students and former students of the American University of Sharjah, which are appearing as part of the event's Short Film Corner.
For Mohammed Mamdouh, who graduated from the university in January, the opportunity to be at Cannes offers an important boost to his next project, a full-length feature.
"If people are aware of your work then the next year, if you come back with a feature, it's going to leave a mark," he says.
Mamdouh's short, Halfway, is a six-minute drama with the Dubai-based actors Victoria Borasio and Ibrahim Renno, which was first screened as part of the Emirates Film Competition at last year's Abu Dhabi Film Festival. "It's a raw look at a couple who are navigating through an uncertain period in their life. They're unsure where they're heading and are looking for different things."
But it's the full-length follow-up - Moments of Fiction - that is the bigger prize, and Mamdouh is hoping interest in Halfway gives him a leg up when it is eventually released, hopefully later this year.
"The short film almost gives you a glimpse into what the feature is going to be," he says. "I shot them at the same time so the style is very similar. The story is different, but the cinematography, the pacing, all the aesthetics of the movie are similar." – The National

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UAE on a high ahead of Futsal Championship

UAE coach Paulo Eduardo de Jesus Pinho a.k.a. ‘Padu' has warned his men not to get ahead of themselves after they beat Qatar and Tajikistan in warm-up games in the run up to the 2012 AFC Futsal Championship, which starts in Dubai on Friday.Brazilian Padu has told his men they can expect a tougher ride when they begin their campaign against Group A rivals Turkmenistan on the opening day at Al Wasl Club.With 2008 Asian runners up Thailand and Kyrgyzstan also drawn in the same group, debutants UAE must negotiate a tricky group phase to make it to the quarters.Padu said: "My players know not to get too excited about these victories because any team can win a friendly but having said that, this is good momentum to carry into a tournament. We've had some problems in the warm-up games and we will be working on a few things before our first match on Friday.�Padu understands the significance of a good start. "The first game is always crucial in any competition, so a good start is something all teams want to achieve because it makes your job that much easier and you don't have to do the chasing. "We always play to win, but getting off to a good start will be very important for our confidence because this is our first tournament and as hosts all eyes will be on us to see how well we perform.�The semi-finalists qualify directly for November's FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand and Padu believes despite being debutants the UAE must aim to reach the last four.He added: "After we take the first step of entering the knockout stages, anything can happen. From then on it is a matter of winning just one match and we can be assured of entering the FIFA Futsal World Cup.� - Sport 360°


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