:
ZAYED DECREE SETS UP BORDER COMMITTEE
The President, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, has issued Federal Decree No.71/99 on the set-up and duties of the permanent border committee. In his capacity as chairman of the Supreme Defence Council, the President also issued decree no. 1/99 transferring the duties of the country's land-based border guards to the armed forces. The first decree says the permanent border committee will be headed by General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister. Lt-Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, will be deputy chairman, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, second deputy chairman, Major-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Under-Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Obeid bin Saif Al Nassiri, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Sheikh Majid bin Saeed Al Nuaimi, Minister of State for Supreme Council Affairs, members of the committee. Sheikh Majid will also act as rapporteur of the committee. The decree stipulates that the committee would be joined by the crown prince of an emirate when discussing issues concerning that emirate. The decree said the committee would carry out contacts and negotiations related to the country's land and marine borders with neighbouring countries and to perform other duties entrusted to it by the President. The two decrees stated that the decisions would be effective from June 29, the date of issue and be published in the official gazette. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM )
:
NATIONAL MANPOWER BODY DRAFT LAW
The Higher Ministerial Legislative Committee yesterday completed its discussions on a federal draft law on the setting up of an authority to be responsible for the development and recruitment of national manpower. The authority to be called the Manpower Recruitment Authority, will be an autonomous body with an independent budget and will be supervised by the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. Meanwhile, the Federal National Council's committee on the problem of foreign manpower held a meeting in Dubai yesterday under the chairmanship of FNC Speaker Mohammed Khalifa Al Habtour. The meeting elected Ahmed Mohammed Nasser as rapporteur of the committee and discussed its future working mechanism. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM )
:
ABU DHABI AIRPORT LAUNCHES INSURANCE SERVICE
Abu Dhabi Airport Services (ADAS) yesterday launched the first travel insurance cover for outbound passengers using the capital's international airport. Mohammed Rashid Al Mohanadi, General Manager, ADAS, said the optional insurance package will provide comprehensive cover against accidents, permanent and partial disability, flight delays and loss of baggage. The insurance scheme has an upper limit of 150,000 US dollars, with a starting premium of nine dollars, the official said. The scheme, the first of its kind in the Middle East, has been planned as a joint venture with the American Life Insurance Company (ALICO), which operates in 50 countries worldwide, according to reports published in the UAE'S English language dailies. Al Mohanadi said that transit passengers will also be able to take advantage of the new service. A raffle draw for five kgs of gold has been included as part of the new insurance package. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM )
:
BANKS LIKELY TO BE AUTHORISED TO TRADE IN STOCKS
The UAE securities and Commodities Commission (SCC) is likely to authorise some UAE banks to undertake trading in stocks in the country without a trading floor. Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Rumaithi, Director General of the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Department, was quoted by the English language daily 'Khaleej Times' as saying that many of these banks already have operational units for stocks and bonds and are therefore capable of handling trading. The official said that it was not important or necessary to have a trading floor in Sharjah or Ras Al Khaimah, as investors in these emirates could conduct deals through banks nominated by the recently formed SCC. Two trading floors in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be sufficient if they are managed properly and operate in an efficient manner, the official said. He added that a large number of professionals will be required to run more trading floors and the involvement of banks would be a more practical solution, in terms of operational costs, the report added. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM )
:
27% OF NATIONAL POPULATION SUFFERS FROM HYPERTENSION:
study
One out of four UAE nationals suffer from hypertension, according to preliminary results of a national survey conducted by the Ministry of Health. Dr. Abdul Rahim Ja'afar, Under Secretary at the Ministry of Health, said in reports published in the English language Dailies, that preliminary results of the first national Epidemiological study on hypertension revealed that 27 per cent of the national population suffers from hypertension. People in the age group of 31 to 50 years were the worst affected. The study has so far covered 3,599 people in the Sharjah Medical Zone and will eventually include 15,000 people across the country over a five year period. The Health Ministry has previously referred to the need for more public awareness to reduce the incidence of the disease. Dr. Jaa'far also announced plans to hold the third conference of the Pan-Arab Hypertension Society in Abu Dhabi in February next year. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM )
:
GIRLS SHINE IN UAE GSSC EXAMS
Girls outshone boys in the UAE General Secondary School Certificate examinations for the third consecutive year, according to results announced by Education Minister Dr Abdul Aziz Al Sharhan yesterday. The results showed a good overall performance by girls in the science and literature groups. Fifteen girls got top 10 places in the literature group, while 16 girls and 10 boys shared top 10 positions in the science group. In science group, five of the toppers are UAE nationals, 14 Egyptians, four Jordanians, two Palestinians and one Syrian. Of the 15 toppers in the literature group, five are UAE nationals, three Syrians, two each from Egypt and Sudan and one each from Palestine, Yemen and Iraq. After endorsing the results, the minister said that government schools had performed well this year in both groups, overmatching private schools whose performance showed a downturn. "The ministry values the performance of government schools which have outshone private schools regarding results and attendance," Dr Sharhan said. He said that the pass percentage of government schools was 96.2 in science group and 82.6 in literature group while private schools' pass percentage was 84 in science group and 77.9 per cent in literature group. The pass percentage in the subject of biology, the exam of which was hit by a controversy this year is 89.7, Arabic language 99.4, geology 99.2, mathematics 99, chemistry 98.7 and physics 98. In literature group, economics topped the list with pass percentage of 99.9,followed by philosophy 98.6 per cent, history 98.2 per cent, Arabic 96.9 per cent, Islamic education 94.4 per cent, and English 86.4 per cent, the minister pointed out. Attributing the good performance to the leaders' support to educational development, Dr Sharhan expressed gratitude on behalf of himself and the ministry's administrative and teaching staff to the President, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Their Highnesses Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of emirates. (The 'Khaleej Times')
:
ADOC SOUR GAS VENTURE TO BEGIN NEXT YEAR
The pioneering projects undertaken by Abu Dhabi Oil Co Ltd (Japan) involving the injection of sour gas into the oil reservoir will be commissioned in March 2000. While hoping for new concession areas in the near term, the company, also known as Adoc, will maintain production levels. General Manager T. Tanaka, in an exclusive interview, told Gulf News that Adoc will be the first company in the Gulf to inject sour gas into its Abu Dhabi offshore reservoir. "The projects, called 'Zero Flaring and Sour Gas Injection Projects', were studied for nearly four years and will be commissioned in March/April 2000," he said. The investment is huge due to the complex equipment required. The technology is new, safe and environment-friendly. As the first Japanese company to enter the UAE in December 1967, Adoc operates three concession areas: the Mubarraz area (1967), and two supplementary concession areas - the West Mubarraz concession (1979) and the Newat Al Ghalan concession (1989). While the last two are small areas but operating effectively, the 1967 Mubarraz concession is large. Production is 31,000 barrels per day. "Production levels will be maintained," he said. Tanaka said the concessions run for 45 years to 2012. "We are optimistic the concessions will continue and we are looking for new concession areas." Adoc is involved mainly in oil, but it is closely watching developments in gas. "If we are invited to take part in the gas sector we will be happy to be involved through a joint venture," he said. (The 'Gulf News' )
:
4,200-YEAR-OLD MASS GRAVE FOUND
Archaeologists have unearthed a mass burial site, said to be around 4,200 years old, in the Shamal region. Team leader Christian Field said the discovery was one of the best in the northern and eastern parts of the Arabian peninsula. He said the site probably dated back to 2200 BC, the Umm Al Nar period, during which civilisation was "sophisticated and rich". There is evidence that the burial site was robbed several times. The team found coffins, jewellery and some pottery. "This discovery will enable researchers to understand more about the way of life then, and the way the dead were buried," Field said. The extremely precise, cylindrical, tiered grave has an entrance carved in rock, Field said. It is three metres in height and contains at least 300 corpses. Jasim Mohammed Abdullah, head of the section dealing with ruins at Ras Al Khaimah National Museum, said that one of the main finds in this mass grave was the bones of a woman, which would be carefully analysed. These areas are expected to reveal other mass graves, some of them dating to the Julphar period about 500 years ago. There are indications that those buried died young, between the ages of 30 and 40, possibly due to an epidemic. Many others died as young as 18 and 20. The burial procedure was to place one corpse on top of the other, which was why one grave contained hundreds of corpses. (The 'Gulf News' )