| ....2000 09 13: Wednesday |
CELEBRATIONS MARK ZAYED'S GOOD HEALTH
A Cairo-based Arabic paper Al Khamis praised President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan for his dedicated support to Arab causes. In its edition to be issued on Thursday, the paper wished Sheikh Zayed quick recovery from his recent surgery. Sheikh Hisham bin Saqr bin Humaid Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah directorate for sports and social institutions, received the youth of Al Rawashid tribe who are holding an all-emirates tour on feet to celebrate Sheikh Zayed's recovery. Sheikh Hisham congratulated the people of the UAE on the recovery of the president. He also praised the youth for the innovative expression of their joy over the president's recovery. Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Under Secretary of the Court of the Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region, attended a celebration held by members of the Al Nu'aimi tribe to mark Sheikh Zayed's recovery. The celebration was also attended by Sheikh Hazza bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, sheikhs, dignitaries and citizens. A Jordanian pilot will fly a hot-air balloon later this month as part of a tribute to the president. Official Jordanian News Agency Petra said Captain Tareq Al Emari will fly the "balloon of loyalty" on behalf of an international emirati group at a festival to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The UAE balloon will be released with hundreds of others "to mark Sheikh Zayed's recovery," Petra said. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING NORMS TO PART OF NEW BANKING LAW
The anti-money laundering procedures which are part of the new banking law will be implemented in the country¹s banking system once they are finalised, a UAE Central Bank circular said. The Central Bank has also directed some ministries and banks of the steps that must be taken to curb money laundering. The new banking law is currently being finalised. ³Some aspects of the procedures relating to anti-money laundering activities which are under preparation by the Central Bank were discussed. These procedures will be enforced within the banking system in the UAE as soon as these are finalised. The UAE Committee for anti-money laundering met yesterday at the Central Bank under the chairmanship of the Central Bank governor and representatives from ministries and financial institutions. ³The Central Bank advised the attendees of the steps that should be taken by the institutions concerned, subject to the mutual evaluation in the UAE by experts of the global organisation Financial Action Task Force, FATF, - money laundering during their forthcoming visit to the UAE from October 16 to 18 this year, noted the circular. (The Gulf News)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
ARAB WORLD E-TRADE REVENUE PUT AT US$95M
The Arab World¹s share of global e-commerce was only US$95 million 0.09 per cent in 1999 against global B2B revenues of US$171billion. By 2003, figure is expected to reach US$1.3 trillion, an IT expert said yesterday. An in the UAE which has been moving fast on the e-commerce route comprehensive studies from the government or the private sector or both, are needed to assess the Internet¹s impact on its economy, said Dr. Saeed Al Dhaheri, Abu Dhabi Works Department IT manager and UAE University¹s professor of engineering. The UAE¹s Internet subscription fees are still the highest among the GCC states although some had introduced the service much later, said Al Dhaheri. ³Secure e-commerce solutions like Comtrust have just been introduced. The UAE needs reliable fast and reasonably priced Internet connections, secure e-commerce solutions and legal framework. We all noticed the recent slowdown in Internet accessibility.² Currently, only 14 per cent of major firms use e-commerce and about 42 per cent are planning to have e-commerce operations by next year, said Al Dhaheri. ŒUAE¹s Internet traffic growth was estimated at 118 per cent in 1999 and 71 per cent until August this year,² he added. ³Towards the year end, Internet traffic growth will rise even further. The UAE has 191,000 subscribers and some 668,500 users. ³Around 24 per cent of the users are UAE nationals. One person in ever four uses the Internet. Users are expected to grow by 64 per cent in 2002.² Al Dhaheri said the UAE ranked 18 in global Internet penetration indicating that the service is growing fast in the UAE. ³The UAE economy is still oil and gas based but it is moving towards the digital economy through Dubai Internet City, DIC, the e-government initiative, Tejari.com and Comtrust. ³IT investments are growing in the government and private sectors. More is needed in the education sector despite the recent initiatives.² The UAE economy, if digital, will be highly competitive, increase productivity and income and provide more jobs for UAE nationals,² said Al Dhaheri. He said global on-line retail business-to-consumer (B2C) sales were US$3.5 billion last year. (The Gulf News)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
UAE LABOUR MARKET IN FOR TOTAL OVERHAUL
The UAE Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious vision to rid the country of unskilled workforce and replace it with one that is technologically skilled. Experts at the ministry are currently working on an executive plan that will revolutionise the country's labour market. The plan, based on the Labour 2000 report which was published in The Gulf Today yesterday, is expected to be completed by the year-end. Dr Khalid Al Khazraji, Under-Secretary for the Labour Sector at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, told a press conference in Dubai yesterday that the new vision which was "amply demonstrated by the report will help the ministry transform itself from an organisation that issues visas and work permits -as is the general public impression about it- to a ministry whose basic job will be to regulate the labour market by evolving necessary labour policies." According to Khazraji, the need for such policies was based on important conclusions which the report drew. An example, he said, was the fact that 80 per cent of all work permit applications were for unskilled and uneducated workers. The other reason was that 98 per cent of the private sector was controlled by expatriate workforce. He said this percentage "will rise if the situation stays as it is." The world is using modern technology in all economic sectors. It will be costly in the beginning to use modern systems but the cost will diminish with time, Khazraji said. Asked about how the ministry proposed to implement its vision, he said that all the local and federal departments in the country should co-operate and co-ordinate in order to realise the vision. The Labour 2000 report, according to him, proposed that labour be made scarce in the country or companies be forced to adopt modern technology by making it difficult for them to bring in workers. However, the under-secretary said that the ministry was currently allowing companies, if they justified the need, to bring in labour even if they were unskilled. Khazraji said that the UAE Cabinet in its last meeting, had urged the ministry to co-ordinate with other government bodies for a review of a number of labour issues. An example was the licences given to small "simple professions" companies that did not play any role in the national economy but just overburdened the country with unnecessary unskilled workers. The vision, Khazraji said also provided nationals and expatriates with the chance for training. "As expatriates are an important part of the workforce they should be given training". One of the ideas suggested in the report was that the ministry should set standards for companies to train their employees. (The Gulf Today)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
EMIRATES TO SET UP TOURIST RESORT, HOTEL IN MALDIVES
President of Dubai Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates Group Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum revealed that Emirates Airlines was studying the purchase of an island in the Maldives to set up a tourist resort and a hotel. He said that this is part of Emirates' plans to diversify its income sources and investment, following its successful experience in developing Al Maha Tourist Resort in the UAE. He explained that the purchase decision, the first of its kind by Emirates outside the UAE, has not yet been finalised and that Emirates had no specific plans for new local tourist ventures at present. Following the official inauguration of Emirates' flight from Dubai to Chennai on Monday, Sheikh Ahmed ruled out any political dimensions to Emirates' decision to buy a number of US-made Boeing aircraft following its deal with European-made Airbus, adding that UAE's relations with the US and Europe were very good. He explained that Emirates' aircraft purchasing decisions were based on in-depth studies that put the carrier's interests, its requirements and the quality of the aircraft before anything else. On the carrier's requirements for the new aircraft, Sheikh Ahmed clarified that: "Emirates is always expanding and seeking to open new destinations and that the volume of its current fleet of aircraft is less than its operational average which is a high 13.5 hours a day." He stressed that Dubai International Airport, in the light of the continued expansions, was ready for accommodating the giant Airbus A3XX for which Emirates signed a deal recently. He added that there were three ready runways specially designed for such aircraft. On the financing of the new aircraft and the possibility of offering international bonds, he said that this was one of the options in hand, but nothing had yet been finalised and a study in this regard had not be conducted. He also announced that Emirates had no plans at present to increase the rates of its services despite the rise in fuel prices, saying that every airline company faced two problems in the recent past: the rise in fuel prices and the strong US dollar which added financial burdens to the airlines. However, a rise in airfares could not be implemented so quickly. He said that Emirates had always sought to expand its business. The recent agreement between DNATA and Qatar Airways to undertake ground services at Doha Airport, was a major achievement, he added. Sheikh Ahmed revealed Emirates plans to launch a route to Libya in 2000-2001 and increase the flights to GCC states especially during peak seasons. On the feasibility of launching the Chennai destination, he said India was still a gigantic and unexploited market and that major airlines were seeking a big share of that market, adding that Emirates intends to expand in India if the Indian authorities allowed that. He said that Hyderabad may be the next destination after Chennai, noting that negotiations were underway. (The Gulf Today)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
DUBAI RING ROAD TO OPEN PARTLY BY OCTOBER END
Dubai Municipality will open the Dubai Ring Road partly by October end. The main work of the project will be completed by this time, which has an estimated cost of Dh520 million, a press statement said. The project has been implemented in phases and separate contracts were given for different stretches. The first stretch of the first phase, which started from 1,250 metres south of Al Ain Road, extended to a distance of 10.5 kilometres northwards and up to an area 1,700 metres north of Al Aweer Road. The work on this stretch, with an estimated cost of Dh198 million, commenced on Oct. 5, 1998 and will be completed by the end of this year. It includes a multi-level intersection on Al Ain Road with three new flyovers apart from making slight modifications on the existing flyover. The 5.6 kilometres second stretch of the first phase starts from 1.7km north of Al Aweer Road and has many link roads including the link between Al Ramool intersection and the multi-level intersection on the Ring Road and the link between Al Khawaneej intersection and the multi-level intersection on the Ring Road. The work on this project, with an estimated cost of Dh174 million, was commenced in October 1998. This stretch has a multi-level intersection with four flyovers at the meeting place of the Ring Road with Al Ramool Road and another multi-level intersection with four flyovers at the meeting place of the Ring Road with Al Khawaneej Road. In addition, the project also included the work on the three-lane dual carriageways on all the directions, paved brackets, additional lanes for new services and the lighting work. More than 90 per cent work has been over on this stretch. The Dh139 million third contract of the first phase, a stretch which starts from 900 metre south of Al Qusais Road and extends to Dubai-Sharjah Road, commenced in the first half of June 1998. The work also includes three-lane dual carriageways on all directions, paved brackets, additional lanes for new services and the lighting work. The basic work on this stretch was over by March last year except for a Dh15 million additional work. More than 90 per cent work was over by the end of August. The second phase of the Ring Road project include constructing a stretch of 28kms with three-lane dual carriageways on all directions. This stretch links the Jebel Ali- Al Hibab-Al Ain Road with the meeting place of the first phase of the Ring Road. It also has four link roads including the link E77 which reaches Sheikh Zayed Road crossing Jebel Ali flyover on the east, link for Al Barsha area, link for Al Quoz area and the link E77 East for future roads. This part of the Ring Road project, with an estimated cost of Dhs213 million, was commenced in December 1998 and more than 90 per cent of the work is over. The Ring Road project also includes designing of the third phase between Al Hibab Road on the north until the Abu Dhabi Truck Road on the south which has a distance of 17.5 kilometres in addition to a stretch of 4.5 kilometres which reaches Road No.D53 which reaches the Ring Road through Sheikh Zayed Road. (The Gulf Today)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
VENICE TOUCH FOR SHARJAH¹S MAJAZ CANAL
The Al Majaz Canal Project lining the Khalid and Al Khan lagoons will be the ³Venice of Sharjah², when it is completed by the end of this year. The canal would have restaurants, coffee shops, entertainment centres and other facilities and services on both sides of its 1,000 metre length. Sheikh Tariq bin Faisal Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Economic Development Department, Free Zones Authority, said that the Sharjah Government also planned to develop the tourism industry in the emirate through promoting its cultural and tourist attractions and sites, including museums, mountains, hot springs, desert, archaeological sites, educational institutions, heritage and art zones. The Dh80 million Majaz Canal Project was launched last year and is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. Three bridges have been built over the canal near the Khalid Lagoon, on Al Khan Road and near Al Khan Lagoon as part of the project. The project also involves building several roads on both sides of the canal, a natural gas pipeline under the canal and high voltage electric cable which will run in the canal. The Al Majaz Canal Project will not only serve as a tourist attraction, it will also help reduce pollution in Khalid Lagoon by providing smooth flow of water back to the sea again. (The Gulf News)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
DUBAI RACE RICHEST IN THE WORLD
The Dubai World Cup yesterday moved into an orbit of its own after the organising committee announced a three million dollar rise in prize money, making it the richest horse race meeting in the world. The seven-race card, which saw an increase in prize money for the March 2000 edition on March 24 at Nad Al Sheba. The overall jackpot is now US$15.25 million, surpassing the Breeder¹s Cup meeting in America. Les Benton, the Dubai World Cup Committee chairman said that the new cash boost for the UAE Derby and the Dubai Golden Shaheen, gives the biggest sporting day in the Emirate and extra special feel. ³Nowhere in else would you find a meeting that already has the richest race in the world supported by the richest Derby ever run while the Dubai Golden Shaheen, Godolphin Mile, Dubai Duty Free and Dubai Sheema Classic are all among the richest races in the world over their distance,² said the experience racing official. The jewel in this crown is the US$6million Dubai World Cup Group One runover 2000 metres where the winning connections scoop up a cool US3.6 million. The 2000 prize was won by Dubai Millennium in record-breaking style. The race is backed by Emirates airline. The UAE-Derby which debuted this year offers US$2 million in 2001, up from US$500,000 while the Dubai Golden Shaheen Group (Group III) has been doubled to US$2million. The Group III Godolphin Mile is worth US$1million from the previous Uy´S$250,000. The only race below the six million mark is the Purebred Arabian race which stands at a quarter of a million. (The Khaleej Times)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
JEBEL ALI BOOST FOR SHEIKH RASHID GOLF
The Jebel Ali Hotel and Golf Resort will continue their title sponsorship for the Sheikh Rashid Trophy. The Sheikh Rashid Trophy - a 54-hole scratch strokeplay tournament with net prizes -- will be held on Oct. 19-21. The first round will be held at Nad Al Sheba, the second at the Dubai Country Club and the final round at the Emirates Golf Club. The first two Sheikh Rashid trophies were both won by Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club's Peter Downie. At the announcement of the tournament, Mohammed Al Abbar, Chairman, UAE Golf Association (UGA), said: "This tournament is open to both amateurs and professionals with a valid handicap of 18 or less. The event also acts as a fund-raiser for the UGA's Junior Development Programme, JDP." The tournament is being held in memory of the late ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. (The Gulf Today)
Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS
Department External Information Ministry of Information and Culture P.O. Box 17, Abu Dhabi E-Mail: mininfex@emirates.net.ae Tel: 009712-4452922 Fax: >009712-4450458
PLEASE NOTE: The items covered in this bulletin do not necessarily reflect the official view of the UAE Government. Rather, they form a UAE-related digest of reports from the local press and publication