20011024, WEDNESDAY





Terrorism- Special Report - CLICK HERE

Khalifa supports anti-terror campaign

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces yesterday voiced UAE's support for international campaign to wipe out terrorism, but affirmed the need for removing factors behind the phenomenon. Sheikh Khalifa also called for a serious international effort to find a just and comprehensive settlement of the Middle East crisis, especially the Palestinian cause. Sheikh Khalifa made his remarks at a meeting with Commander of U.S. Central Forces General Tommy Franks, who is currently visiting the country. Sheikh Khalifa told the U.S. Commander that the UAE was closely following the latest international events.

The talks, attended by Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, covered ways of enhancing relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Current regional and international developments in light of the global campaign against terrorism were figured high during the talks. The two sides emphasised that joint cooperation 'is aimed mainly to maintain regional and international peace and security. The U.S. Commander briefed Sheikh Khalifa on the latest developments and praised the UAE position for condemning the September 11 terrorist attacks and its support for the global alliance against terrorism. (The Gulf News)

Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS

RCS distributes aid in Afghanistan

As part of the relief operation organised by the UAE Red Crescent Society, RCS, to provide assistance to Afghan refugees and ease their suffering, a RCS delegation, which arrived here early today, began the distribution of aid to refugees in this city. The delegation, comprising Mohammed Habroush Al Rumaithi, board member, also inspected the situation of the Afghan refugees and distributed around 120 tonnes of foodstuff that included flour, rice, olives and sugar to around 300 to 500 families. The delegation also visited the Jalalabad hospital and was briefed on its need of medicine and medical equipment.

Accompanied by Mohammed Dawoud, the director of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, the delegation also visited the orphans schools and handicapped centres and was briefed on their needs. Dawoud praised the UAE support and assistance to the Afghan refugees and expressed his thanks and gratitude to President H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan for his continuous humane and charity initiatives to help people worldwide. He also praised the follow up of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and RCS President to the situation of the refugees, pointing out that the assistance provided by the UAE Red Crescent Society helped in easing the suffering of the refugees. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM)

Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS

Sheikh Mohammed Charity to build two camps for Afghan refugees

A delegation from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Charity and Humanitarian Organisation left here today for Pakistan to erect two camps for Afghan refugees in Quetta at the Pakistan-Afghan border. The delegation was given orders by General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Defence Minister, to build two camps each accommodating 10,000 people. Each camp will consist of 1500 tents; a clinic, 50 water holes, 100 sewage points and the occupants will be provided with blankets, food, medicine and other supplies.

The Sheikh Mohammed Organisation made an agreement with the UNHCR, Pakistani and Afghani Red Crescents to provide an operation room to the project to enable the Dubai team to turn the camp to a semblance of a village. The project will also include the drilling of water well, clearing of land for cultivating wheat and the establishment of other economic, social and educational projects. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM)

Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS

Media told to exercise freedom

'The UAE constitution provides for freedom of expression, and journalists working in the country's media should exercise their freedom to criticise or reflect various issues,' said Sheikh Hasher Maktoum, Director of Dubai Information Department. 'The press in the UAE enjoys wider freedom but it's our colleagues in the media, who are not exercising this freedom,' said Sheikh Hasher in a lecture at Zayed Centre for Co-ordination and Follow up yesterday. Article 30 of the constitution has made it clear that freedom of expression is guaranteed and safeguarded but there is a press law regulating the profession. 'Press regulations are not meant to curtail freedom of speech but rather aimed at regulating operations of the press. This is something found in any country.'

'If journalists operate within regulations, there should be no qualms or problems,' he said, in response to the arguments by journalists that press freedom is limited. 'Your freedom ends only when you abuse it or when you transgress others' freedom. Freedom of expression cannot be curtailed or stifled. Those who have tried it in other parts of the world have failed dismally. Journalists are called to exercise their freedom not to politicise society but to focus on issues such as education, health and economy. Freedom of expression is an age-old right and has been provided for by all the heavenly religions. Our traditional society in the emirates allows this freedom,' said Sheikh Hasher.

Government media took the lead last year when it focused on the performance of various government ministries. The private media should follow suit. Over the past three decades, significant strides have been made ranging from establishing independent presses to the Dubai Media and Internet city, Emirates Vision, Emirates Media and the Dubai Press Club. The U.S. annual report cited the UAE this year among countries that provide freedom of expression and in which the press reviews the government's performance freely. (The Gulf News)

Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS

RAK population rose to 171,000 last year

The total population of Ras Al Khaimah last year was 171,000, comprising 100,000 males and 71,000 females, according to the latest Ras Al Khaimah Socio-Economic Profile 2001 released yesterday by the emirate's Economic Department. Of the total population, the rural population was 80,000, and the urban population 91,000. The profile said the average annual population growth rate was 3.9 per cent in 2000, the average household size just over five people and the average death rate 1.8.

The weather-profile showed the maximum temperature in 2000 was 46.8, while it was 47.5 in 1999. The minimum temperature in the year 2000 was 8.4, while the minimum temperature in 1999 was just three degrees. Maximum relative humidity for both years was 100 per cent, with minimum relative humidity for 2000 being 11 per cent, while for 1999 it was 18 per cent. The profile said the total rainfall in 2000 was 30.9mm, while in 1999 it was 55mm. It added that the total area of Ras Al Khaimah is 1,684 square kilometres, which represents about 2.17 per cent of the total area of the UAE.

The percentage of the national population in the labour force was 42 in 2000, and that women constituted 16.5 per cent of the total labour force. The average annual labour force growth rate was 4.9 per cent, and the total number of employees working for the local departments in Ras Al Khaimah was 824 in the year 2000, among whom there were 210 nationals, 173 Arabs, 391 Asians and 50 from other nationalities.

The total agricultural area in 2000 was 123,379 donum, and 114,003 donum in 1999; the total cultivated area 116,947 donum in 2000, and 107,802 donum in 1999. It said 2,654 tonnes of milk was produced in 2000 and 2,700 tonnes in 1999. Last year, there were 951 fishing boats and 2,917 fishermen in Ras Al Khaimah as compared with 1,380 boats and 3,382 fishermen in 1999. Also last year, 12,350 tonnes of fish were caught, as compared with 20,170 tonnes in 1999. It added that there were 76 industrial establishments last year, while in 1999 there were 72 industrial establishments.

The total capital of Ras Al Khaimah was Dh2,787 million last year and Dh2,021 million in 1999. The profile said that a total of 2,225 new building permits were approved by the authorities last year, as compared with 2,062 in 1999; also last year, there were 5,822 commercial licences in Ras Al Khaimah as compared with 5,432 in 1999.

Last year, 23,545 vehicles were licensed and 10,405 new driving licences given, while there were 1,166 road accidents, with 43 deaths, 907 injured, and 41,811 fines. In 1999, 24,438 vehicles were licensed, and 10,634 new driving licences given, while a total of 1,354 road accidents resulted in 54 deaths and 866 injured. A total of 21,883 traffic fines were registered.

The profile said that last year, there were 47,175 telephone lines and 53,714 mobile telephone lines, compared with 45,553 telephone lines and 30,093 mobile telephone lines in 1999. It added that there were 8,823 pagers in 2000, as compared with 11,019 in 1999. The profile said that Ras Al Khaimah has seven post offices, 13 post office agents, 67 letterboxes, 10,000 private boxes, and seven express mail offices.

Ras Al Khaimah has 17 national bank headquarters and branches, six foreign banks, five money exchange houses, 12 national insurance companies, and three foreign insurance establishments. It also has five hotels with 405 rooms, and 642 beds, and the room occupancy was 49 per cent in 2000 and 58 per cent in 1999. (The Gulf News)

Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS

NBAD, Thuraya sign e-commerce pact

The National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) and Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company have signed an e-commerce merchant agreement under which the bank will offer the Internet-based online payment solution to facilitate purchases of Thuraya services as well as equipment. The agreement was signed by Khamis Buharoon Head of Domestic Banking Division of NBAD and Yousef Al Sayed, Chief Executive Officer of Thuraya. NBAD, as a leading financial institution pioneering the growth of e-commerce initiatives in the UAE is proud to be partner with Thuraya, in achieving its strategic marketing goals, Buharoon said, according to reports in the UAE's dailies.

In line with the bank's mission to place the customer first at the heart of the business, NBAD has continued to introduce new services, including Internet banking and investment bonds, he said. The bank is currently working on a full-scale smart card programme with substantial investments, in developing the market infrastructure to facilitate the acceptance of smart cards in the local market. With a network of 53 branches and 89 ATMs throughout the UAE, full service telephone banking and Internet banking services, NBAD offers one-stop banking solution to its customers, both individuals and corporates, he said. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM)

Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS

Dubai floor to start trading on Internet

Dubai Financial Market (DFM) will eventually start online trading over the Internet, Essa Abdulfattah Kazim, director general, revealed yesterday. 'The project is under development,' he confirmed, but declined to specify a timeframe for its implementation. The bourse is, separately, set to formally launch a new website for offering added e-services in the period ahead. This will be for processing applications for Investor Numbers (INs) and allied services, he explained.

The DFM board met earlier this week to review recent developments in international financial markets and their impact in the region. The board members discussed the bourse's plans for the future, with the focus on enhancing the market's role in disseminating information to its investors in the interests of improving transparency to pave the way for more informed decision-making. They also assessed its various services which comply with its investors' needs, and expressed satisfaction at the floor's cooperation with the apex Emirates Stocks and Commodities Authority and the Abu Dhabi Securities Market, and its recent electronic linkage with the floor in the capital. (The Gulf News)

Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS

EBG unveils two new schemes

Against the backdrop of falling interest rates and a steady increase in local stock market activity, Emirates Bank Group (EBG) has unveiled two credit and market linked deposits. Both deposit schemes have principal and interest protected, and will be managed by Emirates Financial Services, an EBG subsidiary. One of the two schemes tracks the movement of the recent Dh1.5 billion bond floated by Emirates airline last July, and would raise secondary level activity on the bond. The Credit Linked Certificates of Deposit will be linked to the Emirates Group's floating rate notes, which are due by 2006. The deposit, with a lower maturity period of six months, is open to both individuals and corporates from today until the closing on November 15. Minimum subscription is Dh100,000 and multiples of Dh100,000 thereafter. The initial tranche size has been pegged at Dh25 million.

The interest rate for the first three-month period is 3 per cent per annum, and will thereafter be 35 basis points over the prevailing Emirates Interbank Offered Rate (Eibor). The first maturity date comes up on January 11, 2002. Incidentally, EBG was one of the managers for the Emirates airline debt issue, raising Dh560 million of the Dh1.8 billion subscribed. But at that time, EBG was able to meet only 70 per cent of the subscriptions routed through it. The second scheme from the local bank is a stock market linked deposit with an initial corpus of Dh50 million, and open only to UAE nationals. The Convertible Certificate of Deposit is of eight-month duration, and can be converted, subject to an eight-day notice, into any four out of a basket of eight blue chip stocks of the Emirates Value Basket. The conversion will be in equal proportion in each of the four stocks.

The eight stocks in the basket are Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Emirates Bank International, ETISALAT, Mashreqbank, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, National Bank of Dubai and Union National Bank. The funds while in deposit will earn an interest of 3 per cent annually. Investors will also be paid a bonus of up to 1 per cent of the certificate proceeds upon conversion. Minimum subscription is Dh800,000 and in multiples of Dh100,000 thereafter. The offer period runs from tomorrow to November 15.

According to EFS, the 30 odd stocks on Emnex have recorded a 17.68 per cent return on equity since the start of the year, while return on assets was 7 per cent and dividend yield 4.75 per cent. Of this, the blue chip index has grown 12 per cent compared to 7.2 per cent for Emnex in the year to date. The blue chip stocks are relatively inexpensive and offer the prospect of good dividend yield. EFS officials said if the deposit schemes are oversubscribed, they might consider either holding on or issue fresh tranches. Preference would be given to clients of EBG. (The Gulf News)

Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS

Ducab wins first major UK order

Dubai Cable Co (Ducab) secured its first major order from the UK market for the supply of building wiring range of products. The Dh1 million agreement was signed by Ducab and two wholesalers of electrical cable products in the UK. Deliveries will be completed by the end of this year.

As a 100 per cent UAE company, the export order augurs well for the future of the UAE manufacturing industry. The new UK order encourages prospects for its power cables in the European market and beyond. The Dubai and Abu Dhabi Government-owned Ducab markets its products in the Gulf and Asia Pacific. (The Gulf News)

Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS

Sharjah to be flexible in dealing with business

The Economic Department of Sharjah will adopt a flexible approach in dealing with the problems faced by the emirate's businesses, Sheikh Tariq bin Faisal Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Economic Development and Head of Free Zones, said yesterday. However, he said the department was not planning any special deal for small or big enterprises to help them in the wake of the global economic system.

Sheikh Tariq pointed out that the UAE economy is known to do better in times of crises. He said the current global situation would not have any immediate effect on the UAE economy. 'So far we have received no complains from investors operating in Sharjah and business is generally as usual,' he said. Sheikh Tariq was speaking at an event organised by Hamriyah Free Zone to mark the award of ISO14001 certificate to the zone authority. He said there are plans to dredge an inner harbour, which will act as a catalyst in the development and servicing of the maritime industry. 'Our developmental plans are on schedule and we are now prepared to attract medium and major industrial firms to the zone,' he said.

Hamriyah Free Zone has become the fastest growing free zone in the region attracting 180 companies from 17 countries in a short period of time. Already ISO 9002 certified, HFZ has now been awarded ISO 14001 certificate also, thus becoming the first free zone in the world to be acknowledged for its quality consciousness in the management of environment safety. The investor-oriented Free Zone can now boast of having a large number of companies valued at over US$500 million, he said. Prospective investors include blue chip companies from India, US, Germany, Italy, Pakistan and various other locations, he added. (The Khaleej Times)

Return to contents list | WAM UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS

Melaka Chief Minister calls on DTCM

His Excellency Datuk Wira Hj. Mohammed Ali Bin Mohammed Rustam, the Chief Minister of Melaka, Malaysia's historic city and cultural state, called on the Government of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) to develop close ties with the UAE and Dubai. Datuk is in the UAE to conduct a market survey to find ways to promote Malaysia and Melaka in the UAE.

DTCM Director General, Khalid A. bin Sulayem welcomed HE Datuk and discussed cultural tourism at great length. He briefed Datuk about the DTCM's marketing and promotion activities worldwide including the promotion of heritage and culture as a niche market. Melaka is dubbed as the Venice of the Orient, where eight major ethnic groups, 7 religions and no less than 35 languages and dialects are spoken.

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 

                                Terrorism - Special Report - CLICK HERE