NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies

UAE theme park: Mission Possible

Dubai - Jun. 27: Real estate developer Ruwaad Holdings and Paramount Pictures have announced a long-term licensing agreement. The agreement is in connection with Ruwaad’s planned development of a Paramount-branded theme park in the UAE. The development will be part of a $2.5 billion destination envisioned to incorporate hotels and resorts, themed retail areas and lifestyle properties.

Under the arrangement, Ruwaad will be responsible for funding development for the destination. Paramount’s role will be to provide access to its vast intellectual property library. Paramount Pictures’ catalogue now includes blockbusters such as The Godfather, Grease, Top Gun, Mission: Impossible, Charlotte’s Web, Nacho Libre, and Dreamgirls.

The Paramount Pictures-branded theme park would be the hub of the destination, featuring rides, shows, and attractions based on its rich Hollywood heritage and library of motion picture titles. The theme park would benefit from Paramount Pictures’ stable of new titles, which would provide the basis for the development of new rides and attractions. It would also be the first to have a unique blend of  motion picture entertainment.

“We look forward to working with Ruwaad to bring a taste of Paramount and Hollywood to this dynamic market,” said Michael Bartok, head of Paramount Licensing.  A precise location for the attraction and an estimated date of completion for the project were not divulged at yesterday’s press conference. Universal Studios announced plans earlier this year to build a motion picture-themed park in the Dubai Land development.

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Dubai - Beware bogus botox

Dubai - Jun 27: An Emirati woman has warned Dubai residents to steer clear of illegitimate plastic surgeons after a botched botox injection left her bruised and in agony. The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, had been offered the popular procedure by a female doctor, who went by the name of Lolita and claimed to have moved here from Lebanon, where she worked for a clinic.

But after the side of her face became inflamed and turned blue for almost a week following the injections, the victim discovered the doctor was unlicenced in the UAE. She told 7DAYS: “It was meant to be a very minor operation. Many who get a botox injection of this type get no swelling at all, but that night my face started to swell and over the next few days it started to turn into a dark shade of blue, almost black.”

The woman and her husband  then made a few inquiries and discovered that the 'clinic', which is housed in a villa on Jumeirah Beach Road, was set up in the aftermath of the war in Lebanon last year. The establishment, known around town as 'Manzil Abeer and Farah' (Villa of Abeer and Farah), allegedly flies in doctors from Lebanon, many of them unlicenced in the UAE, to perform procedures there.

7DAYS also knows of at least two other botched cases related to the same clinic, one of them a high profile TV presenter for an Arabic news channel. These victims subsequently visited licenced doctors who confirmed that the operations carried out were of very poor standard.

One prominent, registered and licensed cosmetic surgeon in Dubai told 7DAYS: “While a small amount of bruising and swelling is normal with Botox, the severity of this woman's reaction suggests... the procedure was not performed properly. Anyone considering any treatment should check the surgeon is licensed here, how long they have been practicing and remember they should have the documents, and patient recommendations, to prove it.”

The Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS) told 7DAYS all cosmetic surgeons and clinics practicing in the UAE must be licensed and registered with DOHMS and follow its strict guidelines - which can be found at www.dohms.gov.ae. It warned anyone considering surgery to check the surgeon and clinic are both registered and licensed appropriately.

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UAE Ministry of Labour issues guide for amnesty-seekers

Abu Dhabi, Jun  27:The Ministry of Labour yesterday issued a booklet outlining steps to make use of the amnesty, reported the Gulf News.

"The guide is aimed at both illegal workers and violating companies to adjust the legal status of their employees. It divides illegal workers into six categories", the paper said.

"The six categories are workers whose labour cards have expired but are still in the country and working with their sponsors, workers who are still in the country but are not working with their sponsor, workers who are outside the country, workers are registered at the establishment's file in the ministry of labour but do not exist, workers who are not registered at the establishment's file in the ministry of labour and workers who are absconders", it added.

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No more than 25 per cent salary cut for debt allowed

Abu Dhabi - Jun 27: The Fatwa and Legislation Department at the Ministry of Justice has issued a new Fatwa stipulating that the deduction of more than 25 per cent of the salary of an employee to cover a debt is not allowed, reported the Khaleej Times.

The said "department received a letter from a government department stating that a number of employees had complained about big amounts being deducted from their salaries every month to cover various kinds of obligations (alimony or debt) decided by courts.

The government department questioned the legality and the percentage of these deductions, it said

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Outlook for Low-cost Carriers is bright : Air Arabia CEO

Sharjah, Jun 27: The aviation market in Middle East is poised for significant, sustained growth, said the Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa.

Recently speaking at the fourth annual India and Middle East Low-Cost Carrier Symposium in Mumbai, India, Adel Ali pointed to the projected increase in the Middle East's share of global tourism to 4.4 per cent by 2020, and said that the Middle East will lead world passenger traffic growth, with current travel demand up 18 per cent.

The Air Arabia CEO and Board Member said: "With three major emerging markets - including China, India and the CIS countries - located right in our backyard, the Middle East is perfectly placed to meet the needs of travelers across this wider region.

Each of these areas is currently experiencing sustained increases in passenger traffic, and the Middle East can become the hub for this vast swath of the globe." He continued: "The growth opportunities for the Middle East aviation market are not only linked to geography, however, the sector's expansion is also being driven by deregulation and liberalisation, by economic diversification and sustained growth, and by the region's demographics, including the very large expatriate populations in the Gulf states.

All of these factors contribute to the incredible success story taking place here, which has also made the Middle East, one of the fastest-growing region in the world in terms of tourism arrivals." Pointing to the outlook for the low-cost carrier (LCC) segment in particular, Ali said: "While demand is increasing across the sector, the outlook for LCCs is especially bright. Consider that, in North America, LCCs market penetration rate account for roughly 25 per cent of market share, here in the Middle East, LCCs make up just 0.1 per cent of the market.

Air Arabia has been able to successfully introduce the LCC model to the region and customise it to meet the needs of travelers here. As a result, regional perceptions of LCCs are changing fast." He concluded: "Looking at our geographic advantage, the strength of the region's economies and the demographic trends - today, it is clear that the LCC segment here is poised for takeoff. By meeting the unique needs of customers in the region, Middle East-based low-cost carries can make a huge contribution to both the travel industry and the growth of the region as a whole."
 
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Dubai - More Salik tags released for sale

Dubai - Jun 27: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said yesterday that it has distributed 140,000 Salik tags so far to Eppco/Enoc and Emarat petrol stations, and Dubai Islamic Bank and Emirates Bank.

The RTA said it had to release an additional 60,000 tags to the sales outlets due to the growing demand over recent days.  7DAYS reported this week that some vendors had run out of the Sallik tags forcing motorists to search a number of different outlets across the city. The RTA however, said the shortages were now covered with enough tags available in the market.

Meanwhile the RTA also announced the opening of the Ras Al Khor crossing yesterday for traffic. The overall cost of the project, which started in May was around dhs58 million.

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