NEWS FROM THE UAE
SOURCE : THE NATIONAL
Government will take legal action against sponsors of beggars
ABU DHABI - SEP. 02: Legal action will be taken against the sponsors of visitors caught begging, the federal Department of Naturalisation and Residency said yesterday.
“Previously, legal measures were taken against the beggar only, but from now on action will also be taken against the person who permitted him to enter the country and indulge in this practice,” said Brig Gen Nasser al Minhali, acting director of the department.
Tourism agencies which issue visas for beggars will be closed and face legal questioning.
The department “will not go easy on such practices”, he said.
A new system launched in late July introduced a range of new visa types. Visitors and immigrants from all but 33 exempt nations are required to apply for visas specific to their purposes for entering the country.
Visa types include tourism, visitor, study, conference and exhibition, and medical treatment.
According to Brig Gen Minhali, 412,869 entry visas were issued from July 29 to Aug 31. The total includes 369,458 visas issued in Dubai, of which 70 per cent were for citizens of the 33 exempt countries, who can acquire visas on arrival.
He said a number of visas had been issued for the new visa categories that were added to the system.
Meanwhile, Daman, the national health insurance company, said it had issued 12,000 visitor plans since the system – which requires all visitors to have insurance – was introduced. The company offers the visitors plans for Dh40, Dh70 or Dh90 for stays of 40, 70 or 100 days.
Dental and optical treatments are not covered by the visitor plan. Treatments outside Daman’s network are not covered either, with the exception of life-threatening cases that should be treated in emergency rooms.
Brig Gen Minhali also announced a centre in Musaffah where people working in the private sector would be able to acquire work permits and residence visas. The centre is expected to open within two weeks.
Previously, individuals had to apply for work permits from the Ministry of Labour and at the Department of Naturalisation and Residency for residence visas.
Worshippers share in ‘the spirit of iftar’
UAE - SEP. 02:As the maghrib call to prayer rang out across the country at about 6.40pm yesterday, hundreds of thousands of people celebrated the breaking of the fast on the first day of Ramadan.
They came together in homes, mosques, hotels and tents to share iftar meals and celebrate the first evening of the holy month with family, friends and colleagues.
The roads fell quiet as people rushed to celebrate iftar at dusk. Traffic police in Abu Dhabi distributed green snack boxes containing dates and bottles of water to drivers at traffic lights – just one of many gestures of charity that occurred throughout the city.
Among those marking the occasion were 25 official guests of the UAE who broke their fast at the Grand Sheikh Zayed Mosque in the capital along with dignitaries and government officials.
They included some of the 30 ulama, or Islamic scholars, including five women, from 11 countries who were invited to take part in the UAE’s annual tradition of offering such hospitality.
One of those invited, Dr Mohammed Galal, a member of the Supreme Islamic Studies Council, said: “I very much enjoy praying and breaking my fast at the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Mosque. It is a truly unique mosque built as a gift to Muslims by a truly unique man.”
Mohammed Baha el Nagar, 13, whose father works for one the dignitaries, was given the chance to sit with the ulamas.
“I like coming here to break my fast and to sit with Islamic leaders from all over the Muslim world,” he said. “I have been fasting for as long as I can remember.”
Hundreds of men and dozens of women also joined the dignitaries at the mosque last night. Many were labourers, but the crowd, a mixture of Egyptian, Indian,
Pakistani and Afghans, also included families with small children.
As the first melodic strains of the call to prayer rang out, the men rushed to secure seats on the floor where the iftar meals were laid out. There was some commotion as security guards tried to push them back. But calm descended once they were seated and broke their fast with dishes such as lamb and rice and chicken curry, as well as hummus, dates and bread.
Also among those breaking the fast at the mosque was Asma Rizvi, with her husband, and son and daughter – ages six and three. “I’m so glad we came here,” she said. “This mosque is beautiful, and the spirit of iftar here is beautiful.”
Between 300 and 400 people from all walks of life attended an iftar outside Naboudah Mosque on Al Wasel Road in Dubai. Office workers, taxi drivers, labourers, residents and the needy all tucked into dates and juice as soon as the call to prayer rang out. Volunteers were busy serving the dish of the day – chicken biryani.
For the last 12 years the iftar at the mosque has been provided by Sheikh Juma Khalifa al Naboudah. It will run every night of Ramadan, and more and more people are expected to attend throughout the month.
Nazim Aga, an office clerk from Goa, India, who has volunteered at the event for the last decade, said: “Ramadan is a month of goodness and this is why I am here every night to get my reward from Allah – because he is who provides me with food. I pray more and I give more money than usual as zakat.”
Abdulah al Naseer, a labourer in Al Qouz from Kerala, India, was marking his third Ramadan in the country.
Every night for the last two holy months he and his friend, Muhsain Saad, have broken their fast at the Naboudah Mosque.
“Ramadan is a special time because it brings the best out of people and draws us more together, said Mr Naseer. “The buzz is different to any other time of the year. I tend to do more good deeds in this time than any other time.”
Mr Saad added that he prayed more during Ramadan. “I enjoy reciting the Quran and listening to the imam say the prayers.”
Awwar Saleem, 31, a hairdresser at a nearby salon from Peshawar, Pakistan, said it was the “warmth” of Ramadan he enjoyed most. “And I tend to read more Quran – and finish reading it on the last day,” he said. “There is more reward in that too.”
Jasim Mohammed Naseem, a security guard from India who works at Jumeirah Beach Residences, was having his first Ramadan in Dubai.
“I am very happy to see such things happen because me and my friends get to meet other Muslims, some from our country, and we get together on study circles learning more about Islam, especially this month,” he said. “However, tonight we are on duty so we can’t stay for the prayers.”
Mohammed Iqbal, a disabled Indian who converted to Islam from Hinduism, said: “This is such a special moment, this month will give me the chance to pray more and ask God to guide me through this life because he is all that I need.”
Breaking the fast at a mosque is a tradition that dates back to the time of the Prophet Mohammed, when he and his followers would eat dates and sip water before praying.
Sponsoring large iftar meals at mosques has since become a tradition, sometimes to honour guests and dignitaries, other times to offer free meals to the poor.
Iftar tents, too, are a long-cherished tradition, with charities such as the Red Crescent Authority, as well as five-star hotels pitching them up during the season.
The Red Crescent has set up tents at 75 locations throughout the country, offering thousands of free iftar meals. In Abu Dhabi, 13 locations will provide 117,000 iftar meals, while in Al Ain, eight locations will offer 72,000 meals. In Dubai, three locations will serve 30,000 meals.
Crowds of labourers last night waited to break their fast outside Red Crescent tents. At one tent in Muroor Road in Abu Dhabi they were disappointed, however, because the food arrived late. Several hundred people had been waiting, but most left before the food lorries arrived more than an hour behind schedule.
“For the past two years I have come to this tent and received during iftar biryani, fruits, water and juice,” said Baha Uddin, a construction worker from Bangladesh. “I am not sure what happened this year so I am going back to my room to prepare food.”
Abdulrahman al Tenaji, Red Crescent’s media manager, said the lorries were delayed due to traffic congestion, but hoped iftar would run smoothly at the tents today.
The tents are usually open to anyone. Many appreciate them for their sense of community, as strangers break their fasts together.
In Dubai, 2,500 construction workers broke their fasts in a tent as part of the seventh Ramadan Forum organised by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. In 50 countries overseas, the charity’s iftar programmes will also offer meals to 50,000 Muslims.
Pupils to undergo health audit
ABU DHABI - SEP. 02:The psychological and physical state of thousands of pupils will be evaluated as part of a comprehensive audit of child health.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Education will work together to assess pupils at private and public schools, and the results will be used to develop new health programmes in schools.
The evaluation, to be launched after Ramadan, would run for three months. In the northern emirates, all pupils in grades one, five and nine will be tested.
The children will have to provide a medical history, fill out a questionnaire and be examined by a doctor.
Dr Mariam al Matroushi, the interim head of health legislation and school health programmes at the MoH, said the scheme would highlight prevention through vaccinations, check-ups, fitness tests and dental care.
Programmes aimed at early detection of infectious diseases were also planned. “The school health centres will continue to provide specialised health services in dentistry, ophthalmology and nutrition, to which will be added mental health.”
Mental health and obesity were the two prime areas of concern, she said.
“Health is complete physical, mental and social well-being.
“We will screen for common psychological problems – mental problems that students can be affected by, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD. It is not a conclusive questionnaire, it is a screening questionnaire.”
Pupils who test positive will be asked to take another questionnaire and will be referred to a specialist.
“Many studies around the world have shown that mental problems are very common, especially in adolescence. This is a period with fast change. You can have many different problems,” she said.
“Sometimes a trivial disturbance can lead to bigger problems if we don’t treat it very well. It can lead to drug abuse and suicide. When should we wait to treat it – after addiction, after death?”
All results will be confidential.
The survey comes three years after another child health study, which was organised by the MoH in conjunction with the World Health Organisation, suggested depression was a significant concern.
The new study will also consider safety in the schools.
In the 2005 survey, children said they often felt physically threatened in school. More than half the boys and almost a third of the girls surveyed said they had been in a physical fight in the past year. One in three students said they were seriously injured and one in five pupils said they were bullied.
More than 20 per cent of students said they had skipped school because they felt it would be unsafe.
A 2006 study found that in the Gulf region, 13.7 per cent of children were obese and 21.5 per cent were overweight.
Dr Matroushi said: “The number one concern for all groups is obesity. A lack of awareness about their lifestyle can turn students into sick people very easily.”
A lack of activity and malnutrition were contributing factors, she said. “Many people say malnutrition makes people thin, but overeating with very poor stuff can lead to malnutrition. Malnutrition is a disease which includes obesity.”
Dr Ali bin Shakar, executive director of the MoH, said: “The MoH will focus on a series of initiatives and targets at the national level aimed at improving the health system, based on making health services available to all and leading to a disease-free environment, by identifying and eliminating risk factors.”
He said school health programmes had a significant impact on overall public health, and that experts considered such plans necessary to fight chronic disease and health problems.
The health programme would focus on prevention.
Students fail to meet admissions standards
DUBAI - SEP. 02: Students applying for places at the Dubai branch of an American university have inadequate skills in some subjects and the country must raise its education standards, the university’s chief academic officer said.
Prof Kim Wilcox, provost of Michigan State University (MSU), said students were leaving secondary school in the UAE with weak mathematics and English skills.
Speaking on a visit to the MSU’s recently opened Dubai campus, Prof Wilcox suggested that the emirate’s educational achievements did not match its image worldwide.
“It’s unfortunate that in everything that Dubai represents, it is graduating a number of students from secondary education with such weak mathematic skills,” he said.
“To an extent, the US is in the same situation, and we’re falling further and further behind and we have to raise the bar. It’s not finger-pointing.
“If I was a citizen of Dubai, I would want my education to be great – students with the English and maths standards to attend a world-class university.”
Prof Brendan Mullan, executive director of MSU Dubai, said the university would not lower its entry standards to let in more students.
“We came to Dubai with a predetermined set of standards and we’re applying those standards and we’re not wavering with the students we’re admitting,” he said.
The comments by the two university chiefs coincided with a Ministry of Education announcement that it would introduce sweeping reforms aimed at improving standards in government schools.
As reported in The National yesterday, state schools will focus on problem-solving and creative thinking, in place of memorisation. English lessons will be introduced in kindergartens. Performance standards will be brought in for each stage of the educational process, specifying, for example, the mathematical abilities students should have at each grade.
MSU, originally an agricultural college, is the eighth-largest university in the US with 46,000 students. This year, it ranked 83rd in the Academic Ranking of World Universities compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
It is the first US university to open a full branch in Dubai that will award degrees based on work carried out here.
The Dubai campus has so far admitted 54 students, many of them Emiratis. More are expected to join in the current academic year.
Prof Wilcox said his remarks were not aimed specifically at private or public schools, although there had been concern that standards in government schools have fallen, causing more than 40 per cent of Emiratis to be educated privately.
Prof Wilcox said the university had a “commitment to the Government” to maintain academic quality here.
“It would be easy to have a bigger class by simply changing the programme expectations, reducing the course expectations. We’re not going to do that,” he said.
The fact that the university had enrolled more than 50 students after imposing “a pretty high bar” was “important for the nation”.
“If Dubai is going to move ahead, we have got to raise the standards. Not just having a university here, but bringing a non-wavering set of expectations is crucial.
“People need to take high school preparation seriously. If you’re not adept at maths, that will not just impact on your study, but your ability to attend a leading university.”
Employment laws to be relaxed for expatriate students
Abu Dhabi - SEP. 02: Expatriate students in the UAE are to be given permission to take on part-time and full-time jobs to help to reduce the country’s dependence on imported foreign labour, according to WAM, the Government’s official news agency.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, yesterday approved recommendations by the Demographic Structure Committee, which is considering how the country’s demographic imbalance should be addressed.
Among the recommendations was a system developed by the Ministry of Labour that would allow non-Emirati students to work while studying.
Adding tens of thousands of students to the job market would decrease the country’s reliance on imported workers, committee members said.
Lt Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, the Interior Minister and chairman of the Demographic Structure Committee, said the Government was making “serious efforts” to establish a balance between the booming economy and “the national principles of the UAE”.
The demographic imbalance was “an obstacle to sustainable development”, he said.
There are an estimated 30,000 students at federal universities and about 55,000 at non-federal universities, which have mostly expatriate students.
More than 90 per cent of the private sector’s 3.1 million workers come from outside the Emirates, according to a Ministry of Labour report. In 2006, they collectively sent home US$16 billion (Dh58.79bn) in remittances.
There are more than 40 private universities in the UAE and plans for many more. New York University and the Université Paris-Sorbonne will have campuses in Abu Dhabi. Within a decade, more than 100 higher-education institutions will have at least 150,000 students.
Other recommendations by the committee included encouraging employers to ensure diversity of nationalities among workers to prevent a limited number of national groups from asserting influence.
The committee also proposed “traditional” construction methods that would require fewer workers. An estimated 1.5 million people work in construction in the UAE.
The committee also approved the recent introduction of self-service pumps at petrol stations, an initiative designed to reduce the need for some “marginal occupations”.
The committee would hold a workshop early next month when public and private sector representatives will discuss “marginal occupations and non-critical activities” that could be eliminated, replaced or modified, WAM said.