NEWS FROM THE U.A.E.
Excerpts from U.A.E. Dailies
Bed space woes haunt poor expats in Dubai
Dubai: 14 January 2006:Dubai's poorest workers have no protection from some greedy landlords, who often sub-lease rooms and bed spaces, which means they cannot complain to the rent committee.
Many of Dubai's low-income earners cannot afford to rent an apartment, and so cannot obtain a rent agreement, which would entitle them to complain at Dubai Rent Committee if landlords increase their rent.
Instead, low-income earners rent out what they call "bed space" effectively, a bed in a crowded room, usually containing 5 to 10 beds. Depending on the location, bed spaces typically cost between Dh150 to Dh600 a month.
Bed space renters are not given any contracts, effectively leaving Dubai's poorest members vulnerable to landlords wanting to increase their rent sometimes up to 100 per cent in a year.
An official at the Dubai Rent Committee said landlords are not allowed to increase rent by more than 15 per cent until December 2006.
But the rent committee cannot help if the tenants have taken a room or a bed space on sub-lease.
"It is between the landlord and the tenant. If a landlord allows his tenant to sublease his flat and both the landlord and tenant agree to this condition, we can't do anything about it," he said.
Mohammad, a 60-year-old Sudanese translator who lives off about Dh1,000 a month, has lived in Deira's Al Ras area for the past year, paying Dh150 a month for a bed in a room he shares with nine other men.
"It's a very old, dilapidated house. It's overcrowded, there are bed bugs and cockroaches," Mohammad said.
He said that between six to ten men shared each of the seven rooms in the house.
Last week, their landlord but not the house's owner "nobody knows who that is" told them their bed space rent had increased to Dh200.
When Mohammad complained to the landlord, he was told "pay or leave".
"In the past 12 months, they have raised the rent from Dh100, then Dh110, then Dh150, and now Dh200."
Mohammad said his roommates were too frightened to complain, and even if they wanted to, could not, because they did not have rent agreement to show the rent committee.
"Our circumstances discourage us from approaching authorities," he said, "and if we complain, we'll be kicked out." He said while Dh200 was still cheap for a bed space, the men he shared the house with could not afford to pay more.
"They are almost all unemployed, some are porters, they are all in economically difficult situations, that's what brought them to this place."
Mohammad said if he was kicked out, he'd be forced to find a bed space costing "Dh500 to Dh600, and that's beyond me".
GULF NEWS
New building for Anglican Church of Cyprus inaugurated
Dubai: 14 January 2006: A permanent building for the large congregation of the Anglican Church of Cyprus was inaugurated yesterday at the Holy Trinity Complex in Oud Metha.
Clive Hansford, Bishop of the Church of Cyprus and the Gulf, inaugurated the building which has been converted from a temporary portable cabin.
"The new protestant church is the culmination of the hard work done by Chaplain Dennis Gurney," said Reverend John Weir, senior chaplain. Quoting the Bible he asked the congregation to pray and said, "Unless the Lord blesses this House, the labourer's work is in vain."
He later presented a plaque with the Lord's Prayer in Arabic calligraphy, to Peter Kendal, a leading member of the British community who is leaving Dubai after 28 years.
Rev. Weir who comes from East End in London, said he was grateful to the Rulers of Dubai for providing a place of worship to the large multicultural foreign workforce. The Holy Trinity Complex has many churches of different denominations and the complex was full of people as Friday prayers were held yesterday in various languages.
The chaplain said there has been an increase in the congregation from Asia, specially from the sub-continent.
Dr Mohan Gojer, who served as the deputy lay chairman last year, said there are more than 129 congregations in Dubai. "The churches are packed throughout the week. On Thursdays and Fridays huge number of families gather here," he said.
GULF NEWS
Saudi visitor caught stealing wallet from shopping mall
Dubai: 14 January 2006:A visitor who thought he could walk away from an outlet without paying Dh100 for a wallet has landed behind prison bars.
The Dubai Court of First Instance penalised the 19-year-old Saudi visitor, identified as D.A., with three months in jail. He will be deported after serving his term.
The Dubai Public Prosecution had charged the accused with stealing the wallet.
The Dubai police heard that the visitor was behaving suspiciously at an outlet in a shopping mall in Deira. A female Sri Lankan shop attendant told the police that she saw the visitor taking a wallet from one of the shelves and placing it inside a plastic bag that he carried with him. He then headed towards the entrance. When she realised that that he was not heading towards the counter, she notified the security personnel.
The guards stopped him and called police personnel posted at the mall.
In his statement to the police, the accused denied he stole the wallet. He claimed that he was going to get money from his friend who was waiting at a neighbouring outlet.
The court found him guilty.
GULF NEWS
Labour ministry may extend grace period
DUBAI — 14 January 2006: The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs may extend the grace period given for companies and workers to rectify their status as per the country’s laws and rules.
An official source said that the ministry did not yet take any decision, but it is most probable that the ministry will compensate for the ten days’ holidays. He said the ministry would resume on Saturday (today) to begin implementing the rectification of the status of workers, whether the applicants are companies or the workers themselves, in some cases without any fine.
He expected that a large number of employers and workers would approach the ministry during the grace period that is expected to end on February 28. He said that during the first two days of the grace period — January 2 and 3 — a few companies did approach the ministry. After the mourning holiday was announced on January 4, followed by Eid Al Adha holidays, the ministry expects a big rush from violating companies, in addition to handling the regular transactions.
He said the ministry received a number of applications online and by post during the holidays.
However, the ministry will not impose fines on labour cards and other transactions that have expired during the holidays, provided the relevant companies do not delay processing these transactions, and start off immediately from today.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Majority of UAE youth addicted to the Internet
DUBAI — 14 January 2006:After television, the Internet consumes an enormous part of people's time.
According to Etisalat officials, more than a quarter of the population in the UAE is using the Internet out of which 44 per cent are families. Each member of the family is using the Internet at least for four hours. A majority of the youth have become addicted to it. Critics call it the Internet addiction, and say that it is highly dangerous.
In the UAE, people from different walks of life are concerned over the issue and say that the problem needs to be addressed on a war footing.
Qasim Abdul Hameed, a banker, said the media in the UAE should discuss the problem more often. “I taught my children the difference between moral and immoral behaviour, but I failed to protect them from the Internet. Even when I disconnect the service from the home, they go to Internet cafes and spend time and money,” he said.
He said that the use of the Internet has entailed an additional financial burden apart from inducing negative behaviour in children.
"According to a recent study by the Florida University in the US, the brains of the people who use the Internet for more 30 hours in the week can be affected, while users also suffer from lack of sleep and are delayed in performing everyday chores," he said.
Hashim Hassan, a father, said that he had a hard time with his elder son who used the Internet after he returned from the school. “He does not do his homework or study. Even the school officials have called me many times because he is late and does not concentrate on studies,” he said.
Hassan also said that his child was facing problems at home and with the family members. “I noted that my son had become isolated and did not sit with the family or eat properly. He closed his room and spent most of the time on the Internet. I felt that the Internet would destroy the future of my son and so I prevented him from using the computer more than two hours. Now he will use it for getting information only and under my supervision," he added.
Hala Hessian, an engineer, said that unfortunately, cyber sex had made matters worse.
“Cybersex in online chat rooms is a disease,” she said, adding: "My divorce recently was due to the Internet. My husband had become addicted to the Internet and used to spend the whole night in chat rooms. Suddenly, I found that he was receiving sexual solicitations over the net and on several occasions, he asked women to meet him. He also called and sent them regular mail, money or gifts. Some times, I found pictures of naked women on the computer, so I filed for divorce in Dubai Court and they ordered him to divorce me. This was considered as new type of marital infidelity."
Rashid Amiri, a government employee, said that he had the Internet disconnected after a big fight with his wife. “I found her chatting with a man. Our marriage is on the verge of breaking up. After her family's interference, Amiri said that she had never met the man but because she was bored and wanted to pass time, she had started chatting with him,” explained Amiri.
Mohamed Salem said that one of his friends had formed a relation with a girl who belonged to a well-known family.
“After he told her that he loved her and even promised to marry her, the girl sent him her photos. But he has misused them and posted her photos on the web site and sent it to his friend’s mobile. From that day, I disconnected the Internet and don’t allow my sisters to use it although they can benefit from the information,” said Salem.
KHALEEJ TIMES