NEWS FROM THE U.A.E.
Excerpts from U.A.E. Dailies

Girl plunges to death in Sharjah 

Sharjah: 15 January 2006:A schoolgirl plunged eight floors to her death late on Friday from her apartment balcony at the Burj 2000 tower in Sharjah, police said.

The bereaved father of 13-year-old Lisha Mary Alex emphatically rejected any notion that it could have been suicide.

"There was no way she would have killed herself," said Alex Mathew. "She was not unhappy."

The family lives on the ninth floor of the Tower and Lisha could have fallen from there to the roof of the mezzanine floor.

Amr Khalid, a tenant on the first floor, said he was watching a movie with his wife when they heard a very loud thud.

"I thought someone had thrown garbage from above," he said.

No access

He then saw a body lying a few metres away from his balcony. None of the balconies on the first floor have access to the roof.

He saw a man which the police brought along to identify the body. "The man saw the body close up, broke down and started screaming her name," he said.

The Mathew family had visitors late on Friday and Lisha volunteered to make tea for them, said the father.

"I then told her to check the timetable as school was opening tomorrow," he said. "She asked me to press her uniform," said the father, his eyes red from crying.

No reason

When the guests were leaving, Mathew called out to Lisha but could not find her anywhere. He did not go to the balcony to look. "There was no reason for her to go there," he said.

When he went down he found the police asking people to identify the body.

"I told them my 13-year-old daughter was missing, and they said the body wasn't her's. My daughter was tall and stocky for her age," he said.

Lisha's school mates, teachers and the principal of the Gulf Asian English High School, visited the parents yesterday to offer their condolences.

"Papa, where is Lisha, her sister Charlotte, who is two-and-a-half-years old, keeps asking, said Mathew."

Lisha had recently won a prize at a church quiz competition.

"Just 30 minutes after her death, it fell from the wall and was smashed to pieces," he said.

The police said they are investigating to find out the cause of death.

GULF NEWS

 
Indian company to build buses in Dubai
 

Dubai: 15 January 2006: India's second largest truck maker Ashok Leyland will invest Dh456.5 million (Rs5.5 billion) in setting up a bus manufacturing plant in Dubai which, analysts say, will boost the emirate's industrial sector.

The Hinduja Group flagship firm announced plans to invest Rs5.5 billion to expand production capacity and establish a bus manufacturing venture in Dubai.

The company is also planning to set up a new bus-making unit in North India. "The plan is to take our capacity to 100,000 units from the current 77,000 units.

"Plans are underway for setting up a manufacturing unit in Dubai, while the process for identification of a location in North India is underway," Ashok Leyland managing director R. Seshasayee said at an auto expo on Friday.

The Dubai facility, which will produce buses and bus bodies, would have a capacity to produce 2,000 units a year.

Product range

When contacted, company officials declined to give further details, including the location of the project.

"At this moment, we do not have any more details to reveal, but the project will take at least five to six years to materialise," Thomas Abraham, Hinduja Group's general manager for corporate communications told Gulf News yesterday.

Ashok Leyland is a leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles and diesel engines. Its product range includes vehicles from 7.5 tonnes to 49 tonnes, passenger models from 19 seats to 80 seats and a host of special application vehicles, apart from diesel engines for marine and genset applications. Annual production capacity is 77,000 vehicles and 87,000 engines. In the company's 2004-05 turn-over of more than $1 billion, international operations contributed more than $100 million.

The Hinduja Group's decision comes at a time when Dubai is trying to attract investment in manufacturing. Despite significant success, Dubai has failed to attract investment in the automotive industry.

"This is a good news for Dubai and comes at a right time. A vehicle manufacturing plant will raise the emirate's profile and will complement its growth in the manufacturing sector," said Dr. Khalid Maniar, managing partner at AGN-MAK, an accounting and investment advisory firm.

With high population growth, the GCC will need strong public transport infrastructure that will require a large number of bus fleet in the region, analysts say.

"With Dubai Metro coming online in a few years, Dubai will need a feeder bus service to cater to the city's public transport needs. Similarly, all other cities and states will require similar fleet.

"So, there is a ready market for the Dubai-made buses. Hinduja's decision couldn't have come at a better time," he said.

Dubai Holding, the Government's investment arm, recently set up Dubai Industrial City to spearhead investment in the manufacturing sector.

Study

The total capital investment in the manufacturing sector touched Dh26.4 billion as of January 2005, with the total value of production touching Dh2.5 billion, according to a recent study of the manufacturing sector conducted by the Department of Economic Development (DED).

The study also outlined the industrial policy for the emirate, which is based on a long-term perspective of industrial development and envisages a gradual shift from labour intensive and low-technology industries to capital intensive, advanced technology industries by 2010. By 2030, Dubai aims to further focus on encouraging growth of knowledge-intensive/ high technology industries.

"The development of indigenous industry in a country is a measure of its true economic growth," Khalid Al Kassim, DED deputy director-general for planning and development said in an earier statement.

GULF NEWS

 
Sandstorm blankets emirates

Al Ain/Dubai: 15 January 2006:Strong winds yesterday stirred up clouds of sand and dust, in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain and other cities reducing visibility to a considerable extent.

Bad weather conditions created problems for motorists on highways with many reducing speed and driving extra carefully, especially early in the morning.

According to the UAE Met Department, an atmospheric low pressure has moved over Southern Iran and the Arabian Sea. This has been pushing down winds to the emirates that gained a speed of up to 28 knots in some areas.

The conditions were particularly bad in Al Ain at around 10.00am where low temperature, haze, scattered clouds, dust and winds forced many people to stay indoors.

The wind was blowing at the speed of 22 knots in Al Ain, 17 knots in Abu Dhabi, 16 knots in Dubai, and 12 knots in Sharjah at 10.00am yesterday morning. It became more intense at around 1.00 am by reaching 25 knots in Al Ain.

Cool conditions

The Met forecast has indicated hazy and windy weather conditions across the country for today, saying that weather could be dominated by scattered clouds in general with cool conditions at night and early morning.

The south-easterly and south-westerly winds would change direction to north-westerly, reaching to 24 knots over sea in the evening, night and early today morning.

The weathermen also expect a significant fall in temperatures to be around mean values. The sea was also rough yesterday with waves as high as five to eight feet offshore.

The Meteorological office at Dubai International Airport reported that the strong southerly winds were a typical prelude to a Shamal weather front expected yesterday evening when the wind direction would change and the dust settle.

"We have seen this trough approaching for the last few days. Once the southerly winds which carry sand go through the Emirates, the Shamal will come in from the north- west and clear the atmosphere. It will still be windy but cool," said Phil Target, a Met office forecaster.

In Dubai, building site labourers wrapped their heads in cloth and continued their work despite the dusty conditions, and pedestrians put handkerchiefs to their mouths and shuffled into shop and office entrances.

Dubai's beaches were deserted save for permo-tanned kite surfers watching friends rocket across a choppy blue sea.

"Under international kite surfing law it is illegal to surf over 25 knots," said Dodo a kite surf instructor from Greece. "We don't expect conditions like that in the UAE and today is about as strong as it gets here."

Just back in Dubai after a two-week kite surfing holiday in the Philippines, Rob from South Africa threw some sand in the air to test the wind.

"Everybody is up for it today. The wind is still not exactly southerly so we have to be careful. When it comes offshore like this, it can be dangerous. If you fall off you could be dragged out to sea. There are no inexperienced surfers here today," he said.

GULF NEWS
 
Inclement weather forces cancellation of activities
 

Al Ain: 15 January 2006: Poor visibility and strong winds yesterday forced the postponement of the 4th day of competition at the Al Ain Aerobatic Show 2006.

Winds blowing at a speed of 20 to 25 knots were viewed as dangerous for most of the aeroplanes, gliders, paratroopers and radio-controlled aircraft. Today is the final day of the show.

"Weather conditions were inappropriate for flying," said an official communiqué of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority the air show's organisers. The activities will resume today on the scheduled final day of the show.

The organisers said: "Competitions of both teams and individuals are expected to be intense today for winning top rankings."

The deferral of the 4th day's activities disappointed many participants as well as spectators. Many people braved the bad weather conditions and reached the show venue but the police was stopping them close to Al Ain International Airport.

"I am amazed to see for the first time sand flying with the winds in a desert setting," said a European participant of the air show.

Disappointing

He, however, said it is disappointing to lose a full day due to the bad weather conditions.

The windy conditions were dominating the weather from early in the morning and everybody at the show was worried about the day's activities. The air show was scheduled to open at noon, but the organisers waited until 2:00pm for the conditions to improve.

When nothing improved, a meeting of all the participants, including pilots and technical crew, was convened in which the day's activities were postponed.

Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority later in the day decided to extend the contest by a day to tomorrow to compensate for the lost day.

The cancellation has affected the Federation Aeronautique Internationale's (FAI) 23rd World Grand Prix Championship.

GULF NEWS

Govt stops dealing with firms that have non-Emirati PROs

DUBAI — 15 January 2006: The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs stopped dealing with companies that failed to recruit national PROs and will not look into some requests made by companies to give them a grace period for that.

An official source at the ministry said that the ministry has already given companies a sufficient grace period and notified companies in July that they should recruit and start training nationals for PRO posts. “The ministry will not be lenient in this regard and will continue to stop dealing with companies that fail to recruit national PROs, although they are affected by the ministry’s action,” he said.

He said that the ministry will continue implementing its decision and check problems and obstacles that prevent or hinder the employment of nationals to this post, because the excuses that are given by companies about lack of nationals’ efficiency should be practically checked out by the ministry,” he noted.

A PRO of a construction company who spoke anonymously said that the company failed to recruit a national because nationals do not accept such a job. “The company has offered a national a very generous offer, but the latter refused the job,” he said. The company is just requesting the ministry a ten days grace period to find another national who may accept the job, especially since the ministry is, in the meantime, refusing to accept transactions from the company’s owner for technical related problems.

The ministry’s source said that the ministry has amended its computer programme to allow receiving transactions from owners of companies and the problem was sorted out yesterday. He said that a number of companies opt to personally deal with the ministry and relinquished the services of their expatriate PROs. He clarified that the ministry insists on employing UAE nationals and not Gulf state nationals.

About 150 companies out of a total of 2,600 companies operating in Dubai have nationals PROs. The ministry stopped dealing with companies except those who proved the recruitment and training of nationals in the PROs post from January 2. The ministry seeks employing about 3,000 nationals to this post. This rule is applicable on companies that have more than 100 workers, according to a decision issued by the minister earlier. The same decision allowed national PROs to handle transactions of a maximum of three companies.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Some Labour applications exempt from fines

ABU DHABI — 15 January 2006: No fines will be levied on applications submitted to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs on the date that coincided with an official holiday. A ministerial decree to this end was issued by the ministry yesterday.

Under the Decree No. 29 of 2006, the ministry will accept all transactions whose last date fell on the holiday that began from January 4 and ended on January 14. The applicants are exempted from the fine provided their applications are submitted within two weeks effective from yesterday, the decree said. Applications should be submitted to the directors of the departments or the directors of the labour offices concerned each in his respective jurisdiction, and will be decided by an order issued by the manager responsible.

The decree was based on the Federal Law No. 1 of 1972 on the functions of the ministries and the powers of the ministers and the amended laws thereof. It was also based on the Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 on the streamlining of labour relations and the amended laws, the Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2005 concerning the fees, bank guarantee, the authorisation of the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs regarding the exemption from all or some fees pertaining to the measures of the Ministry of Labour, and the statement issued by the presidential court, which considered the period from January 4 to 10 to be an official mourning period for the death of Shaikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The decree was also based on the cabinet’s Circular No. 1 of 2006 that the period from January 9 to January 13 are official holidays on account of Eid Al Adha, and the Ministerial Decree No. 6 of 1999 on the extension of dates from the first working day in case the date of the expiry date for submitting the applications falls on an official holiday.

Meanwhile, a total of 23 new labour inspectors yesterday took oath after assuming office as inspectors at the ministry. After being sworn in at a ceremony before Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Dr Ali bin Abdullah Al Kaabi held his office in the capital yesterday.

KHALEEJ TIMES
 

Kerala expats can ferry their cars back home on vacation

DUBAI — 15 January 2006: To bring your own car back home from the UAE when you are going on vacation and bring it back while returning sounds expensive and looks like a dream for most of the expatriates. But for the Kerala expatriate community, it is coming close to reality.

The ferry service proposed by the Dubai-based Marco Shipping Company to Kochi in Kerala will have a special facility for sending and bringing back cars.

According to Mohammed Ahmed Al Suwaidi, Chairman and Managing Director of Marcos Shipping, the ferry service will be launched by the end of next month and the last round of negotiations is going on with the Kerala government in this regard.

“Most of the people like to bring their cars along with them when they go on vacation. We realised that this would be an advantage for the expatriates. So, we decided to put a provision for cars,” he said adding that the work for making basic arrangements in Kochi port is progressing and it would be finished soon.

“We had already some meetings with the Kerala government and we will have a final session soon. The fare for the service will be fixed after this meeting, because it will be based on the expenses in Kochi. It will be much cheaper than airfare,” he said.

He disclosed that the ferry will have different services to encourage the passengers to sail again.

“In the ferry, we have a cinema, two restaurants, a duty free lounge and a swimming pool.   The boat will have the capacity of 700 passengers and will have luxury, first and economy class,” he said, revealing that passengers of first and luxury class can take 50kg luggage, along with them while the economy class passengers can bring in 100kg. The Marco Shipping agency signed an agreement in last November to start the ferry service between Dubai and Kochi. According to Suwaidi, initially the service will be available twice in a month and later will be increased to four times a month.

 
KHALEEJ TIMES