NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies
No plans for single-window recruitment: Indian minister
DUBAI — APRIL 18: The Indian Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Vayalar Ravi, yesterday said his ministry has no plans to introduce a single-window recruitment system for labourers coming to work in the Gulf countries from India.
“We don’t have any plans to eliminate recruiting agencies as they offer plenty of job opportunities across the country. But we are regulating all their activities,” he said.
The ministry, he said, already took some measures including harsher penalties and jail term for fraudulent agents.
“The UAE and India are currently monitoring all the activities of recruitment agencies and both countries are working together to uplift the living standards of the workforce.”
Ravi added that the proposed NRI university project would be finalised within six months and it would start its operation soon.
“The funds for the university would be raised from NRIs,” he said. However, he refused to divulge further details regarding where the university would be based and what kind of courses it would offer.
“It’s too early to say anything more. Let the project be finalised and then we’ll talk about it.”
Regarding measures taken to protect domestic workers’ rights, Ravi said, “We took stringent measures such as mandatory attestation by the Indian missions while hiring domestic workers, special monitoring in the airports, etc,” he said.
Ravi noted that the living conditions of blue-collar workers in the Gulf countries, especially in the UAE, have improved significantly.
“The Indian government is working closer with all the governments in Gulf countries to improve the living conditions of Indian work force. I could see the change in the scenario,” he said.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Wafi heist: High alert at all entry and exit points
DUBAI — APRIL 18: All airports, ports and border check points are on high alert to prevent perpetrators of Sunday’s daring armed robbery in Wafi City from leaving the country, according to the police.
Dubai Police yesterday launched a massive manhunt to nab the four-member gang. No arrests have been made so far, sources said.
“We think thieves won’t try to sell the loot in the UAE as it might give rise to suspicions. So, we are trying our best to prevent them from fleeing the country,” said a source in the police.
However, he said, that the police are not ruling out the possibility that the robbers might have managed to leave the country.
“In that case, we’d carry out the investigation with international agencies.”
Major Omar Al Shamsi of the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) said, “Since the identities of the robbers are still unknown, the DNRD can’t do much in tracing them.”
“To my knowledge, directions were issued by the Dubai Police and the Public Prosecution to step up security measures at the airport. Thorough checking of baggage is being carried out,” said Major Al Shamsi.
“The robbers may leave or have left the country via other airports, not necessarily the Dubai airport. There is also a possibility that they may have used the Hatta passage if they have Oman visas,” added Major Al Shamsi.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Gone in an instant
Dubai - April 18: Raiders stole between Police have revealed that a gang who stole millions of dirhams worth of jewellery took just 105 seconds to complete their heist. Sources from the Graff jewellery store at Wafi City in Dubai confirmed that between dhs45-50 million of jewellery was taken during Sunday night’s robbery.It was also revealed that there were three members of staff in the store when the gang attacked the shop.
None of them was injured during the incident. Dahi Khalfan, head of Dubai police, said that they could not confirm if the gang was armed, but the whole raid took just one minute and 45 seconds from start to finish. Police said they used large hammers to smash the glass cases holding jewellery on display at the shop. A number of people were arrested on Monday with reports indicating they were picked up by detectives in Sharjah and Al Ain. Police had set up a series of road blocks and checks in a bid to catch the gang.
Eyewitnesses who witnessed the daring raid told 7DAYS that the gang, who were all dressed entirely in black and with masks covering their faces, were armed with machine guns as they leapt from two Audi cars they had smashed through doors into the shopping mall. One witness said: “There were so many sounds - people screaming, glass breaking and alarms screeching. It was just like watching a James Bond movie.”The raiders then sped off at high speed before burning the two vehicles and fleeing. Police have arrested a number of people although none have been charged.
SEVEN DAYS
Driver, 17 friends win Dh1m in National Bonds 12th draw
DUBAI — April 18: Prasanthan Kuniyil, who works as a driver in Dubai, and his 17 friends, all hailing from a remote village in Kerala, have together won a million dirhams in National Bond’s (NB) 12th monthly draw.
Prasanthan and his friends, who saved Dh13,000 in the Shari’ah compliant bond scheme last September, are not only excited about receiving the prize, but they are also relieved that their financial problems have been solved.
“We thought National Bonds was a better long-term savings option with whatever amount we could save every month. We are happy we decided to save together in National Bonds because it has rewarded all 18 of us now.”
“It could not have come at a better time, with the rising rents and cost of living here in Dubai,” said Prasanthan, after receiving the prize.
All the friends will meet on Friday to decide on what to do with their fortune.
Prasanthan said they will retain most of it in the savings scheme.
“It is the first time that the million dirham prize from National Bonds has made 18 people richer and happier at one go,” said Nasser bin Hassan Al-Shaikh, Vice-Chairman and CEO of National Bonds Corporation.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Kaabi to open MoL building
ABU DHABI – April 18: The Minister of Labour (MoL) will inaugurate a new building for his ministry, equipped with the latest technology for various transactions, in the capital on Sunday.
The Assistant Under-Secretary at the MoL, Obaid Rashid Al Zahmi, announced yesterday that the departments of the ministry would be relocated in the new building in Al Qarm Street.
The ministry will introduce a new card system at the building. Cards will be divided into four categories — for the MoL staff, for PROs and employers and for visitors and journalists while the fourth will be devoted to emergency cases.
According to Khalil Khory, Director of the Work Permits Department, transactions will be processed with a 90 per cent efficiency to save time and ease work for ministry employees and the public.
“We will implement the concept of ‘full duty staff’ where most of the applications will be processed at one counter.”
Elaborating on the new premises, he said the new building is equipped with highly advanced computer servers and a spare computer server for emergencies to enhance electronic transactions.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Asian victims terrorized
Dubai - April 18: Nine Asian residents who were terrorised by a gang of robbers armed with knives in the early hours of Saturday have refused to return to their rented villa in Al Quoz, fearing another attack. Rodelito Aguila, 37, a Filipino shelf-boy told 7DAYS yesterday that the incident happened so fast that he lost count of the number of men who robbed them inside the five-room villa at around 3am.
Aguila, who was hit on the face with a knife, had been sharing the room with two other Filipinos and two Filipinas, while two Sri Lankan couples stayed in the two other rooms. “We were roused from sleep by a loud noise from the Sri Lankan couple’s room. We were then attacked and robbed.” He said that they were unable to recognise the nationality of the gang since their faces were covered, although the men were speaking in Arabic.
SEVEN DAYS