NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies

Stricter smoking ban in Dubai

DUBAI — MAY 09: Dubai Municipality (DM) has said that it will start implementing the ban on smoking in public places more strictly from May 31 this year. The civic body has also outlined the regulations on smoking and also drawn up a time-table for the phase-wise implementation of the ban.

Hussain Nasser Lootah, acting Director General of the Municipality, said the move was in line with the instructions given by the Executive Council on the proposal submitted by the municipality in this regard.

"On May 31, the programme will be formally announced. This will include a ban on smoking in government departments and other public establishments, following which a media campaign will be launched to educate the public on the decision," he said.

The regulations on smoking in shopping malls and amusement centres will be in place by September 15, Lootah said. "From November 15 onwards, all food establishments and other places related to public health, including beauty salons, hotels and cinemas will have to regulate smoking inside their premises. From 2008, fines will be imposed on violators as per the Local Order No.11 of 2003 pertaining to public health and environment," he added.

Senior municipality officials said the regulations would include a blanket ban on smoking in places like schools, educational establishments, salons, health clubs, internet cafes, food courts and offices.

"The shopping malls, cafes and restaurants must designate smoking lounges or corners that should meet all the prerequisites such as proper ventilation and smoke absorbers. In addition, people below the age of 21 will not be allowed to enter these smoking zones," they noted.

Dr Mariam Mattar, Assistant Under Secretary for Public Health and Primary Health Care at the Ministry of Health (MoH) said the law had to be in place before the MoH submits a report on fulfilling the criteria on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to the World Health Organisation (WHO) by 2008.

"Strict implementation of the ban will save the MoH billions of dollars which it is spending on diseases caused as a result of smoking," she explained.  "Once in place, strict enforcement of the ban will be required. This will require more human resources," she added. However, Dr Jassim Klaib, National Coordinator on Tobacco Control with the WHO and GCC region and head of the National Committee on Tobacco Control admitted that the MoH was trying to overcome the strong tobacco lobby in the country.

DM decision welcomed

DUBAI — MAY 09: Welcoming the time-table announced by the Dubai Municipality to implement the phase-wise ban on smoking in public places, Ayoub Kazim, executive director of Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), said, "it's a step in the right direction. It should have been done long ago.

We are already enforcing the ban in DKV and DIAC. All the buildings and facilities in the two places are no smoking-zones. However, we have allocated some small places for students and faculty to smoke."

The ban in Dubai Knowledge Village was implemented two years ago. According to Kazim, the management is trying to work with the Environment, Health and Safety Department to curb smoking even outside the buildings. Smoking, for example, is not allowed in the food courts in the premises of these educational hubs, except for a small area.

Raj Kumar, Manager of the Emirates Billiards Centre in Abu Hail, which also has an internet cafe, said implementing the ban would be a difficult task.

"For a while now, we have stopped selling cigarettes. But I cannot completely restrict smokers from lighting up. I can ask them to leave if they persist, but that way I shall be losing business," he said.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Cafeterias at corniche

ABU DHABI — MAY 09: The Abu Dhabi Municipality has invited specialised companies to invest in cafeterias along the new Corniche.

This comes in line with the privatisation policy adopted by the municipality to enhance services, in addition to offering new attractions for visitors to the area.

Saif Al Mansoury, Head of the Investment and Business Development Department (Abu Dhabi Municipality), said the contract period will be for three years.

Al Mansoury added that Shisha will not be allowed in or outside cafeterias.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Labourer dies in crane crash

DUBAI — MAY 09: A 28-year-old Indian national died on Monday after a hydraulic crane fell on him in the Al Aweer industrial area.

Lt. Tariq Salim, deputy officer in the Rescue Department of Dubai Police, said the labourer M.R. was at work when suddenly the upper part of the crane fell on him. The victim succumbed to his injuries on the spot. The rescue team had to use hydraulic equipment to extricate the body.

KHALEEJ TIMES

'No cap on visit visa applications'

DUBAI — MAY 09: A senior official of Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) has denied recent reports on the restrictions imposed on the number of successive times people can apply for visit visas.

Talking to Khaleej Times, Colonel Obeid Mehayer bin Suroor, Deputy Director of DNRD, said there was no limit on the number of times a person can apply for, and renew, a visit visa, as long as this complies with the UAE's laws.

"In principle, we do not mind issuing and renewing visit visas more than once in a succession," said the DNRD official.

He added: "However, logically, what makes someone apply for renewing his/her visit visa more than once or twice, if they are not here for tourism purposes? Why not apply directly for a residence visa if the stay is going to be long?"

The DNRD official explained: "It's not a question of a person or a certain nationality. We do grant visit visas for applicants regardless of their nationalities. However, security authorities have their own concerns, which are justifiable."

"The person who is opting for visit visa runs many times in a row may be working in the UAE. But one can only work in the country with an employment visa. Otherwise, the person will be breaching the law."

The DNRD official reiterated: "There is no official rule that limits the number of times a person can renew his visit visa."

KHALEEJ TIMES

Kish official clears the air over facilities

DUBAI - MAY 09:  The tourism infrastructure on Kish Island will undergo major upgradation in the next six months, according to a representative of the Kish Free Zone Organisation (KFZO).

Shedding light on previous reports about UAE visa change travellers who complained of poor accommodation facilities in Kish, Mahdi Chamanzad, member of the board of directors of KFZO, said the Iranian government has drafted an extensive infrastructure development programme, that will be completed within the year.

"There's an ongoing project to enhance the airport terminal facilities as well as hotel and airline services for tourists coming from Middle East countries. We will also construct a special kind of hotel in terms of standard and facilities, although we prefer not to disclose the details," he said.

Chamanzad's statement came following a report which appeared in Khaleej Times last month mentioning the experiences of UAE visit visa holders who went to Kish for visa change.

One of the women interviewed by the media claimed that apart from staying overnight in a poorly kept service hotel, she was also harassed by a hotel staff.

He was quick to point out that technically, visa change travellers are not considered tourists since they do not spend much time to see the tourist attractions in Kish.

"We have around 60 hotels in Kish Island and 30 of these are classified into 5, 4 and 3-star properties, which are monitored by the Deputy Tourism Manager of KFZO. Most of the time, visa change travellers stay in service hotels or even at the airport as they wait for their new UAE visa to be released," he explained.

Last year, Kish Island received more than two million passengers, 25 per cent of whom were visa change travellers.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Dubai - Drug pair cleared

Dubai - MAY 09: A duo involved in a high speed chase through the centre of Dubai were cleared of the drugs charges brought against them at the Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday. The 32-year-old UAE national and his Russian friend, 35, had been charged with posession of morphine and codeine.

The two were in a 4×4 vehicle in Deira on December 10 last year when police noticed them. The car was wanted in connection with a number of crimes and the UAE national was also wanted in relation to a drugs case. As the policemen approached, they tried to take the car’s keys, but the accused reacted quickly and began to drive away.

The police then rushed back to their car and gave chase, at which point they were joined by another patrol car. As they reached the traffic lights close to the fish market, the suspect threw his car into reverse and one of the policemen took out his pistol and shot at the tyres, but he missed.

The suspect continued to speed away from the police  until the same policeman took out his pistol again and this time punctured the tyres. However, he was able to keep driving until he made it to the main gate of Dubai police headquarters, where he was hit by a third patrol car and forced to stop. In his testimony to the court, the accused UAE national claimed that one of the policemen pursuing him had tried to smash the window with his pistol when he first encountered them in Deira. He also said he only began to drive off when he realised he was being shot at. He further claimed that he had phoned the police to tell them about the shooting and when he drove off was merely trying to reach the main police headquarters.

SEVEN DAYS