NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies
Private firms to handle Indian passport applications in Dubai
DUBAI — MAY 29: In an effort to ease the process, private companies will soon assist the Indian mission in Dubai in issuance and renewal of passports of Indian expatriates. This was stated here by India’s Minister of State for External of Affairs E. Ahmed at a Press conference yesterday.
The visiting minister, however, added that even after outsourcing passport services to a private agency the Indian missions in Dubai and Northern Emirates would continue to provide services to Indian expats.
“We are currently studying the proposal. Soon we will invite a global tender from internationally acclaimed companies. The selected company will be authorised to receive and verify the applications but the issuing authority will be the Indian mission,” he said.
While pointing out that the Indian missions in some countries had already outsourced passport services, the minister said outsourcing is effective in speeding up passport issuance and renewal process.
The Indian consulate in Dubai handles an estimated 75,000 passport applications in a month.
Commenting on the widely-prevalent practice in Gulf countries of companies keeping the passports of Indian employees in their custody, Ahmed said no party had the right to hold the passport of an Indian citizen. “I think UAE’s law doesn’t allow holding the passports of employees. If it is violated, it is for the UAE government to take action,” he said.
“The bilateral relations between India and UAE cemented after the historic visit of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to India. Both countries are looking forward to join hands in several sectors to grow together,” he said.
Ahmed revealed that Saudi Arabia had approved an extra 10,000 quota for Indian Haj pilgrims this year. “Indian government is monitoring the Haj operators across the country in order to avoid any confusion and malpractices. The violators of rules will have to face strict penalties,” he warned.
KHALEEJ TIMES
NCC discusses minimum wage for unskilled expat workers
ABU DHABI — MAY 29: The National Consultative Council (NCC) yesterday discussed fixing of minimum wage for unskilled expatriate workers.
The Ministry of Labour (MoL), on its part, assured the NCC that it was mulling minimum wage for unskilled labourers, and was also considering a special law on domestic helps as well as ensuring diverse nationalities in recruitment.
As for domestic helps, the MoL told the House that Dh700 was proposed as minimum monthly salary for housemaids in addition to accommodation and food. Then, Dh1,000 was suggested as minimum salary for drivers in addition to accommodation and food, and Dh2,100 for farmers.
The MoL informed the House that between the years 2004 and 2006, a total 98,648 workers in this category were reported as “absconding”.
Meanwhile, chaired by NCC Speaker Abdullah Al Masood, the Council yesterday discussed the labour policies in the country, which it said should be capable of streamlining the influx of unskilled labourers.
The NCC noted that the number of unskilled labourers had increased noticeably in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Council stressed that labour contracts for the unskilled labourers should be unified, in terms of salary and other legal entitlements.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Internet disruption in Al Ain
AL AIN — MAY 29: A number of people from Jimmi Area in Al Ain had to go without Etisalat’s Internet service for more than five hours yesterday.
According to a source in the Etisalat Customer Service Department, the cause of the problem was a fault in Etisalat’s Al Shamil Service Landline that serves the area. The Internet service disruption lasted from 7.00am to 12.10pm.
The source said that Etisalat customers who use dial-up services were not affected by the fault.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Factory worker’s hands crushed by rollers
DUBAI — MAY 29: For 25-year-old Filipino national Ferdinand, it all happened in a flash of a second, and he was unable to pull his hands out of the rollers.
“I experienced excruciating pain followed by numbness,” he said. Three days ago, Ferdinand, who works for the Arabian Packaging Company, was brought to New Medical Centre (NMC) Speciality Hospital, with both hands crushed by rollers of a fabricating machine.
“It was a Friday, and this patient was referred to us from a government hospital. Both his hands had been completely crushed,” explained plastic surgeon Dr Sanjay Saras.
“He was suffering from extreme compartment syndrome (blockage of veins and arteries caused due to an accident) and we had almost lost his pulse,” said the doctor.
Dr Saras explained that crushing of muscles causes release of toxins that directly attack the working of kidneys.
“In this case the toxins had already been released which could cause the kidneys to stop working at any time. Therefore we were in a hurry to get a clearance from the insurance company before going ahead with the operation,” said the doctor.
“The five hour operation also had it’s highs and lows because we almost lost the patient in between. Thankfully, the operation was a success and his hands have been saved,” explained the doctor, adding that the patient was recovering and doing well.
“Skin graft operations will be done at a later stage when he has fully recovered,” said the doctor.
Describing another case, Dr Saras said that on May 12, a 32-year-old Indian national was brought to the hospital in a similar condition.
“His right hand been caught in the rollers of a printing press and what remained, was the upper limb,” he said.
“Before he was brought to NMC, his hand had been amputated,” he added.
Dr Saras said the patient was also suffering from compartment syndrome and was brought to the hospital with an amputated hand.
“There was no skin on his limb. We had to harvest skin from his thigh and reconstruct his limb after a 10-hour skin/bone re-constructive surgery,” he explained.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Clinic to help smokers give up the habit
DUBAI — MAY 29: The Ministry of Health (MoH) will open a specialised clinic in the city to help smokers give up the unhealthy habit on World No Tobacco Day on May 31, said a senior health official yesterday.
“The step aims at helping smokers quit the dangerous habit which causes several diseases,” said Dr Mariam Matar, Assistant Under-Secretary for Public Health and Primary Healthcare, MoH.
She said that the clinic would be open to all members while a day will be dedicated for female smokers. The clinic is the sixth of its kind to be opened by the MoH in different areas of the city. “The clinics have competent staff and are equipped with latest gadgets and medicines,” she added.
On the occasion, the ministry has also announced two competitions for the best poster depicting the slogan, ‘100 per cent smoke free environment.’
KHALEEJ TIMES
Street vendors’ items seized
ABU DHABI — MAY 29: The Control Section of the City Landscape Department at the Abu Dhabi Municipality has seized 8 tonnes of garments, fake electrical equipment and hardware from vendors, who were selling these items in front of the mosques and in the streets of Mussafah industrial and commercial area, over the last two days, municipality sources have said.
The Control Section has also confiscated 4 tonnes of vegetables and fruits from those peddlers, the sources added.
The inspection campaign aims at curbing the illegal practice of vendors, the Municipality sources said.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Salik opens for business
DUBAI - MAY 29: Windscreen sticker tags for use with Dubai’s new road toll system will go one sale for the first time next week. And the scheme – called Salik, the Arabic word for open or clear – will start operating on Sunday, July 1.
Hi-tech equipment will detect the tag every time a vehicle passes one of the ‘toll gates’ at Garhoud Bridge and Interchange Four on Sheikh Zayed Road.
The Dh4 fee will automatically be deducted from the motorist’s account at the two toll points on entry.
The scheme is intended to cut the volume of traffic between the two points.
“We are going to offer the Salik sticker tags by the end of next week,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Roads and Traffic Authority.
“The exact day of the launch of the tags’ sale will be announced shortly.
“These tags will be available at more than 300 locations including Emarat, Eppco and Enoc petrol stations, all branches of Dubai Islamic Bank and Emirates Bank as well as on line through www.salik.ae “All car rental firms will have to fit tags to their vehicles. People hiring the cars will pay for using the road fitted with the toll system. This will benefit visitors from neighbouring countries who do not have cars.” He said he expected up to 600,000 people would buy tags in the scheme’s first year.
“Currently around 100,000 vehicles pass along each side of Sheikh Zayed Road. We expect a 25 per cent fall in this number after a year of implementing the system as motorists start using alternative routes.
“The tags will be at a fixed price of Dh100. This is fixed for everybody – we are not giving discount to anybody.
“Special groups will be exempt from paying for the system. These will include all vehicles which carry the logos of the police, armed forces, ambulances and civil defence.
“Buses belonging to both public and private schools, universities, colleges and institutes, as well as public transport buses, will also not have to pay the toll.” He said the fine for passing one of the toll gates without having a windscreen tag would be Dh100 per day.
“Earlier the fine was going to be Dh100 every time a person passed a toll point. Now we have changed this.The fine will not exceed Dh100 no matter how many times a person passes under the gates in a single day.” However, heavier fines will be imposed on drivers who commit further offences on subsequent days.
EMIRATES TODAY
Four-year-old suffocates to death in family car
AL AIN - MAY 29: A four-year-old child lapsed into unconsciousness and died due to suffocation after she was in a car for a long time. Her family rushed her to hospital, but doctors were unable to save her.
The incident began when Hamda Ali Al Baloshi, the child, preceded her father to the car, which was parked at the house’s courtyard at Al Muqam area of Al Ain. Hamda closed the car’s doors without putting on the air conditioning. She remained inside the car for some time, as she was waiting for her parents. She then lapsed into unconsciousness. When her father arrived, he found her unconscious. He rushed her to Tawam Hospital in an attempt to rescue her. Doctors did their best for 45 minutes, before the child was declared dead.
A source at the hospital attributed the death to shortage of oxygen, which led to suffocation. Doctors at the hospital warned parents against leaving their children inside closed cars for long periods
EMIRATES TODAY
Trader banked on fake draft
DUBAI - MAY 29: A computer dealer was questioned by the police after cashing a fake banker’s draft he had received from a customer overseas. Harish Meppadu, who had his bank account frozen, says he accepted the payment in good faith. Now he is battling to clear his name.
A banker’s draft is similar to a cheque but is issued directly by a bank and carries extra safeguards. It has traditionally been seen as a safe method of payment – it was often said to be as good as dealing in cash. Indian Harish, 30, owner of Centrino Computer Systems in Dubai, said he trusted the draft because it appeared to have been issued by the Commercial Bank of Qatar.
It was presented by an Indian customer based in Malaysia who ordered five computer servers worth close to Dh61,000.
“The order came through email and the deal was confirmed over telephone,” he said. “I got a banker’s draft for part-payment of an amount of Dh24,200 which was delivered by a courier. Money was credited to my account with a leading bank. “However my account was frozen a month later when bank officials realised the draft was a forgery.” Harish was arrested and questioned by Dubai Police on suspicion of presenting a fake cheque. He was later freed on bail. An official from Dubai Police confirmed the incident and said they were investigating the issue.
“I did not ship the computers because I didn’t receive the full amount. The customer who issued the draft said he got it from someone else. Now he has stopped answering my phone calls.” Payments made by a draft are drawn directly from the issuing bank’s funds rather than a customer’s account. The document carries the issuing bank’s details and logo, a hologram, a code number and the date. It is signed by one or two managers.
A spokesman for the legal department of a Dubai bank said: “We get some complaints about forged drafts. Traders accepting them should know the customer personally and check its genuineness with the bank. When we come across a case we refer it to the police.
“An account can be frozen only by a court order or with the Central Bank’s intervention,” the source added.
EMIRATES TODAY
Dubai - Let me out now
Dubai - MAY 29: A British man has been accused of putting hundreds of fellow passengers in peril after opening the emergency door of his plane as it landed at Dubai Airport. The Dubai Court of First Instance heard yesterday how the Emirates flight was taxiing down the runway when the man, who had been drinking heavily while in the air, jumped out of his seat, pulled the lever to open the door causing the emergency slide to activate.
Dubai Public Prosecution has charged the 36-year-old engineer, identified only as RM, with endangering the airplane and its passengers. A 25-year-old Canadian member of the Emirates cabin crew testified that when the plane landed at 1.00am on April 6, she went to the bathroom. “When I came out I was surprised seeing the accused trying open the emergency door number five,” she said. “I held the door's handle to try and prevent him from opening it but he didn't care and managed to open the door, making emergency slide appear.”
Emirates staff managed to restrain the accused and the pilot, noticing the slide had been activated, stopped the plane immediately. An Emirates spokesperson declined to comment on the case, saying: "Emirates cannot make any comment as the matter is sub judice." But a Dubai-based Emirates flight attendant told 7DAYS: “Passengers getting too drunk and disruptive probably happens on every flight - and I once had a drunk passenger try to break another's nose - but I've never had someone try to open the door. Cabin crew should always man the doors once the plane is taxiing and the doors have been disarmed.”
An automatic locking system means no passenger is able to open doors while an aircraft is airborne and flight attendants are given training to deal with disruptive passengers. According to a chief engineer for Emirates airline, what the accused did was extremely dangerous to the passengers and could have seriously damaged the plane.
“It can cause a fire because the hot air from the engines can set the rubber slide ablaze,” the chief engineer, identified as M J, told the court. “The pilot did the right thing and stopped the plane. The incident put the aeroplane out of service for couple of hours to fix the slide,” he added. The accused was not in court yesterday and the judge has adjourned the case until next month so that he can appear in his defence.
SEVEN DAYS
Dubai - Rapist’s jail term upheld
Dubai - MAY 29: The Court of Appeal yesterday approved a three-year jail sentence handed down to a UAE national who raped his housemaid. The 40-year-old, identified only as EY, had previously been convicted of raping the Indonesian housemaid in her room in the Al Rahsidiya area.
On September 14 last year, the housemaid was in her room, when EY barged his way in after midnight and proceeded to rape her. The next day, she went to Al-Rashidiya Police Station to file a complaint, and officers began an investigation, which found thats medical reports supported the maid’s story. EY was convicted at the Court of First Instance in March despite denying all the charges.
SEVEN DAYS