NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from the Media
Workers start getting wages at post offices
UAE - FEB. 24: EMIRATES Post (EP) outlets have started disbursing private company workers' salaries on designated days, as stipulated in separate agreements with the participating companies.
The workers of Bently Security and Safety Consultancy have become the first group of employees to receive their salaries at EP counters.
They collected their salary from the Ajman Central Post Office, as per the agreement signed between Emirates Post and Bently Security.
"Over 100 employees collected their salaries from the Ajman Post Office this week, and another 100 will be registered this month," said General Manager of Bently Security, Arif Al Rahma.
More than 60 small and medium-size companies, having employees ranging from 3,000 to 6,500, have already signed up with Emirates Post.
The companies are from different fields, including engineering, contracting, construction, trading, restaurants, electronics, security, building maintenance and others.
Among the big companies that have joined are Darwish Engineering, Emirates, Al Sarh Contracting, General Construction Est, Power Cleaning Services, Obaidallah Contracting, Future Tower Contracting, Cartel Contracting, Al Hudaiba and Dream Palace Contracting.
"EP and Wall Street Exchange have put together the most efficient and value-packed package to enable companies to pay their workers' salaries from an approved agent," said CEO of Emirates Post, Ibrahim Bin Karam.
Companies signing with Emirates Post have two options for salary payouts.
Their employees can either collect the salaries from designated post offices or at labour camps through mobile units of Wall Street Exchange.
Each employee entitled to receive his salary from EP outlet is issued a smart card containing his photo, staff number and personal details.
The employee can collect his salary on dates specified by the company in co-ordination with EP.
Apart from collecting salaries, the employees can remit money to their families overseas from the same counter.
They can also instruct the post office to send a certain amount to their families and it will be automatically transferred on a chosen date. The counters also offer money exchange facilities.
Companies interested in joining the services have to sign separate arrangements with EP.
An account is opened to enable easy transfer of money from the company to EP.
Companies that join the system benefit by way of reduced burden on staff and full security.
GULF TODAY
MoH plans survey on chronic diseases
UAE - FEB. 24: THE Ministry of Health (MoH) has said that it will conduct a national health survey in association with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in October.
WHO's project named Global Health Survey has been designed to help countries assess the socio-demographic, psychological and health risk factors contributing to the development of chronic diseases.
Various GCC countries have embarked on the survey, the results of which are expected to help ministries form policies for minimising the risks for chronic diseases. The results are also expected to aid the formation of strategies on diet and physical activities to ensure good health of the society.
Director of the Global Health Survey in the UAE Dr Huda Al Suwaidi said that the survey, which was planned over a year ago, would start by October.
"In the UAE, one out of four persons above 20 years of age is diabetic. One in three persons above 18 has hypertension and over 67 per cent of the adult population is either obese or overweight.
However, these are the figures from small studies. There is a need for a nationwide study to get the basic data for the future plans," Suwaidi had told The Gulf Today while announcing the survey plan in March 2007.
The Family Medicine Specialist said about 10,000 families will be surveyed on a random basis with the help of the Ministry of Planning. "People's vital statistics will be recorded and blood tests will be conducted to check the incidence of diabetes, cholesterol etc. An internationally uniform questionnaire will be distributed to check other important health details of the sample population."
MoH employees along with several volunteers will conduct home visits for the nationwide survey on nationals and expatriates aged above 18. Suwaidi said female volunteers would carry out the survey among women residents.
GULF TODAY
Shopping festival concludes today
DUBAI - FEB. 24: IT'S time to say goodbye to yet another spectacular edition of Dubai Shopping Festival, which leaves us with lots of happy memories and snapshots.
Artists and performers from all over the world performed at various venues throughout the emirate. The grand raffles and other draws invite everyone to try their luck at winning. DSF has changed many a life by making new millionaires overnight.
This year's festival was the thirteenth edition of DSF, which started back in 1996 on a much smaller scale.
It is known the world over that Dubai offers an unparalleled shopping experience but there's nothing better than shopping during the DSF. The point was further proved this year as malls recorded higher footfalls, which also converted into tangible business. Participating retailers offered some incredible discounts this time around as they slashed their prices by 50 to 70 per cent.
DSF is well known for catering to everyone from young children, teens, men, women, families, and even senior citizens, there is something for everybody here. A number of DSF venues such as Al Seef Street, Festival Park and Muraqqbat Street offered fun-fair and other cultural feasts. Al Seef Street this year was the venue of the Art Avenue, a collaboration of the DSF and Dubai Cultural Council. The Art Avenue was like a huge art fair, which brought together established as well as upcoming artists and crafters to interact with each other and exhibit their works.
The DSF Office introduced some new entertainment concepts during DSF 2008 like the Weekend Packages that was designed to provide visitors three days of excitement and entertainment. Throughout the weekends, international shows made their Middle East debut in Dubai during DSF 2008. Shows like the Journey, Dance of Fire and Light, and Flying Arts brought a new dimension to DSF entertainment this year.
The Weekend Packages also included the colourful Dubai Carnivals by Etisalat and the Al Zarooni Fireworks Festival. The fireworks displayed throughout DSF 2008 were among the most sophisticated in the Middle East yet.
Musical shows and concerts were probably the biggest hits of DSF 2008 as thousands of music fans in Dubai got treated to a host of world-renowned artists. These included Tamer Hosni, Amr Diab, and the legendary Carlos Santana. Audience numbers for each these concerts ran into thousands with tickets for the Santana concert sold out a week before the show.
Today, Dubai might be included in one of the top destinations in the world but the city never forgets its roots and makes it a point to pay a tribute to its humble beginnings. A rich past of Bedouin culture unfolds at the Heritage and Diving Village, which offers cultural events, shows as well as exhibitions to showcase the past. Traditional food served in the old style cafes complete the journey into those good old days.
GULF TODAY
Microsoft raids local IT pirates
ABU DHABI - FEB. 24: Microsoft Gulf and Abu Dhabi authorities have conducted three raids against IT resellers who were selling products with unlicensed Microsoft software in Abu Dhabi.
Microsoft, initiating the raids as a member of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), has been closely observing the resellers following reports that they were installing illegal versions of MS Office 2007 and Windows XP on computers sold to customers.
The incursions led to the seizure of 93 pirated software compact discs. Microsoft has also previously collaborated with BSA, the international association established by the software industry to promote a safe and legal digital world, and other local authorities in organising Abu Dhabi raids that resulted in four arrests and the seizure of three personal computers and 84 CDs loaded with pirated software applications.
The ongoing campaign is part of a drive towards removing unlicensed installations of Microsoft programmes in the UAE, where a Madar Research report reveals that PC sales are growing at a compound average growth rate of around 12 per cent, one of the highest in the Middle East. At this rate, PC penetration in the country will be 27 per cent higher than the world average this year.
The raids followed an announcement made earlier this month by BSA, in which it said the UAE could gain an additional $240 million in economic growth, and add 710 IT jobs if it could reduce software piracy rates by ten per cent. A software piracy rate of 25 per cent (compared to the UAE’s current rate of 35 per cent) would put the country on a par with North America.
SEVEN DAYS
Chaos reigns at PCG office
DUBAI - FEB. 24: PASSPORTS must be renewed six months prior to expiry date, a top-level Philippine Consulate General (PCG) official has said.
"It's not so much of a problem if we are traveling back to our country because we could issue one-way travel documents," said Consul General for Dubai and the Northern Emirates Benito Valeriano.
"But, as responsible OFWs (overseas Filipino workers), we must make sure that we renew our passports six months before these expire," he continued, when The Gulf Today recently saw the surge of whining and angry Filipinos, demanding the early release of their passports, among other documentation requests, they claimed needed immediate attention.
Almost like a mob, the people, vented their ire and ganged up on the receptionist-telephone operator for other perceived ineptness of the consular staff, who, community leaders and ordinary OFWs have noticed to have been sliced down to less than a handful from late last year, instead of increasing their numbers, citing the growing Filipino population in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
"We've been here since 9 a.m. and it's more than one hour now of waiting," grumbled a lady from Sharjah.
She later on screamed at the receptionist when asked by her and the lady guard to be more patient and to wait outside, where another woman, claiming to be from Jebel Ali, was raising hell because she said she had to go all the way to Al Qusais only to know what papers are needed for some personal matters since the telephone operator, locked in six open telephone lines, was not picking up her call.
"I've been here for so long. Now, you're asking me to wait outside? And why does my companion already have her passport when we applied on the same date (some time in late January)?," the Sharjah lady fumed.
Along with them were at least five others with the same purpose and in the same mood.
Except for two young men, one of whom went out and after a while was caught thinking out loud: "Please I hope they become more patient. I hope they behave because the release of my passport may be delayed (if the staff decide to be more strict)."
The noise subsided a bit then it went up again when a couple came in and asked for their passports renewal to be expedited at the soonest time possible.
Husband and wife were insistent, claiming they had been booked for a Manila flight first week of March to attend the graduation of their child.
At this instance, Roderick Cabacis, quietly waiting for his passport, requested for more patience from the angry crowd, citing his experience the day before of having to wait until 5:30 p.m. for his new passport.
"All we can do now is to be more patient. I was here yesterday. There was a clerical error on the date of my birthday that's why I am here again. But, Mang Jess (name of staff) told me that I would get my (corrected) passport today," he told The Gulf Today.
He then admitted his fault, saying he only learnt that the validity of his passport had expired when he applied for his leave last month.
"Had I known and had I been more responsible, then, I would have gone earlier," said Cabacis who had an 8 p.m. flight to Manila that day.
Meantime, the others at the reception gave a blank look and a silent response when asked by this reporter if they knew about the six months policy for passport renewal, notices of which are posted at the PCG Consular Section and for which they are periodically reminded in community meetings and through a weekly radio programme from Dubai.
Valeriano said: "OFWs and travellers must always be conscious of the validity of their passports. We must always have valid passports because we do not know when management would (give us a foreign assignment)."
"If our passports are valid, that's one problem less. Authorities will also not doubt (our character)," he said.
Saying that most countries implement the six months policy for passport renewals, Valeriano said the PCG issues travel documents on a case-to-case basis--for deportation and for exit purposes--as well as for those with scheduled flights, for which the latter must immediately apply for renewals at any Department of Foreign Affairs office once they land in the Philippines.
Weather continues to play truant
UAE - FEB. 24: THE dusty weather conditions swept major parts of the UAE on Saturday but the situation improved considerably as the day progressed.
Technical Supervisor at the Dubai International Airport Weather Department, CM Gangadharan said that the visibility in the morning was 3000 metres, thus creating slightly hazy situation but not affecting aviation activity in any way.
He said that the visibility, however, improved to 8000 metres by the evening, adding that normal visibility is considered at 10-km.
He said that similar weather condition is expected to prevail on Sunday but the weather would be sunny and warm up to Wednesday.
Al Ain was the coldest place in the country on Saturday with the mercury dropping to 11°C while Abu Dhabi recorded the minimum temperature of 13°C.
Both Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah recorded the minimum temperature of 14°C while minimum temperature in Dubai was 16°C. Fujairah recorded the minimum temperature of 18°C.
Even maximum temperature was on a lower side with Abu Dhabi recording the maximum temperature of 22°C while Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah recorded the maximum temperature of 24°C. Al Ain recorded the maximum temperature of 25°C.
GULF TODAY
Dubai accidents kill four in two days
DUBAI - FEB. 24: As many as four people were killed and nine others were injured in traffic accidents and a wall collapse in Dubai during the last two days.
The first accident took place on Al Habab Road when a four-wheel drive that was owned by a tourism company and carrying eight Europeans overturned as one of its wheels was detached on the run. One of the Europeans died and the seven others sustained injuries in the mishap.
Another accident occurred in Al Qusais when a pick-up truck rammed into another truck. Two people were killed and two others who were traveling in the pick-up sustained injuries.
An Asian worker, 24, was killed when an under-construction wall collapsed at Dubai Investment Group.
Ambulance, rescue and police cars were rushed to the places where the aforementioned accidents took place. Moreover, traffic prosecution and public prosecution moved to the scenes to investigate the accidents.
GULF TODAY