AROUND THE UAE
SOURCE : GULF TODAY / THE NATIONAL
Indian non-basmati rice hardly available
UAE - AUG 07: The scarcity of India's non-basmati rice in the UAE is likely to continue for sometime, as New Delhi has decided to extend the ban on exports until November this year.
Supermarkets and major dealers of rice products have informed that non-basmati rice products from India are "completely out of the scene." However, there were reports about illegally exported stocks of non-basmati rice being available at huge prices in black market.
The ban of exports from India has also boosted prices of rice varieties up to hundred per cent during the past couple of months in the UAE markets.
In the wake of the crisis, rice-loving Indian expatriates opt for basmati or Thailand's non-basmati rice products, which are unfamiliar to them," said various shopkeepers.
Meanwhile, major Indian rice brands have turned their focus on various rice-related products, which Indians would like to eat in the absence of non-basmati rice. Indians are the major consumers of non-basmati rice in the UAE.
Palakkadan Matta, Thanjavur Ponni and Andhra Karutla are the popular non-basmati rice products imported from India. Palakkadan Matta is the favourite of Keralites, while people from Tamil Nadu prefer Thanjavur Ponni and others eat Andhra Karutla. All these varieties have been completely out of the stock for the last two weeks.
"We had the stock of non-basmati rice until the past two weeks. If we consider the total rice market in the UAE, the crisis of non-basmati rice has ended up decreasing the sale for 30 to 40 per cent through our channel," said Mohammed Ali, purchase manager at Jaleel Traders, one of the largest importers of rice products into the UAE.
Demand for rice imports from Thailand, Vietnam and Egypt have increased. Prices of the non-Indian rice have also been increased at 80 per cent.
"Due to the total non-availability of non-basmati rice, people have turned to purchase parboil rice (US style) imported from Thailand and India as well. The severe scarcity of food stuff in the world had caused a steep hike in the prices of all rice products. Parboil rice varieties such as Lucky Boy, Red Crown and 777 now costs Dhs78 to Dhs80 for 20 kg packs, instead of Dhs35 to 40 previously. The market witnessed a total of 100 per cent increase in the prices," Mohammed Ali added.
The spokesman of a major retail chain in the UAE pointed out: "The Indian non-basmati rice is priced at Dhs130 per 20 kg, and it is in fact not available in the market after the ban imposed by India. The earlier price range was between Dhs35 to Dhs40."
"Even though there's no stock of basmati rice, the situation is not serious at present as most of the Indian families are on vacation. Families and restaurants are the major segments that consume non-basmati rice, so the return of families in the month of September will worsen the situation further," he explained.
Sriram KP, spokesperson with Arab & India group in Ajman said: "We had a monthly demand for about 5,000 packs of 20 kg non-basmati rice, and around 2,500 packs of Andra Karutla rice. None of them are available in the market since May. We witnessed a diminution of 10 per cent sale of non-basmati rice, if we consider the total demand."
"The Sharjah outlet of Fathima Supermarket had a demand of about 10 packs of 20 kg non-basmati rice per day, before the Indian ban came into effect. As there is little stock, people opt for Thailand rice or white basmati," said purchase manager Humayun.
"The Thailand products are priced at Dhs78 to Dhs80 now. The cost was Dhs50 four months ago, apart from the rate Dhs37 before a year," he added.
"The Onam celebrations by Malayalees in the UAE will also be affected by the non-availability of the favourite Palakkadan Matta non-basmati rice used for the occasion's traditional buffet," said an employee at Calicut Paragon restaurant in Karama.
GULF TODAY
DNRD processes 100,000 entry permits
DUBAI - AUG 07: Brigadier Obaid Bin Suroor, acting director of Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) revealed on Wednesday that the total number of entry permits which were issued during the last eight days -- starting from the date of implementing the new visa in July until last Tuesday -- has reached 95,784.
Brigadier Bin Suroor said that entry permits issued at arrival to Dubai International Airport (DIA) for visitors of 33 countries reached 52,144 and 17,469 for mission visas, while the total number of tourist visas reached 15,961.
He also highlighted that the number of visit visas issued during the same period reached 3,572 (2,784 short term visit visas and 788 long term ones).
The number of entry permits submitted under the pervious regulations and issued after implementing the new system reached 6,638 he added.
Acting Director of DNRD stressed that the new work flow procedures adopted by DNRD were implemented in well planned steps in order to facilitate and enhance the process of acquainting customers with the new rules through a team of senior majors dedicated to answer all questions and inquires, and holding a series of workshops for companies, governmental bodies and establishments to explain new rules.
Lieutenant Colonel Yousef Al Marri, assistant manager for Entry Permit Department, said that he has assigned an emergency team to work during official holidays.
He also explained that this team is handling all urgent on-line applications to avoid any service interruption or inconvenience. (From 7am until 1am, from Sunday to Thursday).
Lieutenant Colonel Al Marri underlined that the emergency team has processed 1,039 entry permits last Friday and Saturday.
GULF TODAY
Bur Dubai police confiscate 160 omnibuses in five days
DUBAI - AUG 07: THE Deputy Director of Dubai Traffic Police, Captain Saif Mohair Al Mazroui has vowed that operations against law violators shall be running all year long.
"We shall not have time limit or specified time for rounding up violators, until they follow the law," he said on Aug.6 while releasing a generally awakening report to the drivers he targets: 160 minibuses have been confiscated within five days of this month.
The minibuses were found to be carrying excess number of occupants, and some were illegally carrying passengers.
The Dubai Traffic Police are carrying out operations that drivers cannot simply predict, consequently pushing them to follow the laws all the time. For example, the operation intermittently change from targeting trucks that have poor tyres this week, or bikes and motorcycles that are driven from opposite directions.
Three days ago, 400 bicycles and a few motorcycles were confiscated in the area of Naif.
Two days ago, the same police announced that they had fined pedestrians who disrespect and offend traffic laws and regulations by crossing a road from an undesignated spot, also known as jaywalkers.
Now the principal target are omnibuses, although all violating drivers have a cause to worry. "Over last month, we managed to confiscate 2,323 violating vehicles of which some 1246 were held at the [Dubai police] headquarters while 1077 were handled by our station of Al Qusais," said Mohair.
He added that 69 of theses vehicles were sought by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Although the CID is at liberty to seek any vehicle and anybody in the wrong, vehicles that are normally sought by the department are often under false identity. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) boasts of stiff border control in regard to stolen vehicles. One customs officer from Ajman once told this reporter that "the way our customs are arranged, it is impossible to have a vehicle wanted by an International Police (Interpol) exit our borders."
GULF TODAY
360,000 travellers marvel at airport dino skeleton
Abu Dhab - AUG 07: Every visitor took a second look, in utmost disbelief, at Einstein, the 23-metre long skeleton of a 140 million years old dinosaur displayed at the Abu Dhabi International Airport. Over the past two weeks since the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) hosted the unique reminiscence of the terrestrial heritage, more than 360,000 travellers and visitors have captured a glance of the awesome skeleton displayed in the Arrivals hall of Terminal 1.
The 4.5 tonne Apatosaurus skeleton nicknamed Einstein arrived at the airport on 17 July 2008, thus becoming a unique exhibit and a definite first for any airport in the Middle East.
An ADAC spokesperson confirmed that an average of 25,500 passengers per day were passing through the airport, therefore making up the majority of visitors viewing Einstein, although it was noted that non-travelling visitors were also coming to the airport specifically to see the dinosaur.
Intended to be on display at the airport until October 2008, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) expects that Einstein will be seen by more than 2.3 million visitors during his stay -- much more than many a museum can boast within a three month period.
Hosting Einstein until October 2008, ADAC has extended its invitation not just to passengers, but to Abu Dhabi and other UAE residents to witness an unbeatable opportunity to view one of the first significant prehistoric dinosaur skeletons ever to be assembled in the Middle East.
Unusually for an exhibit of this type, Einstein is 85 per cent composed of his original bones. On average, most dinosaur skeletons recovered are only around 65 per cent real bone making Einstein the most complete Apatosaurus ever discovered and one of the most authentic assembled dinosaurs ever displayed.
Dan Cappell, ADAC vice president for non-aeronautical revenue, said: "We knew Einstein would attract the crowds and we are thrilled that visitors to Abu Dhabi International Airport are taking the time to see him. We are also pleased to note that people are visiting the airport not just for travel this summer but some are simply coming to get a glimpse of Einstein. Clearly, he provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many people, with families and children obviously enjoying the chance to see such an important part of history." In October, Einstein's skeleton will be auctioned at a reserve price of USD2m, with 20pc above the reserve of the auction price going to the charity for endangered species of Arabian wildlife.
Cappell continued: "There are some exciting plans for Einstein's time at Abu Dhabi International Airport, which we will be disclosing over the coming months."
Information on the dinosaur's past including his vital statistics are available at the exhibition and visitors also have the opportunity to have their photos taken with the now famous visitor. The exhibition is free of charge and visitors will be able to see Einstein without checking in or making a journey through the airport.
The Einstein Exhibition is being generously supported by several Abu Dhabi-based companies including the lead sponsor, aMasdar, a committed developer and supporter of innovative technologies for renewable, alternative and sustainable energies, as well as sustainable design.
Additional support for the exhibition is provided by Gold Sponsor Atlas Communications, and Support Sponsors Sharaf DG and Etihad Airways.
WAM
Enoc rolls out self-service petrol
DUBAI - AUG 07: Motorists will have to get out of their cars and pump their own fuel at 10 petrol stations in Dubai and the northern Emirates from Tuesday.
If customers respond well to the pilot project, which will see a reduction in numbers of attendants, more stations could be converted to self-service, the Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) company said yesterday.
The move was in keeping with the practice of petrol stations around the globe, the company said.
In March, some Adnoc stations in Abu Dhabi began offering a self-service option. However, a spokesman for Emarat, another company selling petrol in Dubai and the northern Emirates, said it had no immediate plans to follow suit.
Enoc said the move was not designed to reduce costs, but to get drivers into the company’s convenience stores, or C-Stores.
“We want people to have the experience of going inside the C-Store and possibly making a purchase,” said Khalid Hadi, Enoc Group brand and marketing manager.
Pump attendants would be transferred to other jobs, Mr Hadi said. The company, which operates 165 stations, was opening 10 new ones, he added.
Mr Hadi said Enoc had decided to launch the project during the hot summer months because it was a better test of people’s willingness to fill their own tanks. For the pilot project the company had chosen 10 sites that saw low traffic volumes.
Motorists refuelling at one of the designated stations are being handed a one-page leaflet, printed in English and Arabic, that gives a step-by-step guide to what to do.
Customers will have to park and pay for the amount of fuel they want at tills in the convenience store before filling their tanks. The pump will automatically stop once the customer has taken the authorised amount. If customers take less fuel than they have paid for, they have to get a refund from the cashier.
Attendants would be stationed at pumps for the next two weeks to supervise and assist motorists, said Mr Hadi.
Most motorists at the Al Manara Enoc station on Jumeirah Beach Road yesterday welcomed the plan.
“I find it more of a problem when the men are doing it for you and they start cleaning all your windows and then you have to tip them,” said Zamir Khan, 56, who has worked as a taxi driver in Dubai for 35 years. “I hate that. It takes more time when they do that.”
Martin O’Neill, 45, who moved to Dubai from Belfast 14 months ago, said he felt uncomfortable having someone else fill his tank for him.
“I feel sorry for the pump attendants because they don’t get paid much at all, and I think it must be demeaning for them,” Mr O’Neill said. He said he had filled his tank many times even when an attendant was waiting to serve him.
However, Lana Huniti, 29, a Jordanian, said she thought it would take longer for her to have to get out of her vehicle and fill up than to have an attendant do it for her. Also, she said, “I don’t really like the idea of having to fill my own car in the heat, especially during the summer months.”
There were mixed reactions from customers at the 15 Adnoc stations currently offering self-service alongside full-service pumps in Abu Dhabi, an Adnoc spokesman said: “Some said it was very good, some said it was not so good for them.”
However, at some stations in Abu Dhabi, attendants continue to fill up cars at self-service pumps. An employee at the station on Fourth Street, near 19th Street, said the station had been instructed by Adnoc to offer full service at all of its pumps just a few months after the self-service pumps had been introduced.
Nahad al Junaibi, 35, pulled up to a pump at the station marked as self-service and waited inside her car after asking the attendant to fill her tank. Self-service pumps could help motorists fill up faster, she said, but as an Emirati woman she would feel uncomfortable getting out of her car to pump her own petrol.
Self-service guide
Customers at Enoc stations are being handed a leaflet with instructions for refuelling in English and Arabic.
* Park in front of the pump and switch off engine
* Take note of pump number
* Go inside the C-Store
* Tell the cashier the product you want to purchase
* Pay and get receipt from the cashier
* Go back to the pump
* Take nozzle of desired product and fill up
* Pump will automatically stop when authorised amount is dispensed
* Replace the nozzle
If the tank fills up before the authorised amount is completely dispensed, inform the cashier for settlement
THE NATIONAL