NEWS FROM THE UAE
Source : THE NATIONAL
Identity card chaos makes deadline impossibility
UAE - NOV 02: Frustration, technical blunders and administrative incompetence: that was how the great rush for national ID cards began last week.
It became apparent that the Government’s declared aim to have an estimated 400,000 expatriate professionals registered by the end of the year was hopelessly over-optimistic.
Two weeks ago the Emirates Identity Authority (EID) revealed that, contrary to an earlier announced deadline of 2010, expatriates had until Dec 31 to register for the new national identity card.
Failure to do so will result in the loss of the right to use Government-related services.
Many of the EID’s 28 registration centres were overwhelmed. Worse, the stampede of anxious expatriates exposed serious failings throughout the system.
There was frustration caused by the many failings of the authority’s website, which runs at a snail’s pace, compounded by confused and contradictory telephone advice by its customer services team.
The EID’s mission statement, writ large across its website, is: “Our goal is to satisfy you”.
Part of the problem is that Emiratis, who have had months to register, have been slow to come forward; an estimated 200,000 have yet to do so.
Thursday was the application deadline for the approximately 300,000-strong federal government workforce of nationals and expatriates, yet large numbers have not done so, according to Thamer al Qasemi, the planning director of the Emirates Identity Authority. They have known about the requirement since early summer.
On Oct 22 Mr Qasemi insisted that “once you are in front of an operator” registration would take “just 14 minutes”.
The reality is that the process consumes many hours. Getting in front of an operator can take days or even weeks.
Ban on expat lawyers gets mixed response
DUBAI - NOV 02: Senior Emirati lawyers hope that some Arab practitioners will be able to obtain permission to argue cases before Dubai’s two highest courts despite a ruling that will prevent non-Emiratis from doing so.
Although a decision issued by Dr Ahmad al Suwaidi, director general of the Dubai Courts Department, will bar non-Emirati lawyers from practising in the Dubai Appeal and Dubai Cassation courts starting from January 1, 2009, Sameer Ja’afar said that in special circumstances and case by case, Arab lawyers should be able to bypass the ruling.
However Mr Ja’afar, managing partner at Ja’afar Alwan, Al Jaziri and Associates Advocates and Legal Consultants, also said the law is a natural step for any country.
“This is not new, it has been applied in the law courts at the federal level. The decision only means that expatriate lawyers will now be restricted to pleading cases before the first instance courts,” Mr Ja’afar said. “It is only natural for every country to want its own citizens to plead cases in its own law courts.”
Non-Emirati lawyers will still be allowed to plead cases before the courts of first instance, criminal and civil, until March 2012, when those too will be closed to expatriate lawyers.
Dr Suwaidi said the decision was taken by the UAE Cabinet in April this year when the Ministry of Justice implemented it at the federal law courts in Abu Dhabi and in the other emirates.
“We decided to give lawyers in Dubai a grace period before we applied the new law, but lawyers knew it would be implemented,” he said.
Tony Maalouli, the Lebanese managing partner at Pro Consult Advocates and Legal Consultants, said the decision will have only a minimal impact on expatriate lawyers practising in the country. He said almost all law offices licensed in the UAE have at least one Emirati lawyer on staff.
“As non-Emirati legal consultants, we do all the work anyway, while the Emirati lawyer only pleads the case in court. It is rare to find an Emirati lawyer who does all the work on a case and argues the case in court,” Mr Maalouli said. “Of course it would be better if the lawyer who works on a case is the one who pleads it before the court.”
Mr Maalouli said very few new licences being issued to non-Emirati lawyers. “Many practising expatriate lawyers who plead cases in court got their permit to appear before the local courts 15 or 20 years ago. Back then there were few local lawyers, so the authorities allowed Arab lawyers from Egypt, Syria and Lebanon to appear before the courts here.”
Saeed al Ghailani, a prominent Emirati lawyer, said the decision should have been taken a long time ago. “In every country in the world, the law profession is practised by citizens, as they know their country’s laws best and understand their own societies.
“This is not to say that we do not appreciate the contributions of non-Emirati lawyers. They can continue to work in this country as legal consultants, but only Emiratis must argue cases in court.”
The only courts not affected by the new ruling are the special law courts at Dubai International Financial Centre, where proceedings are in English and follow the Anglo-Saxon legal model rather than the Franco-Egyptian model followed in other courts.
New Dubai-Sharjah buses fail to lift commuter gloom
Dubai - NOV 02: Commuters travelling between Dubai and Sharjah say a new bus route will do little to help congestion and journey times.
The E311 route, which was launched this weekend by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) between Al Qusais station in Dubai and Al Jubail station in Sharjah, brought 10 new buses onto the roads, four with a capacity of 28 passengers and four double-deckers capable of carrying 41 passengers.
However, passengers say traffic congestion is still a problem and more buses are needed.
Ravi Choudhury, an Indian expatriate who lives in Sharjah and works in a shop in Dubai, said: “It’s good to have this bus, but the traffic is still there and the journey takes a long time, especially seeing that it is the weekend.”
Mr Choudhury said that it took him more than an hour to get to al Qusais station from Al Taawun bridge area at weekends, and usually two and a half hours during rush hour.
Hani Hallab, a Syrian who lives in Al Qusais, said he feared the area would become more congested as more people move out of Dubai and into Sharjah to counter the rising cost of living.
“Rent in Sharjah is much cheaper than Dubai and with everything that’s going on in the financial markets and rising costs of food, I am better living somewhere cheaper and travelling into Dubai. More people will do this as the situation gets worse so we need more buses and better routes.”
However, Mr Hallab, who travels to Sharjah to time with his relatives, said the new bus was preferable to the current choices. The bus “will save money on taking taxis and will be a lot more comfortable to travel on than other buses currently in service”.
The new bus service shuttles passengers through the busy Beirut Road area and Sharjah’s Al Taawun Bridge area, before turning round and returning to the bus depot in Dubai.
Buses start at 4pm and will continue till 11.30pm, from Saturday to Thursday. On Fridays and official holidays, buses will be operated from 7am to 11.30pm at 20-minute intervals.
Eisa al Dosari, the chief executive of RTA’s Public Transport Agency said he was looking forward to “a clear improvement on the quality of service ... following the introduction of these buses”.
New tribute paid to Sheikh Zayed
ABU DHABI - NOV 01: The legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan will be fondly remembered today, the fourth anniversary of his death.
Sheikh Zayed, the Ruler of Abu Dhabi from 1966 and UAE President from the formation of the Federation on Dec 2 1971 until his death, was loved and respected by Emiratis and expatriates.
The founder of the nation was also a widely respected and benevolent Arab and world statesman.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, continues his father’s vision and legacy.
In tribute, a book on the late Sheikh Zayed will be released today, the state news agency, WAM, reported.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, the Deputy Prime Minister, has written in the book’s preface: “The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan always upheld the principles of benevolence and humanitarian work, and encouraged others all through his life to protect the values of human generosity.”
The book, whose title will be released today, highlights the visionary leader’s humanitarian initiatives and chronicles his efforts to bring peace and help alleviate the suffering of people.
Sheikh Hamdan, also the president of the Red Crescent Authority, noted: “Sheikh Zayed never waited to respond at times of need and he put wealth at the disposal of people.”
He described Sheikh Zayed’s humanitarian efforts as having “surpassed all barriers of ethnic, racial and national considerations”.
The book also narrates how the Zayed Charity initiative, established in 2003, provided health care to thousands of poor people worldwide.
Inspired by Sheikh Zayed, medical professionals and paramedics toured several countries in the past five years to provide free medical care for heart ailments and other diseases.
Residents have been observing the anniversary of Sheikh Zayed’s death by offering prayers and paying tribute to the late President.
Emiratis and expatriates will also pay homage to Sheikh Zayed at the 37th UAE National Day celebrations on Dec 2.
The life and times of Sheikh Zayed have been widely documented within and outside the Arab world. In August, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, received a copy of a book titled Zayed Genius in Agriculture and Environment at Al Bateen Palace.
The book documents the efforts of Sheikh Zayed in agriculture and environment over three decades.
It was prepared by Dr Helal Humaid bin Saaed Al-Kaabi, a board member of the Khalifa International Date Palm Award.
In June, the Centre for Documentation and Research launched a publication titled Zayed from Challenges to Union to mark its 40th anniversary.
It chronicles Sheikh Zayed’s achievements between 1946 and 1971.