UAE's pavilion at Rio+20 continues receiving international delegates            Rio de Janeiro - Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change and CEO of "Masdar" and Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy visited UAE's pavilion participating in the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development "Rio+20" here in Rio de Janeiro.            They were briefed on the information and lectures provided by the pavilion to its visitors especially on introducing UAE's vision on the green economy and its commitment to achieving sustainable development and the concepts of sustainable development for all.            Dr. Sultan said the country has launched several leading projects and policies including UAE's vision 2021, seeking to achieve the national targets for building cohesive, healthy and environmental societies in addition to identifying building standards legislation and optimum use of street lighting, air conditioning and water consumption and adopting the application of renewable energy solutions and sustainable projects of urban development.            For his part, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said that the participation of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy at the conference comes in accordance with the initiative of the green economy announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, which aims to build a green economy in the UAE under the slogan "green economy for sustainable development".            On the other hand, the state's pavilion continued receiving official delegations and visitors from different countries to know more about its day-to-day events. In this context, a number of heads of delegations and students of universities and colleges in Brazil were briefed on UAE's achievements during the past four decades and its continuous efforts in achieving sustainable development. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
A strong culture of volunteering is vital to building a better future for new generations: Abdullah bin Zayed            A strong culture of volunteering is vital to promoting sustainable development and building a better future for new generations in the UAE, the Foreign Minister and Board Chairman of the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, stressed yesterday.            Speaking at the opening of a volunteers' forum and workshop organised under his patronage by the Emirates Foundation, Sheikh Abdullah said there was a need to enhance cooperation between individuals and corporations involved in various voluntary activities through joint initiatives and programmes across the seven emirates.            He paid tribute to the leading efforts made by all individuals and national organisations engaged in volunteering and relief and humanitarian work, and to their role in promoting the culture of volunteering and community service across the country.            Addressing the representatives of civil society and government institutions who attended the forum and workshop at Abu Dhabi's Westin Hotel, Sheikh Abdullah expressed deep thanks and appreciation to UAE President His Highness Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his brother Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness General Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan for their wise leadership and limitless support to volunteer work.            "This forum", Sheikh Abdullah said, "represents an ideal opportunity for the participants to better know each other, share their experiments and exchange views and ideas about all aspects of volunteering and discuss issues that may obstruct further progress in the field of volunteering, which is vitally important for building the UAE future." "Right from the beginning, we have called for this forum as a means to help volunteer workers get a firsthand look into voluntary projects and unite their effort to maximise benefits from their shared experiences in this vital sector," he added.            Sheikh Abdullah noted how the UAE leadership attached great importance to volunteering and provided the support which enabled leading organisations to fulfil their missions at a time when the UAE was experiencing wide strides in sustainable development and economic and social growth.            "This support has yielded fruit through developing and inculcating the culture of volunteering and the launching of numerous initiatives of volunteer, humanitarian and relief work," he said adding that strong and effective partnerships between organisations is now needed to build on these achievements and provide new opportunities for Emirati youth willing to serve their local communities.            Topics of discussion included: ways of establishing effective voluntary projects learning from leading volunteers' experiments; ethics of volunteering; the importance of volunteering networks; and the case studies of successful voluntary work from around the world.            A workshop, organised on the sidelines of the forum, exposed participants to volunteer and community service essentials, and developed their skills in planning and managing successful voluntary projects and budgets.            The programme is based on a 50-hour training curriculum upgraded by the Takatof Programme in partnership with the Higher Colleges of Technology (HOT) in Abu Dhabi. This includes 30 hours of theory and 20 hours devoted to on-field training in a specific voluntary project.            Chief Programmes Officer of the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development and Director of Takatof Programme Martha Al Habit expressed her deep thanks to H.H. Sheikh Abdullah for his call to hold this forum which brought together, probably for the first time, all organisations interested in volunteering across the UAE.            "The workshop represents a starting point for a series of workshops especially designed for all those who concerned with volunteer work, be they are employees or volunteers. It is a short version of a five-day comprehensive training course at the end of which participants will get an accredited certificate in essentials of volunteering" Al Habsi said.            HCT Director Dr. Al-Tayeb Kamali said "HCT is proud of cooperating and working in partnership with the Emirates Foundation and Takatof to develop this training course which aims to enhance cooperation with the corporate social responsibility programmes, improve skills of individuals and agencies interested in volunteering, and enhance their abilities to launch successful and effective voluntary projects.            The Emirates Foundation is a fully-integrated national initiative designed to enable young Emirati people reach their full potentials. With its strategy based on social investment, the foundation focuses its efforts to assist young people, associated institutions and community organisations to contribute to the nation's long-term progress and sustainability. The foundation's programmes and projects relates to three key themes: leadership and empowerment, social Inclusion and community engagement.            The Foundation launched Takatof Programme in 2007 as an initiative aimed to promote the culture of volunteering, encourage young people to volunteer in various community service projects. More than 26,000 male and female volunteers are so far registered in the programme. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
UAE committed to improving refugees conditions: Hamdan bin Zayed            The UAE, under the prudent leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, plays a key role in easing the suffering of refugees, improving their conditions and re-integrating them into their original and new communities, said H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, the Ruler's Representative in the Western Region '&' Chairman of the Red Crescent Authority (RCA).            In a statement on the World Refugee Day, which falls on June 20, Sheikh Hamdan reiterated UAE's commitment to humanitarian stands in support of the refugees issues around the world, in line with directives from Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the follow up by General His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.            "The suffering of refugees requires rallying international efforts and strengthening of partnerships among humanitarian organisations to put an end to their plight," he added.            Sheikh Hamdan further expressed concern over the increasing displacement in the Arab region following recent developments, referring to a recent report by the UN Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) that shows 2011 to have been a record year for forced displacement across borders. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
UAE Permanent Representative to UN in Geneva addresses Human Rights Council            Geneva - UAE Permanent Ambassador to United Nations and Other International Organisations in Geneva Obaid Salem Al Zaabi has commended the efforts of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, citing her detailed report, which covered many issues.            Delivering the UAE speech in inauguration of the 20th session of the Human Rights Council on Monday, Al Zaabi focused on the Freedom Flotilla incident, which had remained unresolved even after elapsed of two years. He regretted reports requested by the Council have not yet been prepared, a move he said, " poses a challenge to the international community, weakens the credibility of the Council and effectiveness of its resolutions. It is a double standard approach." The UAE envoy referred to the issue of violence against women and handicap girls, slamming all types of violence. He expressed support to the all the resolutions mentioned in the report presented by the Human Rights Commissioner, among others, an awareness programme against violence towards women and handicap girls, easy access to justice by victims and bringing perpetrators to books. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           The FNC has passed a draft law merging Empost and Emirates Post to form the Emirates Post Group yesterday.            The law brings the combined company under one budget to try to cut costs, said Obaid Al Tayer, the Minister of State for Financial Affairs.            Mr Al Tayer said the companies were split in 2007 when it was thought that the economy would broaden.            A report from the State Audit Institute shows the companies' combined profits in 2009 dropped by nearly Dh15 million, to Dh211m from Dh225.8m in 2008. Costs were high and money was not used responsibly. More than Dh3m was used to rent vehicles that were never used.            Administration problems at Empost led to the non-delivery of 22,000 Emirates ID cards. But Mr Al Tayer said the companies made a combined Dh317m last year, all of which was transferred to the federal Government. "This is much higher than other post companies in the region."            FNC members were resistant to rules allowing the merged company to make its own investments and cover its own costs. After three hours of debate, the law was passed. Mr Al Tayer said the companies handled an average total of 1.5 million deliveries a day. – The National Â
           The UAE government will further discuss its plan to introduce a law allowing public debt issues at the federal level, and it feels no pressure to issue bonds despite a budget deficit, Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, said yesterday.            "The law is still under discussion within the government. We are not under pressure to issue any bonds," Al Tayer told Reuters in a brief interview.            "We are in no need to finance anything. We will be able to bridge the (budget) gap with our own resources."            Al Tayer did not say when he expected the long-awaited debt law to be signed, but added that discussions were likely to resume after the summer period.            The UAE's top advisory council passed the public debt bill in December 2010, aiming to establish a local debt market in the world's No. 3 oil exporter. The legislation is still awaiting cabinet approval and the presidential signature which it needs to become law.            A senior finance ministry official said in February that he expected the UAE's first-ever federal sovereign bond issue to be around US$1 billion, and that it would take place after the public debt bill was approved. Federal government bonds would be issued at intervals to help finance infrastructure projects.            The ministry has gradually shifted expectations for the timing of its bond issuance. In June last year, Al Tayer told Reuters the UAE might issue its first federal bond toward the end of 2012, with the debt bill then expected to be signed in the summer of 2011.            The UAE's central bank governor said in the same month that the UAE, rated Aa2 by Moody's, needed to double efforts to create a local market for government and corporate bonds as it lacked sufficient government debt instruments.            Some of the UAE's seven individual emirates have already sold government debt, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai, whose state-linked firms also borrow.            The federal budget, which makes up 11 per cent of overall government spending in the UAE, ended in an estimated deficit of Dh2.9 billion (US$790 million) in 2011, the first gap in seven years, a report by the International Monetary Fund, based on government data, showed earlier in June.            Last October, the UAE government approved a draft 2012 federal budget of Dh41.8 billion with a small projected shortfall of Dh400 million. – Gulf News Â
Thuraya showcases SF2500 voice satellite terminal at CommunicAsia 2012, Singapore            Singapore - Thuraya Telecommunications Company, unveiled yesterday at CommunicAsia 2012 in Singapore its SF2500 maritime satellite voice terminal, developed jointly with partner Addvalue Communications Pte Ltd.            Thuraya is using its existing success in providing satellite communications to more than 140 countries around the globe to diversify into selected vertical sectors. Having sold over 600,000 handsets worldwide, the move is another significant step for Thuraya as it continues to expand its marine product line SF2500 is the latest offering available to end-users under the recently created Thuraya MarineComms brand, which was launched to provide dedicated support for the marine market and enables Thuraya's community of distributors and channel partners to provide training and support for marine end-users. The Indonesian Fisherman Association is already an early adopter of the SF2500 terminal, and Thuraya expects the product's reliability and value to rapidly attract other global marine end-users.            Thuraya offers tailored pricing packages that allow customers to subscribe to the plans most suited to their requirements and budgets. Thuraya also offers a Shareplan package, whereby end-users can share individual airtime allocations across their terminal base and mix and match different Thuraya solutions, both voice and data, to generate even greater savings.            Major General (Ret) Yussuf Solichien M, Chairman of the Indonesian Fisherman Association, concluded: "We wanted Indonesian fishermen to feel protected and safe when they're out at sea carrying out their jobs by putting the best satellite communications at their disposal. The versatility of the SF2500 , its small but powerful antenna, its reliability in different conditions and the built-in emergency response alert system were key factors in our choice." – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
Group bets on .etisalat domain to boost branding            etisalat Group, the telecommunications corporation with operations in 17 markets across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, on Tuesday announced that it has applied for the .etisalat and top level domains with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), the organisation that coordinates the worldwide Domain Name System (DNS) to ensure that the single global Internet works properly. TLDs refer to the suffix attached to Internet domain names.            etisalat is among the 1,930 applicants announced to the public on June 13, 2012, who have participated in this unique opportunity, which includes 116 applications for Internationalised Domain Names, or IDNs, for strings in scripts such as Arabic, Chinese, and 
Cyrillic.            Commenting on Icann’s announcement, Essa Al Haddad, chief commercial officer, Etisalat Group, said: “It will be a leap forward for etisalat in establishing our brand globally in the public space, and we are looking forward to having our applications accepted by Icann.            “The unique .etisalat domain will help further enhance the value of the etisalat brand through building an even greater bond of trust with our customers and through the security we provide across our various telecommunications platforms. Once operational, the TLDs will also allow us to strengthen existing relationships with current and future global network partners and help us to deliver new, transformative telecommunications services.†– Khaleej Times Â
DED to launch consumer-friendliness index            The Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection Division (CCCP) in the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai will launch a business classification index based on consumer-friendliness during the second half of 2012.            The index aims at improving service quality and competitiveness for stronger relations with consumers, and protecting their rights in line with DED’s strategic objective to enhance the ease of doing business.            “The classification is based on four key criteria: the number of complaints received from consumers against a business establishment (20 per cent), the time taken by the business to resolve complaints within four working days (20 per cent), the product pricing in the business establishment in comparison with competitors (20 per cent), and customer satisfaction levels (40 per cent),†Omar Bushahab, chief executive of CCCP, said in a statement to Khaleej Times on Tuesday.            The Department of Economic Development (DED) is the government body entrusted to set and drive the economic agenda of the emirate of Dubai. DED and its agencies develop economic plans and policies, identify and support the growth of strategic sectors, and provide services to domestic and international investors and businesses.            “The business classification index will focus on a number of key sectors such as automotive and electronics along with major retailers in Dubai. The index specifically targets to classify businesses that have a substantial stake in the local market so as to benefit the maximum number of consumers,†added Bushahab.            The Department of Economic Development will hold introductory workshops with the owners of companies and establishments covered by the classification to introduce the criteria, and elicit their views in order to make the process as accurate and comprehensive as possible. The final results of the classification will be announced during the last quarter of 2012.            “CCCP is co-ordinating with a specialised international company for the development and supervision of the index to keep the classification process independent and transparent. Businessmen and shop owners covered by the classification will benefit from this process as they will have a reliable benchmark to work towards achieving the highest degree of service quality and customer satisfaction,†said Mohammad Lootah, deputy chief executive of CCCP. – Khaleej Times Â
           The recent cut in diesel costs is not uniform across the UAE. A litre of diesel costs only Dh2.35 in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi, while motorists in Dubai pay Dh3.40 a litre. It may be noted that Adnoc recently slashed the price of a litre of diesel to Dh3.10, while Enoc/Eppco brought the price down to just Dh3.40 a litre. Therefore, consumers pay Dh1.05 more at some outlets.            A manager at one of the Enoc stations in Dubai said: "Our diesel price per litre is Dh3.40. The price difference has not affected our sales. There are no Adnoc stations in Dubai and our sales are going up.†           Another Emarat site manager said the diesel sold through its outlets in Dubai and Sharjah is at Dh3.40 per litre. Adnoc takeover formalities will take some more time and until then we will be selling at our current market price.†           Fuel marketing companies in the UAE have been under tremendous pressure after the international oil price skyrocketed and the companies which buys fuel at the global market rate had to incur heavy losses.            Adnoc has been having a competitive advantage because the fuel marketing company has been getting subsidised fuel supply from Abu Dhabi. “Whenever I make a trip to Abu Dhabi or Al Ain, I fill my tank on return. I can make some saving in fuel cost,†said a Pakistani truck driver. "I can see drivers take advantage of the price difference. There will be long queues at Adnoc stations. This will increase illegal diesel traders, too," he added.            Meanwhile, Sharjah residents are unhappy with the closure of some Enoc/Eppco stations. “Initially, when the Sharjah outlets were closed, I used to fill diesel from Dubai because Adnoc and Emarat stations in Sharjah are always crowded. Sometimes you cannot enter the petrol stations because of the long queues. Now with the current difference in prices, the queues have increased further. But there is a ceiling on sales," said Abraham, an Indian truck driver, operating in Sharjah.
On Tuesday morning, brent crude was priced at US$96.05 per gallon and the declining price trend is expected to continue. – Emirates 24|7 Â
           Hard Rock International yesterday announced an agreement with Abu Dhabi-based Aabar Properties for the development and management of Hard Rock Hotel Abu Dhabi, a five star international hotel.            The 378-room luxury hotel will be ideally situated within the picturesque seafront of the Corniche and just a short distance from the modern city's bustling financial district, marking Hard Rock Hotels' exciting entrance into the Middle East.            Overlooking the turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf, Hard Rock Hotel Abu Dhabi will feature an assortment of signature restaurants, entertainment and meeting facilities, including the renowned Hard Rock Cafe. Other key attractions include a beautifully appointed Sky Lobby on the fifth floor podium, spectacular Lobby Bar with outdoor entertainment deck and hookah lounge, as well as a 37th floor Sky Bar with swimming pool.            With more than 12,000 square feet dedicated to wellness and spa facilities, the resort will host the Body Rock fitness centre and signature Rock Spa. Additionally, guests of the hotel will enjoy the convenience of the state-of-the-art events and meeting facilities, as well as the business centre, accompanied by six meeting rooms and a 5,200 square foot ballroom.            "We are looking forward to collaborating with Aabar Properties to complete the design process, embarking upon the development and construction, and, upon completion, extremely excited to manage the day-to-day operations of Hard Rock Hotel Abu Dhabi," said Michael Shindler, executive vice president of Hard Rock Hotels. "This development marks an important benchmark to the overall global expansion of our brand."            Boasting a diverse portfolio and strong presence within Abu Dhabi, Aabar Properties, enters into its first hospitality venture with the development of Hard Rock Hotel Abu Dhabi, building on its heritage as a leading real estate development, management and investment company, with a focus on supporting Abu Dhabi's Economic Vision 2030.            "Aabar Properties is committed to developing real estate opportunities that directly contribute to the long term strategic development of Abu Dhabi. One of our key goals is to align with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, by creating a desirable and dynamic city for modern lifestyles," said Khalifa Al Mehairi, CEO of Aabar Properties. "I am very excited to develop the Hard Rock Hotel Abu Dhabi, which is a milestone venture for Aabar Properties." – Emirates 24|7 Â
           The UAE has registered nearly 7.35 million people in an ambitious national identity project to become in control of one of the world’s largest public ID data bases, according to ID authorities.            The remaining one million people, mostly under 15 years old and those whose residence visas expire in 2012, would be registered this year, the Emirates National Identity Authority (EIDA) said.            “EIDA will complete registration of all UAE population before the end of this year…this means the country will control one of the largest ID data base for its people in the world,†EIDA director Ali Khoury told Arabic language dailies.            “We are nearing completing our ambitious project which will contribute to bolstering national and individual security, offering advanced electronic services, facilitating government dealings and supporting data-based economy.†           Khoury said EIDA is pursuing a project to ease the registration process so all Emiratis and expatriates will be included in the identity.            “EIDA is also pressing ahead with plans to link the ID to all government services including the ministries of interior, health, justice, education and others.†– Emirates 24|7 Â
           Any possible impact of tremors or aftershocks in the region on the skyscrapers and vital buildings in Dubai can now be assessed within seconds, thanks to five new seismic stations set up by the Dubai Municipality.            Authorities can make use of the data provided by these seismic stations to meet future infrastructure requirements in areas prone to seismic activities and to take measures to minimise the impact of any possible tremors in the region.            Director of Survey Department at the municipality Mohammed Mahmoud Mashroom said the new devices further strengthened the already existing network in Dubai that monitors seismic activities in the region.            Prof. Kamal Mohamed Atiya, a seismology specialist with the department, said Dubai was the first to install a seismographic network in the UAE in June 2006 with four broadband seismic stations.            “But these stations record weak motions (of the earth). We tried to upgrade the system and came up with these five new ones that are much more capable of assessing any seismic activity in urban areas, especially close to the critical buildings and skyscrapers,†he told Khaleej Times. He said the devices are installed near critically important facilities, including one in Safa Park close to Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest man-made structure. Two others are located on the premises of Dubai Police Academy and Higher Colleges of Technology, while the remaining ones are installed in Mushrif Park and an industrial area in Jebel Ali.            With their installation, Mashroom said, the department could monitor the entire emirate with regards to seismic activities.            “The new devices are similar to what are used in the USA and countries in European Union for this purpose. During earthquakes, these devices monitor the actual ground acceleration of seismic waves and its impacts on the buildings and will send data spontaneously using GPRS to the data processor in the survey department.†           The main server at the main building of the municipality will carry out proper analysis and automatic mapping of seismic intensity and possible seismic-effect-range in Dubai and in the whole of Gulf region, he explained.            Head of Geodetic and Marine Survey Section Eman Khatiby said these devices would enable the municipality inform the bodies concerned with disaster management, data and maps of seismic intensity, which will help them take adequate measures in time.            Mashroom said such preparations should not signal any wrong impression that Dubai is prone to face tremors.            “The nature is so unpredictable. So we need to be prepared to meet any eventualities. Our network is already connected with global seismic stations and hence we instantly get the data from across the world.†           Atiya said most of the seismic activities in the UAE have been reported in the east cost of the country. “The global station in Sharjah is also important for the country since the emirate is closer to southern Iran that has a seismically active area.†– Khaleej Times Â
           The weather is yet to scale the seasonal summer highs despite sizzling temperature in the emirates and much of the Arabian Peninsula.            Forecasters warn that July and August will be the year’s hottest months across the region. The sun is expected to show no mercy on the year’s longest day on Wednesday as forecasters see temperature going up to 48 degree Celsius in some parts of the country. It will be mostly sunny on Wednesday, which will have a 13 hour, 42 minute-long day.            “It hasn’t yet reached the maximum seasonal heat,†a forecaster, who expects brutally hot conditions in the days to come, said. People in Mitribah in Kuwait have already been facing the worst, with temperature reaching 50 degree Celsius last Monday. Iraq’s Fao area also recorded a sweltering 50.5C.            He said ground level temperature could reach extreme highs in cities located in the desert. People have been tweeting predictions of ruthless weather conditions across the region, claiming the mercury could go as high as 60 to 70C in some parts of Saudi Arabia. No reason to panic            “It’s not true,†a forecaster said, advising people not to panic. “High temperature is not something new to the region, but it normally never goes beyond 55C. Even that is rare,†he said. Heat cyclones normally develop in the Saudi desert and affect cities on its flow path, occasionally reaching as far as the UAE. The world’s highest temperature was recorded at 57.8C in Al Azizia in Libya on September 13, 1922.            Some of the other hottest places in the world are the Death Valley, California, with recorded high temperature of 56.7C on July 10, 1913, Oodnadatta in South Australia, and the Karakum desert of Turkmenistan. “It’s beyond imagination to have 60C or 70C anywhere in the world,†the forecaster clarified.            July and August are the hottest months of the year in the UAE when normal activities reach an ebb and educational institutions declare summer vocations. A large segment of the population, comprising mainly expatriates, also travel abroad to avoid the sizzling heat. High humidity levels            The holy month of Ramadan also falls in between these two months. “Temperature mostly remains in the mid-40s during this time of the year, and the human body finds it very difficult to withstand the high humidity,†the forecaster said.            Relief remains minimal even in coastal cities where humidity shoots up to 90 per cent.            The UAE is usually overrun by winds coming from the hot desert in the South East, called the Empty Quarter.            Temperature usually rises at around 10am due to the hot southerly wind coming in from that direction. In the afternoon and evening, winds come in from the north-easterly direction and bring humidity in coastal areas. The hottest spots in the UAE are usually Liwa, Al Ain, and Ras Al Khaimah.            On Wednesday, temperature across coastal areas could go up to 48C in internal areas and 36C in mountainous regions. – Gulf News Â
           With the push of a button, tenants of some residential and office towers will soon be able to send recyclables to specific collection bins rather than discard large bags of mixed waste bound for the landfill, says a UAE eco firm.            The company has designed a new separation-at-source recycling system — that is pending patent in the United States — to help the environment and offset operating costs for owners of residential and office building units.            The new technology can be retrofitted into existing garbage chutes in buildings, says WMS Metal Industries, negating the need for major renovations and cutting down on capital expenses.            The system, already installed at Abu Dhabi Central Market as well as New York University on Saadiyat Island, is expected to be embraced by major developers in the years ahead across the country.            Mohammad Nasser, founder and managing partner at WMS Metal Industries, told Gulf News that the company’s Enviro-Waste Separator works in concert with tenants who sort recycled material at home in specific receptacles.            Nasser said buttons installed at each floor’s chute station indicate plastic, glass or paper and once selected, will route the recycle bag to the specified recyclable container.            “The old chute is adjusted to sort different recyclables to segregated bins,†he said.            When each bin is filled at ground level, not only is the material diverted from the landfill, saving space for general waste in future, the recycled materials are then taken to a warehouse where it is bundled and sold on the market.            Each bin has an anti-theft device so that the materials are held safely until disposal to ensure the waste separator system continues to deliver income for building owners.            “One of the major problems in the UAE is the theft of recyclable materials. Some can be sold at Dh1,000 to Dh1,200 per tonne,†Nasser said. Tracking waste disposal            Another revolutionary aspect of the system is that it enables building owners to track precisely which tenant is recycling materials to avoid any reusable materials from going into the central waste stream.            Tenants are provided with bar-coded tags that are attached to each bag before they are deep-sixed down the chutes.            “It’s in our best interest to give landlords a system that works,†Nasser said.            He said an education campaign can be set up in each building to help tenants understand the importance of ensuring each bag they discard is recycle-compliant. Posters and pamphlets are used to reinforce the message to recycle in the building. Splitting income            The company, meanwhile, is offering its new closed-loop recycling system at a cost to building owners with a view to forming a partnership with each building owner to evenly split income from recyclables that are collected and then sold on the open market. “We would share in the profits over the 10 years of the system,†Nasser said, noting that cash outlay for the system pays for itself as recyclables provide a return on investment. “On a 20-storey building with 80 per cent occupancy with eight units on each floor, preliminary numbers show building owners could recoup costs within one-and-a-half years,†he said. Under UAE laws, “building owners are free to sell off recyclables,†he said. – Gulf News Â
           For the cricket devotee Jibran Khan, the only searing heat welcome in a match is that felt by his opponents as he steps up to the crease. So Jibran, 19, was yesterday only too willing to pad up at one of the Dubai Sports World indoor pitches, under a roof that stops the air conditioning from escaping.            “We play cricket mainly in the surroundings [of where we live] but this is a new experience,†said the young Indian, for whom the school year has finished.            “We played at school but this is something completely different. First of all it’s indoors so the rules are different, and also the way the sun beats down outside is not a factor. It’s very difficult to play outside.†           Inside the Dubai World Trade Centre, which is usually reserved for large exhibitions, there are football and cricket pitches, basketball courts and even a skate park, all under 32,000 square metres of roof.            The playing fields, which opened for the season on June 8, will be available until August 31. Jibran said he expected to play a few tournaments over the summer on the pitch.            The surface is slightly uneven and gives the ball a different bounce, but with the heat factor taken out, play is more than manageable.            “We can’t really expect to play for three hours as the heat is very strong,†Jibran said.            “Here we play a short game of eight overs so it should take about an hour and 15 minutes, and a slightly longer game would take an hour and 40 minutes.†           Ray Tinston, head of Dubai Sports World, said lessons were learnt when the venue opened last year, and some additions had been made.            “This is a nice showcase for other sports and [participants] might try cricket or other sports they never thought they’d try,†Mr Tinston said.            “Last year we had Emiratis who came to play football and then they started to play rugby.†           Ana Rynhoud, from the UK, and her schoolmate Masha Wazny, from Canada, tried beach volleyball for the first time.            “It’s quite like a beach and the sand is so soft. There was no sun so it was a lot cooler than outside,†said Ana, 13.            Masha, also 13, said she would try all of the sports on offer, despite already having a passion for netball and football. “I love sports,†she said.            The girls agree they would round up their friends whenever time allowed. “It’s so much fun,†Ana said.            To please the toughest demographic – teens – Mr Tinston said they had to make some additions to the venue, including the skate park, which he expects to be a big draw.            “The skate park came from outdoors and now, since it’s indoors, we have had a fantastic response,†he said.            A 660-metre track runs around the three halls, and opens to runners at 8am. It will be also used by boot camps, which will begin about 6am. Those attending will also use the football pitches and the gym, which is complete with weights.            Entry is free but renting the courts and pitches costs between Dh200 and Dh400 an hour.            Next month former stars from Barcelona FC and Real Madrid will take part in a tournament against other European and Middle East teams for an indoor football match.            Mr Tinston expects 2,500 spectators to turn up over five days. Ticket information will be available next week. – The National Â
     An Emirati basketball player will go one-on-one with some of the best players in the world when he competes at an international event in the US.           Qais Omar was crowned the Red Bull King of the Rock at the UAE’s qualifying finals of the tournament on Friday at Satwa Park in Dubai.            He beat 63 other players to the title and will now head to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco, where he will represent the UAE at the USA World Finals.            He will be up against 63 contestants from nearly 50 countries. The event takes place on September 23 and the winner receives US$20,000. – 7Days Â
           Over a crackling phone line between Dubai and Addis Ababa, Betlhem Desalegn Belayneh expressed her joy at booking an elusive qualifying spot in next month’s London Olympics, where she will be one of the few women representing the UAE at the Games.            The 20-year-old middle-distance runner had come close to meeting the B-Standard qualifying time in her previous few meets - including one in Dubai last month - but for some odd reason, her competition form had not been as good as her form in training.            But she finally clinched a place in the 1500m event in London when she won the gold medal at the Meeting National Elite Casablanca in Morocco last week, clocking 4:08.87, to become the first Emirati to qualify for the Olympic Games in Athletics without the virtue of a wildcard invitation.            While I expected pure relief from Belayneh, commonly referred to as Betty, she was quick to note that she had no doubt she would make it to the Games and is determined to improve her timing before she flies to the British capital.            “I’m very happy. I’m still training hard to get a better time but of course I’m happy,†Betty told Sport360°. “I was pushing alone, I’m lucky that I qualified. It was very windy, it was hard but I’m happy for now. I’m not nervous. I know I’m confident and that I was going to make it. I was 100-per-cent confident. I just needed the right race.†           She tried to explain what exactly constitutes a ‘right race’ for her by saying: “No stress. I need everything to be good. Good conditions for everything. Having good competitors is a good thing because it makes it a fast race.†Preparations            Betty has been training in Addis Ababa and having just received news that her European visa is ready, she is prepping for some additional meets in Europe to try to improve her timing.            Manager Larry Barthlow believes she has a “legitimate chance†of making the final in London, claiming she has the right tactics when it comes to tackling the 1500m race. Belayneh seems to agree and says if she manages to get through the heats, anything can happen.            She said: “Before London I want to run faster and look for good races for London and make good results for UAE. I want to make the final at the Olympics. And after that, everything is possible I think.            “In the 1500km you have less time to make a mistake. When you make your move, you have to make it stick. But I think I’m good when it comes to tactics. I have a good natural instinct in races,†she added confidently. Hopes of a nation            UAE Athletics Federation President Mr. Ahmad Al Kamali also says he has faith Belayneh can make the final in London. He said: “This is the very first time that someone qualifies to the Olympics for us so we are very happy. I think Betty can run 4:04 or 4:05 in London and that means she has a chance of making a final.†           Betty may have barely made the B-Standard cut so far, but she has made rapid progress in the sport. She says she only started running four years ago in high school in Addis Ababa, before she joined a local club.            Since she started representing the UAE a couple of years ago, she has made her mark, together with her good friend Alia Saeed, on the running scene in the Gulf. Both Emiratis alternated on the top of the podium in several races including one-two finishes at the 10k race of the 2011 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, the 2010 and 2011 Women’s 5k Run, and the 5000m at the Arab Games in Doha last December. She also won this year’s Dubai Marathon 10k.            Having shined on the local stage here in the UAE, Belayneh admits she feels she is making a real difference to female sport in the nation. She said: “It’s good especially for women in the Emirates.          It’s good motivation. It’s changing society. If you do well, they gain confidence because they feel that they can do this too.            “I think me and Alia are making a difference. We met some girl athletes, and they are so happy and they have good motivation now, they want to reach the Olympics and things like that. I see a lot of difference now.†           Betty explained how hard she’s been training and says she isn’t worried about getting nervous on the big stage in London. She represented the UAE at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul earlier this year, so she is no stranger to performing on big occasions, and she believes the right preparation is all she needs.            “If you train well you will be confident. You have a lot of support and you get good advice from your coach, your manager and I will try my best," she said. "Sometimes I’m training with other girls, sometimes with a pacemaker. I have a personal coach as well.†           But that intense regime was in jeopardy of disruption when her family home caught fire around a month ago. “You have to help your family if something happens," she said. "They are helping me and supporting me a lot. I’m living with my mum and I love to help out as much as I can my sister and my brother.            “There was an electricity problem and there was a fire. I was training at the time, I wasn’t home. It wasn’t too big but my parents’ bedroom was damaged. But we’ve been working on getting everything better now and it’s fine.            “Athletics is like this, I live with my family and this happened but this is life. I still have to focus on my training and thankfully it didn’t affect me a lot.†- Sport 360° Â
           I had made the trip down to the massive structure that is the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex to catch the UAE swim team practice, and more specifically, the man who is preparing to represent the Emirates at the London 2012 Olympics – Mubarak Salem Al Besher.            The swimmers had been doing two-a-day sessions, two hours each, and despite the time approaching 8pm, Al Besher was still doing his laps with unrelenting focus as one breaststroke followed the other.            The 24-year-old has been training since he was nine years old at the Al Wasl Club, and first flew the UAE flag in competition at age 10, way back in 1998. But Al Besher, together with the sport, have come a long way since then, and the venue at which he trains now says it all.            “We’ve been training at this complex for the past seven months. We got some good results which finally led them to allow us to train here,†says Al Besher, of the state-of-the-art estimated Dh1.1 billion facility.            Al Besher, like many swimmers in the country, was not always solely dedicated to the sport, and after he had graduated from high school, he abandoned his training for two years (2007-2008) for a military rotation.            A hand injury then prolonged his absence from the pool, but since 2009, he has been doing nothing but swimming. Under the guidance of American coach, Jay Benner, Al Besher has been consistently improving his timings and has shattered the UAE national records in all breaststroke events no less than half a dozen times.            Al Besher says: “The reason I’ve been successfully improving my timings with every competition is that I only focus on two races - the 50m and 100m breaststroke. Those are my speciality and I’m completely dedicated to them.            “Inshallah, I’ll clock another personal best in London. I’m expecting a surprise there,†he hints with a smile.            Al Besher has bagged medals at several GCC competitions, and barely missed out on the bronze at the Arab Games in Doha last December, which left him disappointed until he realised he had clocked 1min 04.60sec, a new UAE record and personal best in his signature event, the 100m breaststroke.            “During the heats in the Arab Games, I was a bit nervous but once I made the final, all my fears disappeared. My goal was to win a medal. But I was 0.17s from third place which was disappointing. But still, when I realised the time I clocked, I was proud of it because it was a personal best for me and it’s not an easy time to swim,†he recalls. London calling            Al Besher is currently in full preparation mode for London. He just got back from Spain, where he had a training camp in Malaga, before he competed in the opening leg of the Mare Nostrum series in Barcelona, that saw a world-class field in the pool. He swam 1:06.04 there but he says it was a successful time in Spain nonetheless:            “The training camp went well and I swam a couple of races in Barcelona as a practice to test myself. I’m off to London now for another camp and I’ll also compete in a swim meet there in a few weeks as part of my preparation.†           His goals for London are realistic and clear. Benner wants him to get as close as possible to the Olympic B-Standard qualifying time of 1:03.61, while Al Besher wants to do the Arab world proud. He also has one eye on the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.            “My first goal is to break an Arab record and accomplish something no other Arab has done. So God willing, if I clock 1min 3sec or 1min 2sec, I will be very happy in London,†he says. “For me, the big championships give me extra motivation, regardless of how talented the swimming field is. So every big event I enter, I swim better and better and get more enthusiastic to do even better in the following meets. And hopefully it’ll stay that way for 2016.            “If you put it in your mind that you want to quit, then you will quit within 10 days. But that is not the case with me. I’m very motivated. We’ll have to see how far I can go.†           The UAE team coach, Benner, also believes Al Besher can get even better for Rio 2016. The American says: “Mubarak has made a pretty significant improvement for a guy at his stage who’s 24 now. If he remains on track, he’s capable of really good things in the next four years.            “The more time he has is only going to benefit him. Being 24-year-old it’s not old in this day and age in swimming. He had two years out of the sport from age 18 to 20 which is a significant time to be out of it, but he’s going to get stronger and mature more physically.            "We’re going to go into London with the goal of trying to be at his best there but the opportunity for four more years to take that next step forward is only going to help him.†- Sport 360° Â
           The UAE National Symphony Orchestra (UAENSO) has announced its first Artists Concerto Competition, which will be open to pianists age 18 and above, at Brighton College on September 28. The deadline for submissions is June 30.            The purpose of the competition, says Janet Hassouneh, the founder and director of UAENSO, is to provide educational opportunities and to recognise "exceptionally talented" musical artists.            The grand winner will perform with the UAENSO in the Mostly Mozart Night Gala, on October 19 at the National Theatre, Abu Dhabi, featuring Mozart's Violin Concert No 5 performed by the UAENSO concert master and international violinist Min Yang, and Beethoven's Symphony No 5.            "The next competition will be announced after the October 19 concert and will be open to a different instrumental category," says Hassouneh.            The event is held under the patronage of Sheikha Hissa bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, who was UAENSO's guest performer during the inaugural concert A Night at the Movies in March. The competition director and World Piano Competition medallist Ioannis Potamoussis says they will be looking for artists who excel at their instrument and wish to perform with a professional symphony orchestra. This will provide them with systematic musical growth to become the next generation carrying on these music traditions in the UAE.            "In every culture, music is intricately interwoven with the lives and beliefs of people. Music serves various functions and helps people come together," says Potamoussis. "Where music is a universal language, classical music inspires and moves the human spirit through an emotional palette of sounds."            Both he and Hassouneh believe music from pioneers such as Mozart still resonates with today's listeners because of its purity, simplicity and structure. To "spread the language of music", an increase in music organisations and collaboration is crucial.            The competition is set to grow into a festival with performances, masterclasses and competitions for young musicians, who can exchange ideas and experiences with teachers.            Eventually, this could lead to national talent getting global exposure, including in Middle Eastern classical music, says Hassouneh. – The National            Yeosu - UAE Ambassador to South Korea Abdullah Khalfan Matar Al Romaithi has underscored the importance of UAE's pavilion participation at Expo 2012 Yeosu in promoting tourism and country's bid to host "Expo 2020 Dubai ".            In an interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Al Romaithi said that the notable participation of the state's Pavilion at Expo Yeosu is part of the strategic partnership linking UAE and the Republic of South Korea.            He confirmed that relations between the two countries witnessed significant growth in all areas achieving full strategic partnership thanks to the keenness of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.            He said that promoting Expo 2020 Dubai at the Expo 2012 Yeosu comes in implementation of the directives of the Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.            Al Romaithi pointed out that the relations between the UAE and Korea are experiencing continuous growth thanks to the follow-up of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.            He also highlighted the important role played by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister through his frequent working visits to Korea. Sheikh Abdullah is also the chairman of National Media Council, who has supervised and organised UAE pavilion at Expo Yeosu. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) under the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI), kicked off two of its ten Eye on Earth side events at the Rio+20 Athlete's Park exhibition focusing on the outcomes of Eye on Earth Summit held in Abu Dhabi in December 2011.            The eight Eye on Earth Special Initiatives address critical environmental issue areas while the Eye on Earth Summit Declaration reflects the principles needing to be adopted in order to achieve 'access to environmental and societal data and information by all those who need it' essential to addressing sustainable development.            On the first day of the Rio+20 Athlete's Park exhibition, Cathrine Armour, Programme Manager, AGEDI urged guests to join together, as an Eye on Earth Community and share their knowledge; to support global leaders, policy and decision-makers in making better, wiser decisions with practical measures for implementation.            "As we achieve wisdom we learn that there is still much more to be learnt. The same is true of the challenges we face today. We are continuing to learn. With though, the data we have, through the development of shared knowledge and understanding we can gain the wisdom we need to make the right decisions for 'The Future We Want" Cathrine encouraged during her welcoming speech.            Peter Gilruth, Director of the Division of Early Warning and Assessment, UNEP; Partner to the Eye on Earth Summit and long term partner of AGEDI and EAD in promoting environmentally friendly sustainable development in the West Asia region spoke sincerely of the their continued role alongside AGEDI.            He emphasised that collaboration is an imperative for keeping the environment under review. The momentum that last December's Eye on Earth Summit, held in Abu Dhabi has created through the Eye on Earth Special Initiatives is a leading example. Peter explained how the Summit had brought together unique partnerships across disciplines that would otherwise rarely connect.            This Eye on Earth Community has generated new energy which in turn creates the synergy required for the challenges we face. Peter concluded by reaffirming UNEP's commitment to implementing the Special Initiatives in partnership with EAD and AGEDI.            Other key speakers included Chief Almir Surui, environmentalist, political activist and tribal chief who has been fighting to save both his Surui tribe and the Amazon rainforest for more than 15 years.            Speaking of the progress made, towards this very real challenge, in such a short period of time, and presenting data that both reflects it and points to the need for action he ended hopeful for the future that that the Surui tribe now have to look forward to.            It is through the determined and strategic sustainable approaches that have been implemented that enable the Surui tribe to have a positive outlook for their community.            It was community and commitment that Dr Fabio Scarano, Senior Vice President, Conservation International, reminded all of us about.            Reaffirming his commitment to Eye on Earth and congratulating Eye on Earth on a creating a community that tackles the critical issues that can be addressed through access to environmental and societal data and information. Lastly, Lalanath Da Silva, Director of the Access Initiative (TAI), World Resources Institute highlighted the successes of TAI and their focus on environment, democracy and human rights to promote access to information globally. He reiterated the success that Eye on Earth Summit 2011 achieved by convening governments and the scientific and technology community at the one forum - strengthening the access to information in cooperation with the scientific and technology community.            On the second day of the Rio+20 Athlete's Park exhibition, Eye on Earth showcased the Eye on Environmental Education Special Initiative at the UNEP Pavilion. The speakers for this event come from far and wide to reinforce the importance of education on the future of our environment.            Vicky Colbert, founder and director of Fundacion Escuela Nueva and co-author of the Escuela Nueva educational model, spoke about children and youth being key to our future. Professor Joseph Alcamo, Chief Scientist, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), spoke passionately about the urgency of Africa to have better educational foundations for the future of sustainability in the region.            The UNEP project aims to build sustainable science dedicated institutes, both new and existing to encourage home-grown experts.            Locally, Dr Ashraf, Senior Specialist Research Division from Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) spoke about how technology will allow the environmental issues to be integrated into Abu Dhabi's education curriculum.            Demonstrating action Dr Ashraf showcased to the Rio +20 audience the recently launched Environmental Atlas of Abu Dhabi Emirate - Interactive Atlas, an online environmental resource - a key resource supporting environmental education in the curriculum.            Simran Vedvyas, the Eye on Earth Youth Ambassador spoke of the need for change, but to do this "youth needs to be the change." Polar explorer and environmental leader Rob Swan closed the morning's event with a rousing presentation on his missions of engaging and inspiring young people to use renewable energy on our " good ol' " planet earth". The Special Initiatives side events continue on the Eye on Earth Stage at UNEP Pavilion each day until the 22nd June. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
Masdar to present solar energy atlas at Rio +20            A solar power atlas for the world’s hot and sunny regions will be presented by Masdar at the Rio + 20, the United Nations conference on sustainable development starting in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday.            During the ongoing preparatory meetings taking place just before the conference, Dr Taha Ouarda, Deputy Director of the UAE Research Centre for Renewable Energy Mapping and Assessment at Masdar Institute, talked about one of the centre’s latest projects, the Global Atlas for Solar and Wind Energy.            “Innovation in the field of renewable energy lies in developing state-of-the-art techniques that are adapted to the local climate and environment. Of-the-shelf tools are not necessarily adapted to produce adequate results in the UAE and the GCC countries,†he said. “Such developed tools can then be used and adapted in other countries with similar conditions, like the Gulf region as well as the Sahel region in Africa. The centre in Abu Dhabi will share its knowledge and empower others to draw from its ideas and actions for a sustainable future.†           The Global Atlas for Solar and Wind Energy, an initiative of the Department for Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on behalf of Irena, is supported by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), the Dubai Supreme Council for Energy and Masdar Institute’s Research Centre for Renewable Energy Mapping and Assessment.            Previously, Dr Hosni Ghedira, Director of the centre explained that a hot and sunny country like the UAE doesn’t necessarily have much solar energy capturing possibilities. “Initial assessments for solar energy projects were made using data and models borrowed from Europe and North America. But that failed to take into account the Gulf’s unique climate,†mentioned Dr Ghedira.            “While in theory, the UAE receives the same if not far more solar energy than Europe or North America, in reality the dusty atmosphere cuts out as much as 90 per cent of the sun’s energy during a heavy dust storm. Even on cloud-free days, there is often far less solar energy than might be expected for such a hot and sunny country.†           To ensure future projects are more realistic, Masdar’s Research Centre began collecting local data, eventually compiled in the Global Atlas for Solar and Wind Energy. The atlas will allow Masdar to create models based on the specific conditions in the UAE and other regions with similar climates, like Africa’s Sahel.            Dr Ghedira also hopes the Atlas will help attract inward investment into the renewable energy sector and underpin policy decisions on legal and financing frameworks. The project will combine existing databases into one open website from which solar energy maps can be accessed. – Khaleej Times Â
Emirates airline at Thames            Transport for London has set June 28 as the opening date for Britain’s first urban cable car — well in time for the massive crowds expected for the Olympics. It is called the Emirates Air Line, after the Dubai air carrier invested £36 million as part of a 10-year sponsorship deal.            The cable car will make the one kilometre crossing between Greenwich and the Royal Docks, allowing visitors to take in the views of Olympic Park, the Canary Wharf financial centre and the Thames Barrier, massive structures in the river that keep London from flooding.            Each of the 34 cars holds 10 people and looks like the gondolas that ferry skiers up the mountains in the Swiss Alps. Travellers can go one way or round-trip, with a one-way ticket costing £3.20 (US$5). Aside from being just plain fun, the cable car should help ease public transport ahead of the London Games, which start July 27 and end August 12.            “The Emirates Air Line is part of my plan to develop a package of new river crossings in east London and transform the surrounding area into a vibrant new metropolitan quarter that will attract new jobs, homes and enterprise,†London Mayor Boris Johnson said in a statement. – Khaleej Times Â
           Emirates airlines announced yesterday that it has repaid a US$ 550 million sukuk bond in full on its maturity date 18 June, 2012. The sukuk bond, listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, was originally issued in 2005 with a seven year term.            The US$550 million sukuk bond was the first of its kind to be issued by Emirates representing its commitment to utilising a diverse range of funding tools, including Islamic financing.            "The repayment of our first ever sukuk bond is part of Emirates' varied financing strategy and reflects our robust financial position," commented H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group. "Our consistent profitability and sound business model continue to ensure that we receive sufficient offers of financing to support our long term growth." Emirates recorded its 24th consecutive year of profit in the 2011-12 financial year, despite unprecedented economic pressure, highlighting its strong financials.            "With the Eurozone debt crisis on-going it is likely that Islamic financing, with its large pool of liquidity, will play an increasingly important role for us moving forward," added Sheikh Ahmed.            Emirates uses a variety of financing options, including: operating leases, EU/US export credits, commercial asset-backed debt, Islamic financing, Conventional bonds as well as Islamic Sukuks. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           A pledge of continued support to Sri Lanka's tourism industry through award-winning air services was one of the highlights of the high-profile formal opening of the Emirates Lounge at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayaka.            Tim Clark, President of Emirates airline, and Mohammed Mattar, Divisional Senior Vice President Airport Services, joined the UAE Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mahmood Mohammed Al-Mahmoud, Sri Lankan Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa, Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratna and senior aviation sector officials to open the facility, the first to be set up at BIA by an international airline, the carrier said in a press release.            Designed, equipped and furnished to the exacting specifications developed for Emirates lounges at 28 other major international airports around the world, the 5,778-square-foot Emirates Lounge at the BIA can accommodate up to 118 passengers in comfort. It is for the exclusive use of the airline's First Class and Business Class passengers and Gold members of Skywards, Emirates' frequent flyer programme.            The lounge features 58 leather armchairs, a dining area for 54 people, a Business Centre with seating for six, an outdoor terrace overlooking airside with seating, a well-stocked bar, a TV viewing area with the choice of most of the international channels, a dedicated prayer room, shower facilities and washrooms for males, females and those with special needs. It offers buffet dining for all meals and Wi-Fi facilities.            Emirates has three premium lounges at the Dubai International Airport, its home base, and has set up similar lounges at 27 other airports in key cities across its network. They are in Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Birmingham, Brisbane, Dusseldorf, Delhi, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Hamburg, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester, Melbourne, Mumbai, Munich, New York JFK, Paris Charles De Gaulle, Perth, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Zurich.            Colombo was the fourth destination on the Emirates network, when the airline launched services to Sri Lanka in April 1986. Today, Emirates flies to 123 destinations, linking Sri Lanka by air to 72 countries on six continents. The airline now operates 28 flights a week from Colombo, 14 direct to Dubai, seven via Male to Dubai and daily flights to Singapore, offering First, Business and Economy Class services to and from the destination. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           People in the UAE will on Wednesday experience the longest day of the year like other countries in the earth’s northern hemisphere.            The phenomenon, called summer solstice, is on June 20 to 21 when the sun rays fall perpendicularly on the earth’s Tropic of Cancer at 23°30’ North latitude. The UAE, located close to the tropic and experts have estimated the day at some 13 hours and 42 minutes long in Dubai.            On this day, the winter season starts on the southern hemisphere of the earth. People living in the south of the equator have the shortest day. The sun, however, shows no mercy in the region close to the Tropic of Cancer.            The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) expects some towering clouds in the eastern mountainous area by afternoon but things will sizzle in the desert and coastal areas. The weather will be hot in general and hazy at times.            The conditions will not be much different on Tuesday in terms of heat and clouds. Wind will be light to moderately rough that could gain speed at times. This could kick up dust and sand in the open areas. The sea is expected to be slight to moderately rough in general with two to four feet high waves offshore.            The UAE has been suffering from the severe heat for the last several days and ground level temperature has exceeded beyond 50 degrees Celsius in some internal areas. The official weather forecast always indicates atmospheric temperature that is three to four degree less than the ground level temperature.            In the coastal area temperature will on Tuesday be 43 degrees Celsius at its maximum but will fall to 26 degrees Celsius at night. People in the interiors will face the toughest summer time with mercury shooting up to 49 degrees Celsius but it will also fall to 26 degrees Celsius in the night. Humidity could test people’s nerves in the coastal areas by moving up and down between 20 per cent and 95 per cent at times. Wind is expected to blow at the speed of 32 to 38 km/h in the coastal and internal areas. – Gulf News Â
           The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has launched "My Number, My Identity" campaign in collaboration with the licensees aiming to increase awareness on the new registration procedures.            The campaign highlights the importance of the mobile subscribers' role to protect their SIM cards, which are national resources that should be used responsibly. These should not be given out to other users to avoid any misuse that may occur, as the registered owner of the number will be legally and financially accountable.            In line with its continuous efforts to protect the interests and privacy of mobile users, and based on studies and surveys that indicated some increase in civil and criminal cases due to some mobile subscribers giving away their SIM cards to other users who may misuse the number resulting in serious legal or financial issues for the actual owners, the TRA has taken several steps to organise registration processes and requirements for mobile phone services, provided by the two licensees (Etisalat and Du).            As a result, a number of procedures are being introduced by the TRA to facilitate the process of transferring the SIM cards from the actual owners to the actual users. This will help protect the actual owner of the number from any problems that may occur because of misusing these numbers; besides allowing the actual user to benefit from the wide range of services provided to facilitate connectivity through mobile phones.            In addition, the new procedures require the licensees to fully update the data of all mobile phone subscribers to ensure the accuracy of information listed in their data base.            Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General stated: "The TRA has established a number of procedures that help mobile phone users, both pre-paid and post-paid, maintain their subscription and safeguard their rights and privacy. Consequently, this will determine the licensees' responsibilities to mobile users' registrations and will help them monitor their processes. My Number, My Identity is a campaign that reflects on TRA's efforts to promote transparency, and protect the privacy of mobile subscribers if misuse occurs by users other than themselves." Moreover, the new procedures were carefully tailored to include all aspects related to mobile phones registration; such as, registration requirements, information and documentation, verification, mobile subscribers' registration (for individuals, visitors, companies and governmental entities), service activation, registration renewals; mobile subscribers subscription transfers, customer service, registration records, security and confidentiality, accuracy and compliance. This will help attain the highest levels of accuracy in registered information, and will provide flawless procedures and services to users across the UAE.            Also, the procedures identify the registration requirements for individual users; which include the following: a valid passport and the Emirates ID card, thus encouraging the UAE residents to support the government's efforts in promoting the Emirates ID card as the sole identification document. As for companies and governmental entities, the registration involves presenting a facility certificate issued by the Ministry of Interior.            Nonetheless, for mobile services activation, subscribers have to successfully complete the requirements. Also, the licensees are responsible to collect and update all required information and documentation, and are accountable to maintain highest levels of confidentiality as per the TRA's policies and procedures. Furthermore, the licensees (Etisalat and Du) will soon announce details of the registration process and requirements.            Othman Sultan , CEO, du said: "We laud the step taken by the TRA in protecting customer interest. In pursuance and support of the TRA's decision, we are fully ready to implement the Subscribers Identity Policy. We have earmarked a dedicated team to manage this initiative cohesively in close coordination with the TRA, and in ensuring minimal inconvenience to our customers. We will soon announce further details of this simplified process of registering SIM cards, as mandated by the TRA. Our customers will be then able to register their details at any of our du Shops according to the timeframe which will be announced soon." Saleh Abdullah Al Abdouli, CEO, Etisalat commented:            "Our company has dedicated a workforce comprising of representatives from all departments to coordinate and ensure the quality and accuracy of registrations for our eight million subscribers, the largest number of users in the UAE. Etisalat has been working closely with the TRA to organise the registration process of mobile subscribers to maintain best standards ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of data. Etisalat is keen to provide all necessary elements for the registration process including workforce and equipment. The company's availability at all sales outlets in commercial centres and business centres throughout the UAE facilitates the process. We call upon mobile subscribers to accelerate the registration process and update their data to ensure registering their number within the timeframe that is to be announced soon." – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           Senior industry representatives gathered in New York, USA recently for the 2nd Annual Aluminium Summit, hosted by leading metals publication, American Metal Market.            Dubai Aluminium ("DUBAL") and Emirates Aluminium ("EMAL") leveraged the opportunity to reach this prestigious audience by participating jointly in the exhibition held alongside the summit.            The combined DUBAL-EMAL exhibition stand showcased the two companies, and their product portfolios. DUBAL's Marketing and Sales team is responsible for marketing the metal produced by EMAL. This amounted to 288,568 metric tonnes of cast aluminium in 2010, and 749,000 metric tonnes in 2011; in addition to DUBAL's own sales, which exceeded one million tonnes in both years. The American market is particularly important to the UAE smelters: approximately 123,900 metric tonnes of DUBAL's 2011 production was shipped to North America, as was some 119,160 metric tonnes of that produced by EMAL - i.e. 243,060 metric tonnes in total, representing 13.6 per cent of the two companies' combined production.            "We participated in the inaugural Annual Aluminium Summit in 2011," commented Walid Al Attar, Executive Vice President Marketing '&' Sales at DUBAL and Vice President Marketing '&' Sale at EMAL.            "The participation of DUBAL and EMAL at the 2nd Annual Aluminium Summit reflects our continued confidence in the potential growth within this market going forward - a sentiment that is echoed in efforts already invested to strengthen our existing marketing and sales offices in the USA." – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           The long-awaited Eastern Mangroves hotel in Abu Dhabi is to launch today, accounting for some of the thousands of hotel rooms scheduled to open across the country in the coming months. About 7,000 new hotel rooms and hotel apartments are expected to open in Abu Dhabi alone in the next 24 months, according to research by Christie + Co, a hotel consultancy. The UAE "is the place in the region to have your flag or to have your brand and that will continue to be the case", said Gavin Samson, the managing director of Christie + Co in the Middle East and North Africa.            The Eastern Mangroves hotel is managed by the luxury operator Anantara and was built by Abu Dhabi's Tourism Development and Investment Company.            There has been a flurry of luxury hotels opening their doors for the first time in the past year, including resorts on Saadiyat Island. Properties expected to open this year in Abu Dhabi include a Ritz-Carlton hotel and a St Regis hotel on the Corniche.            Analysts said the Eastern Mangroves resort, which also has a residential component, would bring something new to the market in the capital.            "The context of the mangroves makes it completely different from other hotels," said Chiheb ben Mahmoud, the head of hotel advisory at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels in the Middle East and Africa. Meanwhile, some 9,000 new hotel rooms and apartments are to open during the next two years in Dubai, according to estimates by Christie + Co.            However, it warned some of the projects included in its forecasts could end up being delayed. Four Seasons is expected to announce plans tomorrow for a new resort on Dubai's Jumeriah Beach. Four Seasons had planned to open a property in Dubai Festival City but that project never materialised.            Confidence in Dubai's hotel sector has grown in the past year amid improved tourism figures, prompting some developers to revive plans or launch new hospitality projects in the emirate. Starwood Hotels & Resorts in April announced it had signed up to manage three luxury hotels planned as part of Al Habtoor Group's US$1.33 billion (Dh4.88bn) project on Sheikh Zayed Road. The properties - a St Regis, a W Hotel, and a Westin - are to be built on the site of the Metropolitan Hotel and are expected to open in 2017.            They would add 1,675 rooms to the emirate's stock.            Last month it was revealed that plans to open a W hotel on the Palm Jumeirah site had been revived. "The UAE as a whole is still a very, very strong attractor for international brands, and with the uptick in the market, particularly in Dubai, you are now going to get more and more announcements," said Mr Samson. – The National Â
           The Emirates Identity Authority has officially launched the Social Media engagement service with its customers on Facebook and Twitter pages.            The Emirates ID announced its success in increasing the number of its followers on its social networking pages by 40 per cent during the test period, which started in early May, not to mention its success in responding to nearly 1,700 queries and complaints received over 4 weeks.            Ayesha Al Raisi, Director of Public Relations and Marketing at the Emirates Identity Authority, said activating the Emirates ID's presence on the social networking pages came in line with its strategic plan 2010-2013 aimed at upgrading customer service towards gaining the satisfaction of customers. Al Raisi added that the Emirates ID was keen on developing its government communication plan for 2012 with the aim of translating the overall eTransformation plans in the UAE and keeping pace with the federal government's strategic plan 2014.            One of the Emirates ID's top priorities for this year was to develop the channels of communication with its customers in the light of the upward growth in number of registrants with the forthcoming completion of the population register and ID card system, particularly the social networking channels through its pages on Facebook and Twitter, with the aim of achieving corporate excellence, Al Raisi said.            Al Raisi underscored the Emirates ID's keenness on keeping pace with the development of the modern media and employing the social networking tools for upgrading the ID card-related services and meeting customers' requirements by responding to their queries and solving their problems most urgently through the channels they prefer in their daily life.            Al Raisi clarified that the Emirates ID's pages on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube changed from mere secondary platforms for publishing the Emirates ID's official news since early 2010 to channels of interactive services with customers since last May. They were able to gain customers' satisfaction, thanks to the direct and instant response to their queries and serous and professional follow-up of their problems.            Al Raisi pointed out that the Emirates ID created a dedicated social networking page to help customers on Twitter. The "Emirates ID HELP" allows interaction with customers side by side with the official pages on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.            Al Raisi noted that a trained and professional working team is managing the Emirates ID's social networking pages, interacting with customers, receiving complaints and responding to their queries in line with the best criteria. She pointed out that during the test period, the Emirates ID transmitted around 2,000 awareness messages and reminders for customers, whether on its own social networking pages or through the social networking pages of senior official personalities or other entities with a large base of followers and customers so as to convey its messages to the largest section possible of the UAE population, irrespective of their categories and languages.            The launch of the test phase of the Emirates ID's social networking pages in last May coincided with the forthcoming completion of Dubai residents' registration deadline, Al Raisi said, adding that the Emirates ID transmitted messages to urge customers to register in the ID card and to remind them to do so before the end of the deadline, using 9 languages to reach as many of the UAE population as possible.            The Emirates ID also approached 29 personalities and official entities that enabled it to convey its messages to around 4 million followers of these entities, not to mention the fact that the Emirates ID approached 326 private companies through which it was able to convey its messages to more than 2.2 million followers of these entities. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
Sharjah Biennial to kick off in March 2013            Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) has announced the dates for Sharjah Biennial 11, which will be held from March 13 — May 13, 2013, and curator Yuko Hasegawa has revealed a selection of the artists invited to create work for the Biennial, including Saadane Afif, Yang Fudong, Studio Mumbai, Kazuyo Sejima, and Wael Shawky.            For the theme of Sharjah Biennial 11, Yuko Hasegawa, chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MOT), has selected artworks that explore the complexity and diversity of cultures, societies, and political relations, and encourage new forms of dialogue. Hasegawa was inspired by the metaphor of the courtyard in Islamic architecture, where elements of both public and private life co-exist, in particular the historical courtyards of Sharjah and the exchanges and encounters they host.            With globalisation, the concept of the courtyard is more important than ever before. Hasegawa said, “I will invite a selection of Indian, Lebanese, Belgian, Japanese, and Spanish architects to help envision a new urban structure that connects the historic area and its courtyard typology with the larger city. Within these new and traditional structures a broad range of artists will be invited to create works that will offer new experiences to be shared.†           Sharjah Art Foundation President Hoor Al Qasimi stated, “The 2013 Biennial will reflect Sharjah’s long history as a place where diverse communities are encouraged to share ideas and contribute to the multi-cultural landscape that is characteristic of the emirate. Hasegawa has proposed a deeply thoughtful Biennial that will address some of the issues critical to art production in this current moment of great cultural change.†– The Gulf Today EAD releases 66 falcons back into the wild in Kazakhstan            The Environment Agency (EAD) has released 66 falcons (44 Peregrines and 22 Sakers) back into the wild in the skies above Kurchum, Kazakhstan, as part of the Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Programme.            The release is part of an ambitious research programme to understand the rehabilitation potential of falcons used for falconry and to highlight the need to protect migratory birds and their habitats.            The importance of both the Saker and Peregrine falcons for traditional Arab Falconry has meant that Abu Dhabi has been at the forefront of conservation efforts for these species. The Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Programme, now in its 18th year, uses cutting-edge technology to study the migration patterns of falcons. Since the programme began in 1995, over 1,363 falcons have been released back into the wild.            This year's release, which came upon the directives of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and with the support of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of EAD, was carried out from May 26-28, 2012.            The programme is supervised by EAD, with medical support being provided by the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital - the largest falcon hospital in the world. This year, the falcons were released by Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi, Managing Director of EAD and Dr Mugheer Khamis Al-Khaili, Director General of Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC).            Out of the 66 falcons, EAD successfully fitted 9 falcons (four Peregrine falcons and five Saker falcons) with satellite transmitters to better understand their migration patterns, which will help protect them and their habitats. During the first 3 days after their release, some of the tagged falcons flew around 50 km, while others flew around 200 km.            For the Sheikh Zayed Release Programme, only birds free of infection are included to guarantee that the wild falcon population is healthy. To ensure their flight would be swift and efficient, each falcon undergoes several weeks of daily exercise and is fed a special diet to increase its weight, as the birds need substantial reserves to fight against the elements and accomplish their extraordinary journey.            "The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan used to release falcons back into the wild at the end of each hunting season in the hope that they will re-join the wild population. By doing so, he was contributing to the growth and conservation of the wild population. Today, we are upholding his legacy by encouraging falconers all over the UAE to donate their falcons to this programme at the end of the hunting season so that they can be released back into the wild. In this way, the falcon population will continue to thrive. Arabian history and tradition place a significant importance on this species, which has been passed down to us from our ancestors and which will see us pass it down to our future generations," said Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi, Managing Director of EAD.            "The Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Programme is a long-term programme that helps us better understand if migratory birds such as the Peregrines and Saker falcons can maintain the same migratory route after they have been used for Falconry. It also teaches us if falconry birds can be readapted to the wild, and how best to select and prepare them to ensure the greatest success rates," said Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of EAD.            "Moreover the satellite transmitters we fit the birds with, are another important element of this release programme. They enable us to study the location, movements and eventually the migration routes of these majestic birds. In doing so, Abu Dhabi is contributing to falcon conservation in a key way," added Al Mubarak. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
UAE ideal place for 2020 World Expo, says Reem Al Hashimy            Seoul - Chances are good for the United Arab Emirates to become the first country in the Arab world to host the World Expo in 2020 as part of its efforts to promote peace and prosperity in the region, the Korea Times reported on Wednesday.            In an interview story with visiting UAE State Minister Reem Al Hashimy who flew into Korea in the day to attend the UAE Day at its National Pavilion at 2012 Yeosu Expo site in the southern coastal city of Yeosu of Korea, the nation's most influential English daily noted that UAE has become the benchmark for social stability in the face of enormous socio-economic change in its 40 years history.            Stressing it wants to share its success story with the rest of the world through the expo, Minister Reem Al Hashimy said :"`We would like to invite visitors from all over the world by organizing the global trade fair in 2020. To do so, we are promoting Dubai as a host city for Expo 2020 under the theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. I will do my best to achieve such goal while in Korea.'' Dubai is the Arab world's first global city of the 21st century. The United Arab Emirates is a strong, vibrant and modern nation open to the world. One-third of the world's population lives within a four-hour flight of the United Arab Emirates, two-thirds within an eight-hour flight, according to top campaigner of Dubai 2020 Expo..            “Our strategic location, advanced world-class infrastructure and mature service sector has made Dubai the gateway to Europe, Asia and Africa..The city has developed a robust network of economic and urban infrastructure," the minister said.            “Our logistical reach by both sea and air is unparalleled. DP World, the world's fourth largest seaport operator, manages more than 60 terminals across six continents. Dubai's powerful air transport capabilities are embodied in its two airports Dubai World Central and Dubai International Airport, making them the fourth busiest in the world,'' Al Hashimy added, She said as one of the safest countries, the United Arab Emirates is home to over 200 different nationalities that live and work together harmoniously. ``Given its growing prominence in regional and global affairs, the United Arab Emirates is the most suitable host for the expo. We want to bring the expo to the world and the world to Dubai.'' Al Hashimy then said the United Arab Emirates has a long history with the World Expo stretching back four decades to the 1970 expo held in Osaka, Japan.            “We are currently taking part in the Yeosu Expo. Its theme, ``The Living Ocean and Coast,'' resonates deeply with the United Arab Emirates, which has a proud seafaring history. The United Arab Emirates Pavilion in Yeosu reflects our commitment to the responsible development and protection of our coastline and marine habitat,'' she concluded. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
Welfare of our citizens is a core of state's strategy, says Mohammed bin Zayed            His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Chairman of the Executive Council of the emirate of Abu Dhabi stated that the provision of well-being standards for all nationals is a key priority and a focus of overall state's strategy.            "We have a firm belief that a leading position for our emirate and nation can only be achieved in association with an appropriate addressing of national issues and aspirations as a basic theme of our development plans," he added.            Sheikh Mohammed was addressing the Executive Council's meeting held at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's court on Wednesday. The Council took a number of key decisions: approval of financial support of Dhs4.813 billion for the Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions '&' Benefits Fund, approval of additional budget to increase the number of beneficiaries for academic scholarships, and establishment of new vocational schools throughout the country to consolidate the labour market with national skills.            Chaired by Sheikh Mohammed with the attendance of H. H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Counsellor and Vice-Chairman of the Executive Council, the Executive Council approved a series of projects in the Infrastructure, Economic, Social and Human Development sectors related to, social security, economy, education, energy and transport. This is consistent with the ongoing effort of the Executive Council to provide the highest quality of government services for the emirate.            The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince confirmed that ensuring well-being standards and social welfare for nationals is a key priority within the overall state's strategy, in keeping with the guidelines of the UAE President.            Sheikh Mohammed stated: "We have a firm belief that a leading position for our emirate and nation can only be achieved in association with an appropriate addressing of national issues and aspirations as a basic theme of our development plans. In this regard, our wise leadership will make every effort to provide integrated development and welfare for our future generations in the educational, medical and social fields that reflect favourably on our country's development." The Executive Council discussed the status of the Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions '&' Benefits Fund's financial liabilities and the steps required to be taken to settle the financial shortfall that had resulted from the most recent increase in salaries. The Council approved an additional amount of Dhs4.813 billion, as well as the adoption of a new framework that will enable the Fund to meet its additional financial liabilities.            The Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions '&' Benefits Fund is responsible for the management of subscriptions, pensions and end-of-service benefits for national retirees in the government, semi-Government and private sectors in Abu Dhabi. Funding is based on long-term investment strategies that ensure timely delivery of pensions and retirement compensation to its beneficiaries.            The Executive Council approved the establishment of an Industrial Development Bureau in Abu Dhabi, that will have the responsibility for coordinating and controlling the application of industrial strategy, monitoring the industrial sector's performance, facilitating economic development, implementing and promoting sector- related policies, plans and programs, and managing the master land development blueprint for industrial areas in the emirate.            The Bureau has been established to facilitate business and increase competitiveness across the industrial sector amongst stakeholders and third parties, especially investors. It will achieve this by streamlining and improving government requirements and processes, providing a single point of contact for all services, information and requests, and saving time currently consumed in these processes.            The Executive Council approved the development of a scholarship and academic delegations administration system by the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC). A resolution issued by ADEC's Director General will ensure the appropriate organisation and management of academic delegations and study leave both inside the country and abroad.            ADEC will recommend a general policy for academic delegations, study leave, regulations and resolutions, identifying designated countries and higher education academic institutions and required specialisations, terms and conditions required for applicants, funding and compensation, reviewing academic reports for selected students, and other matters related to regulating work in this regard.            The Executive Council also approved an additional budget of Dhs197million over the next four years to increase the number of students who could potentially benefit from scholarships. The scholarship policy adopted by the Abu Dhabi Government seeks to promote UAE national capacities through the provision of international standard higher education, and developing local capabilities in alignment with current and anticipated labour market demands.            The Executive Council approved the establishment of a number of vocational secondary schools for males and females throughout the country, in keeping with the Government's plans to consolidate the labour market with national technical skills. These schools aim to promote a high standard of vocational training and to leverage national capabilities in alignment with the academic specialisations.            The technical secondary schools typically include a number of specialisations which are aligned with the current and anticipated labour market needs, and they provide opportunities for students to subsequently pursue careers in disciplines such as mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, aircraft overhaul, supply chain management, logistics, finance and accounting.            There are currently four technical secondary schools across the UAE, one each in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Fujairah. Five more will be built during the current year in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Marfaa and Ajman. The total number of students enrolled will increase to 2000.            The Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training is responsible for the development of the technical education sector in Abu Dhabi by laying out the policies and standards that regulate education within occupational and technical institutions. ADEC works together with the Centre in developing a strategy that will mutually benefit other participants in the sector such as public educational agencies, organisations and training institutions.            The Executive Council reviewed the Al Mirfa power production and water desalination plant development project, as part of the Government's plans to ensure that the growing demands for power and water are met.            The plant's development process complies fully with international environmental standards and cost of production targets, while increasing power production capacity to 1500 MW of electricity, and desalination capacity to 53 million gallons of water.            The Executive Council, representing Abu Dhabi as the major shareholder of the Etihad Rail Company, approved authorisation for the company to secure funding for the first stage of the railway project in Abu Dhabi.            The first stage of the Etihad Rail project involves the establishment of a 270 kilometre long freight line connecting the Shah, Habshan and Al Ruwais areas that will be constructed in two phases due to be completed by 2013 and 2014 respectively.            The second stage of the railway project will connect Abu Dhabi and Dubai up to the boundaries of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman respectively, and the third stage will connect Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Qaiwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Fujairah.            The total cost of the 1200 km Etihad Rail project is estimated to be Dhs40 billion, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018 at the same time as the GCC Rail project. The new railway is expected to make a major positive contribution to trade, the economy, urban development and population growth, by means of providing a safe, operationally efficient and sustainable transport network that both reduces the cost of shipping goods, and increases efficiency versus other traditional transportation modes.            The project will have multiple additional benefits that include contributing to the development of small communities by connecting them with the main cities, increasing passenger traffic by land transport, promoting trade within the GCC, limiting the environmental impact produced by transport vehicles by reducing carbon emission by up to 80 per cent, reducing traffic congestion, road maintenance costs and road traffic accidents.            The Executive Council reviewed the "Public Parking Management" project in Abu Dhabi, submitted by the Department of Transport. The purpose of the project is to organise parking, ensure full utilisation of available facilities, and further increase their overall efficiency.            The project provides a number of services, including the management and operation of surface and multi-story public parking, the establishment of electronic parking management systems, and the provision of customer services through a Call Centre and Customer Service centres. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
Mohammed bin Rashid meets 100 youth volunteers, highlights significance of voluntary work            Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that the UAE community was founded on love of goodness and charity. He added Emirati youth are not affluent isolated class from the society, but their hearts are filled with goodness and tender.            The remarks were made, while meeting 100 Emirati youth, who have social communication networking voluntary initiatives, at the Mohammed bin Rashid Policy Majlis.            Sheikh Mohammed underlined during the meeting with the youth that "the UAE has a soft international power that makes us proud among the nations", citing the humanitarian, charitable and volunteer initiatives that do not distinguish between race or colour or religion, but for persons in need wherever they are. Tens of millions worldwide have so far benefited from the voluntary and humanitarian initiatives of the UAE..            He said that the UAE is not only an international financial centre or a global economic hub, but it is also a major humanitarian centre on the world stage.            "I have been joyfully following up all the individual and group voluntary initiatives. I'm pleased with innovated youth ideas in the field of volunteering, humanitarian and societal work. Seeds of goodness are there in all individuals of community, but we need more fresh ideas to activate these seeds," Sheikh Mohammed added. He said "let us begin with an initiative call Voluntary Week to launch new ideas in different voluntary fields".            Sheikh Mohammed said the volunteering is a great Islamic value, which had played greater roles in history. "It is not confined on the needy only, but we want the voluntary work to cover wider categories". He was briefed about the voluntary initiatives carried out by the youth, urging them to continue the voluntary work and tackle any difficulties positively with self denial. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
Libyan Premier: Libya is keen to establish partnership with the UAE            Tripoli - The Interim Prime Minister of Libya Dr. Abdul Rahim Al Keib has expressed keenness of the Libyan government to establish partnership with the UAE in all sectors so as to transfer the successful experience in the UAE to the new Libya. The Libyan Premier was speaking while receiving the UAE Ambassador to Libya Saeed Obeid Al Kaabi in Tripoli. Al Kaabi conveyed to the Premier, greetings from UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.            At the meeting held at the headquarters of the Transitional government, they discussed bilateral relations between UAE and Libya and other issues of common concern.            Al Kaabi asserted UAE's keenness to develop ties with Libya in the coming phase.            The prime minister lauded UAE's stance in support of the revolution and hailed the progress of UAE under the prudent leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.            He also asked the ambassador to convey his greetings to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
Ghobash hails GCC efforts in managing labour markets            Geneva - UAE Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash has lauded the resolutions of the GCC Undersecretaries of the Ministries of Labour meeting held last May within the framework of boosting the joint GCC work, exchanging expertise and integrating policies to manage the GCC labour markets in the light of their similar components and challenges.            He added that the technical teams at the GCC labour ministries have reviewed about 20 best GCC initiatives being implemented by member states to streamline the labour markets. The UAE minister said the UAE's wages protection system, Tesheel service centres, as well as the electronic verification of the temporary labour contracts initiatives, being implemented by the UAE in cooperation with some Asian countries, have all been put experimentally under the service of GCC brothers.            Ghobash made the remarks during the 44th coordination meeting held by the GCC Labour ministers at the sideline of International Labour Organisation's (ILO)101 session, being held in Geneva. He added that the ministers have endorsed seven joint GCC programmes, including a set of initiatives agreed upon by the ministers, team of technicians, specialists and experts at the Labour ministries. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
Al Mansouri, Mayor of Rome discuss cooperation            Rome - UAE Economy Minister Sultan Al Mansouri has discussed here in Rome with Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno, ways to bolster the cooperation ties, especially in the areas of economy, investment and tourism.            Al Mansouri is heading UAE's high profile delegation, including senior officials and businesspersons in four-day visit to Italy.            Mayor of Rome said that the relations between the two countries were strong, and the visit was an opportunity to further strengthen them in the best interest of two peoples. The UAE minister said the current situation prompted both sides to strengthen the joint relations, referring to the meetings he would hold in Italy. He added that many Italian companies operate in the UAE.            Despite the international economic crisis, he continued the UAE has been keen to strengthen ties with Italy in general and Rome in Particular. Al Mansouri cited Emirates Airline's daily air flights between Dubai and Rome, and the inauguration of new Jumeirah Hotel in Rome.            At the end of meeting, the mayor of London presented to Al Mansouri The Capitoline Wolf Award (Latin: Lupa Capitolina), which is the symbol of the city of Rome in recognition to his efforts in the development of relations between the two countries.            The mayor of Rome told Emirates News Agency (WAM) in a statement that he had presented the award to Al Mansouri in appreciation to his role in strengthening the relations between the UAE and Rome City. For his part, Al Mansouri told WAM that Rome is an important City for investment in tourism, industry and service sectors. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
Emirates Group to cut emissions           Emirates Group is one of the first major companies to align itself with the new push by Dubai Carbon Centre for Excellence (DCCE) in the hunt for ways to reduce carbon emissions, the company said on Tuesday.            In a statement, Emirates Group said it has already “a fuel efficiency 22.5 per cent better than the International Air Transport Association (IATA) global fleet average and CO2 emissions 18.1 per cent better than the IATA average (per passenger kilometre).†           But the company wants to achieve greater results on carbon emissions.            Company officials confirmed they have signed a memorandum of understanding with the DCCE to develop “low-carbon activities for the Group’s ground operations in Dubai.†           The MoU signing was attended by Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, vice chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline, and Waleed Salman, Chairman of the DCCE.            “The MoU will serve as a framework agreement towards developing low-carbon activities. The Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence will provide its expertise on carbon to support Emirates. A number of projects are being explored as part of the MoU; including energy-efficient lighting for Emirates Group accommodation buildings, solar hot-water systems and waste-to-energy technologies,†said Al Tayer.            Clark said: “The Emirates Group is committed to pursuing resource efficiencies in all its activities and this agreement will allow us to examine, in greater depth, potential Dubai-based emission reduction projects at our commercial and residential sites, across various facets of our operations,’’ said DCCE chairman Salman said that “Emirates Group plays an active role in our emirate’s economy and is already an international role model for environmentally-efficient operations with 25% less than the international standard. It is a truly visionary step for its management to undertake such efforts to further improve their environmental performance and shows a true commitment to Dubai’s sustainable growth.†– Gulf News Â
           Dubai Airport Freezone has been named the world’s top economic cluster in a report by the Financial Times’ Foreign Direct Investment (fDi) magazine.            Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) Freezone, was also ranked 11th globally in a strong showing by the UAE, which is still proving an attractive proposition for global companies keen to establish a presence in the region.            The survey, which is carried out every two years, is based on several factors including growth and expansion plans, the presence of high growth industries, transport services, infrastructure development and economic potential.            “Free zones are a major driver of economic development and inward investment worldwide, and their importance will only be highlighted by any impending global slowdown as companies seek to get the best value out of their overseas facilities,†said Courtney Fingar, editor of fDi Magazine.            According to Fingar, the Dubai Airport Free Zone stood out in this year’s assessment, impressing the judging panel with its strategic approach and well articulated plans.            “fDi’s ranking is designed to pinpoint the most attractive free zones for future investment and recognise those that are taking a proactive approach to their own development,†she said.            Dubai Airport Freezone took the top spot in this year’s rankings after being recognised for “attracting foreign investment to the region as well as strengthening its position as the fastest-growing business hub in the Middle East†           Earlier this year, Dubai Airport Free Zone reported it had seen an increase of more than 100 per cent in the number of new companies setting up in 2011 compared with the previous year.            “It is not by accident that we are ranked the best free zone in the world,†said Dr Mohammad Al Zarouni, director general of Dubai Airport Freezone Authority. “We are passionate about our business, and ensure that we provide outstanding services and facilities to our customers every day,†he added.            Senior officials at JLT Freezone were also pleased with its showing in the rankings for 2012-13 - it was rated on five categories - cost effectiveness, facilities, transportation, incentives and promotion strategy - in its debut appearance.            “fDi’s global free zone rankings and awards are well-known in the industry and to be placed fifth regionally and 11th globally, amongst a competitive field of 150 is an excellent result,†said Malcolm Wall Morris, chief executive officer of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, the licensing authority for the JLT freezone.            Morris says JLT Freezone incorporates a responsible regulatory environment, world class infrastructure and innovative products and services that enhance commodity trade flows, which in turn contributes to the overall growth of the UAE.            JLT Freezone has more than 4,300 registered companies with approximately 180 new firms joining each month, of which 85 per cent are new to the region. In April alone, the JLT Free Zone says it welcomed 200 new companies, an increase of 153 per cent from April 2011.            “JLT Freezone is currently undertaking research and plans to announce new products and services in due course; we value our contribution to Dubai’s economy at more than US$10-12 billion,†Morris said. “We have worked hard to develop the region’s only commodities centre and our priority for the next ten years is to focus on maintaining strong growth in the number of companies registering and continue to introduce better services and products for our members and community,†he added. – Gulf News Â
           Jebel Ali Free Zone FZE (Jafz) announced it has successfully priced the issuance of US$650m Sukuk Certificates due 2019, marking the company's first US dollar-denominated issuance and its first transaction in the international debt capital markets since 2007.            The certificates pay a profit rate to investors of 7 per cent per annum. The proceeds of the sukuk will be used to partly refinance Jafz's outstanding Dh7.5bn sukuk due November 2012, ahead of the stated maturity. Jafz will also contribute proceeds of Dh4.4bn bank facility and its own cash sources towards the redemption.            The transaction saw strong demand from regional and international investors, with the order book 3.1 times subscribed. The order book was well-diversified, both in terms of investor type and geography. European investors accounted for 26 per cent of the allocation, Asian accounts 7 per cent, US Offshore investors 2 per cent and Middle Eastern investors took up the balance of 65 per cent.            Salma Ali Saif Bin Hareb, CEO of Jafz, commented, "The success of this transaction is a testament to the confidence that investors have in the Jafz credit story, which is underpinned by strong, recurring cash flows as well as a strategic importance to the overall development of the Emirate of Dubai.
"This successful fund-raising exercise is another step towards execution of Jafz's refinancing and deleveraging strategy and the positive response from the market to the transaction and Jafz's strategy is especially encouraging." – Emirates 24|7 Â
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UAE organisations grab 46 domains in the first wave of special addresses            You can now add .abudhabi and .dubai to your Internet lexicon. The internet regulator Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) on Wednesday took the wrapping off new domain names that will expand the internet beyond the existing domains, such as .com, .org and .net.            Both emirates have submitted their applications along with etisalat (.etisalat). Abu Dhabi and etisalat will also have Arabic version of their names as UAE organisations picked up 46 domains.            “It’s going to make the internet more approachable,†Icann’s CEO Rod Beckstrom told Gulf News from London via remote access.            Icann received 1,930 proposals for 1,410 different internet suffixes. Companies will be able to keep their existing .com names.            The price to apply for a new generic top-level domain (gTLD) was US$185,000, with an annual fee of US$25,000, although experts estimate each name costs around US$1 million to set up. Icann expects the first batch of new gTLDs to be operational in the beginning of next year. Investment            The Dubai-headquartered Directi Group has invested around US$30 million (Dh110 million) for the application of 41 domain strings, which includes several generic and mass market names.            “We have invested significant resources to developing intelligent, responsible, secure and thorough proposals for what could serve as the foundation for this new era on the Internet,†said Bhavin Turakhia, founder and CEO of Directi Group. Top extensions on Directi’s list of applications include: .web, .bank, .loans, .insurance, .law, .shop, .app, .website, .click, .online, .music, .hotel .doctor, .baby and .shop.            However, those domains could still be challenged.            “The public will have 60 days to comment on the proposals. Someone can claim a trademark violation or argue that a proposed suffix is offensive. Companies and organisations will have seven-month objection period,†Kurt Pritz, Senior Vice-President of Icann, said. – Gulf News Â
           In what reminds one of the imprudent offers witnessed during the property boom era of 2007-08, Dubai-based private developer Damac Properties is giving customers a selection of luxury boats and yachts with properties purchased during the month-long Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) festival.            While the offer may look a bit indiscreet considering Dubai property prices remain under water (pun intended) when compared with their sale prices in 2008, and have still not recovered from the battering they received in 2009 and 2010, Damac wants customers to buy a property and ‘take to the water’ this DSS.            The company insists that the latest promotion is a well-thought-out one from the developer – who in the past has given away a jet plane and a private island in the Caribbean to two of its lucky customers in 2008.            “We considered long and hard our approach to the DSS. We felt it was critical to get our approach right in line with the market and to ensure that we did something that had mass appeal,†Damac’s Senior Vice-President Niall Mc Loughlin explained in a media release.            And that mass appeal, believes Damac, lies in bundling together a jet ski, or a luxury cruiser or even a super yacht (depending on the cost of the unit) with its properties sold during the DSS, which begins today (June 14 ).            ‘’We believe that the current market conditions will be more receptive to a wide ranging promotion like this rather than a more extravagant raffle prize where there is only a chance for one person to win. In addition, the climate here in Dubai is perfect for boating with estimates that there are over 50,000 leisure boats in the Middle East,†Mc Loughlin said. If Damac has its way, that number will swell by at least a handful if not more.            “We have a range of quality residential, commercial and retail properties in Dubai which already offer phenomenal value, but with the added bonus of coming with a luxurious boat, we expect people to take up our extraordinary offer,†insists Mc Loughlin.            The media statement says Damac Properties has a “long history of successful promotions†and that the developer believes that offering “a boat with each apartment is a great added incentive for customers during the month-long event. You buy a property in Dubai, you get a recreational jet ski, day cruiser or a luxury yacht.†           To be fair, with Dubai property prices showing recent signs of stabilisation, it may not be a bad idea to buy a unit. “The promotion has been designed to make a clear commitment to people who purchase a Damac property during the Summer Surprise and will ensure that a large number of people have the opportunity to take part.†How many will actually give in to the temptation will be known only after the promotion ends with the conclusion of the DSS on July 14.            “2011 was a very positive year for us. We handed over a total of 21 buildings, successfully launched our Versace-branded residences in Saudi Arabia as well as our hospitality offering ‘DAMAC Suites and Spa,’ and have won a string of regional and international awards including being named  ‘Developer of the Year’ in the Big Project BGreen Awards†added Mc Loughlin. “The promotion comes as Damac Properties registers the strongest demand since 2009 across its range of premium developments at Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai and the DIFC,†the developer said in the statement.            “We have had a long and successful association with both the DSS and the DSF in Dubai and we are all looking forward to this 2012 event with optimism and confidence in our products and our promotion,†McLoughlin concluded. – Emirates 24|7 Â
           Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment Company (Ipic) reported a 96 per cent slump in 2011 full-year profit on Wednesday, as market volatility and currency exchange risks weighed on its investment portfolio.            The government-owned investment vehicle made a net profit of US$44.7 million last year, a company statement said, down from US$1.3 billion in the prior-year period.            But profit from continuing operations, an indicator of core business performance, surged to US$540 million in 2011, up over 350 per cent from the previous year, according to the statement.            "Results for 2011 in comparison to 2010 were subject to both market and economic volatility which continues today," said Khadem al Qubaisi, managing director at Ipic, in the statement.            "The impact of euro/dollar exchange rates on the value of Ipic's euro-denominated assets, in addition to changes in our mark-to-market listed investments, pared the strong performance of our core underlying operations."            Ipic has interests in a number of European-based companies, including Spain's Cepsa and Austrian oil group OMV.            Through its subsidiary, Aabar Investments, it also owns stakes in Daimler and UniCredit. Total group debt at the end of 2011 stood at US$35.8 billion, the statement said, and did not reflect the repayment of nearly US$1 billion in 2012. Total assets at the end of 2011 stood at US$65.3 billion while revenues hit US$34.3 billion, the statement said. Full financial statements were not made available and Ipic officials were unreachable for further comment.            Ipic's first half profit for 2011 was US$1.16 billion after the energy-focused company made gains on financial investments. – Emirates 24|7 Â
New measures for issuance, renewal of residency visa do not target anyone, says Ministry of Interior            An official at the Ministry of Interior said the decision taken by the General Directorate for Residence and Foreigners Affairs in Abu Dhabi on the need to attach a copy of the tenancy contract and utility bill when applying for the issuance or renewal of the residency visa for residents, is an administrative issue.            Major General Nasser Al Awadhi Al Menhali, the Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Naturalisation, Residency and Ports Affairs added that the new rule is intended to allow authorities to locate applicants' residences as addresses given in previous applications are not clear or accurate and difficult to track in time.            Responding to queries Al Menhali said those sharing accommodation must also present proof of their residence by submitting a tenancy contract or utility bill. "Those working with companies which provide them with collective accommodation must present a proof of their residence, an address and a letter from the employer showing where he resides," he added.            Al Menhali underlined that the new rule is primarily aimed at verifying residence of all expatriates living in the UAE for security and procedural reasons. "It is a security, administrative and service decision taken by the immigration and foreign affairs departments in the country".            "The decision is not targeting any party or property group but it will serve those departments seeking accurate data about foreigners' residences. This measure is not exclusive for the UAE as it is enforced in all advanced countries," he added. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           Parents not going on holiday this summer may be concerned about how to keep their children occupied during the hot months.            One of the options is the Sayfuna Mumayaz (Our Summer is Special) programme which aims to combine entertainment and education.            Courses will be provided for children enrolled in public and private schools in grades 2 to 11 in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region.            “The programme was specially designed to enhance the academic performance of the students in the areas of English language, Information Technology and life skills,†Mohammad Salem Al Daheri, Executive Director of School Operations at Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec).            Some parents may prefer to enrol their children in physical activities such as martial arts.            “Because my children attend a difficult school, I like to give them a break from their studies. So I put them in private clubs where they play sports,†said Ola Abdul Majeed, a Palestinian mother of two boys aged eight and five.            The programme schedule includes hands-on activities such as art and crafts and sports including swimming, jiu jitsu, judo, wrestling, aikido, football, karate, horse riding, table tennis and billiards.            For adults, the Emirates Palace is holding several including the Jazz at the Palace event featuring local band Cool’s the Rule which has performed in major events around the country.            However, residents in the capital should also be aware that some venues such as Cipriani Yas Island will be closed from July 1 until October 1 to reallocate their staff and prepare for the F1 Grand Prix in November. – Gulf News Â
           A month of shopping deals, cash prizes and family entertainment kicks off today with Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS).            The city is studded with sale signs and bright decorations for the annual event — being held from June 14 to July 14 — featuring car raffles, cash and gold prizes, shopping vouchers and children’s shows.            About 6,000 shops in 70 malls are offering discounts of up to 75 per cent this DSS. Meanwhile, winners of the Grand Raffle weekly prize will drive off with a Nissan Patrol, in addition to Dh150,000 in cash, each week for five weeks.            There will also be weekly draws to win a brand new Nissan Micra, one each week for four weeks.            The things that are new this DSS include special discount packages under the ‘Dubai Spas’ theme, which has roped in some of the most luxurious spas in town.            The extravaganza, in its 15th edition, has over 100 shows lined up, many of them for kids featuring stars from the world of cartoons.            Another kids’ fun spectacle is Modhesh World, named after the DSS mascot at the Dubai World Trade Centre. For grown-ups, there will also be fashion shows and events highlighting the UAE culture. Returning this year is the DSS Apprenticeship Programme, which will once again draw top student talent from the region to Dubai for an intensive two-week marketing internship.            DSS fans can stay up to date with the latest deals and attractions through Twitter feeds from @Dxb_Events and posts on www.facebook.com/dxbevents            The carnival is said to be the biggest summer event in the region. The first DSS was launched in 1998, welcoming 600,000 visitors, while last year’s edition saw around four million visitors with a total visitor spend of almost Dh9 billion, compared to Dh850 million in the debut round. For more details, visit www.dubaievents.ae. – Gulf News Â
           Ian Walker’s fifth-placed Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are considering a change in strategy as they pick their way carefully through light winds in Leg 8 of the Volvo Ocean Race.            Only 8nm off the lead of the now compressed fleet, Walker said he was pleased to be still in the mix as the teams approach the turning mark in the Azores, but confessed to being irked by losing fourth to CAMPER.            “Whilst it is nice to have all the boats in sight, I can’t say I have enjoyed watching CAMPER sail up and around us,†Walker said. “It’s not the first time in this race we have seen their potency upwind.            "Everyone is jockeying for position as we sail into the corner of the high pressure. The wind has been as light as five knots, but right now it has filled back in again to nine knots and we are all moving well.†           Walker said he was very aware of how important it was to stay in touch with the leaders as he expected them to begin to extend once the fleet turn right at São Miguel island.            Walker said he was considering switching strategies and driving even further south towards an expected left-hand wind shift. “Our plan was to stay just north of everyone, but we haven’t been able to hold our height and we now find ourselves pretty much the southernmost boat,†he said.            With an intense low set to cross the fleet’s path on the second section of the leg from the Azores to Lorient, Walker said the Emirati team is ready for some big breeze action in the next 24 hours.            “All the weather models show a pretty intense low pressure for us to sail through on the way back to Lorient, so it is looking like a fast ride to the finish.            “All the gear is as far forward in the boat as we can get it right now. This time tomorrow I suspect we will have everything strapped on as far back as we can.†           Meanwhile, the top three teams overall in the six-fleet race remained locked together in a titanic struggle. At 9pm UAE time, Telefónica had nosed back in front of overall Groupama, while within clear sight, in third, PUMA remained a constant threat to the leading duo.            However, at 11pm UAE time, Groupama were back in the lead pulling out a slender 0.10nm advantage over Telefónica after positioning themselves to the north in a strong position to cover the fleet on the remaining upwind section to São Miguel. – Sport 360° Â
           The Skydive Dubai Rally Team duo of Rashid Al Ketbi and Khalid Al Kendi will be aiming to build upon their strong finish in last month’s Tour of Corsica when they tackle this weekend’s Targa Florio-Rally Internazionale di Sicilia.            The Emirati duo are tackling select rounds of this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) in their Skoda Fabia S2000. “We flew to Italy on Sunday and our goal there is to be as fast as possible and try to get into the top 10 for our sponsor Skydive Dubai†said Al Ketbi.            “We also have to be mindful that we cannot take any risks with the car, because we will also take part in a rally in Belgium at the end of the month and there will be no time to make major repairs if we have a problem.            “We will have a different set-up in Italy. It is a much faster rally than Corsica and we won’t have the very twisty roads that make the event in Corsica so infamous.†           Organisers have announced that all six IRC manufacturers and drivers from 12 nations will compete in Sicily’s premier motor sport event. Twelve S2000 cars grace the entry list, of which 11 are eligible for IRC points.            Norwegian Andreas Mikkelsen currently holds a 13-point lead in the IRC Drivers’ Championship from Czech driver Jan Kopecky. The 96th Targa Florio is based at Campofelice Di Roccella, east of the capital Palermo, and begins with a 1.65km super special stage in Palermo today at 10.44pm UAE time.            The on-stage action continues throughout Friday and Saturday with three stages repeated on Friday and a further two timed tests repeated once on Saturday. The 11-stage event finishes with a podium ceremony at 7.30pm (UAE) on Saturday. – Sport 360° Â
           UAE Olympic team midfielder Khamis Esmail is hoping to give a good account of local football at the London Games and do the late Thiyab Awana proud.            Awana was an integral part of Mahdi Ali’s squad before his death in a road accident last September aged 21. Close friend Esmail said the former Bani Yas winger often spoke about the Olympics being his biggest dream and that he wanted to use the tournament to put the UAE and himself on the world map.            A distraught UAE U-23 side did well to overcome Awana’s tragic loss to book their spot at the quadrennial event and now Esmail wants his colleagues to do the nation proud and keep Awana in mind as they embark on a journey that is bound to test their mettle.            “Thiyab, God bless his soul, always dreamed about playing in the Olympics and we want to fulfil his dream,†said Esmail, who plies his trade with President’s Cup champions Al Jazira.            “Thiyab was passionate about the Games and wanted to do well. He was looking forward to qualify for the games and compete at the highest level and wanted to make the UAE proud.            "We’ve always wanted to play at the Games because it is a great achievement, but we don’t just want to play there, we want to do well for ourselves and for him.†           The UAE are in for a tough ride at the Games, with many predicting an early exit for the Whites after they drew Great Britain, Uruguay and Senegal as opponents in Group A.            Esmail believes all groups are equally tough, but in Group A he is looking forward to playing against the likes of David Beckham and Luis Suarez, who could turn out for Team GB and Uruguay respectively.            “This is a big tournament and everybody dreams of it. There were a lot of emotions involved in qualifying and now that we’ve qualified I’m looking forward to playing alongside Beckham and Suarez, who could be our opponents in the group stages. I’m looking to give my best in the tournament because we have a chance to prove ourselves and with good results we can show how good UAE football is,†he added.            “There are no easy teams to face or easy groups to be in. We are used to this kind of competition and hopefully we will do well in this group. We are a group that has been together for a very long time, about 7-8 years, so this gives us good advantage hopefully it will give us an edge over the others.†           Esmail, 22, who joined Jazira on a five-year deal in 2011, is keen to follow in the footsteps of his skipper Hamdan Al Kamali and secure a move abroad.            Al Kamali’s move to Olympique Lyon in January has given hope to many young Emirati players. And Esmail admits he is one of them. “A good performance at the London Games will help launch my career," he said.            "Having spoken with Hamdan, I know from what he tells us how different things are abroad, the training, lifestyle it’s all very professionally done in Europe. Definitely much more professional than it is here and I know that a good performance in London will mean a lot for us.†– Sport 360°            A high level delegation from the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo in Dubai held a series of meetings in Paris yesterday at the beginning of a visit to France as part of the UAE's bid to host the 2020 World Expo in Dubai.            The delegation, led by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chief Executive of the Emirates Group and Head of committee, will meet with the representatives of the General Assembly of Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the international organisation responsible for overseeing the calendar, bidding, selection and organisation of World Expos.            The delegation members include Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of His Highness the Dubai Ruler's Court, who serves as Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State and the Committee's Managing Director, Ahmed Abdullah Al Shaikh, Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office, Helal Saeed Al Marri, CEO of Dubai World Trade Centre and Mohammed Mir, UAE Ambassador to France.            The meetings, held at the UAE embassy in Paris, focused on the country's bid to host the international event and the credentials which make Dubai the ideal host of EXPO 2020.            The meetings precede a presentation to be given tomorrow by the delegation members to BIE's General Assembly of the 160 member nations that will shed light on the advantages that boost Dubai's chances of hosting EXPO 2020, including , among many others, the unique strategic location between the east and the west, the world class infrastructure and transport network and the highly reliable logistical facilities that made it a world leader in the organisation of international exhibitions and conferences.            Dubai is competing against four other candidate cities bidding to host the 2020 World Expo, including. Ayutthaya (Thailand); Ekaterinburg (Russia); Izmir (Turkey); and Sao Paulo (Brazil). – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           In expectation of better understanding the population distribution of Vietnam's rarely seen and only recently discovered ungulate called a Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), scientists have been awarded US$5,000 by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund.            The animal, only discovered 20 years ago, is so rarely seen and secretive that scientists will look for traces of its DNA in the blood sucked by leeches living in the same area.            And while employing less obscure scientific techniques, others recently awarded money for conservation work by the Fund will investigate the diversity and distribution of tarantula spiders in northeast India and work to restore Dracula orchid habitat in the mountain regions of Colombia.            In its first of its three rounds of funding planned for 2012, the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund awarded US$499,570 (Dh1,838,418) to 73 separate species conservation projects in 40 different countries. The species conservation grants were awarded to conservationists located across the world and will help to protect plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, invertebrates, fish, and fungus from the growing threat of extinction.            The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund is a significant philanthropic endowment established in 2008 by His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to provide targeted grants to individual species conservation initiatives; recognise leaders in the field of species conservation; and elevate the importance of species in the broader conservation debate. Since its establishment the Fund has distributed US$7.7 million to nearly 700 projects in more than 115 countries. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
UAE needs talent of every youth, says Mohammed            Shaikh Mohammed said on his Twitter page: “The UAE needs the talents, dedicated efforts and the enthusiasm of every man and woman of our new graduates. Graduation moments are unforgettable. [I am] happy to share these moments with our graduates and wish them all the best in their careers.†           Some 315 students were honoured at the graduation ceremony along with a special group of 25 aviation officers and 13 paramedics.            Shaikh Mohammed also received a special plaque from Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research on behalf of the HCT.            Shaikh Nahyan’s son, Shaikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, also received his degree from Shaikh Mohammed and he delivered a speech on behalf of the graduating cohort.            Addressing the graduates, Shaikh Nahyan said: “I congratulate each and every one of you, hoping that you will fulfil your future role in empowering society to achieve technical and technological advancement.†           He added, “Shaikh Mohammed represents a pioneering example of leadership and achievement, locally, regionally and internationally. We particularly appreciate your profound vision and wise directives for educating UAE youth in light of your strong belief in the importance of education in the progress of the UAE and its significant role in the national work plans at all levels.†He also appreciated the directives by the Vice-President on education of Emiratis being a major component for the development and progress.            He thanked General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for his follow up and support to the HCT. Speaking with Khaleej Times, Dr Tayeb Kamali, Vice-Chancellor of the HCT said: “This is a very special year as we have a total of 3,300 graduating students, taking the total number of HCT graduates to more than 52,000. These graduates are highly sought after for their technical knowledge and expertise.†           The Higher Colleges of Technology is the UAE’s largest higher educational institution with 19,000 students receiving education at 17 modern campuses for men and women spread across the UAE. The HCT offers some 90 educational programmes at the Bachelor, Higher Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Diploma levels. – Khaleej Times Â
           Seoul - Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (ADTCA) was given a prestigious award " the Best Tourism Marketing Award" at the just-ended Korea World Travel Fair KOTFA-2012 held in Seoul from June 7-10. Shin Joong-Mok, Chairman of KOTFA presented the gold plaque stampings with depictions of Abu Dhabi pavilion in recognition of its well-organised promotional display and guest hosting at the booth during a closing ceremony of the four-day event on Sunday. There were more than a hundred people who attended the closing ceremony. The award was received by Hessa Salem Al Romaithi, International Promotion Executive of ADTCA. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           A new law on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that is underway in the UAE, is expected to simplify and streamline bank loans and help regulate this important segment of the UAE’s private sector, a senior government official said.            The new law will be issued by the end of this year as part of an ongoing economic reform aimed at attracting investment and ensuring sustainable growth by strengthening the non-oil sector and reduce the country’s dependence from the volatile oil prices, Mohammad Saleh Shelwah, Assistant Undersecretary for Economic Polices Affairs, told Gulf News.            He remarked that the law will strengthen competitiveness of the UAE economy and boost the SME sector.            “Since the SME’s sector’s contribution in the UAE Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is very high, the new law has been developed to boosting the UAE economic output as well as to reduce the unemployment pressure in the private sector as it creates a lot of job opportunities.†SME sector is the biggest employer in the UAE.            “SMEs is the backbone the economic development process and growth, and we should have proper legislations,†he added.            Abdul Baset Al Janahi, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai SME, highlighted Dubai’s participation in developing SMEs law which is in the final stage.            He said: “The UAE is already locked in a drive to diversify its economy by attracting investment and encouraging industrial projects, and SMEs has seen as a key factor in diversification given the country limited resources.†           Dubai SME, part of the Department of Economic Development, yesterday launched a SMEs index that said 86 per cent of the SME’s have not sought bank finance - a fact that reflects how it is difficult for this sector to get bank loan.            Al Janahi said: “This shows the big gap between the government directives and the banks’ policies. Bank financing is usually their only option, and is the predominant source of external financing for most SMEs. However, banks consider SMEs to be relatively high risk as most of their businesses are service activities, which on the one hand impedes their ability to obtain funding, and on the other leads to the charging of higher interest rates,†he said            He remarked that most of the commercial banks are keen on funding the working capital needs of businesses, but less on funding SME start-ups. Thus, there is a need for dedicated banks, working on commercial principles but devoted to financing of the of SMEs start-ups. Currently, not only the UAE but the entire GCC lack institutions which specialise in funding SMEs.†           The ‘SME Friendliness Index’ has been created by the DED to give banks access 230,000 SMEs in the UAE and realise the Dh6 billion SME financing revenue opportunity.            The index is a signalling tool that gives constructive feedback to banks about how 230,000 SMEs are actually working in the UAE, the DED said in a statement.            Of every 100 companies that approach banks only 50 get finance as only 14 per cent of the SMEs used bank finance for their growth, according to the study. The study enumerates the different challenges of the banks in serving the SME sector including quality of financial reporting, lack of credit history, inadequacy of collateral, informal management, short term planning horizon, and weak cash flow management.            Given the challenges and opportunities of the SME sector, the index outlined the strategies of the different banks – in terms of the sizes of customers they serve, the quality of financial reports they accept, and the informal/formal nature of the SME management. The findings also indicate that despite the structural challenges, innovation is widespread in the banking community. – Gulf News Â
DIFC regulatory and markets laws amended            The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has issued an amendment to the regulatory law of DIFC No. 4 for year 2004.            This new legislation amended the powers granted to the Dubai Authority Financial Services under the Regulatory Law of the DIFC.            These amendments include the review on following:            1- The powers of regulation regarding control on a category of persons admitted to work in the field of financial services at the Dubai DIFC so that the validity of The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) is confined to allow them to carry on their business through offering their services directly to individuals, institutions and companies located in the DIFC, or enable investors outside the centre to trade without requiring a licence from them even without the permanent place of business for them in the centre, since these persons are licensed by a regulatory and other control bodies in the field of financial services, and            2 - to expand the powers of the DFSA to include the control of the auditors of public joint stock companies established in the Dubai International Financial Centre, and subscribe and list their shares in the DIFC markets.            Another amendment to the markets law of the Dubai International Financial Centre No. 12 for 2004 has been issued. The legislation includes a set of regulatory requirements that will be applied to the companies that offer their securities for public subscription, or those whose securities are listed for trading in the markets of Dubai International Financial Centre, and in line with international standards in this regard, particularly in the following areas:            1 - Identify the disclosure requirements to meet the model requirements adopted by the European Union, and meet the regional specifications of the Dubai International Financial Centre as well,            2 - Defining the requirements of listing and trading of securities in the markets of Dubai International Financial Centre,            3 - Determine the obligations imposed on the parties subject to the control of the DFSA, including provision of disclosure reports and financial statements on a regular basis and the application of the principles of corporate governance,            4 - develop a series of procedures that would curb the prohibited practices, which may affect the markets of the DIFC, including manipulating of the prices of securities or dealing on secret inside information or providing incorrect or misleading information, and            5 - identification of sanctions and administrative measures for offences. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           Beijing - Emirates’ President, Tim Clark, on Monday denied outright recent reports Emirates is in talks with Qantas for a potential stake in the Australian carrier.            “I had a chat with Alan Joyce [Qantas’ CEO] about codeshares and then the next thing we hear that Emirates is buying Qantas. It’s not true at all. We are not at all buying a stake in Qantas,†Clark told Gulf News on the sidelines on IATA’s annual meeting in Beijing yesterday, rubbishing reports in the media over the past few days.            Qantas was reported to be in secret talks with Emirates about the possibility of an equity tie-up after its share price ebbed to A$1 (Dh3.65) last week.            Clarifying that Qantas has not initiated any stake talks with Emirates, Clark said: “They have not approached us for a stake. And we don’t have to go to the equity level.            “They are looking for somewhere to strengthen their international business. So if it’s something that value adds both to their operations and us, we would look at it. But that’s all.†Across the globe            He added that Emirates has codeshare with many airlines across the globe such as with Philippine Airlines, South African Airways, JetBlue, Thai International, American Airlines. “We have codeshares everywhere. And now, we do want one in Australia,†he said. Asked if such a deal will help Emirates expand its foothold into the Australian market, Clark said: “We have got an enormous foothold in Australia — we have got about 73 frequencies there at the moment. We can go up to 84.†           He was quick to add: “But don’t forget, in 1996 when we started the route, we wanted to do codeshares with Qantas then but they didn’t want to do it then. And I think they are willing to do it now.†           Commenting on the exact status of the codeshare talks, Clark said: “If we did it — don’t know yet whether or not we will, it has to stack up for us and it will have to stack up for Qantas. If it’s neutral, then you won’t do it, if it’s negative, you certainly won’t do it, if potentially it adds value and has legs on it and sustains longevity in a commercial arrangement, then you might do it. We are still studying the possibility.†           Clark added that Emirates was looking at other codeshares. “We have got under study other codeshares with other carriers such as TAP Air Portugal in Lisbon, Iberia in Spain — all those are interested in coming in,†he said. – Gulf News Â
Etihad records 100k fans on Facebook            Etihad Airways on Monday said fans on its Facebook page reached 100,000, mainly in support of the carrier’s recently launched new television commercial.            In celebration, the UAE flag carrier has developed a special YouTube ‘Thank you’ video featuring its staff from different parts of the business thanking fans for supporting the airline.            Peter Baumgartner, chief commercial officer at Etihad Airways, said: “We are a people business, an award winning airline, and we are delighted to have organically reached this social media milestone of 100,000.            Social media has become an important part of our outreach efforts and Facebook, in particular, has allowed us to connect with our current and future guests on such a wonderful and personal level to win them as ‘fans’ of our brand.†           The airline has a strong, integrated presence on popular social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The airline continues to expand its social media presence and has plans to launch an official brand account on Google Plus and develop an Arabic Facebook page. These new endeavours are all part of an on-going effort from Etihad Airways to improve the experience of fans of the airline. – Khaleej Times Â
SCTDA sees 5% rise in Chinese visitors to Sharjah            The number of Chinese travellers to Sharjah has seen a dramatic increase in recent years in tune with the growing phenomenon of Chinese visitors flocking to exotic destinations around the world.            The number of Chinese visitors to Sharjah has jumped from 8,231 in 2009 to around 30,000 last year, over a period of three years whereas the emirate recorded a five per cent increase in the Chinese tourists last year.             The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) hopes to exploit and expand this promising market further in months and years to come as it heads to the Beijing International Tourism Expo, being held in the Chinese capital from June 15 to 17.            “Our objective is to make the most of the growing Chinese and Asian interest in Sharjah and to benefit from the immense potential the fast burgeoning Chinese and Asian tourism market,†said SCTDA Chairman Mohamed Ali Al Noman. He pointed out that with 20 million tourists a year, a figure that is projected to cross 100 million by 2020, today China is easily the biggest tourism market in the world. “We need to tap into this massive market,†he added.            Al Noman said: “Our participation in BITE is in line with our commercial and tourism marketing strategy and is aimed at keeping ourselves abreast of the new trends, ideas and opportunities in the global tourism bazaar. In the past few years, Sharjah’s tourism industry has witnessed rapid growth in infrastructure and service sectors. – The Gulf Today Â
           The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has decided to cut diesel prices outside the emirate by 20 fils, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.            The decision, which was to take effect on Tuesday, will reduce the price to Dh3.10 per litre from Dh3.30, the Arabic language daily Al Khaleej said, quoting sources at Adnoc Distribution.            It did not mention why the decision did not include Abu Dhabi but diesel prices in the emirate are already lower than in the northern emirates.            Adnoc Distribution, which has taken over 74 Emarat petrol pumps in the northern emirate, controls most of the UAE’s refining output at its two main refineries in Ruwais and Umm Nar.            Diesel prices in the UAE have sharply fluctuated over the past few years, depending on the oil market.            The latest reported cut followed an increase of 20 fils in diesel prices in the northern emirates in March. – Emirates 24|7 Â
Dubai Municipality takes part in New York summit            Eng Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality and Abdul Qader Al Jasmi, director of Legal Affairs Department, participated in the New York Global Partners Summit held recently in New York City.            The civic body’s participation came in response to the invitation to take part in the summit from the New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, considering it’s willing to be an active member of Global Partners Programmes, Eng. Lootah said.            The municipality’s membership in Global Partners, which comprises over 80 metropolitan cities around the world, is aimed at exchanging best practices and experiences in the fields of municipal work and sustainable development issues, difficulties and challenges faced by the cities in addition to sharing outstanding successful practices, he continued.            The programme has given a chance to students of Dubai schools to learn about practices of different schools in other member cities online in line with the syllabus of Global Partners, he added.            The three-day summit covered this year mainly corporate governance and transparency on which Bloomberg delivered a presentation followed by a forum of mayors and directors and workshops, focusing on the subject. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           The emirate of Fujairah, known for its port and beachside resorts, now also boasts the biggest textile factory in the Middle East.            Producing 10,000 tonnes of cotton yarn each year, the plant was built at a cost of Dh225 million (US$61.2m) by the Azerbaijan government, in partnership with Fujairah Government. “Within the UAE, we believe that Fujairah provided the best facilities to foreign investments,†said Raj Kumar Kak, the chief executive of United Textiles FZE, a new company running the plant located inside Fujairah Free Zone.            “Relatively low overhead costs and excellent road and connectivity were important factors that influenced our decision,†he added.            The 44,250 square metre factory, which is estimated to make Dh140m in sales per year, has a capacity of 45,600 spindles and employs a workforce of about 225 people.            The yarn will be used as a raw material for industries such as clothing and garment-making, as well as knitting furniture fabrics.            It will be exported to markets in Asia, the United States, North Africa, Europe and the Middle East.            The factory was abuzz yesterday with noise and activity. It smelled of fresh honey, and there were many big vats of yarn being spun.            Workers were going around the plant floor on roller skates to speed up the overall manufacturing process.            “Built with the latest technologies, the plant is the largest textile unit in the GCC and the Middle East,†said Mr Kak, in a speech addressed to Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed, Ruler of Fujairah.            “By way of this plant, United Textiles looks forward to [making] a positive contribution to the regional economy.†           Fujairah is quietly growing its economy and expanding industries as different sectors receive heavy levels of investment from the local Government and partners located overseas.            The emirate’s port is set to expand rapidly as a 370km pipeline between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah is planned to be completed as early as next year, making Fujairah a strategic shipping, oil and gas hub.            The pipeline is expected to carry 1.5 million barrels of crude a day to eight tanks capable of holding 1 million barrels each.            Both the emirate’s tourism and retail sectors are also receiving billions of dirhams in investment as new projects are funded and once-stalled plans are revived.            Three major malls will either launch, or have already opened, in Fujairah this year, significantly adding to the retail landscape and ensuring residents no longer have to travel to other emirates to shop.            A Dh1.2 billion resort called Madinat Miramar in the Al Aqah area is also set to begin building and will eventually include restaurants, cafes, shops and a small lake.            Created in 1987, Fujairah Free Zone has become a popular base among manufacturing companies thanks to its close proximity to the port and infrastructure for exporting goods.            Companies there are 100 per cent foreign-owned, pay no tax and are not charged for repatriating profits overseas. – The National Â
           Prices of 1,600 food staples such as rice, flour, sugar and water are to be frozen until the end of the year.            In addition, a "Ramadan basket" of 15 to 20 household essentials will have their prices capped at a total of Dh70 to Dh170, depending on the individual items.            The 1,600 price-capped products will be available in 340 supermarkets and other outlets nationwide. Retailers will also have the option to customise their own Ramadan baskets, provided the price cap remains in place.            "Consumers will be able to take advantage of these stable prices not just during Ramadan, but right up to the end of 2012," said Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi, director of consumer protection at the Ministry of Economy.            "We want to make sure people pay a fair price for these items. These prices are available in some of the major supermarkets in the UAE, like Union Co-op and Carrefour, so people can more easily take advantage."            "The aim of the Ramadan basket is to make it affordable for a family of five to have enough items to last them a week."            Fahmi Al Shawa, managing director of Convenience Arabia, which runs the Circle K chain of convenience stores, said he was awaiting more details about the initiative.            "From our point of view, these commodities usually involve staples like flour, which are very, very small sellers for us," he said.            "In terms of the basket, we have seen in the past that they target things like Vimto, which is a very big seller here.            "During Ramadan, shopping patterns focus on people buying grab-and-go foods, like sandwiches."            Spinneys are also awaiting official confirmation from the ministry. "However, we are committed to providing the best range and value for money on products to our customers during Ramadan," a spokeswoman said.            Juma Bilal Fairouz, chairman of the UAE Consumer Protection Society, said he wanted more details from the ministry about exactly which items would have their prices capped.            "We have written to the Ministry of Economy for clarification," he said. "I think it's important for consumers that we get as much information as possible about what, where and how people can take advantage of these prices."            The latest initiatives are part of a campaign by the Ministry of Economy in recent months to control the prices of staple items.            Last month the Government announced that the Ramadan Ration project, which subsidises food for Emirati families, would be extended to the end of the year. The latest initiative is not limited to UAE nationals and will benefit every household.            In April the Government introduced a nationwide electronic price-monitoring system. Every Tuesday leading supermarkets such as Lulu, Carrefour and Spinneys make online reports of their prices for 200 items including rice, wheat, milk and sugar. The reports are monitored to ensure that retailers are not increasing their prices unfairly.            In January the Government increased competition among suppliers by liberalising the trade in 12 food products including dairy, juices, meats and oils. – The National Â
UAE, US share best maritime practices            A high-level delegation comprising senior officials from Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the government authority in charge of regulating and supervising all aspects of the maritime sector in Dubai and the Department of Transport, Abu Dhabi, recently concluded a visit to the USA where they met different marine entities in California to discuss various aspects of maritime environment and pollution.            The DMCA team was headed by Amer Ali, executive director of Dubai Maritime City Authority, while Majed Al Shamsi represented the Department of Transport.                The delegation first met the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which has been responsible for developing a comprehensive body of regulation regarding ocean going vessels over the last two decades.            DMCA officials discussed topics such as ship emissions, and innovative approaches to mitigate air pollution by ships in ports such as providing shore-side electrical power to the ship at berth while its main and auxiliary engines are turned off. “This US visit is in line with DMCA’s strategy of adopting the best international practices in all maritime-related aspects, especially environmental protection,†Ali said. – The Gulf Today Â
           Umm Al Qaiwain - The White Whale, an oil tanker that ran aground in late October, poses a serious risk to coastal marine life in the UAE if it cannot be salvaged or the 1,000 tonnes of diesel stored in its holds safely drained, an official has warned.            Lying on the seabed 35 kilometres off the coast in Umm Al Qaiwain, the vessel continues to leak fuel, according to reports, despite efforts to patch holes in the hull late last year.            “It will be catastrophic if any of the diesel tanks burst as it would likely pollute the shoreline and cause contamination and endanger marine life,†an official with Khalid Port told Gulf News.            The latest attempt to salvage the sunken tanker is now under way with specialist crews at the wreck site since Wednesday, said Sultan Alwan, the assistant undersecretary for external audit at the Ministry of Environment and Water.            A number of previous attempts to salvage the wreck ended in failure but Alwan said he was confident the latest effort would be successful.            The ship went down off the coast on October 22 and is currently lying at a depth of 35 metres. A number of documented reports by fishermen in recent days of a film of oil on Gulf waters have  raised environmental concerns again in the area around the sunken vessel.            A fisherman told Gulf News that the oil slick appeared to be growing larger by the day leading to an advisory by the Ministry of Environment urging commercial fishing vessels to avoid the area.            The ministry is now working with a company called Dubai Ship Building and Engineering to recover the sunken ship. “Dubai Ship Building, the company contracted by the ministry to do the salvaging work, is an experienced company committed to removing the ship without any leakages that would cause pollution and damage marine life,†Alwan said. “The reason for the earlier delays were just based on the unstable bad weather that brought high waves.†           Salvage plans called for a ship to be dispatched to the area where, accompanied by smaller vessels, the White Whale could be raised to the surface and towed back to harbour, said an official at the company who declined to be identified.            “Every time we set a date for the operation, unfortunately the weather changes the entire plan,†said an official yesterday.            Word that fuel oil was once again leaking to the surface was disheartening for authorities who quickly initiated steps to patch up the holes in White Whale’s hull. Alwan, meanwhile, confirmed that expert divers had been at work to stop diesel leaking from the engines as part of a three-phase retrieval plan. – Gulf News Â
     Estimated to cost US$1.3bn for a month, the billboard featured a Jet Pack Man flying around the billboard in a seconds-long promotion for Skydive Dubai and Go.Skydive Dubai, the world's premiere skydiving centre, in association with Go Fast, a global energy brand, showcased the world's most expensive billboard located in Downtown Dubai, at 6pm on the 1st of June. In what was deemed to be the most expensive billboard, Skydive Dubai and Go Fast utilised a Jet Pack to create the interactive billboard.            The billboard involved a man with a Jet Pack, initially hidden within the billboard, who emerged from the billboard and flew around it for approximately 20-30 seconds, before landing back on the billboard. If the Jet Pack act for the billboard were to have continued for a month, it would have cost approximately US$1.3bn.            The billboard was strategically positioned at the entrance of the stunning Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. Located in one of the most premier destinations in the world, Downtown Dubai, billed as 'The Centre of Now,' the Go Fast billboard by Skydive Dubai created a new landmark for Dubai.            Commenting on the Skydive Dubai's association with Go Fast for the billboard, Mr. Nasser Al Neyadi, Chairman of Skydive Dubai, said: "This is an epic moment, and we are very proud to be part of it. This initiative is another example showcasing Dubai as a world leader in innovation and technology. The billboard came into being with a simple idea that has transformed into an exceptional event to attract a global audience. Our gratitude to our partners, Go Fast and Emaar Properties, without whose support, this would not have been possible."            "Skydive Dubai would like to acknowledge that the creation of such a monumental dropzone would not be possible without the support and extraordinary vision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council and President of the Dubai Sports Council."            Skydive Dubai is supported by Emaar Properties PJSC, the global property developer of iconic projects, and the provider of premier lifestyles. Emaar has been shaping landscapes and lives in the Emirate since its inception in 1997, creating value-added, master-planned communities that meet the full spectrum of lifestyle needs. Downtown Dubai is the flagship mega-development of Emaar, and features iconic developments including Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall and The Dubai Fountain, in addition to homes, commercial offices and leisure attractions.            The seconds of flight time for the billboard in Downtown Dubai would cost a minimum of US$500 per second. If the number of seconds in a month (60 seconds x 60 minutes x 24hours x 30 days = 2,592,000 seconds) is multiplied by US$500, the total amounts to approximately US$1.3bn for the month long fly time for the billboard.            Skydive Dubai is an all-turbine drop zone, offering safe, professional and fun skydiving experience over the breathtaking Dubai skylines. Skydive Dubai caters to skydivers of all experience levels from the first time tandem jumpers to fun jumpers and experienced skydivers.            Go Fast is an independent, authentic, lifestyle brand. Based out of Denver, Colorado, Go Fast was established in 1996 to support the lifestyle of extreme sports enthusiasts. The world-recognised brand is known for the Go Fast Energy Drinks, Go Fast Energy Gum, Go Fast Gear, & and everything that Goes Fast! – AMEInfo.com Â
           At the grand Palace of Arts in Budapest, the curtain rises to the lilting sounds of Arabian flute music and the assembly of Hungarian dignitaries lean forward in their seats expectantly.            There are no sets, few props and minimal dialogue. The script may be Arabic and the tale an ancient one of Nimrod, the Biblical tyrant who mistreated his people and eventually received his comeuppance at the hands of those he oppressed.            But this latest work from the hand of the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, has, improbably, been helping bridge the gap between East and West for several years now.            The play Al Namrood has been quietly building a following around the world during its four-year run.            It has been a success, says Mohamed Yousif – the director of the Sharjah National Theatre, which stages the production around the globe – because Sheikh Sultan writes not as a ruler but from the point of view of an ordinary human being.            The universal themes of suffering and retribution that he evokes have resonated with audiences as far afield as Scotland, Ireland, Egypt and Jordan and the play been seen by nearly 10,000 people.            The Ruler of Sharjah has long enjoyed a reputation for his artistic leanings. He has been pivotal in turning his emirate into a cultural hub and a centre for art exhibitions, museums and an annual book fair.            He first wrote, directed and performed in a play in 1963 in the newly opened Sharjah Cultural Club, nine years before becoming Ruler. But it is little wonder he has felt inspired to put pen to paper in more than 30 books and plays, for his own life has proved a rich source of material.            The Hungarian capital was the latest site to host Al Namrood last month and the setting, opened in 2005, was an apt one. A strikingly contemporary take on the city's Gothic architecture, with its lush, red interior, imposing pipe organ and concert hall, the venue was 150 years in the making, with Hungarians campaigning to have a major new cultural site to sit alongside the city's more historic ones.            Like Sharjah's ambitions to create a cultural and artistic hub with its expansive museums and theatrical projects, it bridges the gap between tradition and modernity.            "The play is about a human character who exists in every part of the world and in every religion, be it Islam or Christianity," says Erika Nyul, a spokeswoman for the Palace of Arts.            Al Namrood, which was first performed in Sharjah National Theatre in 2008, opens with a band of masked villagers miming their simple lives.            The show in Budapest featured surtitles in Hungarian flashed up on a large screen, but the Emirati actor Ahmed Al Jasmi, a television producer and actor on Sama Dubai TV who plays the lead, says the themes are universal and easily understood.            "Drama has a language, just like music. The work of artists is one language. You do not need to explain. If you cannot see what is going on, you understand with your ears. And if you cannot understand what you hear, you can understand with your eyes," he says.            A community production, the 20 cast members have full-time jobs and range from government employees and journalists to TV producers.            They gather in the evenings after work to rehearse when the show goes on tour. The production is not on year-round; it travels sporadically, depending on where it is invited to perform.            The performance in Budapest was part of a cultural exchange initiative between Hungary and the Arabian Gulf region set up by Bela Velez, a Hungarian diplomat to the UAE.            The minimalist nature of Al Namrood not only makes it easier for non-Arabic-speaking audiences to understand, but gives the production the flexibility to pack up and travel anywhere, with the play serving as a form of cultural diplomacy, challenging preconceptions of the Islamic and Arab world.            Yousif says: "We took this story to Europe because Sheikh Sultan said there was a distance between us and other people. He said: 'They do not know our culture.'            "We took the show abroad to tell people that in the UAE, we have art and theatre." At the end of the play, the seemingly omnipotent main player is felled by a mosquito flying into his head through his ear. The villagers attempt to help kill it and at his behest, start throwing shoes at his head, which ultimately leads to his demise.            Written years before the Arab Spring swept through the region, the themes are timely. The message may be subtle, but the parallels with modern political life are powerful ones, while the scenes of commoners subdued by corrupt political leaders and being avenged are eerily reminiscent of recent footage of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Qaddafi in the last days of their lives.            Sheikh Sultan's prescience stems from the dramatic changes he has witnessed in the Arab world, says Al Jasmi.            "I think he is able to see what happens tomorrow. He told us: 'It has been like this before many years ago and it will happen again.'"            Ultimately, though, as the Ruler says in the foreword to the play's programme: "We as human beings are mere mortals. But the theatre is as eternal as life itself."  A life full of rich experiences            As the longest-surviving ruler from the early days of the UAE and the Ruler of Sharjah for 40 years, Sheikh Sultan's life has been as dramatic as his plays and provided a rich vein of material for his writings.            He was appointed Ruler at the age of 33 and his autobiography documents him growing into his role as a leader and the nascent formation of the country.            Born in 1939, he was studying in Egypt when the call came to return to the UAE in August 1971 as the emirates prepared to unite. He took on his current role in January 1972. But aside from his leadership, he has established himself as an important historian and patron of the arts.            The author of more than 30 titles, he has written historical works and theatrical plays, including The Myth of Arab Piracy in the Gulf, The British Occupation of Aden and The Fragmentation of the Omani Empire.            While academic texts on the Arabian Gulf are typically written by those from the West, such as Wilfred Thesiger, Sheikh Sultan's works are primary sources providing invaluable material for those studying the Gulf region.            Bela Velez, a Hungarian diplomat to the UAE who helped orchestrate the Budapest performance of the Ruler's play Al Namrood, says: "There is no other voice from within the Gulf and to get that information from the ruling family is very rare."            Sard Al That, or My Early Life, will be followed by two more volumes, one focusing on Sharjah's cultural accomplishments and the other highlighting its educational growth and the building of universities.            Under Sheikh Sultan's patronage, Sharjah has emerged as an important centre for art and culture on a global scale. It was named Unesco's Arab Capital of Culture in 1998 and boasts 14 museums while Sharjah National Theatre was opened in 1976.            The culture department, which plans its own TV channel, organises the Biennale art exhibition, the Arab Youth Forum and Sharjah Book Fair. Sharjah Cultural Days is a travelling exhibition setting up in two countries each year and was most recently hosted by South Korea last September, an event inaugurated by Sheikh Sultan.            Abdullah Al Owais, the director general of Sharjah's culture department, says: "We have a responsibility to promote Arab culture throughout the world." – The National Â
           Motorsport fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this November have been urged to buy their tickets quickly or risk missing out.            The F1 season has got off to a flying start with just nine points separating the top four drivers in the overall standings after Lewis Hamilton became the seventh different winner in an many rounds this year with victory in Canada on Sunday.            All of which bodes well for the race in the capital which last year played host to a dead rubber with Sebastian Vettel already having the championship sewn up before the circus rolled into the UAE.            Not that the 2011 grand prix lacked incident, as Hamilton claimed victory after Vettel span out early, and it seems petrol heads will be streaming back to the circuit in their droves come November with three-quarters of tickets sold.            “They’re going really well actually,†Yas Marina Circuit Operations and Sporting Director, Mark Hughes, revealed when asked at the Great British Car Rally how preparations were going for the race.            “We start planning pretty much when the last one finishes, and preparations are going really well. We’ve sold somewhere in the region of 75 per cent of tickets so people should hurry to buy their tickets because it will be a sell-out again this year.†           Details of the entertainment offered alongside the weekend’s racing is still being finalised although the Australian V8 Supercars will definitely replace GP2 on the undercard.            “My view is that when people come to see single seaters they all want to see F1 cars and sometimes we don’t have people sat in their seats to see the GP2 race,†he added. “I think by having something different like the V8s is going to attract people to see something different and the V8s always put on a good show.†           Hughes was speaking at the Great British Car Rally, held at Yas to honour the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen of England.            Around 70 classic British-made cars, including Range Rovers, Land Rovers, Aston Martins, Minis and even the exact Rolls Royce that ferried around Her Majesty when she visited Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1979, drove in convoy from the capital’s Corniche to the circuit before embarking on a lap of the F1 track.            “Look at the turnout, it’s fantastic and we’re really pleased,†Hughes said. “The atmosphere’s amazing.†- Sport 360° Â
           Diego Maradona missed out on the first success of his coaching career but insists he has no “regrets†about the way his first season in the UAE ended.            Wasl let the GCC Champions League slip through their fingers on Sunday night as a 3-1 first leg advantage over Al Muharraq in Bahrain was erased at the Zabeel Stadium, before the Cheetahs lost the tie on penalties.            Ill-discipline cost Maradona his first piece of silverware as coach as goalkeeper Majed Naser was sent off in the 10th minute for a head-butt before winger Rashed Essa followed him for a shower 11 minutes from time following a similar act.            Maradona said: “I wanted to win but the circumstances did not help us. I could not do any better than this but even at the end we only lost on penalties and I do not regret anything I’ve done this season.            “I will continue working at the top and we are prepared to make plans and have already started working on next season. We will take a break now and then come back to continue working to make this a better side. We congratulate Muharraq on winning.†           Maradona failed to hide his disappointment at the post match conference, but said had it been an even playing field the result could have been very different.            “Our opponents deserved to win because they took the match out of our hands by taking control of the midfield like we had done in the first leg. They would have won it even before penalties and this is the truth, but it is different playing 11 v 11 and 11 v 9, but I think it is a deserved win for them,†he said, blaming the red card for throwing his gameplan out of the window.            “Definitely the red card and first goal changed the way the game moved because we had to change our tactics and had to remove Khalifa Abdulla. We wanted to play a certain way but this made it difficult for us to continue.†           Al Muharraq coach Essa Sadoon said early celebrations may have cost Wasl the title. “Some factors went our way. After losing a player in the first nine minutes it is difficult, but they tried to get back, however after we scored our second goal they seemed to have lost focus and then when they lost a second player, we were on top,†said Sadoon.            “We had many chances to close the match in the 90 minutes, but we failed to score. I think they may have started their celebrations early, before winning the trophy.            “We felt they thought they had already won the championship and this could have had a negative impact on the players.†Sadoon added: “At home we did not live up to standards. Our performance was not acceptable and we committed lots of mistakes.            “But [away] we showed we are the true Muharraq team this is a boost for other teams and Bahrain football and we will try and come back to win the title.†- Sport 360° Â
UAE intensifies efforts to host 2020 World Expo            A senior delegation led by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of the Emirates Group, left yesterday to Paris to present in-depth insights into the UAE's bid to host the 2020 World Expo in Dubai at a General Assembly of the 160 member nations of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the international organisation responsible for overseeing the calendar, bidding, selection and organisation of World Expos.            This presentation is the second of five opportunities the UAE will have to formally support its bid to the BIE in the lead up to the November 2013 selection of the host nation for the Expo.            Members of the delegation, led by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee, includes Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of His Highness the Dubai Ruler's Court, who serves as Deputy Chairman of the Higher Committee for Hosting the World Expo 2020; Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State and the Higher Committee's Managing Director; Ahmed Abdullah Al Shaikh, Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office; and Helal Saeed Al Marri, CEO of Dubai World Trade Centre.            The presentation to the BIE will take place just days ahead of the UAE's special national celebrations at its pavilion at the 2012 International Expo in Yeosu, South Korea, a three-month event that is expected to attract up to 8 million visitors from across the world. Select members of the Higher Committee for Hosting the World Expo 2020 will travel to South Korea for those celebrations, which will be held on June 14.            The UAE's bid to host the 2020 World Expo in Dubai is competing against biddings by four other candidate cities, including Ayutthaya (Thailand); Ekaterinburg (Russia); Izmir (Turkey); and Sao Paulo (Brazil). – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate, Abu Dhabi's two largest developers, moved a significant step closer to a US$15 billion (Dh55.09bn) merger last night as the pair began due diligence on the deal and appointed advisers. The firms have picked some of the biggest names in investment banking and corporate law. Aldar has hired the law firm Allen & Overy and the investment bank Credit Suisse. Sorouh has taken on Clifford Chance and Morgan Stanley.            "A due diligence process is now under way to assess in detail the implications for all stakeholders, and this process will take a number of months," the companies said in a joint statement. Aldar shares rose 1.8 per cent to trade at Dh1.13 yesterday, while Sorouh rose 0.9 per cent to Dh1.05. The two stocks accounted for more than a third of daily trading volumes on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange last week as investors built up positions ahead of an expected announcement.            The statement comes before Sorouh's board meeting being held today at 2.30pm at its headquarters after the market closes.            In March, Aldar and Sorouh said they were preparing a study to be put before both boards within three months.            A steering committee to oversee the merger has hired Goldman Sachs and National Bank of Abu Dhabi, along with Ernst & Young to provide accounting advice and Jones Lang LaSalle to provide a valuation.            Aldar and Sorouh were together responsible for delivering some of the capital's biggest property developments.            Aldar built the Formula One Yas Marina Circuit and Central Market developments in the capital, while Sorouh is the developer behind projects that include Reem Island's Sun and Sky Towers.            Abu Dhabi property developers were hit hard by the global financial crisis in 2008, with prices in some places tumbling by up to 60 per cent from their peak.            Aldar has already received more than US$10bn in government funds and last November cut 105 jobs. Sorouh has also shed jobs over the past year.            "Retail investors are expected to get excited in today's trading session, as the deal is looking like it's moving forward," said Fadi Al Said, a senior fund manager at ING Investment Management in Abu Dhabi.            "Institutional investors still have a lot of questions on their minds: what is the structure of the merger? What is going to be the strategy of the company going forward? [What] is the new company going to look like?" said Mr Al Said. "Overall, when you have a sector that is struggling, you will usually see a wave of consolidation. A merger of Aldar and Sorouh will be a good thing. It will bring more synergies and lower operational cost, flex more muscle leading to bigger companies."            Aldar wrote down a number of assets last year with some Dh3bn in impairments, provisions and fair-value losses recognised overall. It completed 1,930 residential units including Al Zeina and Al Muneera communities at Al Raha Beach.            It also added about 76,000 square metres of retail space. Aldar is in the process of selling Dh16.8bn in assets to the Abu Dhabi Government. That includes Dh5.7bn for Central Market, the city centre souq designed by Lord Norman Foster. In January 2010, the company disclosed a funding plan under which the Government would buy Dh10.9bn of its Yas Island infrastructure assets, including the Ferrari World theme park and Dh5.5bn of residential units and land.            "The fact that it was confirmed by both companies [yesterday] is a positive development and the share price appreciating in both stocks reflects investor belief that this is progress in right discussion," said Mohammed Ali Yasin, a capital markets expert in Abu Dhabi.            "The sooner we get outcome of valuation of [the] new joint company, that will help to energise stock market and shareholders." – The National Â
           The board of directors of the Abu Dhabi Airport Company (ADAC) has been reshuffled by a decision by His Highness General. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.            Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed's decision appointed Majid Ali Al-Mansouri as chairman of the new board of ADAC, and Abu Baker Siddiq Al-Khouri, Engineer Owaidha Murshid Ali Al-Marar, Ahmed Ali Mattar Al-Rumaithi . Engineer Mohammed Mubarak Ali Al-Mazrouie as members of the board. A three-year renewable term for the board membership was set by the decision. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
Dubai Airports campaign wins award            It was a viral YouTube video that led Dubai Airports to be a winner at the first ever Travel + Leisure Social Media in Travel & Tourism Awards. Announced in New York on Thursday, Dubai Airports won in the ‘best use of a social media platform’ category for international airports.            The submission that won Dubai Airports the recognition was the now famous flash mob at Dubai International, which was orchestrated late last year to promote the DXB Connect airport prepaid card and has since gone viral on YouTube with over 2.7 million hits.            “We are absolutely thrilled about winning this prestigious award, especially because it is one of the very few that recognises creative and effective campaigns involving the emerging media,†said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.            “It is the first major international recognition for our efforts to utilise social media platforms such as twitter, Facebook and YouTube, which are increasingly important to connect with our customers.†           Dubai Airports has a fast-growing presence on the social media scene with its Facebook page attracting 400,000 views and nearly 8,000 ‘tweeps’ following its twitter feed (@DubaiAirports). – Khaleej Times Â
           Online avatars are no longer reserved solely for video gaming enthusiasts. Job seekers can now choose avatars or images based on their personality traits on a Web-based portal through JW Marriott Marquis hotels. It will lead to specific questions about a candidate's character, and match their responses with available jobs. This feature, and the chance for candidates to share access and apply for jobs on social networking sites, will be part of a tool the hotel chain plans to unveil by September.            Rupprecht Queitsch, the general manager at the JW Marriott Marquis hotel in Dubai, says he wants to hire people based on their personalities and would like to see candidates from diverse backgrounds - whether bankers, taxi drivers or postmen - with the hospitality attitude.            "We want to hire people who have not worked at hotels before," says Mr Queitsch. "Because teaching serving, cooking or checking-in people is not rocket science, it is the service attitude that matters."            Online recruitment is picking up in the region as companies here look to save costs, identify the right people, and speed up the hiring process. But the regional corporate world has yet to tap various online tools as much as other parts of the world.            "Many companies do not … invest the necessary resources for [recruitment] to become a successful part of the business," says Guy Rickett, the chief executive of Hiring Solutions, a Dubai software developer specialising in e-recruitment.            At present, fewer than 5 per cent of businesses in the Gulf use online recruitment effectively, he says. "Many companies will have a Web page with vacancies or use job boards to recruit, but those things by themselves are not effective."            The cost and time taken to hire as well as the quality of hiring are the three major areas that companies are concerned about when they recruit. In the Gulf, for instance, it can take at least two months before a new employee comes on board, as many of them come from abroad. "Organisations that have an online recruitment strategy can recruit in less than half the time [compared with those who do not use online tools]," says Mr Rickett.            In short, a dedicated career site turns the company into an autonomous recruiter.            "Going through agencies can get very expensive, and they do not guarantee a high quality of hire," says Mr Rickett.            Such a job site also furthers a company's brand marketing, and allows it to collect and save data.            For instance, the JW Marriott Marquis Web portal will also allow hotel reservations and help in marketing the brand. The second JW Marriott Marquis hotel in the UAE will open in October in Dubai in the world's tallest hotel-only building.            The Dubai luxury hospitality company Jumeirah Group, which is a client of Hiring Solutions, launched its e-recruitment system in 2003.            "In just the first six months, we saved over US$160,000 [Dh587,696] in recruitment costs and got approximately 10,000 professionals registered on our database for future opportunities," Janelle King, who was the group director for recruitment at Jumeirah, said in 2004.            Automation in screening CVs also enhances a candidate's application experience.            With a company job portal, individuals are better able to ask specific and intelligent questions of the employer. "Recruiters have instant access to post a position … and do not have to wait on an agency for assistance," said Andrea Fennessy, the director of human resources at Fairmont The Palm, which is to open in September.            The high employee turnover in the hotel industry and the flow of international skill sets into the UAE are among the reasons behind the idea.            The JW Marriott Marquis Web portal can also help the internal movement of its staff. "You want to explore, in our industry that's good," says Mr Queitsch. "As long as [employees] stay within the company that's better."            The luxury hotel group will hold a job fair next week for 1,150 positions. For this, it will follow a time-tested method: along rows of tables in a large hall, officials expect to meet hundreds of candidates as part of an initial screening. Quick questions are designed to reveal a candidate's attitude to work and people.            "The main driver is the personality," says Mr Queitsch. – The National Â
UAE banks stable: IMF            The UAE banking system does not show any signs of distress and the funding situation of local banks has stabilised, but a foreign funding shock could generate some liquidity tightening in the banking sector, the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, said.            “Stress tests show that the 
banking system could address moderate external liquidity shocks with its own resources, and that the stock of central bank foreign currency reserves would be sufficient to address even a strong shock scenario,†the IMF said in a report it prepared for consultations with the UAE and released this month.            “Nonetheless, because the stress tests are done on the consolidated banking system balance sheet, they do not reveal differences in liquidity between individual banks. In addition, any impact on bank liquidity could be compounded by the possible effects of an oil price shock,†the report said. The IMF suggested that the UAE should develop domestic debt markets quickly to facilitate banks’ liquidity management and help reduce reliance on foreign funding.            Banks in the UAE have an average capital adequacy ratio of 20 per cent and a Tier 1 capital ratio of 15 per cent. The report said since 2008, the authorities in the UAE have taken measures to strengthen some of the weak links in the system. “Banks have been recapitalised and the capital adequacy ratio of the banking system has strengthened to 21 per cent. Weaker financial institutions, including banks, have been merged with stronger institutions,†it noted.            Although banks have higher nonperforming loans, or NPLs, than they did in the pre-crisis period, they became more risk averse in their lending, the IMF said.            “There has been progress in the restructuring of the UAE’s government related entities’ (GREs) debt, with several other corporate debts under discussion. “External rollover needs are, however, very large, with about US$32 billion of sovereign and GRE debt set to mature in 2012,†it said.            In view of the UAE’s financial system remaining highly integrated and exposed to global financial developments, the IMF report underscores the need for the UAE Central Bank to continue to closely monitor the liquidity of individual banks and encourage them to proactively manage liquidity risks.            “There is also a need to mitigate increasing credit concentration, recognise NPLs fully, and continue to provision adequately. Enabling a more robust risk assessment culture, conducting regular stress testing of banks, and strengthening the framework for an early warning system would help further mitigate risks to the banking system and strengthen financial stability,†it said.            The IMF noted that the UAE banking system is moderately exposed to Europe. Foreign liabilities of the banking system are about 19 per cent of total liabilities. Lending from EU periphery banks to the UAE is very small, but lending by banks from core Europe is considerable. – Khaleej Times Â
Abu Dhabi shares rise most in 2 months            Abu Dhabi stocks rose the most since March on bets the government may permit foreigners to buy shares of Emirates Telecommunications Corp., the largest publicly-traded company in the United Arab Emirates. Saudi shares gained.            Etisalat, as the phone company is known, advanced the most since January even after saying it’s not aware of a decision to change the law that governs foreign ownership. The ADX General Index rose 0.6 per cent, the most since March 25, to 2,454.47 at the close in Abu Dhabi. The Bloomberg GCC 200 Index climbed 0.7 per cent after Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul rallied 1.3 percent, the most since April 21. Bank Nizwa jumped 13 percent in the trading debut of the first Omani Sharia-compliant lender.            A law that governs Etisalat may be amended to allow foreign and institutional investors to own the shares, Emarat Alyoum reported last week, citing people it didn’t identify. A change will help widen ownership of shares beyond UAE citizens and give overseas investors’ access to Etisalat, which may post a 26 per cent increase in profit this year, according to the mean estimate of eight analysts on Bloomberg.            Saudi Arabia’s stocks climbed to 6,749.49 led by Al-Rajhi Bank, the kingdom’s largest lender, and Saudi Basic Industries Corp., the world’s biggest petrochemical maker. The country is OPEC’s biggest oil exporter. Oman’s MSM30 Index decreased 0.5 percent.            Bahrain’s measure climbed 0.5 percent. Kuwait’s gauge and Dubai’s DFM General Index advanced 0.2 percent, while Qatar’s QE Index fell 0.2 per cent. In North Africa, Egypt’s EGX30 Index retreated 0.4 per cent. - Bloomberg Â
           Du has announced it will begin offering a 4G 100mbps broadband service from next month, the fastest available in the UAE, according to chief commercial officer Farid Faraidooni.            The new service will more than quadruple the 24mbps fastest speed previously offered by the telco.            Etisalat currently offers a 30mbps service, while STC in Saudi Arabia gives customers speeds of up to 200mbps.            Faraidooni announced plans for the new 4G LTE fibre optic service in an exclusive interview with Gulf News.            “Du is focusing more on the data than the voice,†he said. “We are investing heavily on infrastructure for mobile broadband customers.†Consumers are no longer “bothered about how many minutes they can call or how many SMS they can sendâ€, he added.            “They are bothered about how fast my broadband is and how easy it is. We have done a survey, and what we got from the feedback is that the customers are always on the move.†           With the growth in uploading data to the likes of Facebook, YouTube and other social networks, speed has become “an important factorâ€, according to Faraidooni.            “So your traditional upload speed of 512KB is not comfortable. This is the speed you get today,†he said.            “Consumers have become generators of content. We are introducing ‘real home broadband premium’ where you can enhance your upload speed.            “It can go to a maximum upload speed of 6mbps for a 24mpbs download speed. We will be offering six times faster than our competitor at the same price.†           Faraidooni revealed the launch could have come earlier if there were devices on the market to make it worth it.            He said even faster speeds were possible once the technology caught up.            “Our 4G LTE network was ready for deployment in December 2011, but there was no devices available at our spectrum (1800mhz) for consumers to really benefit from LTE. We have tested the dongles and tablets in our lab,†he said.            “Our network is ready for 150mbps speed, but the devices out in the market can support a speed of 100mbps.†           Du currently covers 27.8 per cent of the population of the UAE and will offer the new service across its reach. It also covers 35.3 per cent of urban areas.            “Customers can buy a tablet from the market and insert a 4G LTE-enabled Sim card and start using it,†Faraidooni said.            “You don’t need any configuration settings. We are ready for 4G LTE smartphones also, but we don’t have a device that works on 1800mhz spectrum.†           Testing has show that Apple’s iPads will not operate in the new spectrum.            Faraidooni said pricing would be reasonable, without giving further details. – Gulf News Â
UAE smelters on show at aluminium summit in US            Senior industry representatives from aluminium industry will gather in New York, from June 11 to 13 for the 2nd Annual Aluminium Summit. This forum, hosted by leading metals publication, American Metal Market, brings high-level leadership and market participants together to share and debate ideas for advancing the aluminium industry and its supply chain. Aiming to leverage the opportunity to reach this prestigious audience, the UAE’s primary aluminium producers — Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) and Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) — will participate jointly in the exhibition component being held alongside the summit.            The combined DUBAL-EMAL exhibition stand will showcase the two companies, and their product portfolios. “DUBAL’s Marketing and Sales team is responsible for marketing the metal produced by EMAL. This amounted to 288,568 metric tonnes of cast aluminium in 2010, and 749,000 metric tonnes in 2011†in addition to DUBAL’s own sales, which exceeded one million tonnes in both years,†says Walid Al Attar (Executive Vice President Marketing & Sales at DUBAL and Vice President Marketing & Sales at EMAL).            “Indicative of how important the American market is to us, approximately 123,900 metric tonnes of DUBAL’s 2011 production was shipped to North America, as was some 119,160 metric tonnes of that produced by EMAL -i.e. 243,060 metric tonnes in total, representing 13.6 per cent of our combined production.            The participation of DUBAL and EMAL at the 2nd Annual Aluminium Summit reflects our confidence in achieving further growth in this market going forward. In anticipation of this, we have already begun to strengthen its existing marketing and sales offices in the USA.†           An entirely state-owned enterprise, DUBAL owns and operates a one million metric tonne per annum primary aluminium smelter at Jebel Ali, Dubai -one of the largest single-site operations of its kind in the world -and in 2011 produced 1,014,795 metric tonnes of hot metal.            The company is renowned internationally for its premium purity, high quality products and services†as well as its commitment to sustainable development through conscious efforts to maximise the health and safety people, reduce the impact of its operations on the environment, and invest in the social and economic development of the community. Dedicated programmes support the Emiratisation goals of the UAE, including targeted recruitment, skills development, management training and strategic career planning. – The Gulf Today Â
           Working women in the UAE are more ambitious than their peers elsewhere in the world. In a survey of 3,900 male and female executives in 31 countries, including at least 100 of whom were based in the Emirates, the global management consulting company Accenture found that 80 per cent of women questioned here were willing to take on more responsibility and challenges to advance their career. That figure compared with a global average of just 58 per cent.            Employers here were also helping them, by rolling out initiatives to support their progress, including work/life balance, counselling and mentorship programmes. However, the news was not all as good.            More women in the UAE were dissatisfied with their jobs than men, at 56 per cent compared with 52 per cent.            Globally, the situation was reversed, with more men who reported being unhappy with their career than women, at 59 per cent compared to 57 per cent.            But only 8 per cent of women who were dissatisfied were looking elsewhere for work, compared to just 6 per cent of men.            Barriers to advancement in women's careers in the UAE included a lack of opportunity or a clear career path, which was cited four times more often as family responsibilities. But more than a third of those questioned said they had suffered no impediments.            A similar number said they had some type of flexible work schedule.            Traditionally it has not been easy to access part-time working hours in the UAE, which may have led more women to set up their own businesses, said Lucy Chow, who is co-chairwoman of the Dubai chapter of women's global network, 85 Broads.            "They might have thought, 'I have tried looking for work, it just doesn't pay enough.' Or, 'it's not at the right level,' or 'I think maybe I can do it on my own,' or 'I can consult,'" added Ms Chow, who is a former banker and founder of The Elements Group, which creates high-profile events focused on fundraising and leadership.            One such woman is Lucy Donnelly, who lives in Dubai with her husband and young child. She says the corporate world has a number of limitations for women, including maternity leave, which is shorter than in some other countries.            "(Those limitations) seem to attract women to taking their own initiative outside of day jobs, the role of mum and wife, towards their own initiatives," says Ms Donnelly, who is the principal earner in her family.            "I work full time as legal counsel to a multinational corporate and am in parallel focusing on developing my own business in order to explore the boundaries of my capabilities in the hope of one day being my own boss, to work my own hours and create my own policies on life and work balance," she adds. – The National Â
           The Emirates Human Rights Association (EHRA) has hailed the decision of the His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for drafting a federal law on children protection in the UAE with the aim of ensuring safe and bright future for them.            Abdul Rahman Ganem, Head of Child Committee at EHRA, said that the law will have a positive and active role in protecting children’s rights.            He also stressed that the decision comes out of Shaikh Mohammed’s keenness to protect a child’s future in the state and it will work on reducing crimes that violate the rights of the child besides it will be a deterrent for those thinking of committing crimes against children. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           The Federal National Council is to demand at Tuesday’s session that a law be issued on a UAE dress code so that local culture and sensibilities be respected by force of the law.            Hamad Ahmad Al Rahoumi, a member from Dubai, will be quizzing Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, on the issue.            Al Rahoumi told Gulf News there has to be a law and it has to be respected. “There has to be respect for the people in the UAE. Residents and tourists should dress modestly and not spread their bad habits for our children to see and imitate,†he said.            The FNC representative stressed the dress code should ensure all residents and visitors respect the tradition of the country in all the aspects and not misuse the freedom.            “I am not demanding that visitors and residents wear our clothes, but their dress should be respectful and not revealing,†Al Rahoumi said, stressing that women wearing revealing clothes are against the UAE’s culture and offend local sensibilities.            The law, he said would target expatriates and tourists who violate the traditions, especially with regard to the dress code.            He also suggested that the law also tackle other “unacceptable behaviours†such as kissing in public.            “These behaviour affect our children, who learn from what they are experiencing.†The representative also demanded that visitors and tourists be informed of the rules and that it is offensive to dress in shorts and mini-skirts or kiss in a shopping mall or in the streets.            “Dress code brochures should be given out at the airport and when the passport is stamped with the visa. Also, there should be big posters in malls and everywhere showing the rules and how women should dress decently.† Other issues            Al Rahoumi will ask Al Owais, who is also acting Minister of Health, why the rate of cancer incidence is high in the UAE.            The minister will have to answer a third question on salaries of medical interns. The representative will also demand answers on why the FNC has not been given access to information. – Gulf News Â
AUS to set up ecosystem research centre            His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), chaired the meeting of the university’s Board of Trustees held at the AUS main building on Sunday. Subsequent to the meeting, Dr Peter Heath, Chancellor of AUS, announced that the board had approved the establishment of the Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Research Centre that is envisaged to provide the university and the faculty with research opportunities and establish AUS as a focus point in the region.            Sheikh Sultan expressed satisfaction at the progress made by AUS over the past quarter. During the meeting, the Sharjah Ruler also thanked the board members for their commitment and dedication towards the development of the university and approved a number of important initiatives.            “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bee’ah for the generous Dhs30 million endowment made earlier to support the centre,†he said, thanking Bee’ah Chairman Salem Al Owais for his support and continued cooperation with the university.            The centre will promote multidisciplinary research activities to understand the influence of human and natural factors on the Gulf ecosystem. It will also act as a central resource for data and knowledge, which will assist governmental and non-governmental agencies and policy-makers in planning and execution of sustainable management programmes concerned with the health of the Gulf ecosystem.            Subsequent to the meeting, Sheikh Sultan visited an exhibition entitled Six Degrees, which showcased the best works of the College of Architecture, Art and Design’s graduating class of 2012. – The Gulf Today Â
UAE charity celebrates honour bestowed on British Islamic Studies organisation            The Khalifa Bin Zayed Humanitarian Foundation participated in the reception held in London recently to celebrate the award of Royal Charter to the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.            The Centre is the first Islamic organisation to receive a Royal Charter. The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies was granted the honour 27 years after it was set up, with the Prince of Wales hosting a reception to celebrate the historic achievement.            Charles, who is patron of the centre, hailed its work to improve understanding of Islamic culture.            He said it was “absolutely right†that we should do all we can to nurture an institution which not only promotes a better informed understanding of Islamic culture and civilisation but also reminds both the Islamic world and the West of “those timeless, universal principles of harmony enshrined within Islam.†           UAE Ambassador to Britain Abdul Rahman Ghanem Al Mutaiwae, Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Abdul Razak and ambassadors of a number of Arab and Islamic countries also attended the reception.            The Khalifa Bin Zayed Humanitarian Foundation had supervised the construction of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in the Centre that became the meeting place of cultures in Oxford.            The Mosque was built to the highest standards with facilities for learning and research in Islamic sciences. Dr Farhan Nizami, director of the centre, said: “This is a most important and welcome moment and I would like on this occasion to thank warmly all those who have encouraged and assisted the centre’s development over more than 25 yearsâ€.            The Royal Charter, illuminated on vellum, was on display during the evening. Such charters are granted by the Queen on the advice of the Privy Council. – Emirates News Agency, WAM Â
           Picture the scene: a power cut strikes one evening in a girls’ dormitory at an unnamed Dubai university.            An electrician is promptly summoned and the staff tell students to cover up because a “riyaal†(man) is coming to fix the problem.            “We put on our hijab,†writes Kaltham Saleh, “but soon there was a great commotion in the dorm. Right then, carrying a toolbox, in steps Shahrukh Khan, the knight of our dreams.†           Or rather, an Indian electrician who looks a lot like the so-called “King of Bollywoodâ€.            Later, by some fanciful quirk, this same tradesman ends up performing a Bollywood-style dance routine for the girls.            “It was a truly a comical scene ... we saw our supervisor faint from shock.†           Just six pages in length, this is an episode from a chapter entitled Shahrukh Khan: Torturing Innocent Hearts in Made in Jumeirah, Saleh’s broadly enjoyable debut novel.            It is typical of the kind of comedic moments that appear throughout this collection of unconnected stories, told in diary form, which together tackle the issues that young Emirati women encounter in contemporary society.            “It is meant to be entertaining, but has advice and messages for the next generation of Emirati youth,†says the 25-year-old author.            Launched earlier this year at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, this 187-page book almost appeared on the shelves under a different name.            “Until the last minute, I was going to name it Mouzakarat [diary] of a Young Emirati Girl from Jumeirah, but then I decided to give it the name of one of my chapters,†she says. “I am glad I did.†           A Barbie-like character adorns the book’s cover, dressed in a figure-hugging abaya and shayla, holding a BlackBerry smartphone in one hand and a Dior handbag in the other. She also dons a pair of pink sunglasses while balancing what is widely called “camel hump†hair that has been aided by the gambooa’a, a hairpiece worn beneath the shayla to create a distinctive beehive effect. “She is what a typical Jumeirah Emirati girl looks like, whether they like to admit it or not,†says the author, who has been criticised in some quarters for her choice of illustration on the book’s jacket.            Saleh, who works in the government sector, says Made in Jumeirah has allowed her to explore her “artistic sideâ€.            “Jumeirah is my home, and I love it, and so I wanted to write a book using it as my setting.†           Unfortunately, unless the reader is overly familiar with the neighbourhood, there isn’t enough rich description of its streets and shops within her pages to fully bring Jumeirah to life.            That said, it is a generally engaging, if whimsical, read and the book goes on to tackle some very serious subjects including blackmail, relationships, reckless driving and even rape.            One chapter tells the story of a young girl who wonders out loud: “What does it feel like for a woman to get raped?†Later she is brutally attacked by a Pakistani labourer and then has to live with the consequences of this terrible violation.            “The shame, the disappointment and the scandal ... I found out my brother did not report the crime to the authorities to avoid scandal,†the reader later discovers.            Made in Jumeirah may deal with the subject a bit too breezily, but it succeeds in opening up an area of discussion that is usually kept behind closed doors. Another such issue is the controversial social phenomenon known as boyat, a subculture whose members are described as “alien,†“shameful†and “disgustingâ€. Boyats are generally short-haired young women who dress in masculine clothes and adopt a tomboy style.            “They said a lot of what I mentioned doesn’t happen in the Emirati community. But I say this is all true and based on stories I have collected from other people,†she said.            A chapter entitled How are We to Escape Death? is about a mother struggling to cope with family life after she has a stroke.            “If someone doesn’t like the messages in Made in Jumeirah, they can at least enjoy it as a light and fun read, and perhaps even practice their Arabic.†Overall, for all its interesting diversions, there isn’t much depth to the book and, because the chapters are so short, the reader rarely has a chance to properly connect with the characters.            The exception is in its heartfelt closing pages, which the author admits are based on her own life.            Despite courting controversy in some quarters, the book is doing “very well†according to its publisher, Jamal Al Shehhi, who set up Kuttab Publishing two years ago.            “It is currently our bestseller,†said Al Shehhi, who has published about 40 titles, the majority of them written by first-time Emirati authors.            “Made in Jumeirah is different, and people are attracted to its title and cover,†he said, before adding that the book’s first edition of 2,000 copies is close to selling out and that Kuttab plans to make available a further 4,000 copies when a second edition rolls off the presses. He is keen to publish Saleh’s debut work in English language translation.            Al Shehhi, who is also the author of a series of children’s books featuring a naughty cat called Hassoun, says he aims to publish titles that are “unique†and enjoyable, and admits the world of book publishing is not without its hazards.            “Arab readers can be a bit too critical, so it is always a fine line you have to walk when writing for that audience.† - Rym Ghazal is a senior features writer at The National. Â
           Meerah Ketait missed out on a chance to represent Zayed University at a conference honouring college students in the US because she had other obligations.            She was so disappointed that she and two other Emirati women decided to create a web portal allowing for the live streaming of conferences - including the ability to make presentations online.            "We wanted to not only see the conference, but also be able to participate, ask questions and be present. That's how the idea of live-streaming conferences came to life," said Ms Ketait, 22.            Their web-based platform, MindTalk, provides an interactive experience at conferences in the UAE as they are happening. The website offers networking options for online users to discuss the events, connecting directly to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn applications.            "This idea was inspired when we missed a lot of events and conferences in the UAE and abroad," said Ms Ketait. "[We were] not able to attend [due to] different responsibilities and restrictions such as time, place and work. Our target audience is mainly women. The idea of MindTalk is to make attending and participating in events more convenient for women and people with obligations that cannot physically be at the event."            The concept was thought up by Ms Ketait, Azza Al Nuaimi and Sarah Al Qassimi, all UAE nationals.            It was co-founded with the expatriates Christiane Schloderer and Satheesh Kumar last October during StartUp Weekend, a 54-hour event where developers, designers and entrepreneurs shared their ideas to find out whether projects were sustainable.            The web portal has won praise from the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, which last year named it "Most Innovative Idea".            The group has since registered with the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME).            "MindTalk is a newly introduced idea to the UAE and GCC by locals," said Ms Al Nuaimi, 22. "We are looking to stream events that are interesting and grab people's attention that are not well advertised."            Last weekend, the website streamed the second edition of StartUp Weekend in Al Meydan, Dubai. The portal captured the pitches, interviews and working environment among the participants from a booth that the women had set up.            "We started streaming pitches when they started. We interviewed some of the participants on the spot and showed who were the winners until the programme ended. We were also able to stream when Sheikh Mansoor [bin Mohammed bin Rashid] attended the conference," Ms Ketait said.            A member of the group monitored the website and responded to questions from the viewers. She acted as a mediator between the viewers and the events. "For example, when people asked us about who is pitching, we would answer them," Ms Ketait said. "Others pointed out we had a technical issue with the sound, so we immediately fixed that."            Sarah Falaknaz, a partner at Innovative Machine, the company that organised Start Up weekend, praised the web portal.            "They are involving a big demographic in the region with their initiative," she said. "The idea is new to the region, and I haven't heard of such an initiative anywhere else. The idea can not only encourage, but also support and raise awareness, especially among females, to interact and be part of conferences."            Ms Schloderer, who has 10 years' experience as an executive and a mentor to entrepreneurs, said: "I am very much looking forward to developing MindTalk into the regional live broadcasting company.            "The initial responses from potential customers were very encouraging. Compared to many other regional ideas, MindTalk is working on a unique portfolio that we are striving to extend." The next events MindTalk plans to stream live are StartUp Weekend Abu Dhabi this Thursday and Startup Weekend Qatar on June 16. To watch, visit http://www.mindtalk.ae. – The National Â
Modhesh World ready to open on June 14            Modhesh World, one of the region’s biggest indoor edutainment venues, will open from June 14 at the new location of Dubai World Trade Centre.            Survey results from last year’s event show that it is one of the most popular summer activities in the region. It regularly attracts tourists from neighbouring countries and provides a high approval rating. This year’s event will run for 73 days until August 25.            Laila Mohammed Suhail, CEO of the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment, organisers of the Dubai Summer Surprises and Modhesh World, stated that Modhesh World has been able to put itself at the forefront as one of the most popular and desirable leisure destinations for families across the region.            Every year, we conduct an interactive, qualitative and statistical study with Modhesh World visitors to explore their opinions and impressions about their visits, evaluate the satisfaction of our stakeholders, whether they are visitors or partners, and to identify success factors and define areas that need improvement or elimination. Our goal is to continuously maintain Modhesh World’s position as one of the most attractive destination in the region,†she said.             “The number of visitors at Modhesh World is growing every year. This is a result of the continuous improvements and diversifications to the venue and its attractions.            We were careful throughout the previous years to add extra zones that cater to the needs of children of older ages such as teenagers, in addition to offering more entertainment shows in Arabic and English to cater to all nationalities.†This year’s Modhesh World will offer around 40 different entertainment areas for children, teenagers and grown-ups alike. – Khaleej Times Â
           Abu Dhabi played host to the P1 SuperStock UAE Trial Day at the Emirates Palace Marina over the weekend, introducing to the region one of the fastest growing forms of luxury marine motorsport.            Prospective pilots have been invited to join the new UAE series which will feature the boat in question, the P1 Panther.            Martin Sanborn, a Director of P1 SuperStock USA and two-time US National and World Champion offshore pilot, was among those in attendance at the trial event and he himself took the P1 Panther for a mock race demonstration.            Sanborn, who has an APBA-UIM world kilo speed record of 142.3 miles per hour, explained: “There are few things in life as exhilarating as being a P1 SuperStock pilot. There is an adrenaline rush that surges through your body the moment you get into your boat and hit the water.            It takes discipline, hard work, practice and dedication to be a champion. I thoroughly recommend anyone to try it.†           P1 SuperStock USA Director Azam Rangoonwala added: “I am very proud to have launched the P1 SuperStock UAE Trial Day. Our vision when we developed the PI SuperStock Championships was to find new pilots and discover some of the world’s best pilots to compete and perform in this thrilling and exciting marine sport.            "I’m confident that we are well on our way to developing the next generation of Powerboat P1 pilots.†           The P1 Panther is powered by a 250hp Evinrude High Output engine and built to the latest eco-friendly emission standards. It can easily be converted into a high speed leisure craft too.            Known as the ‘Grand Prix of the Sea’, the UAE joins the P1 series currently taking place in the UK and USA. With rapid expansion plans and new championships on the horizon in almost 20 other countries - including the launch of a new Indian SuperStock series in December 2013 and the P1 SuperStock World Championships in 2015 - P1 SuperStock is poised to become the next generation of global motorsport.            The series is the brainchild of UK-based Asif Rangoonwala, CEO of Powerboat P1 Management, a company with over nine years experience in delivering over 85 championship races in 12 countries.            The business also has a long-term contract with the sport’s governing body, the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), and a commitment to growing and developing the sport of powerboating at all levels. If you are interested in becoming a pilot of the P1 SuperStock Championships, please visit www.p1superstock.ae and get in touch via their email. – Sport 360° Â
           Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS) in Abu Dhabi is teaching UAE children the vital skills in the art of goalkeeping.            Current Manchester United first team keeper David de Gea will act as the inspiration for UK-based goalkeeping expert Peter Nicholls, who is in Abu Dhabi to conduct the four-day course.            Taking place from July 1-4, the programme is aimed at the growing number of children interested in following in the footsteps of Manchester United goalkeeping legends Peter Schmeichel and Edwin Van der Sar.            Nicholls is a UEFA qualified goalkeeping coach, who worked for six years at the Football Association (FA) in England as a Grassroots Football Development Officer before joining the MUSS residential courses in the UK as a goalkeeping coordinator.            The course, to be held at the Dome@Rawdhat on Airport Road, is open to boys and girls aged 10-16 years.            The programme will feature 12 hours of on-field coaching time with each day dedicated to learning different goalkeeping techniques.            “We introduced the goalkeeping programme during last year’s summer courses and it was incredibly popular,†said Andy Dixon, head coach of MUSS in Abu Dhabi.            “Peter’s expertise is invaluable for our kids to learn from the best. He has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in this area and is looking forward to developing the young goalkeepers within the UAE.†           Nicholls added: “The goalkeeper position is very specialised and technical. I’ll be teaching the children about the importance of confidence and concentration between the posts, as well as developing their technical ability.†– Sport 360° |
