EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS INVITED AT UNITED ARAB EMIRATES  INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION

Between 19 to 24 November 2009 Professor Anton Caragea, president of European Council on International Relations (EUCIR)  was invited to participate at the 38 Celebration of National Day of United Arab Emirates. This was the first participation from European Council on International relations to the National celebration of United Arab Emirates.

The invitation was issued by the National Media Council of United Arab Emirates and was destined to support an increase in bilateral relations and mutual knowledge. The program for the visit was very dense and full with high level meeting destined to offer to participants a deep knowledge of the United Arab Emirates prominent place in today`s world. The delegation has meet with His Highness Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of UAE, Prime-minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan – Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, H.E. Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Sheikh Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister for Foreign Trade, Sultan Al Jaber CEO- Masdar etc.  Also the delegation received a complimentary tour of the most successful projects of United Arab Emirates as Yas Island- the place for a real estate revolution and Saadiyat Island, a project of the most complex cultural and green city in the region. Without a doubt  the most important moment of the visit was the reception hosted by His Highness Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of UAE, Prime-minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai   that expressed his willingness to make all the necessary efforts to assure the brightest future to united Arab Emirates, to increase economic capacity of the country and to foster relations with all the of European Union and with a special emphasis on European markets as a hub for United Arab Emirates products and technologies invested in Europe. The participation of  professor Anton Caragea as representative of European Council on International Relations at this important anniversary of 38 years of independence of United Arab Emirates was in itself a symbol of the willingness from both side to create what Professor Anton Caragea, EUCIR president  declared a strategic partnership between European Union and United Arab Emirates.

 European Council on International Relations delegation in audience with His Highness Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of UAE, Prime-minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai

His Highness Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of UAE, Prime-minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai

Professor Anton Caragea along side Mr. Saoud Al Harthy, director Government Communication, receives explanation about Saadiyat Island Project -  a Cultural Vision

Professor Anton Caragea , Director IRICE- Romania and H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan – Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research-UAE

Professor Anton Caragea speeking about investment opportunities in European Union and political environment

These guys are great, I just wish I could understand German. Here is a link to a piece I did some time ago for wknd. magazine where I had a brief stint as editor. Sanaa is an amazing place and will be going back to Yemen in January to do a piece for Esquire Middle East.

In case you have not noticed there is some media coverage of Dubai at the moment. This veers from the sublime to the ridiculous. The Dubai media coverage simply stays put at ridiculous. While no serious people take Gulf News, Khaleej Times or Emirates 24/7 as newspapers in the truest form of the world; ie: reporing the news, said papers could have least tried to inject some context into their reporting.

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Frank Williams has confirmed his team will return to using Cosworth power in 2010, ending months of speculation surrounding Williams’ engine supply for next year. Williams last raced with Cosworth in 2006, before the independent manufacturer withdrew from the sport, but is returning in 2010 as part of the FIA’s new low-cost vision for the sport. The news means Cosworth will be supplying at least five of the teams on next year’s grid.

Despite holding a contract for a Toyota engine supply for 2010, Williams were successfully excused from the agreement as they sought the services of another supplier. Although initial negotiations reportedly took place with Renault and Mercedes, the team eventually opted for Cosworth.

While the Cosworth V8 is currently lacking in power and fuel efficiency, the FIA has allowed the Northampton-based crew to upgrade their engines until mid-2010. F1’s other engine manufacturers have not been allowed such a priviledge, and it is hoped the allowance will bring Cosworth closer to its rivals in the power stakes.

Frank Williams revealed the move to Gulf News ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “We’ve finished our contract with Toyota and we’ve moved on to a British engine manufacturer Cosworth with whom we have won many world championships in the past,” said Frank.

“They are 50 miles away from Williams which is very convenient. Besides we also like our independence. We will be not under the influence, not that Toyota ever bossed around, but we’ve just gone a private and independent route.”

Williams also revealed to Gulf News that he will confirm his driver line-up on Monday, just one day after the season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit. “We will announce our drivers for next season on Monday,” said the 67-year-old. Nico Rosberg has already confirmed this weekend’s race will be his last for Williams.

It is widely expected that Williams will confirm GP2 champion Nico Hülkenberg and 2009 title contender Rubens Barrichello as its line-up for next year.

Reference: manipef1.com

Local (leading?) telecoms provider Etisalat has been making the news recently for all the wrong reasons.

First the BlackBerry service stops working:

gulfnews : etisalat BlackBerry disruption latest in a series of problems, say subscribers.

Then mobile services in general:

gulfnews : Etisalat mobile services in UAE restored after disruptions.

Etisalat upgrade affects connections – The National Newspaper.

It is necessary to go back a few weeks to get more context on Etisalat’s behaviour towards its esteemed clients:

Etisalat BlackBerry update was indeed spyware, RIM provides a solution.

Competing carrier Du didn’t think twice before trying to capitalize:

Du launches special offer for BlackBerry users – Telecoms – News & Features – ITP.net.

Uncharacteristically Etisalat took out a full page advert apologising for the muck up faults.

Life in Dubai: An apology from Etisalat!.

I couldn’t help wondering then, how with all this consumer confidence to reclaim they were running this sort of crappy ad:

Taken somewhere off Gulfnews.com

I mean, large skyscraper space in business section, say something enticing, reconciliatory, whatever.

Unrelated side news (both puns intended): Gulfnews site running Google Ads?

Apparently, Islamic banking is “becoming popular”. So says Gulf News, who’ve done an interview with the CEO of Al Hilal bank.

He’s pretty bullish on the sector’s growth potential as well; he thinks there will come a day when Islamic banking will become the norm, rather than simply an alternative to ‘conventional’ banks.

Do you agree?

http://www.gulfnews.com/BUSINESS/Banking_and_Finance/10353950.html

 So, I am on the wrong side of 30 but I still love those fluffy cuddly things that smile innocently from their crowded aisles in the toy store. I take great care of them and have names and clothes for every single one of them in my huge closet. The last time I counted I had good two digit number. Yet, when one hot summer afternoon, I discovered a terrible truth of ageing (a silver strand of hair amidst my black crowning glory) I knew that very instant, it was time to live some of the childhood dreams.

One of the many dreams I had was to own a big fluffy bear my size – or at least half my size.

That very evening, we went to get the bear of my dreams. My son and I took turns to check on every single cuddly one. At last, we settled on a big 58 inch light brown bear with an enormous bow and huge eyes.

The bear looked adoringly sweet and in the next instant ‘he’ was sat on the back seat of the car with the seat belt fastened. We had to now find the perfect name for ‘him’. My son asked, “are you going to call him Teddy?” Well, I knew that it would not be Teddy because, I didn’t want a former US president in my house.

I had sometime back visited a Teddy Bear Exhibition which gave us the history of why the cuddly bears are called Teddy bears. The story has it that Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th US President once went bear hunting in Mississippi.

After having found no bears, one of the men, finally tied an old wounded bear to a tree and got the president to do the deed. But, the president with all his good heart did not shoot the animal. Instead, he ordered the animal to be killed without pain as the bear was already suffering. This incident in 1902 became very popular so much so, that a political cartoonist by name Barryman, illustrated this very event in his cartoons. Soon, a cuddly bear replaced the big bear that appeared in the first cartoon.

Popular bear

The popular bear in America was still called a bear. The first teddy bear however was made by a candy and novelty store owner in New York. Michtom and his wife Rose ran a small store in Brooklyn where they also sold, hand made bear toys. Michtom, sent President Roosevelt, a bear and asked him if he could call it ‘Teddy Bear’. The president, then, not thinking much of it, gave him the consent, and the first Teddy Bear was born. Michtom, then, started to mass produce teddy bears and within a year, he started his very own company called the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company.

Interestingly, today, almost all bears are called teddy bears. Some of the story books refer to bears as Teddy or Ted and it is all understood. It is now synonymous to the bear. Some people even refer to anything fluffy as a teddy! The most famous bear of all is Winnie the Pooh.

I love Pooh Bear too. I love the way, the red t shirt falls on him. I love his peaceful face and his whole group of friends. I think the 100 acre wood would be one happy place in real life.

Of course, the big bear seated behind me was in real time that I could huddle and cuddle. The 58 inch bear, could not walk or talk in real. But I still had to name him. The only name that crossed my mind was Sigma.

Sigma, is the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet. The upper case Sigma denotes summation in mathematics. In my case, Sigma is the summation of all my childhood dreams. Today, I can declare with pride that he has lived up to his name. So truly Sigma.

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/07/09/10227368.html

Since we are on the subject of Gulf News newspaper…
According to Gulf News, this was the weather yesterday:

Today, it’s a different story:

Huh? No weather today? No sun? No clouds? No Hi temperature? No Lo Temparature? What is happening to the world!?!?

I was browsing our company newspaper, Gulf News, in the pantry a few days ago when I stumbled in the editorial page:

It was Barack Obama calling Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But wait! Is that a “Pssst…!”?

I immediately forwarded the newspaper to my face… It is a “Psst!”

I always thought that the Pssst is a Filipino trademark of informally calling the attention of your fellowmen.
Then I checked again:

Eh kaya naman pala eh! Si Kabayang Luis Vazquez naman pala ang cartoonist nila. Akala ko naman marunong nang sumutsot si Barack.

March 25, 2009

The Handbag mysteries (published on Nov.3rd, 2008)

Oh man, i waited too long to post this letter I found to Gulf News. Behold :

“Once, I had a cat follow me and I would give it food from time to time. On another occasion, I helped a sick dove to recover, too. Animals ought to be given priority and we must take care of them, because they depend on us.”

So, the city is in recession – that is the only possible explanation I can think of. There must be rampant unemployment, people are sitting in their homes going crazy and the solitude is making them write letters about birds. That has to be it, right? Because I can’t imagine a normal person- a hard working 8-6 worker who has enough shit to deal with and kids and a husband and bills to pay – I can’t imagine this person coming home to write a letter about a damn bird. Because really – noone gives a fuck. What do you want people to say? That you’re a hero, that you’re a regular old Robin Hood? Should we get you a medal or name some bloody street after you? We could call it Stupid Asshole Avenue.

I’m being very serious about this- we have swine flu killing people everyday, people are struggling to collect on their unemployment, there’s wars going on, the world has enough to deal with. We don’t need to “give priority” to animals – we need to give priority to ourselves because it looks like our race could use a little bit of tender love and care right now. So seriously, just piss off lady, take your cat and your dove and go shack up with Arundathi Roy somewhere.

Зарегистрированная в Либерии Valentine Maritime (Gulf) L.L.C. займется строительством морского участка газопровода Джубга–Лазаревское–Сочи. Премьер-министр РФ Владимир Путин 15 июля подписал распоряжение, разрешающее заход в российские воды принадлежащего Valentine Maritime судна — трубоукладчика Regina–250 под флагом ОАЭ. В распоряжении также перечислены другие суда Valentine Maritime, участвующие в строительстве.

Valentine Maritime создана в 1990 году. Компания занимается строительством объектов морской инфраструктуры в ОАЭ, Иране, Йемене, Турции, Индии, Кувейте, Катаре, Саудовской Аравии. В России пока Valentine Maritime не работала. Морской газопровод до Сочи включает в себя морской участок, который проходит вдоль черноморского побережья на глубинах не более 80 метров. Его общая протяженность — 175,54 км, из них морской участок составляет 157,91 км. Мощность газопровода составит до 4 млрд кубометров в год.

КАИР, 23 июля – РИА Новости. Всемирная организация здравоохранения (ВОЗ) рекомендовала запретить паломничество к исламским святыням Мекки и Медины (хадж) в 2009 году лицам старше 65 лет, детям в возрасте до 12 лет, а также больным, страдающим хроническими заболеваниями, сообщило египетское агентство МЕНА.

Это решение было принято по итогам экстренного заседания министров здравоохранения арабских стран, которое прошло в среду в Каире под эгидой ВОЗ.

Региональная комиссия ВОЗ также рекомендовала правительствам ближневосточных государств усилить работу по мониторингу распространения вируса A/H1N1 и других схожих заболеваний. Кроме того, каждому государству рекомендовано разработать национальную стратегию по вакцинации населения.

Региональное бюро ВОЗ продолжит координировать борьбу с распространением опасного вируса и окажет техническое и информационное содействие в случае необходимости.

Обряды хаджа, который начинается в этом году в ноябре, ежегодно выполняют около 3 миллионов мусульман. Ряд государств уже объявили об ограничении выезда паломников в Мекку и Медину.

ВОЗ 11 июня впервые более чем за 40 лет официально объявила о введении шестого, максимального уровня угрозы пандемии в связи со стремительным распространением по миру гриппа A/H1N1.

По данным различных источников на 14 июля, число заболевших гриппом А/H1N1 в мире составляет 113 тысяч 507, из них 549 – с летальным исходом.

Abu Dhabi: Residency departments across the country will manage a fingerprint identification system and database for all residents in the country, a senior official said on Wednesday.

“Starting next month, applicants for residence visa will be fingerprinted under a tighter biometric system to provide more secure identification and prevent fraud,” Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Minhali, Acting Director-General of the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department told Gulf News.

He said fresh applicants for residence visas will get their fingerprints taken before the medical check-up to ensure they have no criminal record.

“Those found to be with criminal records will be denied visa and handed over to the police for further legal action.”

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Al Minhali said a number of residents who had their fingerprints taken for obtaining identification cards were found to have a criminal record.

“This prompted authorities to introduce this measure to prevent people with a criminal record from obtaining a visa.”

He added residents living in the country will be fingerprinted when they apply for renewal of their visa.

“The move will eventually cover all residents in the country, including workers sponsored by their employers, investors, domestic workers and parents of residents,” he said. Al Minhali did not specify the fees, but said they will be nominal.

Many residents questioned the move and asked if there was any point in being fingerprinted for the ID card and then again for the residence visa.

But Al Minhali said the National Identity Authority examines whether an applicant has a criminal record or not, but the database that will be set up at the Naturalisation and Residency departments across the country will act as a source of information to ensure only those with certificate of “good conduct” or “lack of a criminal record” will be granted residence visa.

Al Minhali said fingerprinting services will be available at Naturalisation and Residency departments across the country. He did not say whether the fingerprinting will be done manually or electronically.

“We will manage a fingerprint identification system and database for all residents in the country and lead the way in the development, assessment and implementation of new techniques for operational fingerprinting.”

Categories covered under scheme

Employment Visa: Employment Visa or Permit is issued by the Naturalisation and Residency Department to a foreign national who wishes to work for a company in the UAE upon the approval of the Ministry of Labour.

It allows the holder to enter the UAE once for a period of 30 days and is valid for two months from the date of issue. When the employee has entered the country on the basis of the employment visa, the sponsoring company will arrange to complete the formalities of stamping his residence.

Residence Visa: A residence visa is required for those who intend to enter the UAE to live with a person who is already a resident. It is issued to the immediate kin of a resident for three years renewable for a fee of Dh300. The residence permit becomes invalid if the resident remains more than six months at a time out of the country.

Parents of residents are issued residence visas after special approval with a renewable validity of one year for a fee of Dh100 for each year. A refundable deposit of Dh5,000 has to be paid for each parent.

Investor Visa: It is issued to an expatriate investor in partnership with a local. The foreign investor must hold a minimum stake of Dh70,000 in the share capital. Like the residence visa, it is issued for three years for a fee of Dh300.

Visa for domestic help will be covered under the fingerprinting scheme.

Taregna: The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century pitched a swath of Asia from India to China into near darkness Wednesday as millions gathered to watch the phenomenon.

But millions more, gripped by fear, shuttered themselves in. India abounds in superstitions and fables based on Hindu mythology, one of which says an eclipse is caused when a dragon-demon swallows the sun.

The eclipse is caused when the moon covers the sun completely to cast a shadow on earth. In some parts of Asia it lasted as long as 6 minutes and 39 seconds.

Thick cloud cover over India obscured the sun when the eclipse began at dawn. But the clouds parted in several cities, minutes before the total eclipse took place at 6.24 am.

In neighboring Bangladesh, people came out in droves.

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“It’s a rare moment, I never thought I would see this in my life,” said Abdullah Sayeed, a college student who traveled to Panchagarh town from the capital Dhaka to view it.

He said cars in the town needed to use headlights as “night darkness has fallen suddenly.” People hugged each other and some blew whistles when the eclipse began, he said.

One of the best views, shown live on several television channels, appeared to be in the Indian town of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges river, sacred to devout Hindus.

Thousands of Hindus took a dip in keeping with the ancient belief that bathing in the river at Varanasi, especially on special occasions, cleanses one’s sins. The eclipse was seen there for 3 minutes and 48 seconds.

The eclipse – visible only in Asia – was moving north and east from India to Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China.

It is the longest such eclipse since July 11, 1991, when a total eclipse lasting 6 minutes, 53 seconds was visible from Hawaii to South America. There will not be a longer eclipse than Wednesday’s until 2132.

“We’ll have to wait a few hundred years for another opportunity to observe a solar eclipse that lasts this long, so it’s a very special opportunity,” said Shao Zhenyi, an astronomer at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory.

A 10-member team of scientists from the premier Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore and the Indian air force were to fly and film the eclipse, an air force press release said.

Scientists said the Indian village of Taregna would have the clearest view, where thousands of scientists, nature enthusiasts and students gathered a day in advance.

Summer is upon Dubai and temperatures are rising. The Ministry of Labour has implemented the midday break policy and inspectors are patrolling to ensure that workers are not out in the midday sun. Gulf News finds out exactly how the policy is being upheld.

After big financial fraud in India and one of the major ones in world, yet another but biggest scandal in Indian history which resolves around key defense official. Read details in following news clip:

Today, I learned from a friend, who works in city mayors office, that soon Bishkek’s public transport system will be enriched by 150 new Chinese-made buses and couple dozens of handicap-friendly Belarus-made trolleybuses. Another good news is that Chinese-made buses are bought for a grant money by China kindly given to Kyrgyzstan (if I am not mistaken, it is 5 mln CNY).

Finally, we are getting rid of these damn marshrutkas… (marshrutka - a small minibus, often remade to fit as many passengers as possible, often too dirty and stinky, often too crowded, often creates road accidents and traffic jams , as it stops anywhere you hail it)

UAE National Flag

Non- residential people who wish to apply for residency visas for the United Arab Emirates will be supposed to pass a test about the local culture before their application gets approved. The idea came after the Federal National Council (FNC) suggested that expats should be well aware of the culture and traditions of United Arab Emirates before their application for visa. According to the First Deputy Speaker, FNC, Ahmed Shabeeb Al Dhahiri, a sound knowledge about culture and traditions of the Arab Emirates would definitely be a prime importance for the people who want to apply for visa in the near future. According to him, a sound knowledge of the same will make the visitor more compatible with the environment and therefore avoid any confusion or violation of any laws.

In October, a new committee would be set up this year for the development of strategies in the same regard which will comprise of members from the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Interior, Youth community and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It will produce a series of easy questions that will be containing a test that expats will be required to go through and pass for the sake of getting residency visas.

DUbai Airport

According to Al Dhahiri, “Too many cheap holidays tourists do not know anything about our culture. There are many nationalities and every resident needs to know something about this country. The objective of the cultural test is to educate expatriates on the customs, traditions and culture of the UAE, which would enable them to interact better with Emiratis. The committee will also establish a guide to the country’s traditions that will be issued to local embassies and consulates while the support of the media would also be sought to raise cultural awareness levels among expats.”

What does the country’s flag look like? What is the official religion of the country? These are the two instances of the types of questions; expats will have to answer soon after law is passed

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, a UAE based businessman, told The Media Line said, “I agree with the suggestion. In the past few months we have had a series of incidents in which expatriate residents have been caught doing inappropriate things in public such as sexual intercourse on a public beach.”

Any one who is a non resident and plans to work in the UAE or these six countries that constitute the Gulf Cooperation Council – Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, must apply for a residency visa in order to pursue their job in the UAE. The Gulf countries which possess oil based economy, heavily depend on expat employees working in the private sector in the United Arab Emirates, less than one percent of the population of the employees in such countries comprises of the locals.

The Gulf

Al Qassemi said, “A knowledge booklet or even a brief test would ensure that the local customs are adhered to. The Emirati national population can’t protect their identity considering the influx of foreigners without at least making them aware of the local sensitivities.”

A majority of the population of workers in the construction and real estate sector, flagship industries with continuous growth and new hiring with the growth of number and size of the projects, also comprises of the foreigners. However, due to the recent global recession, many expats decided to leave the country.  This also laid a great impact on the real estate sector. It was estimated that by the end of this year, only one-third of the apartments being constructed in the UAE will be occupied. A huge population of foreigners mean that the use of the native language, Arabic, becomes less frequent. With the decreased use of Arabic, some issues developed in the Emirates. While the use of Arabic language has been replaced to a great extent by English, some locals have begun using a hybrid tongue that blends Asian languages with Arabic.

It is just hoped that the law is implemented in a non-intrusive and non-forceful manner and that children and the elderly are exempted from the test.