Monthly Archives: September 2013

The first day of the Eid Al Adha holiday is expected be on Tuesday October 15 in most Islamic countries, according to a statement today from the Islamic Crescents’ Observation Project (ICOP), the WAM news agency reported.

“The sighting of the crescent should be possible in most regions of the world with naked eyes on Sunday 6th of October 2013, therefore it is predictable that day will be the 1st of Dhu al-Hijjah 1434 AH, and therefore the 10th Dhul al-Hijjah 1434 AH, or Tuesday 15th October 2013, is expected to be the first day of Eid al-Adha,” the statement read.

via Officials reveal start date for Eid Al Adha – ArabianBusiness.com.

His highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and constitutional monarch of Dubai. In his time as ruler — he officially ascended to the position in 2006 after the death of his brother Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum — and before in his position as Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohammed has been credited with shaping Dubai into the modern, global city of today. Projects such as the creation of The Palm Island, the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel and the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, all happened on his watch.

via Whos behind Dubais Expo 2020 bid? – Politics & Economics – ArabianBusiness.com.

Emirates Airline said on Sunday it has opened a VIP Lounge at the home of Real Madrid Football Club as part of its five-year sponsorship deal with the Spanish club.

The branded VIP Lounge at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium was launched on Saturday night and has been unveiled less than four months after signing the prestigious five-year shirt sponsorship with Real Madrid.

The new lounge was officially opened by former Real star Emilio Butragueño, now the club’s institutional relations manager, and Fernando Suárez De Góngora, Emirates’ manager Spain & Portugal.

Covering an area of 375 sq m, the lounge can comfortably host more than 200 guests during match days, the Dubai-based airline said in a statement.

via Emirates Airline opens Real Madrid VIP Lounge – Travel & Hospitality – ArabianBusiness.com.

The results for the prestigious Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award are here.Participants from around the world, including Emiratis, won the top honours.Winners in the sections such as Beauty of Light Category; Black & White Category; Emirates Category; and General Category have been so far announced.Below are the pictures of the grand prize winner and the first three winners of the above mentioned categories.

via Worlds richest photography prize in Dubai: Click to see amazing winning pics – Emirates 24/7.

The Abu Dhabi Executive Council, at a meeting chaired by Gen Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Council, on Wednesday approved housing loans and infrastrucrure projects worth Dh15.8 billion.

The Council adopted a number of development projects related to infrastructure and social development sectors, and endorsed a new batch of housing loans for citizens. It also discussed advancing work at a number of projects in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, including the nuclear energy project, stressing the importance of such projects and their role in adopting efficient solutions for clean energy.

via Dh15.8b housing loans, projects for Abu Dhabi – Khaleej Times.

Union Properties is set to return to large-scale property development in Dubai with projects worth Dh1.5 billion planned for the next three years.

The company behind developments such as Motor City and the Green Community was hit hard by the 2008 property crash. Now it is back with plans for at least six new projects that include a mall and a theme park.

The first phases of a new retail development called The Ribbon and the expansion of the Green Community will start immediately.

Other projects include a new theme park project that will also include residential units, an expansion of the Uptown Mirdif retail district, and a new retail development called The Link.

via Live in a themepark? Dubai developer Union Properties Dh1.5bn plan to get back in the UAE big time | The National.

A successful 2020 Expo bid on November 27 will provide a major boost to Dubai’s GDP gross domestic product growth, BofA Merrill Lynch said on Tuesday.Dubai, which has emerged as the frontrunner, ahead of other contenders that are hoping to host the World Expo in 2020, will see its construction award activity pipeline showing strong improvement, while spurring job creation, the US bank said. Sao Paulo in Brazil, Yekaterinburg in Russia and Izmir in Turkey are the other cities vying to host Expo 2020.Analysts at BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research said the estimated impact of a successful Dubai Expo 2020 bid would be $23 billion or 24.4 per cent of the emirate’s GDP, spread over the period 2015 to 2021. This would include the total spending by the host city, participant and visitors, as well as the impact on the supply chain and consumption, Merrill Lynch said.

via Expo win to give Dubai $23 billion boost – Khaleej Times.

If the next bus you take to Marina Mall has a particularly quiet engine and smooth acceleration, there will be a reason for that: it’s electric.

Related

■ Take bus to ease traffic congestion in Abu Dhabi, motorists told

■ Has car tech become too smart for its own good?

Transport links just keep getting better

Topic Green products Abu Dhabi Bus Routes

Transport chiefs are putting two battery-powered buses, the first in the region, through six-month trials in Abu Dhabi, starting at the end of next month.

A 65-seater will ply the route between Marina and Abu Dhabi malls, and a 48-seater will travel between the city, Mussaffah and Baniyas.

The routes were chosen because both have high passenger numbers, and analysts will be able to compare the buses’ performances on a city route with frequent stops and a more suburban route with fewer stops.

The manufacturer, Ankai, which is based in Anhui, China, said that when loaded with passengers the buses can travel 200 kilometres on a full battery charge.

via First electric buses in region will operate in Abu Dhabi from October on six month trial | The National.

Dubai is the best networked city in the Middle East, according to a new index released by global technology giant Ericsson.

Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have been named the best regional cities for delivering technology-based benefits to its residents.

The first Networked Society MENA City Index analysed the levels of ICT-driven benefits created in 11 of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s largest cities.

via Dubai tops MidEast rankings for technology benefits – Technology – ArabianBusiness.com.

The UAE remained the top Arab consumer market with its imports of more than $273 billion in 2012 exceeding a quarter of the region’s total imports.

Official data also showed the UAE had the second largest trade volume after Saudi Arabia, with its total commercial activity sharply surpassing its GDP.

The UAE’s imports of goods and services totaled $273.5 billion in 2012, the highest volume in the Arab world, accounting for almost 27 per cent of the region’s total trade of goods and services of around $1,022 billion, showed the figures by the Kuwaiti-based Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Corporation (IAIGCC).

via UAE remains top Arab market – Emirates 24/7.