•         Those who call the UAE home are invited to record their own performances of the UAE national anthem •         Website and social media launched for people to submit recordings Abu Dhabi, November 23, 2020: The UAE community will unite in harmony as they lend their voices to a unique performance of the UAE National Anthem for the 49th UAE National Day. The Organising Committee of the Official 49th National Day Celebration is seeking to bring people together by inviting them to record their own vocal performances of the anthem, in a campaign titled “Eishy Bilady” – the first two words of the UAE’s National Anthem in Arabic, which means ‘long live our country’. A dedicated page on the celebration’s official website ......read more

• Transformative plans include a considered upgrade of designated areas    • Existing shops and markets will remain open to public throughout the redevelopment period    Abu Dhabi, UAE – 19 November 2020:  The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) and Modon Properties (Modon) today announced details of the comprehensive renovation plan for designated areas of the historic Mina Zayed area.  In line with Abu Dhabi government's vision for the urban development of the emirate, the plans include a complete overhaul of the existing souks, including the fish market and plant souk, and the addition of a new seasonal market.   The Mina Zayed Wharf is being redeveloped as part of an overall plan to revitalize designated areas in order to elevate Mina Zayed’s ......read more

- Dubai Chamber employees volunteered to pack food items and show support to Dubai’s sailor community.   - Volunteering efforts complements other CSR initiatives and activities organised by the Chamber in response to Covid-19.   United Arab Emirates -  November 19, 2020:   As part of its efforts to champion CSR and boost its social impact, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently organised a volunteering event, which saw its employees prepare and distribute 400 food packs to sailors working at Dubai Creek.   On November 18th and 19th, Dubai Chamber employees volunteered their time and took part in the activity, which was organised for the eleventh consecutive year.   The latest effort follows other CSR initiatives led by the Chamber this year, including its donation ......read more

Sharjah, November 19, 2020:  Her Excellency Dr. Khawla Al Mulla, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah (SCFA), said on the occasion of World Children’s Day: “On this day, we celebrate the leadership of the UAE and its commitment to implementing child rights, as well as its distinguished record in the child care field locally, regionally, and globally, placing it at the forefront of world countries in providing decent life to children and maintaining their rights. She pointed out that allocating a specific day for celebrating the Emirati child, which is observed on 15 March each year, reflects the great attention paid by the wise leadership for childhood and their relentless efforts to preserve children’s rights and their psychological, social, and educational needs. Sharjah, ......read more

Dubai, 19th November 2020:  Challenging and uncertain times call for compassion and generosity. St Mary’s Church in Dubai is doing just that through its ‘Meals of Grace’ initiative.  Launched in April this year in response to the pandemic, the Parish has been able to reach out to over 6000 underprivileged workers and families. In addition, the Parish offered support to a camp of 280 distressed workers with hot dinners and dry rations. An enthusiastic Father Lennie J. A. Connully (OFM Cap) Parish Priest of the Church said ‘Charity is at the heart of Christian beliefs and we are doing all we can to support those vulnerable people during this crisis. Proper nutrition is absolutely vital at a challenging time like this and we are delighted that we can provide this service. Through this initiative we ......read more

Dubai, November 17, 2020:  Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment, MBRHE, has started its logistical preparations for launching the 4th edition of The Housing, Building Materials, Decoration & Engineering Consultancy Exhibition “Decobuild 2020”, with the precautionary and preventive measures in place to ensure the safety of both exhibitors and visitors. The 4th edition will be held at “Elbait Metwahid” Hall, Al Warqa'a 4, Dubai from 26 to 28 November, under the sponsorship of, Dubai Municipality, Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, Sharjah Municipality,the Department of Housing Sharjah, the Department of Economic Development (DED), the UAE Society of Engineers, and Sama Dubai Channel (media sponsor) and with the support of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Decobuild 2020 will bring together under ......read more

Initiative by Ministry of Economy to share the country's experience and benefit from expertise & research in the future of the economy Abu Dhabi, 16 November 2020: The Ministry of Economy (MoE) launched the ‘International Advisory Council on the New Economy’, a first of its kind initiative, with the participation of international experts, advisors and economic policy makers, as well as influential national figures involved in the formulation and development of many of the UAE's economic development programs. H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, said: "The Council is a new initiative that the UAE is developing, through which we will work to develop ideas, proposals and formulate new economic policies.” The Council will undertake a set of tasks related to the structure of the ......read more

• Almost 9-out-of-10 employers are worried about retaining talent • 36% indicate that wage cuts or lack of wage increases, and promotions are a cause for concern among employees • COVID-19 is re-shaping local employee benefits, examples include reductions in both cost of living and additional allowances such as Education • Robert Half’s 2021 UAE Salary Guide reveals latest salary, benefit and hiring trends for more than 130 positions   Dubai, UAE, 16th November, 2020:  Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialised staffing firm, has announced the launch of its 2021 UAE Salary Guide providing in-depth data-driven insights into recruitment trends across the Emirates. According to the Salary Guide, based on data from the recruitment firm’s latest national survey of ......read more

• The Indian Consulate in Dubai facilitated the repatriation process as VFS Global sponsored return flight tickets and cleared the pending visa fines  • The workers flew in batches from Dubai to Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad    United Arab Emirates -  November 14, 2020:   Diwali is a festival of new beginnings and lighting of sparkling diyas. But, more importantly the festive season is all about spending time with loved ones at home. The pandemic has stranded many Indians abroad, away from their families. To support the Indian government’s efforts to repatriate distressed Indians from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), VFS Global, the world's largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, joined hands with the Indian ......read more

United Arab Emirates -  November 08, 2020:   Since the U.S. election this Tuesday, nearly all assets including most commodities have enjoyed a strong surge. The everything up and U.S. dollar down narrative unfolded despite the prospect of at least two years of political gridlock in Washington preventing U.S. fiscal stimulus from flowing into a Covid-19 hit economy, while also putting the brakes on the reflation trade.  Commodities nevertheless rallied hard as it became increasingly apparent that Joe Biden was heading to the White House despite Trump’s unfounded claims about foul play. While equities surged higher in response to collapsing volatility, it was the weaker dollar that gave precious and industrial metals as well as other commodities a boost. Following the election, the Bloomberg Commodity Index has ......read more

• Saif Al Midfa named members of UFI’s Board of Directors    Sharjah, November 8, 2020:  The UAE has been re-elected for the second consecutive year to serve on the Board of Directors at UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry following the recent election held in the association’s headquarters in Paris.  This has been announced after H.E. Dr. Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, has been officially named member of the association for the next three years.   great confidence    “Being re-elected to serve on the UFI’s Board of Directors is yet another testament to the great confidence placed in the UAE’s representatives and is in recognition and appreciation of their efforts made to serve, improve and enhance the ......read more

Dubai, UAE, 3 November 2020:  Global Village, the UAE and wider region's leading multicultural family destination for culture, shopping, and entertainment, joined the national celebrations to mark UAE Flag Day 2020, by proudly raising the Emirati flag high above the park. The senior leadership team at Global Village accompanied by a number of employees raised the flag together at 11AM this morning. The park has always promoted the UAE's core principles and supported the country's continuous development. As an incubator for new ideas and a platform for personal and professional development, Global Village empowers local talent, presents pathways to business success, and contributes to the UAE's Emiratisation plan, in line with the aims of the visionary leadership.  In addition to this morning's ......read more

Dubai, UAE – 02 November 2020: Director General of Dubai Customs Ahmed Mahboob Musabih made a field tour of the customs centers at Al Hamriya Port, Deira Wharfage and Port Rashid. Accompanied by members of the senior management in Dubai Custom, Musabih met with the employees at the three centers and was briefed on the efforts taken to further advance customs services, and procedures followed to combat the spread of Covid-19.  Since January until the end of October, the three centers completed 77,200 transactions (37,800 by the Creek and Deira Wharfage Customs Center, 23,800 transactions by Al Hamriya Port Customs center, and 15,600 transactions by Port Rashid Customs Center).  In the 1st 10 months this year, 37,300 inspection operations took place in the 3 centers, led by Port Rashid Customs Center with 15,600 ......read more

Sharjah, November 1, 2020:  The Expo Centre Sharjah, the organizer and the host of the SteelFab exhibition, has announced the postponement of the 17th edition of the event, which was scheduled to be held in January 2021, to June of the same year. In a statement, the Centre’s Board of Directors said that the decision made after assessing the current global conditions and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy, aviation, and air freight, and conferring with strategic partners and a number of industry leaders. The Centre added: “We have already reached an agreement with a number of exhibiting companies that have booked a reasonable percentage of stands and booths. However, the delay of the event would be in everyone's best interest to attract the largest possible number of visitors and ......read more

• The AED 11,020,500 (USD 3 million) program supports teachers’ professional development and fosters learning among 50,000 students from primary and secondary schools   • The program is in line with the Global Council on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4 – Quality Education) digital strategy   Dubai, UAE, 27 October 2020:  Dubai Cares, part of Mohamed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum Global Initiative, has announced the launch of the “Educate, Learn and Innovate through an E-platform” (ELITE) program which is set to provide professional development for teachers as well as support 50,000 students across Paraguay with access to quality education. The program is a result of the Global Council on Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDG 4 – Quality Education) meeting held in Dubai ......read more

Regardless of whoever wins the US election there will be no easy path to reforms and no healing of a divided USA, says Saxo Bank The most likely result from the US election is a contested result where neither side will accept a loss, and a period of uncertainty and financial market volatility will follow, according to Saxo Bank’s Chief Investment Officer, Steen Jakobsen.  Speaking during an online briefing session hosted today by Saxo Bank, and featuring both Jakobsen and Head of FX Strategy John Hardy, Jakobsen emphasised that he doesn’t believe that the election result will make a substantial lasting difference to the US economy or stock market, but that there is a risk of market volatility in the scenario where the election result is contested.  He said: “This is undoubtedly the most contested ......read more

27, October 2020:   Procter & Gamble (P&G) in partnership with AbuDawood donates one million masks to the Saudi Health Endowment Fund as part of the efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. The company’s far-reaching force for good initiatives are aimed at protecting everyday heroes, providing support for communities, relief agencies and their employees as part of its  P&G “Protect Our Heroes” relief missions. Omar Channawi CEO P&G Middle East, East and West Africa and General Exports Markets, said: “Our mission to step up and serve others as a force for good starts in the communities we operate in. We want to do our part to support the Saudi government’s ongoing effort to fight the pandemic. This donation of masks to the Saudi Health Endowment Fund will provide an ......read more

Dubai – 24 October 2020:  In conjunction with the breast cancer awareness month, and as part of its social commitment, Dubai Customs, represented by the Women’s Committee, launched an awareness campaign titled “You Have the Power”.  The campaign introduced a number of health awareness activities over the month of October including 3 health awareness video conferencing lectures that covered a number of topics related to breast cancer and means of prevention.  One of the lectures, which were attended by 300 female employees, was presented by Aisha bin Huwaireb Al Muhairi who hosted a lady to talk about her recovery from breast cancer. Dr. Isaaf Hasan Ba Rahma, Consultant and head of general surgery section at Dubai Hospital presented a lecture about means of protection and treatment, and the ......read more

Dubai, UAE – 21 October 2020:  Dubai Customs solved 170 intellectual property disputes between January and September 2020 including 109 disputes between April and September, which was marred with the spread of the Covid-19 and lockdowns locally and internationally.  This reflects the high level of commitment from Dubai Customs side to fight counterfeiting despite the presence of these challenges and their direct impact on inspection operations.  “Fighting these counterfeit goods and preventing their entry into the country is very important, especially during the pandemic,” said Yousef Ozair Mubarak, Director of IPR Department. “The damage caused by counterfeit goods to the economy, environment and even perhaps our overall quality of life should be something of a given for most ......read more

Dubai – 20 October 2020: Jebel Ali Customs Center, part of Dubai Customs’ Sea Customs Centers Management, thwarted 103 smuggling attempts in the first 8 months of 2020 (Jan-Aug).  A total of 104,074 inspection operations were done and 144,025 containers were scanned in this period.  Prohibited goods, which were seized by the Center, varied to include 33,930 kg of sandalwood, which is in violation of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Another seizure included 53,760 narcotic pills packed in 32 boxes, and another one included the narcotic (paan) substance packed in 5.5 million plastic bags and hidden in 92,400 boxes.   “We developed our inspection systems to ensure best effective ways of thwarting smuggling of prohibited goods,” ......read more

• The fines are progressive and start from AED 50,000 • RERA urges those wishing to own property to verify the advertisement sources and licences before proceeding and paying any money   Dubai, UAE, 20 October 2020: The Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), at Dubai Land Department (DLD), has implemented inspection campaigns aimed at auditing advertising permits and ensuring that various parties adhere to the circulars and laws enforced in the emirate. During the aforementioned campaigns, RERA fined 10 real estate companies and warned 30 others for not adhering to the advertising requirements.   DLD clarified that each fine is valued at a progressive AED 50,000, stressing that it may reach the stage of cancelling the licence of the violating real estate company. The violations committed comprised three ......read more

Dubai, UAE – 19 October 2020: On the World Statistics Day, which is celebrated around the globe on 20 October 2020 under the theme “Connecting the world with data we can trust”, Dubai Customs revealed that it has generated 2,134 statistical reports on Dubai’s foreign trade during the period from January till September this year.   These reports were furnished to government and private sector organizations to help decision makers make informed decisions based on accurate statistical data, enabling them to formulate sound future strategies and forecasts of potential trade growth for different commodities, sectors and markets.   “The celebration of the World Statistics Day aims to promote the importance of trust, authoritative data and innovation in statistical systems,” said ......read more

United Arab Emirates,  October 19, 2020:  Abdulla Ahmed Al Suwaidi, Acting Director-General of the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi (SCAD), states that World Statistics Day 2020 highlights the need to develop the science of statistics. Al Suwaidi said that with the availability of huge amounts of data – across all fields – comes the urgent need of human capabilities to produce accurate statistical data that adds value and supports progress.  Al Suwaidi said: “Today, our professional community celebrates World Statistics Day under the banner ‘Connecting the World with Data we can Trust.’ Accurate, reliable and up-to-date statistical information is fundamental, especially in light of the world’s rapid changes. Relevant statistical data is no longer a luxury, but a prerequisite for ......read more

First Saudi woman to achieve a Guinness World Records title singlehandedly  Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 19 October 2020:  Ohud Abdullah Almalki, known as ‘The Artist of the Nation’ marks an incredible milestone becoming the first Saudi woman to achieve a Guinness World Records title singlehandedly, the global authority on record-breaking achievements said. The Al Naseem neighbourhood product in Jedda draws the Largest coffee painting in the world using expired granules, illustrating seven renowned figures of Saudi Arabia and the neighbouring United Arab Emirates.  Two giant pictures of the founding fathers of the two nations, the late King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman, and the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. On the painting as well, pictures of KSA and UAE rulers including the Custodian of the Two ......read more

SSC will be working strategically to support the humanitarian efforts of TBHF Sharjah, October 15, 2020:  The fact that sports and philanthropy have a similar power to bring people from all walks of life together, to stand behind a cause has been proven, once again, as the Sharjah Sports Club (SSC) signed a cooperation agreement today (October 15) with The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), a Sharjah-based global humanitarian charity dedicated to helping refugees and people in need worldwide.   With the signing of the agreement, SSC has named TBHF as its Humantarian partner . Under the agreement, SSC will be supporting and promoting all activities and messages that TBHF designs and implements in order to create a better future for refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) worldwide.  The sports club will ......read more