Month: August 2007
Wild Elephant on rampage
Photos of a wild elephant, which came down from the forest near Pathanamthitta in Kerala and created fear, damage and death (killed one person). Photos courtesy – Malayala Manorama
Desktop grocery clicks big time
Desktop grocery clicks big time
By Dina Aboul Hosn, Staff writer/GULF NEWS Published: August 15, 2007, 23:36
Dubai: Residents of new Dubai areas can now order their daily groceries online, thanks to an innovative project of two young Emirati men.
Supported by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders, Khalil Al Mansouri and Nasser Hussain joined efforts to set up eMart, the UAE’s first online supermarket.
“We cater to the residents of the new developments in Dubai, who have no supermarkets or groceries nearby, and want to save the time and effort they spend shopping for groceries,” Al Mansouri, managing partner of eMart.
“Many people want to avoid the hassle of leaving home, driving and queuing in the very few hours they get to spend with their families or rest, and this is where the idea came from,” he said.
Al Mansouri said he does not like to think of his project purely in business terms.
“Instead of solid sales figures, I like to say that I have more than 3,750 loyal and satisfied customers since we started eight months ago. Some of our customers order their freshly squeezed orange juice, bread, cheese and their daily newspaper to be delivered to their doorsteps at 6am, on a regular basis. And they get it,” Al Mansouri said.
He added that the products are not only fresh and of the highest quality, but eMart also promises buyers lower prices than most other supermarkets and conventional stores, besides delivery in less than an hour.
“Some people say that online shopping lacks the personal touch, so we thought about it and came up with Viva, our icon. The cute Viva is your helper when you go shopping online. Through a live chat support, shoppers can ask Viva about products and where to find them, and make any suggestions,” Al Mansouri said.
“Most of our customers are women, who find it convenient to shop online without leaving their houses and getting stuck in traffic to buy a few items. We receive an average of 150-200 orders daily, out of which an estimated 75 per cent are made by women, and this is why we created Viva, a female icon, to be closer to them,” he added.
The 18 delivery motorcycles are equipped with custom-made cool boxes that have separate compartments for frozen, refrigerated and room temperature foods, and orders are delivered by seven similarly equipped cars. Customers are not charged for delivery or service.
“We also play the role of middleman between suppliers and customers. Suppliers can display their products on our pages, and we do the delivery.
Environmental angle
“Our prices are the cheapest, and our warehouses are kept in pristine conditions, hygienic and air conditioned. We also do our bit for the environment by working in a paperless environment and reducing the number of cars on the roads,” Al Mansouri said.
“We even bill our customers through their emails, and they can electronically sign their invoices.
“They can log on to http://www.emart.ae and make orders round the clock, but we currently deliver from 6am to 1am. By next month we will be delivering orders round the clock,” he added.
“Our slogan is future shopping today, because soon most people will be shopping online for all their needs to save time and effort,” Al Mansouri said.
Fast facts:
Website: http://www.emart.ae
Offers 2,200+ items
Orders can be made round the clock
Live chat support
Deliveries from 6am to 1am, and round the clock from September
Frozen, refrigerated and room temperature items can be delivered at the right temperature in custom-made cool boxes.
Team 1 news – 479 dt 15082007 – 60th Independence Day Special
Dear members,
A warm welcome to all of you to sit, relax and read through the 60th Independence Day Special edition of Team 1 news.
India is a land of tradition and 60th Birthday is one which all family members take pride and care to celebrate in the best way and pay tribute to those whom we love and lived with. On such occasions we all tend to give a gift of our choice. As a truly patriotic Indian, it is my simple and humble gift to my mother country and fellow Indians. If I am able to generate a Positive and Quality feeling in you to contribute and build our nation to a greater height, I will be more than satisfied. Making an effort is something which is always better than doing nothing. I believe totally in it.
Do not hold on to your thoughts and ideas. If you would like to contribute to Team 1 with your own articles, photos or any thing which is of Quality Value to our readers, please email them at team1dubai@gmail.com .
For a pdf version of the newsletter in full, please email your request to team1dubai@gmail.com.
God Bless,
Ramesh Menon
15082007
Maximum speed limit on many roads in Dubai ‘to be lowered’
Maximum speed limit on many roads in Dubai ‘to be lowered’
By Ashfaq Ahmed, Staff Reporter / GULF NEWS Published: August 14, 2007, 23:35
Dubai: Motorists beware: the maximum speed limit on many of Dubai’s roads, including Shaikh Zayed Road, will be changed soon.
The maximum speed on Shaikh Zayed Road from Interchange two to Interchange five (Dubai Marina) will be reduced from 120km per hour to 100km per hour, confirmed an official from the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority.
The speed limit from Al Garhoud Bridge to Interchange two is already 100km per hour. Motorists are allowed to drive at least 20km above the given speed limit before they are caught by radars and cameras. The minimum speed limit will remain at 60km per hour.
“We are in the process of revising speed limits on most of Dubai roads in order to reduce fatal accidents, because speeding is the main killer,” said Badr Al Siri, Director of Traffic Department at Roads and Traffic Agency in RTA.
He said 240 out of 312 people were killed in accidents caused by speeding last year. Around 45 people were killed and 273 got injured in 122 accidents last year on Shaikh Zayed Road alone.
He said the speed limit will also be reduced from 120km to 100km per hour on Al Khail Road. Also, we are planning to revise speed limit from 100km per hour to 80km per hour on a number of roads. “The measures are being taken after extensive studies,” he said.
Some 136 people have been killed on Dubai roads during the first six months of this year.
Qatar Petroleum and Shell incorporate Qatargas 4
Qatar Petroleum and Shell incorporate Qatargas 4
BY A STAFF REPORTER /KHALEEJ TIMES 12 July 2007
DUBAI — Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Royal Dutch Shell yesterday announced the incorporation of their joint venture, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited (Qatargas 4), in which an affiliate of the former holds a 70 per cent share while Shell’s affiliate owns the remaining 30 per cent.
In a statement, the companies said the joint venture would own both the onshore and offshore assets of Qatargas 4, one of Qatar’s major LNG (liquefied natural gas) projects.
“The event marks the conclusion of all major commercial agreements for the Qatargas 4 project,” said Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Qatar Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry. “This impressive undertaking will further cement Qatar’s position as the world’s leading producer of LNG and help us meet our production target of 77 million tonnes per annum.”
The newly-formed joint company also signed a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with a Shell affiliate as buyer of all the LNG volume produced by Qatargas 4 project.
The project comprises upstream gas production facilities to produce some 1.4 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from Qatar’s North Field over the 25-year life of the project. It also includes a liquefaction plant with a capacity of 7.8-million tonnes per annum, and the required LNG shipping capability.
The statement said the main engineering, procurement and construction contract for onshore facilities was awarded in December 2005, and construction works are progressing well in Ras Laffan. The first LNG cargoes are set for delivery by end-2010.
It said Qatargas 4 LNG volumes are intended primarily for the natural gas markets in the US
Shell to provide services to 25 Qatar Gas LNG carriers
Shell to provide services to 25 Qatar Gas LNG carriers
BY A STAFF REPORTER /KHALEEJ TIMES 12 July 2007
DUBAI — Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Ltd has formally become the provider of shipping and marine services to some 25 newly built liquefied natural gas, or LNG, carriers of Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd (Nakilat).
In a statement, the companies said they formalised in a ceremonial signing yesterday the master services agreement they had drawn up in November 2006. “A key element of the agreement is the commitment to the development of Nakilat’s shipping expertise, in support of its aspiration to become a fully integrated LNG shipping company,” it said.
Faisal Al Suwaidi, Vice-Chairman, Nakilat, cited the importance of having in place a world-claxx LNG shipping operation, saying that Qatar is the world’s leading producer of LNG. “With the signing of this agreement, we are setting the foundations for the development of all the necessary LNG shipping capabilities to meet our growing global requirements,” he said.
The statement said the 25-year deal calls for Shell to provide Nakilat a full range of shipping services including staff recruitment, training and operational management of the vessels. It added that the operations management of the ships has to be transferred to Nakilat within 12 years of the delivery of the last vessel.
Linda Cook, executive director, Royal Dutch Shell, said the company has added another dimension to its growing partnership with Qatar, noting Shell’s 40-year experience in transporting LNG around the world safely and reliably.
“We have already begun to recruit and train the required personnel to make the partnership a success,” Cood said.
The statement said Nakilat’s fleet of LNG vessels will be put into service over the next four years
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