In recognition of Excellence

Posted on May 19, 2008 Updated on June 6, 2015

The fourth Shaikh Fatima bint Mubarak Awards for Excellence 2008 were presented at GEMS Wellington International School, Dubai, under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research. Pictures from the event – Khaleej Times

Boy’s bus death results in Abu Dhabi text alert technology

Posted on May 19, 2008 Updated on June 6, 2015

Boy’s bus death results in Abu Dhabi text alert technology
By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter GULF NEWS Last updated: May 19, 2008, 13:29

Abu Dhabi: The case of a young boy found dead on a school bus hours after he should have arrived at school has prompted two software companies to develop systems to put parents’ minds at rest.

One tracks the location of a bus and the other sends text alerts if their child has not arrived at school.

The companies told Gulf News the death of four-year-old Aatish Shabin last month in Abu Dhabi prompted them to develop security systems, the boy had been accidentally locked inside the bus.

The ‘iMessenger,’ software developed by an Abu Dhabi-based company will enable schools to send automatic SMS messages if a child does not show up at school.

The system can send pre-set texts to notify parents of an absence or even to send school notifications, said P. H. Abdul Aziz, manager of Invent Systems & Solutions in Abu Dhabi.

It works by using a simple database, and all school staff need to do is enter the parents’ details into the system. Then if a pupil is marked absent when the register is taken, the software will find the mobile numbers and send an SMS automatically, he added.

Schools can create any number of message templates said Abdul Aziz. He said the system costs about Dh6,000.

The “school bus locator,” a system developed by a Dubai-based company offers to track the location of a school bus, its speed and how it is being driven.

The school administration will have a network connection that will allow parents to log in to the locator’s web-based software via the school’s website, said Basel Al Salah, CEO of Sekurus International.

The parents can just insert the number of the school bus to get all the details, he said.

“In real-time parents will be able to see the location of the vehicle,” he said. “Alternatively, parents can automatically receive an SMS message based on the anticipated arrival of the bus at a pre-determined destination such as home.”

“There are many schools in the UAE which have shown an interest in getting our system for their school buses,” he added. He did not quote the price of his product.

Schools told Gulf News they would consider installing such a system. “I will propose to the management that they install such a system,” said the principal of a prominent Abu Dhabi kindergarten.

Parents are also excited about the new security system. “An SMS alert is better than making calls as parents may be busy at work”, said Mohammad Mustafa Saidalavi, whose daughter is a kindergarten pupil.

Sending an SMS to both the father and mother will give them a secure feeling, he added.

Ministry: Inquiry completed

The Ministry of Education has completed its investigations into the death of a child who was locked inside a school bus for three hours.

The legal department of the ministry completed the investigations after receiving a report from Abu Dhabi Educational Zone (ADEZ), a senior official at the ministry told Gulf News.

“We have sent our conclusions to ADEZ which can take further action,” said the official at the legal department who requested anonymity.

He declined to disclose the conclusion of the investigation.

Emirati entrepreneurs introduce water-saving car wash

Posted on May 19, 2008 Updated on June 6, 2015

Emirati entrepreneurs introduce water-saving car wash By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter GULF NEWS Published: May 19, 2008, 00:17

Dubai: It might sound unbelievable, but it is indeed possible to wash your car with just five litres of water.

This new water-saving technology, a mobile, low-pressure cleaning unit, will be at motorists’ fingertips within the next few months and was officially unveiled on Sunday at the Franchise Middle East Exhibition in Dubai.

Q2 General Cleaning Services, a new business initiative launched by budding Emirati businessmen promises to leave any vehicle clean and shiny by just spraying a fine mist of water over the bodywork, cleaning and polishing it.

It will not be able to remove any caked on mud or filth but fine dust and dirt will be tackled easily, said Gustavo Ayus, president of Geo Wash, business partner of Q2 and initiator of the device.

“We started using this in Argentina 6 years ago and already it’s present in over 30 countries across Europe and the Americas,” said Ayus.

The system, a small manoeuvrable buggy, is made up of a 60 litre capacity water tank, hose, brushes, a vacuum cleaner and storage for biodegradable detergents.

Around 35 mobile car wash carts will be available across the country. Hotels and malls are being more heavily targeted to provide this service, said Abdullah Al Shahi, general manager of Q2.

“People are worried about time and sometimes cannot get to the carwash. This will save people a lot of time. Especially local ladies who do not go to the car wash, but they go to malls – the service will be there for them,” he said.

“There is a big market here for this service because there are so many cars. New, big cars. We also want to save water. People in the UAE should be aware that they need to be saving water.”

Q2 will offer several packages not yet defined but starting from around Dh20. Car interiors and exteriors can be cleaned. “We hope to have 100 mobile car washes eventually,” said Al Shehi.

The cleaning process will take around 20 minutes and uses only ecological products without chemicals. Once the wash is over the ground is not flooded with excess water, as there is none.

The average amount of water used per car is 5 to 6 litres. “Some people like to have their car washed everyday. There is a lot of dust and sand here,” said Hamad Al Hammadi, deputy general manager of Q2 who himself washes his car 3 times a week.

How the q2 works

– Motorists will find mobile car wash carts in 35 locations initially ranging from hotels, malls, golf courses or supermarkets.

– A fine mist of water is sprayed over the car manually by an attendant.

– The car is cleaned with chemical-free detergents.

– An average of 5 litres of water is used to wash and rinse the car.

– The vacuum cleaner is plugged into the cart so the car can be switched off.

– It only takes 20 minutes to have clean vehicle.