General
Municipality issues new construction safety rules
Municipality issues new construction safety rules
Praveen Menon THE NATIONAL Last Updated: July 29. 2008
The high number of construction workers being killed or injured after falling from buildings has sparked the introduction of a new set of on-site safety rules.
The municipality yesterday announced all building industry firms will have to meet new standards and that any who fail to do so will be fined.
The major area of change is the safety requirement for workers on tall buildings with four chapters of a new rule book dedicated to this area.
Essa al Maidour, Assistant Director General for Planning and Building Affairs at Dubai Municipality said the new manual was launched following “great concern for safety issues and a need to introduce future standards for the same.”
According to municipality statistics, workers falling from high rise buildings constituted forty-five per cent of the 865 accidents that occurred between 2004 and 2007.
Last year alone, nearly 48 per cent of work site accidents were due to workers falling from buildings.
“We have dedicated four chapters in our new safety manual to this particular issue. This is a serious concern for us and we believe that the consultant as well as the contractor is responsible for these deaths,” said Mr Maidour.
pmenon@thenational.ae
Abu Dhabi house rents soar 49pc in one yearBy Haseeb Haider
Abu Dhabi house rents soar 49pc in one yearBy Haseeb Haider
29 July 2008 KHALEEJ TIMES
ABU DHABI — Rents of quality apartments in Abu Dhabi have gone up by 49 per cent over the past one year as the demand for reasonably priced apartments outstripped supply in a city that is witnessing hyper business activity, says a report.
“The most notable movement comes in the two-bedroom unit category with 66 per cent increase in rents over the last year,” says the report compiled by Asteco, a property management company that is analysing the current demand and supply situation.
The report has, however, painted a rosy picture for the future, as almost 70 per cent of the new projects being built in the Musaffah area have been earmarked as residential because the government is well aware of the shortage in accommodation.
The Asteco report for the second quarter of 2008 estimates that 60 per cent of the new accommodations would be two-bedroom apartments meant for couples and families. Nearly 25 per cent of the new accommodations will be one-bedroom units while the remaining will be three- and four-bedroom units.
Areas such as Muroor, Tourist Club Area (TCA) and Salam Street are witnessing the most activity. Khalidiyah, which showed the lowest growth due to low tenant movement, is still the most-sought-after location.
Khalidiyah attracts a mix of nationalities, specially emiratis and western expatriates, due to its proximity to Marina Mall and a number of international schools in the area.
Hamdan Street continues to command high rents of nearly Dh125,000 for one-bedroom apartments. Units in this area are of poor quality and landlords are taking advantage of the shortage of supply and are charging above average prices
Villas in Khalidiyah, Bateen and Manaser command some of the highest rents in Abu Dhabi starting at Dh150,000 for a three-bedroom property. Nearly 80 per cent of the villas in these areas are high quality and tend to be occupied by a mix of high-income individuals.
Villas in Al Falah and Airport Road areas are of slightly lower quality, yet the rents are high. In addition, many villas are split into separate units to cater to the growing ‘bachelor’ clientele.
According to Asteco report, there is no shortage of villas in Abu Dhabi, yet rents are high.
“This problem is likely to be eased when the more affordable villa projects in Khalifa City, Mohammed bin Zayed City, Al Raha, Sas Al Nakheel and Seashore come on line,” says the report.
Commenting on the situation, Rebekah Savage, of Foundation Property Management Co, which manages a large number of residential buildings, told Khaleej Times that Abu Dhabi Commercial Properties (ADCP) recently estimated that there are 250 buildings in and around Abu Dhabi city centre that would be demolished and 750 buildings would be built in and around Abu Dhabi and the garden city of Al Ain.
Solar eclipse on Friday
Solar eclipse on Friday
28 July 2008
ABU DHABI – UAE Astronomy Society has announced that the UAE, Gulf residents and other countries in the region will view partial solar eclipse on Friday. The eclipse will cover Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, eastern parts of Saudi Arabia and northern parts of Jordan and Palestine.
Mohammed Shokat Awda, Chairman of the Islamic project for moon sighting, said the eclipse will take place in the UAE from 2.45pm- 4.10pm. Viewers must use proper observation equipment to protect their eyes. In Dubai, the eclipse will reach it’s maximum around 1127 GMT and will cover about 15 per cent of the sun. The best place to see the eclipse is near. Nadym in central Russia, where the eclipse will be almost total. The total phase of an eclipse looks like the onset of a rapidly darkening sky whose appearance resembles evening twilight about half an hour after sunset. Go to khaleejtimes.com to see an interactive Google map of the eclipse. This map allows the user to sellect any portion of the path and to zoom in using either map data or Earth satellite data. You will also find a link with tips on how to photograph the eclipse.
UAE: Expats opt to buy property than pay rent
UAE: Expats opt to buy property than pay rent
July 27th, 2008 Indo Asian News ServiceSunday, July 27, 2008 (Dubai)
An increasing number of residents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – especially expatriates – are opting to buy property rather than live in rented property because of soaring rents.
“Given the steady increase in UAE rental prices over the past few years, buying is appearing increasingly attractive to expats who are looking to build equity from the significant financial investment they are already making in their home,” Chris Dommett, chief executive of leading independent mortgage advisor John Charcol Dubai, said in a statement in Dubai.
Indians, at 1.5 million, form the largest expatriate community in the UAE.
“The era of pumping hard earned income into oblivion for rent is dissipating within Dubai’s expat community as educational awareness of the local mortgage market increases and home lending services become more accessible,” Dommett said.
Building equity is widely considered the most important financial advantage of buying a home, said the statement.
“The ability of locking in a fixed monthly payment for a long term period is also a major incentive as rent in Dubai in general increases markedly every year,” it said.
Recent reports showed the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi overtaking the country’s commercial capital Dubai in property prices.
According to figures released by HSBC this month, the average rent per square metre in Abu Dhabi, which was $272 in the last quarter of 2007, rocketed to $430 per square metre in the second quarter of 2008, a rise of 58 percent.
In Dubai, average rent per square metre was $343 in the last quarter of 2007. But this rose 22 percent to $420 per square metre.
As for buying a house, in Abu Dhabi prices rose by 61 percent from the last quarter of 2007 to the second quarter of 2008, while Dubai witnessed a rise of 37 percent in the same period.
“The main reason prices in Abu Dhabi are outpacing Dubai is because the market is much tighter and delivery delays are more apparent,” Majid Alam, an analyst at HSBC, told the Gulf News.
“Ultimately, we believe that Abu Dhabi should be at a premium because affordability is higher,” he added.
According to John Charcol, the volume and variety of mortgage options in the market, coupled with low interest rates, are also enticing a growing number of expatriates to tap into the region’s booming real estate industry and invest in their own property.
“Depending upon the price of the property and its expected return as opposed to what they are paying in rent, for many buying is often times a more economic solution,” it said in the statement.
However, it added, despite these advantages, “many foreigners continue to rent at exorbitant prices, in part due to a lack of understanding of the local real estate market, but also out of hesitation to get involved in the seemingly daunting UAE property buying process”.
International health insurance can cover visitors
International health insurance can cover visitors
By Asma Hamid, Ahmed Abdul Aziz & Mary Nammour KHALEEJ TIMES 28 July 2008
ABU DHABI – Visitors entering the country on visit visas from tomorrow can be covered by international health insurance policies, according to Brigadier Nassir Al Awadi Al Minhali, Acting Director-General of the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department (FNRD) in the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
He explained that if this health insurance policy is internationally certified and covers the UAE, it would be approved for all types of visit visas.
Meanwhile, Major Mohammad Al Hammadi, Director of the Entry Permit Department at the Department of Naturalisation and Residency in Dubai (DNRD) announced that from next week, special counters of health insurance companies will be set up on its premises to provide medical insurance covers for visa-seekers.
“We will be signing agreements with some health insurance companies soon to ensure the insurance service is made available to applicants at the DNRD. He, however did not disclose the fees and service costs.
Al Hammadi clarified that sponsors could also seek medical insurance cover for the visa-seeker through any renowned health insurance company in the emirate, or in the UAE.
“Private companies applying for visas for their workers should provide them with medical insurance. The same applies to the tourism companies. In case the tourism companies already have the insurance cover in their packages offered to the tourists, we will not be asking for that condition.”
According to Major Al Hammadi, the international medical insurance policies will be valid in the UAE. “The insurance should be valid as long as the visa-holder is going to stay in the UAE.”
The local insurance companies are making all preparations to meet the new demand. Speaking to Khaleej Times, Wesam Ibrahim, head of the Department of Life and Medical Insurance at Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC), said the company already has a plan that can accommodate visitors in accordance with the new visit visa requirements.
“We will find out the exact details of the new visit visa requirements by the end of this month. At this point of time, we have no plans to develop a new plan,” he said.
Ibrahim explained that AWNIC’s existing visitor plan only covers inpatient emergency cases, and covers healthcare services of up to Dh100,000. Clients can be insured for either a month or three months, but the company has no insurance policy for visitors staying for less than a month. The cost of the plan ranges from Dh130 to Dh150 per month. “We do not think that much will change for our company after the new visit visa law is enforced,” he added.
A reliable source at the National Health Insurance Company (Daman) said the health insurance will cover the categories that would be defined by the Naturalisation and Residency Department in the Ministry of Interior.
According to the current rules in Daman, the health insurance for mission visas (six months) costs Dh420 for those above 51 years of age, and Dh 240 for those between 16 and 50 years.
Visit visas to be issued in 10-15 minutes
Visit visas to be issued in 10-15 minutes
By Ahmed Abdul Aziz & Mary Nammour 28 July 2008 KHALEEJ TIMES
ABU DHABI – From tomorrow, applicants approaching the naturalisation and residency departments countrywide with the required documents could get visit visas within 10 to 15 minutes without any extra fees, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
Brigadier Nasir Al Awadi Al Minhali, Acting Director-General of the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department (FNRD) in the MoI, told reporters in the capital yesterday that the documents required include passport copies, photographs of the visitor and the data of the visitor including his/her address in his/her home country.
The health insurance certificate of the visitor will have to be submitted after the approval of the application.
“The cabinet resolution has created 16 types of visas, including visas for medical treatment and education, with the aim of stamping out illegal residency,” Brig Al Minhali said.
He predicted that by next December, the UAE will be free of illegal residents.
According to Brigadier Obeid bin Suroor, Deputy Director of the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Departmen (DNRD), the new visa rule aims at streamlining the process. “The rule aims to provide better service to people rather than imposing a burden on them. It was the outcome of a thorough study by the authorities concerned.”
The NRDs across the country will distribute the application forms for the new visas to the typing offices during the coming hours.
There will be no change in the procedures. However, the sponsors and public relation officers (PROs) of firms have to provide the home country addresses of the persons who will enter the country.
Applying online for visas is currently a service provided to only companies and typing offices. However, the MoI is examining the viability of extending the service to the public.
“We are studying the ways by which our applicants across the country could enjoy more facilities and save their time and efforts. We have contracted a leading IT company for preparing online applications for individuals as well,” said Brig Al Minhali.
Under the new visas rule, the applicant must provide the health insurance certificate to the NRD as a major document for all types of visas, including tourist visas.
Colonel Rashid Sultan Al Khider, Director of the Legal Department in the MoI, said that the applicants have to pay a refundable guarantee of Dh1,000. This guarantee should be paid to cover all types of visit visas, including tourist visas.
Brig Al Minhali said the MoI is surveying the nationalities and communities and more nationalities could be included in the list of 34 countries, whose citizens do not need to pay the guarantee deposit of Dh1,000, in case their communities comply with the NRD instructions. “The change is possible”, said Brig Al Minhali.
Orientation for typing staff
Typists who were briefed by NRD officials in various emirates yesterday said they now understand their tasks and are ready to implement the new visa rule
Representatives of over 200 typing offices from Dubai attended the gathering held at the DNRD headquarters in Jaffliya. They were briefed on the guidelines to follow under the new visa rule once it comes into effect.
Habib from Shad Typing Office said he was not worried about the new system. “It will not be that different. They have only changed the fees and introduced new types of visas. We will get used to it with time,” he said.
Abdulghaffar from Al Musalla Star Typing Office in Dubai said that he was not yet sure what kind of problems they might be facing with the inception of the new system.
Sameh from Eden Star for Documents Clearance in Dubai underscored the need for typists to be very careful when typing the information of the applicants. “The new rule will have zero tolerance regarding any misleading information, however, irrelevant it may look like. So we have to be very vigilant,” he said.
Expatriates hoping for total reform
Expatriates hoping for total reform
By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter GULF NEWS Published: July 24, 2008, 00:03
Dubai: The confidence vote secured by the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government has enthused Indian expatriates in the UAE.
Some hailed the UPA victory as a defining moment in the country’s history; others expressed hope that the government will now be able to push ahead with its reforms agenda without worrying about the Left parties; there were also those who wanted the government to come clear in the face of bribery allegations brought by the opposition.
For the last four-and-half years, his government has been tied down on account of some his coalition partners says K.V. Shamsudheen, director, Barjeel Geojit Securities LLC.
K.V. Shamsudheen, director, Barjeel Geojit Securities LLC, said he hoped Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would break his shackles. “For the last four-and-half years, his government has been tied down on account of some his coalition partners. Energy dependance is one of the main obstacles to progress. When the entire world is turning to atomic energy, India can’t afford to isolate itself. A person like Manmohan Singh would never sacrifice India’s integrity,” he said.
Businessman Sunil Bhatia says he found it hard to digest the manner in which some members of the opposition waved wads of money in the well of the House to substantiate bribery allegations.
Businessman Sunil Bhatia said he found it hard to digest the manner in which some members of the opposition waved wads of money in the well of the House to substantiate bribery allegations.
Bhatia believes money had influenced the voting. “There is no smoke without fire. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not stupid to come to the House with a bagful of cash. But having said that I am glad that the government can now push ahead with reforms. The Left parties had been setting the government back each time they sought to go ahead with the reforms.”
Shyam Prasad, manager product and programme development, General Motors, Dubai says the manner in which some lawmakers turned up with wads of cash in parliament was nothing short of a mockery of democracy.
Shyam Prasad, manager product and programme development, General Motors, Dubai said: “The manner in which some lawmakers turned up with wads of cash in parliament was nothing short of a mockery of democracy. Things could have been handled and dealt with more diplomatically.”
Abbas Ali Mirza, president of the Indian Business and Professional Council (IBPC), Dubai, said the decisive vote of confidence could well turn out to be a milestone in the country’s march to superpower status “There are those who believe the country is poised to emerge as one of the top three economic superpowers. Therefore, I believe, the UPA government’s victory was a step in the right direction for the country – it will certainly send the right signals to the international community.”
People’s will
Pradeep Parmar, managing director of distribution firm Enthusiasm, said it was only right that the will of the people had prevailed. “If you elect the wrong people or those with low morale, they won’t be in tune with the office they hold,” he said.
K. Kumar, convenor ICWC, said he was happy that a stable dispensation would govern until such time that elections were due.
“We anticipate more reforms to come through which had been on hold because of the composition of the coalition. As far as the allegations of bribery are concerned, they should be investigated. In the current scenario, nothing can be ruled out but there has to be a thorough investigation and any culprits should be penalised,” he said.
Tourist visa opened to all nationalities
Tourist visa opened to all nationalities
By Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff Reporter GULF NEWS Published: July 24, 2008, 00:03
Dubai: People of all nationalities can now enter the UAE on a tourist visa under new rules that come into effect from next week, a senior official from the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
Earlier, nationals from 79 countries in the subcontinent, Middle East and elsewhere were not eligible for tourist visas and could come to the UAE only on a visit visa. “The new rules will encourage the tourism sector in the country,” said Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director General of Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD).
Al Merri announced the new rules after a meeting with hotel and tourist agency representatives yesterday. He said travel agencies will no longer be allowed to apply for visit visas. “Now these companies will only be allowed to apply for tourist visas,” he said. “This will regulate the business and make the process of people travelling to the UAE easier and smooth, as tourism is a high priority for us.”
Al Merri reiterated that people should apply only through licensed tourism agencies and hotels. Individuals cannot apply for the tourist visas, he added.
Short trips to the Iranian island of Kish, Oman and other neighbouring countries to change visit visas has also been stopped. “People wanting to apply for a new visit visa after the expiry of their visa, must go back to their home countries or distant countries,” he said. However, Al Merri did not elaborate which countries would be considered distant.
“Nobody can now go on these visa runs. We don’t want people to get stuck [on these trips],” said Al Merri. A visit visa will also not be converted to a work visa, he said. “Applicants will have to go back to their home country and wait for the work visa, which will be authorised by the Ministry of Labour,” he said.
No free entry
The new visa rules will come into force from July 29 and all typing centres will get the software for the new online forms and fee payments by July 28, the official said. He added that those who apply before July 29 will be dealt with on the old system.
People applying for any visa will have to pay a refundable deposit of Dh1,000. Separate visas will be issued for various purposes such as medical treatment or studies. “We will know why each person is coming here for and the sponsor will be responsible for the visitor. This will address the issue of illegal overstayers,” Al Merri said.
As per the new rules, 34 nationalities who earlier got a free visit visa for 60 days upon arrival in the UAE will now have to pay Dh100 for a 30-day visa.
Rules
–Tourist visas can only be applied for by a licensed hotel or a tourism agency.
–Residents can apply for a visa for their spouse or blood relative.
–Expatriates will no longer be allowed to sponsor friends, and all visitors should have a health insurance cover.
–Medical treatment visas can only be applied through licensed hospitals and clinics.
–Education visas can only be applied by a licensed educational institution.
–Exhibition and conference visas can only be applied for by the organisers.
Those working on visit visa face Dh50,000 penalty
Those working on visit visa face Dh50,000 penalty
By Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff Reporter GULF NEWS Published: July 23, 2008, 13:51
Dubai: People caught working on a visit visa will be fined more than Dh50,000 and banned from entering the UAE and those employing them will face harsh penalties, a senior interior ministry official said on Wednesday.
He said companies can hire such people temporarily on a contract from the Ministry of Labour. Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director-General of Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) announced the new visa changes which will be implemented on July 29 at a meeting with representatives of hotels and tourist agencies.
Under the new rules each visa applicant will have to pay a Dh1,000 refundable deposit, Mohammad Ahmad Al Hammadi, Director of the Department of Entry Permits at the DNRD, said.
“Now everybody will need health insurance when they enter the country. People could be involved in a traffic accident or get a health problem,” he said.
He said the new visa rules will have a positive impact on the tourism sector and the labour market as they will curb illegal overstaying.
Al Hammadi said the 34 nationalities who earlier got a free visit visa for 60 days upon arrival will now have to pay.
These nationals can now get a visa on arrival for 30 days for a fee of Dh100. This visa can be extended for another 30 days for a fee of Dh600.
“These nationals are exempt from health insurance and from paying the Dh1,000 deposit,” he added.
The Dh100 fee will affect citizens from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong and citizens of GCC states.
Resident expatriates who bring their spouses on a visit visa can change it to a residence visa, but they cannot work, he said. Each application will be studied carefully before issuing it and the application should be logical.
Individuals and companies can apply for visit visas, he said. Tourist visas can only be applied for by licensed travel agencies and hotels. They cannot be submitted by individuals. The official said there would be no visa runs to nearby countries.
“People who go there from the UAE after the expiry of their visa will not be issued a new visa. It is best for them to go back to their country and wait for their visa to enter the UAE again,” he said.
He said a visit visa holder will be allowed to enter the UAE once within two months from the date of issue of the visa.
Residents can apply for a visa for their spouse or blood relative. Expatriates will not be allowed to sponsor friends. And sponsoring other blood relatives will require approval of an undersecretary of the Interior Ministry or their representative.
Details on the web soon
Brochures and booklets will be distributed to tourist companies describing the new rules.
All the new information will be available on the DNRD website from Saturday onwards. Typing centres will get new forms and new fees online from July 28 midnight.
Those who apply before July 29, will go through the old system and the fees and the way of applying will not change for them, Al Hammadi said.
e-governance gains ground in Abu Dhabi
e-governance gains ground in Abu Dhabi
By Ahmed A. Elewa, Senior Reporter GULF NEWS Published: July 23, 2008, 00:03
Abu Dhabi: The number of hits recorded by the Abu Dhabi e-government portal exceeded 20 million in 2007, and the number is growing steadily, according to a senior official.
“More than half the e-government programme has been accomplished so far, in coordination with international consultants, especially from Singapore,” said Rashed Al Mansouri, chairman of Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Committee (SIC).
“We are also coordinating with the federal e-government portal, as we seek to adopt the best standards and practices to meet the target of ranking Abu Dhabi among the best five governments worldwide,” he added.
SIC on Tuesday launched the second version of the emirate’s IT Architecture and Standards Reference, which represents the general reference for all the ongoing e-government projects adopted by the various departments.
The stages of implementing the e-portal differs among the various local departments, where some are at more advanced stages than others, though the full assessment and evaluation of the progress will be only published towards the end of the year.
“We are also focusing on the training and education of the government employees where we trained about 3,500 civil servants in 2007, and more programmes are being introduced this year,” Al Mansouri explained.
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