UAE
Pay for Health Card While Renewing Visa
Pay for Health Card While Renewing Visa
Asma Ali Zain 11 December 2008 for Khaleej Times
DUBAI – Expatriates renewing their residence visas in Dubai will have to shell out an extra Dh300 for the health card that is now compulsory.
Delayed by five months, the rule caught many unawares when it came into effect unannounced on December 1. Residents now have to pay a total of Dh550 instead of the Dh250 charged for the medical fitness test only earlier. Before a residence visa is stamped/renewed, applicants have to undergo screening for diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B & C, tuberculosis and syphilis.
Though a person applying for residency in the UAE for the first time has to obtain a health card, renewing it had not been compulsory until now.
Khaleej Times had reported on July 1 about the new medical fitness rules that were due to come into effect immediately but were put off by the Department of Health and Medical Services until the year end. A health card (valid for one year) was also made compulsory for renewing visas but the date when it would come into effect was not announced.
(The health cardholder can avail of basic health services at low cost only in government hospitals and clinics.)
As per the new rules, health insurance policyholders do not require a health card, though the policy certificate has to be attested by Dohms at a cost of Dh200.
Maisa Al Bustani, Head of Medical Fitness Centre at Dohms, had explained to Khaleej Times earlier, “If the resident does not hold a health card and has a valid health insurance policy, Department of Health and Medical Services will charge Dh200 to attest the policy certificate before the screening is done.”
However, residents who have valid insurance policy said they were forced to pay for the health card when they went for visa renewal.
“When I recently went for my medical fitness test, a requirement for visa renewal, I was asked to pay Dh300 for a health card.
“When I explained to the official that I was holding a health insurance policy, he insisted that I still had to pay for the card,” said Mohammed Afzal, a sales manager.
Farid Hussain, another resident, said that when he informed the official about his insurance policy, the official said it was not his concern.
“I had to pay for the card despite holding a policy,” he added.
Department of Health and Medical Services officials were not available for comments because of holidays.
Dubai Municipality Plans 10-fold Hike in Fines for Overflowing Sewage at Labour Camps
Dubai Municipality Plans 10-fold Hike in Fines for Overflowing Sewage at Labour Camps
Joy Sengupta 15 December 2008 for KHALEEJ TIMES
DUBAI – As overflowing sewage tanks continue to dog many labour accommodations in Al Quoz and parts of Sonapur, the Dubai Municipality is planning a 10-fold increase in the fine for owners of these camps.
In a talk with this reporter on Sunday, Salem bin Mesmar, Assis tant Director-General for Health, Safety and Environment Control, said the fine for accumulation of sewage in the labour camps will be increased to Dh10,000 from Dh1,000. “With many accommodation owners not acting swiftly and seriously enough, the civic body needs to make them understand about the gravity of the situation,” Mesmar said.
Overflowing of sewage from the tanks has been a frequent problem for the past several months in many camps in Al Quoz and Sonapur. As these camps are not connected to the drainage, sewage has to be transported in tankers to Al Aweer Sewage Treatment Plant. The delay in removing sewage results in overflowing of tanks.
Mesmar said the responsibility of ensuring clean and hygienic accommodation is with the owners.
“The owners have to ensure that the camps are clean. Overflowing sewage poses serious health hazards. The municipality has come across a lot of complaints but many of these owners don’t take them seriously at all. In addition to the increased fines, the municipality will intensify inspections,” the official said.
Mesmar added that by the end of this month, a huge ‘lagoon’ will be set up in Lehbab area where 500 tankers can dispose of sewage at a single time. “This temporary arrangement will ease the pressure at the Al Aweer plant for the time being and the trucks will be able to visit the accommodations on a regular basis.
The first phase of the new Jebel Ali Sewage Treatment Plant will be ready by June next year which will further reduce pressure on the Al Aweer Plant,” the official said.
37th UAE National Day – 2nd December 2008 update 1
37th UAE National Day – 2nd December 2008 update 1
Capital adds new bus routes
Capital adds new bus routes
Matthew Chung for THE NATIONAL
Three routes have been added to the city’s bus network, bringing the total number criss-crossing the island each day to seven.
Routes eight, nine and 44 join routes five, seven, 32 and 54, which have undergone several changes.
Route eight begins in Al Khubeirah district, running from a stop by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the intersection of Zayed the 1st Street (7th) Street and Bainuna Street (34th) Street to the Tourist Club area at the City Terminal on 12th Street. Buses will run along Bainuna Street, up Al Falah Street to Airport Road, then up Zayed the 1st Street and Hamdan (5th) Street.
Route Nine departs from the same stops, but travels up Hazza bin Zayed (11th) to Karama (24th) Street before carrying on up Al Falah Street. Route 44 runs from the Tourist Club at the intersection of 10th Street and Al Falah Street to Zayed Grand Mosque.
Unlike routes 54 and 32, this new route diverts from Airport Road to make stops along Karama (24th) Street, Khaleej Al Arabi (30) Road and near the Abu Dhabi Police college on Fourth Street.
Buses on the new routes will run 20 minutes apart. The first of about 60 buses in operation starts running at 6.20am, on route 54, while the last buses leave on routes seven and eight at 11.35pm.
Bus network maps have been posted at the Department of Transport’s 400 bus stops, while staff are in the process of posting individual route maps at every stop.
The service is free until the end of the year; the Government has not yet announced its upcoming fare scheme. By 2010, there will be 1,360 air-conditioned buses operating in the emirate. There are also plans for air-conditioned bus shelters and bus stations featuring a mix of retail, food and beverage, and banking outlets.
RTA Begins Second Phase of Traffic Points Awareness Drive
RTA Begins Second Phase of Traffic Points Awareness Drive
KHALEEJ TIMES 17 September 2008
dubai — The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the second phase of its Traffic Points Awareness Campaign under the slogan “Educating the Public on Traffic Behaviour”.
Maitha bin Adai, CEO of the Traffic and Roads Agency at the RTA, said that phase one of the campaign had been a big success.
“We got a very positive response to the first phase. Building on that success, the RTA, in association with Dubai Police, has embarked on phase two of the campaign which focuses on highlighting the global practices in specifying speed limits on roads. “The campaign will also stress on improving road safety and minimising accidents,” Maitha said. The first phase, which ran for three weeks, was meant to announce the launch of the Black Points System. “Phase two, which will run for six months, will focus on educating the public on traffic behaviour that warrants implementation of the Black Points System,” the official said. As per the Black Points System, the maximum limit allowed to a motorist is 24 points in a year.
Visit Visa on Arrival can be Extended for One Month
Visit Visa on Arrival can be Extended for One Month
Staff reporter KHALEEJ TIMES 15 September 2008
Dubai — Expats from 33 countries who receive visit visa on arrival at any UAE airport, can now stay in the country for a period of one month extendable by another month on payment of a fee of Dh610, a DNRD official said.
The DNRD on Sunday clarified that under the new visit visa rule which came into effect on July 29, all foreign nationals from the 33 countries that are exempted from applying for visas prior to entry into the UAE can stay in the country for one month with a further extension of another month.
Nationals of the 33 countries are provided visas upon entry at the airport, he noted. A national of these 33 countries, including UK, USA, and Australia, can extend his one- month visa by paying a fee of Dh610.
“Earlier, these nationals could stay in the UAE for a period of two months. But now the duration of the visit visa for British and other foreign expatriates of these countries has been reduced from two to one month.”
The official addressed the concerns raised by some residents seeking visit visa for their British relatives. “I used to know that the visit visa for British nationals lasts for two months.
“But, I was surprised to learn recently that it is valid for one month only,” said a resident who was inquiring about his British daughter’s visa status.
Paid Parking in Abu Dhabi Likely Soon
Paid Parking in Abu Dhabi Likely Soon
Adel Arafah for KHALEEJ TIMES 16 September 2008
abu dhabi -— Paid parking system is likely to be implemented in the emirate of Abu Dhabi soon.
The Municipal Affairs Department of Abu Dhabi has submitted its report on paid car parking system to the emirate’s Executive Council for approval and implementation.
Abu Dhabi Municipality has already signed a contract with an international company for installing and operating the new car parking machines in the capital, Engineer Jumaa Mubarak Al Junaibi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Municipality told Khaleej Times.
The implementation of the system will be gradual and will be done in phases, he said.
Elaborating further, he said the paid car parking machines would be initially installed in specific areas, including Tourist Club, Al Khalidiya, Madinat Zayed, Airport Road and Al Muroor Road. The system can be easily used by motorists, who can pay the charges through their mobile phones, credit cards, pre-paid car park cards, bank notes and coins.
The charges will vary according to the locations, but the normal charges have been fixed at Dh1 per hour, Al Junaibi noted.
Abu Dhabi Municipality will monitor the collection of charges and issuing of tickets against violators.
Smart Radars to Catch Errant Drivers
Smart Radars to Catch Errant Drivers
Amira Agarib for KHALEEJ TIMES 16 September 2008
dubai — New sophisticated mobile radars will be introduced on Dubai roads soon after Eid Al Fitr, according to a senior police official.
These radars will be mounted on police vehicles to monitor speed limits, Major Saif Muhair, Deputy Director of General Department of Traffic, told Khaleej Times on Monday. It is for the first time that these radars, equipped with advanced technogly, will be introduced in this region. Maj Saif said that the new ‘smart radar’ could be fixed on any vehicle and would be able to detect all speed violations.
He said that the smart radar would be on trial for one month after which it would be deployed on all Dubai roads. These new smart radars differ from other such monitoring equipment, he said.
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