Last updated: September 15, 2009, 14:55

Abu Dhabi: Eid Al Fitr holiday for the public sector will be from Ramadan 29 [September 19] until Shawwal 3, according to Cabinet decision No 17 for 2009.

The private sector holiday will be on the first and second days of Shawwal, according to a circular from the Ministry of Labour.

Humaid Al Qutami, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Federal Authority for Human Resources, and Saqr Gobash, Minister of Labour, congratulated President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates on the advent Eid.

They also congratulated the UAE people and the Arab and Islamic nations. ]]> http://www.artashnikki.com/2009/09/17/eid-holidays-for-public-and-private-sectors-in-the-uae-announced/feed/ 0 http://www.artashnikki.com/2009/05/05/dubai-tops-as-preferred-destination-for-tourists/ http://www.artashnikki.com/2009/05/05/dubai-tops-as-preferred-destination-for-tourists/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 11:10:33 +0000 Sharon http://www.artashnikki.com/?p=323 Dubai: The Dubai tourism industry continues to defy global economic downturn as international hotel operators continue to look at the emirate and the Gulf region to expand their portfolios.
International tourists still regard Dubai as one of the top destinations around the world.
While the emirate is combating market downturn, which has hit the tourism sector hard, Saleh Mohammad Al Geziry, the director of overseas promotions at Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said that the challenges are making Dubai stronger and it is “being looked at with greater interest than before.”
Starting on Wednesday, Arabian Travel Market, the region’s exhibit destination for all things tourism, will provide a perspective and foothold for the industry to dig deeper for regional opportunities.
Though the show has seen some decline in exhibitor numbers, a number of new entries into the market will contribute in lifting the sector’s growth.
DTCM revealed that the city had seen 7.5 million visitors last year, over 6.9 million from the year before, at a time when international arrivals began to decline.
Tourism revenues in 2008 hit the Dh15.26 billion mark, up 15 per cent from the previous year.

Humaid Mohammad Al Qutami, the UAE Minister of Health, said a national emergency response committee meeting was held on Monday night to chalk out steps to prevent the flu virus from entering here.
The committee was established three years ago to respond to the Bird Flu threat, under the chairmanship of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister. “We have an action plan in place,” said a senior official.

The Health Ministry said the UAE will increase surveillance at its entry points and make the public aware of the flu epidemic. So far there are no flight cancellations from certain countries or restrictions on imports of pork products.

Until now, the facility was restricted to registered companies.

Lieutenant Colonel Nasir Khalid Al Marzouqi, assistant director for the IT department at DNRD, said applications for online visas will be opened to the public next year.

He said all online visa applications must be accompanied by photos of the applicants.

Abu Dhabi: Residents will soon be able to pay taxi fares through credit cards, Trans AD, the Centre for Regulation of Transport by Hire cars in the capital, announced on Monday.

This is one of the features of the Tracking and Dispatch system which has been implemented in a sample of cars, said Khalid Saleh Al Rashedi, General Manager of Trans AD at a press briefing in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

“Apart from the credit card facility, we are planning to introduce prepaid smart cards which is being studied,” he said.

The Tracking and Dispatch system has been tested on about 70 new taxis in the capital now and it will be fully implemented by the end of June 2008. “We are trying hard to complete the implementation in four phases even before the stipulated time.” It will help the people to avoid waiting for taxis. They can just call up the call centre which can track the taxis available nearby and dispatch them to the passengers.”

The officials said taxis can be booked in advance or planned future trips. The nearest available taxi to the customer’s location will be automatically dispatched using the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite system. The system will inform the customer of the taxi number and the estimated time for arrival through the state-of -the-art Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS).

Taxis are fitted with an advanced mobile data terminal that displays fare details and progress from pick up point to destination on a map. Customers can monitor the progress and make sure that the taxi is taking an appropriate route from pick up point to drop -off point.

During the blessed month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. As a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-sacrifice, Ramadan is much more than just not eating and drinking.

Muslims are called upon to use this month to re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance. We are to make peace with those who have wronged us, strengthen ties with family and friends, do away with bad habits — essentially to clean up our lives, our thoughts, and our feelings. The Arabic word for “fasting” (sawm)literally means “to refrain” – and it means not only refraining from food and drink, but from evil actions, thoughts, and words.

During Ramadan, every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip. The eyes must restrain themselves from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In such a way, every part of the body observes the fast.

Therefore, fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person’s body and soul to the spirit of the fast. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one’s self on the worship of God.

Dubai: A visitor to the UAE will only be allowed to make two visa runs at a stretch after which he/she must leave the country, Ministry of Interior officials said.

A visitor can stay for two months and extend it by another month.

If the visitor wishes to stay longer, he/she will have to obtain a new visit visa, exit the country and return.

The two-month stay again can be extended by a month. The visitor will then only be allowed another visa run. The total duration of stay will be nine months.

A ministry official said after the two runs, the person must leave the country for a full month and then return if he/she wishes.

In another decision, companies will not be allowed to sponsor Filipinas under the age of 25. They have to be sponsored by their blood relatives if they wish to enter the UAE on a visit visa, but will not be allowed to work if they are under 25.