The last few weeks have seen no shortage of big stories. Controversy, debate, corruption – we have seen it all. To put things in perspective, here are some of the stories that made headlines recently in the Gulf.
•Emirates took delivery of its first of 58 Airbus A380s. The mammoth aircraft touched down on schedule in Dubai on Tuesday, 30th July. Its spacious and luxurious cabin features 14 first-class suites and 76 business and 399 economy-class seats. Adding to a new luxury standard in the skies, first-class passengers will be able to take a shower at 43,000 feet. Additionally, the economy class has also been revamped benefitting from the aircrafts overall superior interiors and hi-tech options. For example, a ‘mood lighting system’ is installed to reduce the effects of jetlag.
•31 years old, Lebanese singer, Suzan Tamim was murdered in her Dubai Marina apartment. This was no petty crime and certainly one of the most high-profile that Dubai has seen. The story has ‘Hollywood’ written all over it with rumours of the stars troubled past which included 2 failed marriages and a string of controversies. According to Gulf News, the star spent much of her short life between courts, police stations and hideouts. Unfortunately, the talented singer’s life ended in equally dramatic fashion with police going on an international manhunt to track her supposed killer. The story continues.
•On August 14th, Gulf News reported that two senior Dubai executives, Istithmar vice-chairman Adel Al Shirawi and chief financial officer Feras Kalthoum, are both under investigation over alleged financial irregularities at their former company, Tamweel. Almost simultaneously, the same paper reported that Nakheel has found itself in the middle of a storm over rumours that its "second in command" - a UAE national - has been arrested for bribery. When asked directly by Gulf News whether someone had been arrested, the Nakheel spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the allegation. Both Tamweel and Nakheel are major players in Dubai’s property boom. While the former is the largest real estate finance provider in the UAE, Nakheel is Dubai’s premier development company. 3 days after the news broke, investors continued to dump Tamweel stocks. The company's shares fell 4.09 per cent on Sunday, extending the losses to 9.8 per cent in the last two sessions.
•In June, the new Salik toll gate was installed on Al Maktoum Bridge. The event was a trigger for heated debates surrounding the success (or failure) of the whole toll system. With just about a year having gone by since Salik was introduced in Dubai, people used the media to express their frustrations (and, in some cases only, their support) toward Salik. The new toll gates between Maktoum Bridge and Safa Intersection will be operational from the 9th of September.
•The Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) has introduced a self-service system. Under the system, which is currently being implemented as a trial at 10 stations, customers have to park in front of the pump, switch off their engine, go inside the store and pay the amount they want after mentioning the pump number and desired product. The pilot project has received a mixed reaction from customers citing the pros and cons. One recurring concern seems to revolve around the expected loss of a number of jobs.
•“I kissed a girl and I liked it”.....those are the lyrics of a new song that is the current UK number one and third in the US singles chart. Nothing controversial about that you would think, unless of course the song is being sung by a girl. The song has drawn criticism for promoting lesbianism and promiscuity, and raised fears about the influence of Western culture and music on Arab youths. It has been banned by some radio stations in the UAE.
•As of August 1st, the UAE introduced new visa rules accompanied with new visa charges. As with most rulings, though it was not up for negotiation it didn’t stop people from expressing their approval or disapproval. While perhaps the cost factor is debatable, in general the new rules are a positive move. As was best outlined by Brigadier Nassir Al Minhali, director-general of the Abu Dhabi Naturalisation and Residency Department. "The recent modifications in the laws governing the entry and stay of foreigners in the UAE are intended to put an end to violations of this law and tighten rules for issuing visas by companies and individuals to guarantee they will not do so for trading purposes," he told the official news agency Wam. "These rules, especially those governing tourism visas, will adversely affect this important sector. On the contrary confining the issuance of such visas to authorised companies will give them a chance to achieve their objectives in development and expansion because many visitors used to come to the UAE on visas issued by non-specialised companies or individuals," he said.
•The dollar is finally staging a recovery. As reported in Business 24/7, the currency rose against the pound for the 11th consecutive day on Friday, to $1.85 – its longest winning streak in 37 years. In July, one pound would buy two dollars. At the same time, the dollar climbed to its strongest level in almost six months against the euro, which fell to $1.47. In the past month alone the greenback has risen by nearly five per cent against the euro. While the paper also warns against premature celebrations, fingers crossed we go into the new year with a more positive outlook.
Having said that, the Holy month of Ramadan is almost upon us. If there is any time when we can look back and appreciate what we have, this is it. I am sure we can agree that in spite of the rampant inflation coupled with the stress of daily life, i.e. traffic, heat, Salik, bureaucracy etc, things could be worse. One look at current events around the world and I think we can agree that we still live in one of the nicer places on the planet. On that note, here’s wishing you all Ramadan Kareem and a Happy New Year.
No comments:
Post a Comment