|
|
THURSDAY, 04 DECEMBER 2008
UAE missions across the world enliven the 37th National Day
posted on 04/12/2008
 UAE missions across the world on Monday celebrated the 37th National Day of the country with the participation of representatives of Heads of Sates, ministers and other senior government officials.
In Bagdad, UAE Ambassador Abdullah Ibrahim Al Shehhi hosted a gala dinner, which was attended by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, a number of other ministers, senior officials, members of various diplomatic missions and prominent personalities.
In Damascus, UAE Ambassador Salem Eisa Al Za'abi hosted a reception to mark the occasion, and was attended by Syrian Parliament Speaker Dr. Mahmoud Al Abrash, leaders of various political parties, parliament members, ministers and other senior state officials.
In Tripoli, UAE Ambassador Abdullah Sulaiman Al Hamadi hosted a reception, which was attended by a large number of Libyan government officials.
In Paris, UAE Ambassador Abdullah Nasser Al Amiri organised a reception at the embassy premises to mark the auspicious occasion, and was attended by a special representative of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French President Jacques Chirac, a number of ministers and state officials attended the event.
In Singapore, Acting Charge d'Affaires of the UAE embassy Saeed Ali Al Za'abi hosted a gala event at the Hyatt Grand to mark the occasion. Parliament Secretary Masagos Zulkifli Bin Masagos Mohamed Suleiman represented the Singaporean government at the reception, which was also attended by other parliament members, prominent businessmen and members of diplomatic missions.
In Madrid, the UAE Ambassador to Spain Hissa Abdullah Ahmed Al Oteiba hosted a reception that was attended by several senior Spanish officials, prominent personalities and business community. Saudi minister of Youth and Sports Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal Al Saud, who is currently on a visit to Spain, also attended the reception, which began with the presentation of a documentary film that depicts the gradual and steady progress of UAE.
In London, UAE Ambassador to UK, Eisa Saleh Al Gurg hosted a gala reception at the Royal Lancaster Hotel to celebrate the occasion, and was attended by a large number of prominent personalities from Britain and other countries.
In Sana'a, the UAE Ambassador to Yemen Abdullah Matar Al Mazroui hosted a reception at the embassy premises and was attended by Minister of Expatriates Ahmed Musa'ed Husain, other officials and prominent social personalities and members of Arab and foreign diplomatic missions.
In Kuala Lumpur, UAE Ambassador to Malaysia Naser Abdullah Al Aboudi hosted a reception at the Marriot Hotel to mark the occasion. Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Y.B Haji Fadilullah Bin Yusof represented the Malaysian government at the event, which was also attended by a large number of personalities and members of diplomatic missions.
In Beijing, UAE Ambassador to China Mohammed Rashid Al Bot organised a party to celebrate the event. Representing government, the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Hui headed an eight-member delegation of senior Chinese officials to the reception. A large gathering of businessmen, representatives of educational, cultural and scientific institutions also attended the event.
In Nouakchott, the Charge d'Affaires of the UAE embassy in Mauretania Ali Abdul Hamid Al Housni hosted a reception to celebrate the 37th National Day of the UAE. Mauritanian ministers, other senior government officials and local personalities attended the event.
In Riyadh, UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Al Asri Bin Saeed Al Dhahiri hosted a reception at the Tuwaiq Palace in the diplomatic village in the capital to mark the occasion, which was attended by a number of Saudi officials, the Secretary General of GCC, members of diplomatic missions in Riyadh and other personalities.
In Manama, the UAE embassy in Bahrain hosted a reception to mark the occasion, and was attended by a number of Sheikhs, ministers, members of diplomatic missions and other personalities.
In Tehran, the UAE Ambassador to Iran Khalifa Shahin Al Marri hosted a reception to mark the occasion. A large number of Iranian state officials attended the event including Undersecretary of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Hussein Sheikh al-Islam. The participants hailed the pioneering role of the UAE under the prudent leadership of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, adding that UAE is pursuing a clear political vision that was embodied by the founder of the country late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Meanwhile the UAE Consul General Ibrahim Abdul Rahman Al Za'abi hosted another reception in the Iranian port city of Bandher Abbas, and was attended by a number of state officials and other prominent personalities.
In Berlin, UAE Ambassador to Germany Mohammed Ahmed Al Mahmoud organised a party at the embassy premises to mark the occasion. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schroder, several German parliament members, government officials, prominent personalities, members of the business community as well as foreign diplomats in Germany were among the large number of participants.
A cultural troupe from the UAE Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development enthralled the audience with presentations depicting the history and the rich cultural heritage of UAE.
In Karachi, UAE Consul General Suhail Bin Matar Al Katbi hosted a reception to mark the 37th National day of UAE, and was attended by Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ibad, other senior officials of the province and leaders of political parties in Pakistan.
In Khartoum, UAE Ambassador to Sudan Eisa Abdullah Al Nuaimi hosted a reception at the Al Salam Rotana to mark the occasion. Representative of Sudanese President and Sudanese Justice Minister Abdul Basit Sabdarat, Advisor to the Sudanese President Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail, a number of other government officials, prominent personalities and members of diplomatic missions in Sudan attended the event.
In Astana, the UAE Ambassador to Kazakhstan Ibrahim Hassan Saif hosted a reception at the Radisson Sas to mark the occasion. The event was attended by Kazakhstan's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nurlan Yermekbayev, other officials, members of the business community and diplomats.
In Minsk, the UAE Ambassador to Belarus Mohammed Mir Abdullah Al Raeesi hosted a reception to mark the 37th anniversary of the UAE National Day.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus, other state officials and a large gathering of well-wishers attended the event.
In Bucharest, the Acting Charge d'Affaires at the UAE embassy in Romania Abdullah Husain Al Marzouqi hosted a reception, which was attended by Romanian government officials and other prominent personalities. A delegation from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) also participated in the event.
In Washington, UAE Ambassador to US Yusuf Mana Al Oteiba hosted a reception to mark the occasion. A number of US officials, members of diplomatic missions in Washington, UAE citizens and well-wishers from the Arab and Muslim communities in America participated in the event.
In Stockholm, the UAE Ambassador to Sweden Najla Mohammed Al Qasimi and the embassy staff hosted a reception at the Grand Hotel to mark the occasion.
A large number of government officials, diplomats, leaders of religious communities, cultural dignitaries and members of the Arab community attended the event.
In Lahai, Ali Thani Al-Suweidi, UAE Ambassador to the Netherlands and UAE's Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) hosted a reception to mark the 37th anniversary of the UAE National day.
The event was attended by the representative of Queen Beatrix of Netherlands, several government officials, parliament members, cultural and social dignitaries, representatives of economic and trade sectors, members of diplomatic missions and well wishers.
In Rabat, Saeed Humaid Al Katbi, the UAE Ambassador to Morocco hosted a reception, which was attended by Moroccan ministers, other government officials, military officers, representatives of economic and business sectors, members of diplomatic missions, UAE citizens and well-wishers.
In Amman, the UAE Ambassador to Jordan Ali Ahmed Al Shamisi hosted reception to mark the UAE National day. The event was attended by Prince Ra'ad Bin Zaid, a number of the former prime ministers of Jordan, other senior Jordanian officials, members of diplomatic missions in Amman and a large gathering of well wishers. – The Emirates News Agency, WAM
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
President receives world's longest letter from residents
posted on 04/12/2008
 A total of 22 Arab women bikers delivered the world's longest letter to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday evening on the occasion of the UAE's 37th National Day.
The group of women, led by the Syrian traveller Ehsan Jad Allah Nsser, delivered the 400 metre-long letter with more than 1 million signatures of people from all over the UAE.
The bike journey started from Fujairah on November 16 and toured around all the emirates stopping in every emirate for two days collecting signatures from Rulers, Crown Princes, officials from governmental departments, college students and people in public places and malls.
"The letter was signed in languages from all over the world; residents in the UAE wanted to show their love and respect for the secure and lovely place they live in," Nsser told Gulf News.
The last stop for the bikers was in the capital where the letter was signed by Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs and then placed in Marina Mall to be signed by people.
The group took off from there to Mushrif Palace in eight four-wheel drive cars; one carried the letter and the others were symbols of the seven emirates decorated with pictures of how each looks now and in the past.
"Even on our way to the palace the crowd stopped us to sign the letter," Nsser said.
Lama Nsser, campaign organiser, said: "We chose female bikers from all over the Arab world to bring attention to what Arab women can do and to show their power."
All women took part in the campaign voluntarily. They live in the UAE and are either housewives, working women or students.
"More than 200 women responded to our advertisement in the papers and we chose 22 female bikers to represent all Arab countries; women showed a real interest in taking part."
The group also planted 22 trees in every emirate they reached as part of their mission to keep the UAE green and healthy.
In 1996 the Syrian traveller finished a year-and-a-half walk around the 22 Arab countries to pass on the message "peace for our children" focusing on children in Palestine, south Lebanon and the Arab world. – Gulf News
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
Tribute to vision of a great leader
posted on 04/12/2008
 General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, attended the musical play titled Zayed and The Dream, presented by the Caracalla Dance Theatre, on Tuesday.
The play is a musical theatrical work by Maestro Abdul Halim Caracalla inspired by the character and achievements of late Sheikh Zayed, founder of the UAE federation.
The performance is the first of its kind, and praises the works of the great leader who passed away four years ago. It was produced by Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage on the occasion of UAE's 37th National Day.
About 160 performers, dancers, singers and technicians showed a unique concert that thrilled the audience.
Jordanian Actor Yasir Al Masri played the role of the late Sheikh Zayed, and with the help of a high professional make up team, he struck a fine semblance of the leader, in his appearance, pose and actions.
The actor is famous for his role in many Bedouin-styled productions and lately he was the main actor in the historical TV drama Nemr Bin Adwan.
He told Gulf News after the show: "I'm so honoured to play a role of a great character such as the late Sheikh Zayed who is known for his great role as a leader worldwide. And his achievement of building the federation is a great example of the Arab dream." – Gulf News
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
Economic diversification and openness drive UAE economy growth: Mansouri
posted on 04/12/2008
 HE Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, has said that concerted efforts to diversify the economy and a policy of openness adopted by the UAE's leadership have been the prime drivers in establishing the UAE as the second largest Arab economy.
In an interview with Sama Dubai on the occasion of the UAE National Day, Al Mansouri said that the country's GDP rose from Dh6.5 billion in 1971 to Dh730 billion in 2007, an increase by 112 times, which is the result of the wise economic policies adopted by the UAE leadership, which helped in further establishing the nation's economic stature on the world map.
The Minister of Economy said that the significant economic achievements of the UAE owe to the visionary leadership of late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum and other leaders.
Al Mansouri stressed that the leadership has always accorded priority in launching several pioneering development projects, especially in healthcare, education and infrastructure development, which have played an instrumental role in laying the fundamentals for robust socio-economic growth.
He said that the UAE's leadership is committed to strengthening its human resources for developing a powerful nation, and has taken strong steps to empower Nationals by providing necessary support and leveraging their talent and qualification. Today, the UAE national income is among the highest in the world.
Al Mansouri explained that the UAE economy has moved to a global level led by the diversification into tourism, trade and services, which in turn has established a platform for inward international investments.
Tourism has played a crucial role in the economic growth of the UAE with the number of tourists reaching over 7 million supported by the country's developed infrastructure and economic openness.
He added: "Currently, the industrial sector contributes to more than 27% to the GDP and we have clear directives to empower this sector to enable it to be a main contributor to the local economy".
Al Mansouri said that the UAE's growth story has received global acclaim, and that the country has proven its strength in meeting emerging challenges, especially the fall-out of the global financial crisis.
He said: "The UAE has already taken concerted efforts to meet the challenges arising from the financial crisis. Several practical steps that have been initiated include guaranteeing bank deposits for three years and injecting liquidity into the banking system whereby Dh120 billion has been earmarked by the UAE Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance." He said that the Ministry of Economy has formed a committee from Heads of local economic departments to evolve solutions and create plans to overcome the challenges posed by the global financial crisis. The minister said that the MoE will continue to adopt ambitious initiatives aimed at empowering the local economy, sustaining growth rates and protecting the investment environment. – Emirates News Agency, WAM
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
DME announces half a million contracts traded since launch
posted on 04/12/2008
 The Dubai Mercantile Exchange Limited (DME) announced today that more than 500,000 lots of its benchmark DME Oman Crude Oil Futures Contract have traded since the launch of the Middle East's premier energy futures and commodities exchange on 1 June 2007.
At the close of trading on 2nd December 2008, the DME Oman Crude Oil Futures Contract had traded a total of 500, 495 contracts, equivalent to 500.495 million barrels of oil.
Making the announcement, Ahmad Sharaf, Chairman of the DME said: 'This is a truly remarkable milestone that clearly demonstrates the steady progress that we have been making since our launch last year. The DME Oman Crude Oil Futures Contract is increasingly recognized as the first successful exchange traded contract for price transparency in the East of Suez markets, joining West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent crude oil futures contracts as the world's benchmarks for crude oil.' Tom Leaver, Chief Executive Officer of the DME, added: 'We have seen growing acceptance and demand for the DME Oman Crude Oil Futures Contract as a risk management tool from the Asian refining community, as well as demand from international traders leveraging arbitrage opportunities.
'Trading half a million contracts over 18 months is a clear mark of the success of the contract and its direct relevance for price transparency and fair value for the East of Suez market.' 'This success was underscored by the commitment of seven international companies purchasing equity stakes in the DME during 2008, demonstrating that even in a turbulent financial climate, there is a compelling value proposition offered by the DME. We look forward to continued growth and setting new records, as the visibility and reach offered by CME Globex gives further impetus to the growing liquidity of the DME's contracts.' he added. – Emirates News Agency, WAM
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
Abu Dhabi to host the First Middle East Missile and Air Defence Conference
posted on 04/12/2008
 The Armed Forces Officers Club in Abu Dhabi will host the first Middle East Missile and Air Defence Conference from 14th to 15this month.
The conference will be organised by the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA) under the patronage of General HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
INEGMA said in a statement that its first annual symposium will be held under the title: the Middle East Missile '&' Air Defence Symposium (MEMAD).
MEMAD is projected as an upscale VIP event that will feature high-ranking military officials and top defence industry executives and experts discussing over two days the latest strategies, technologies, methodologies and tactics related to modern defence against ballistic missiles and airborne threats. The conference format will consist of morning plenary sessions and afternoon closed workshops. Senior Armed Forces officers from the UAE and neighbouring countries plus diplomats and government officials will be invited to the event. – Emirates News Agency, WAM
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
RAK firm owns all shares in Georgian port
posted on 04/12/2008
 Tbilisi - Georgia has sold the remaining 49 per cent of its Black Sea port of Poti to RAK Investment Authority of the UAE for US$65 million, its deputy minister Vakhtang Lezhava said on Wednesday.
"Now RAK Investment owns all the shares in the port," he said.
Earlier this year RAK Investment purchased the controlling 51 per cent stake in the port from the government for $90 million, plus a further 300 hectares of land in its vicinity. – Reuters
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
Dubai named world’s leading destination and cruise port
posted on 04/12/2008
 Dubai has been named the world's leading destination and cruise port at this year's World Travel Awards.
The event, dubbed "the Oscars of the travel industry”, was held on Tuesday night on the Caribbean island of Turks and Caicos, the third year running the spot has hosted the ceremony.
Dubai also snatched a slew of other awards in the night which featured a performance from 1970s disco queens Sister Sledge. The Palm Jumeirah was named the world's leading tourism development project, the Burj Al Arab the world's leading hotel and Le Royal Meridien the world's leading spa resort.
Other Dubai-based hotels picking up gongs for their superior service were Grosvenor House and The Monarch.
Abu Dhabi also celebrated a successful night, as Etihad Airways was named the world's leading first class airline, the Emirates Palace was named a world-beating conference venue and the capital's tourism authority was also singled out for praise.
Established in 1993, the annual World Travel Awards recognises excellence in various sectors of the travel industry. Since the first ever ceremony in Hollywood, the event has been hosted in glamorous destinations worldwide, including New York, Jamaica, Las Vegas, London, Kuala Lumpur and the Bahamas. Last year, the awards switched from one centralised event to regional heats, culminating in a grand final on Turks and Caicos. This year's Middle Eastern awards were held last month in Dubai, at the Atlantis on the Palm Jumeirah. Miss World Zi Lin Zhang was the guest of honour at the ceremony. Other regional venues included Sydney, Shanghai, Orlando and Rio de Janeiro.
A total of 3,600 companies were nominated for this year's awards, with winners being picked by popular vote among more than 167,000 travel agents and travel industry executives. Khaleej Times was a media partner for the event.
Graham E. Cooke, president and founder of the World Travel Awards, called the 13 participating Middle Eastern countries "a true example to the international travel industry”, and said the region was fast becoming a "leader on the world stage”.
International travellers to the Middle East are expected to double by 2020.
"There are a number of key factors that transform a well-run company into an excellent one and these are recognised and underlined in the World Travel Awards,” added Cooke.
"The overriding objective of the awards is to encourage and stimulate business excellence within the international travel and tourism industry. There is no doubt the event is glitzy, but at the same time it has a very serious purpose behind it.”
Log on to [http://www.travelawards.com] for a full list of winners. Alternatively, visit [www.youtube.com/worldtravelawards.com] to see video clips and interviews from past ceremonies. – Khaleej Times
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
National Bonds slated to post record returns for 2008
posted on 04/12/2008
 As a turbulent 2008 comes to a close, financial institutions the world over are reviewing the past year and looking ahead to 2009. National Bonds Corporation can look back on an excellent year, in which it saw steady growth and minimal impact of the worldwide financial crisis.With most of its returns accomplished in the first half of 2008, National Bonds was perfectly positioned to weather the storms of the second half of the year.Moreover most of the fund is being invested in the UAE."Being the National Savings Scheme, our Investment Committee has concentrated on short term Sharia-compliant money market instruments avoiding high risk investments,” says National Bonds Corporation's CEO Mohamed Qasim Al Ali.As a Shariah compliant institution, National Bonds Corporation adheres to strict Shari'a guidelines regarding its investments, while at the same time it focuses on generating high returns for its bondholders."A great deal of our profits in the second half of the year were derived from revenues generated by Islamic short term investments where we obtained better profit rates on a wholesale basis.” says Al Ali.National Bonds Corporation will announce its 2008 results early next year, with returns for bondholders expected to be higher than 2007. At a rate of 6.03 per cent the 2007 returns for bondholders were higher than the returns on Savings accounts in both conventional and Islamic banks.Against the backdrop of the current financial situation, Islamic financing has emerged as the safest way of investing, reinforcing National Bonds Corporation's position as "Everyone's favorite place to save”.Building on the successes of the past year, National Bonds Corporation has an optimistic outlook for the year 2009, with expansion plans for both the investment fund and the product portfolio. – Khaleej Times
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
TAQA completes acquisition of North Sea assets
posted on 04/12/2008
 The Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), a publicly listed company on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, TAQA Bratani Limited (TAQA Bratani), has completed its $631 million acquisition of seven oil fields from Shell U.K. Limited and Esso Exploration and Production (UK) Limited.
The sale includes 100% interest and operatorship of the Tern, Kestrel, Eider, Cormorant North, South Cormorant and Pelican Fields, and a combined 26.73% interest in the Dana operated Hudson field together with a 16% interest in the Brent System and a 24% interest in the Sullom Voe Terminal.
TAQA Bratani's development program consists of a capital expenditure commitment of 500 million to be made over the next three years. In addition, TAQA Bratani will assume responsibility for the future decommissioning liabilities relating to these fields.
Peter Barker-Homek, TAQA's chief executive officer, said: "The completion of this transaction is another important milestone for our company. TAQA is now an important producer in the UK North Sea and will play a significant role in its future; driving development, creating employment and stimulating prosperity in the area. The financial commitment we are making today will extend the productive life of these fields and, when combined with our existing UK and Dutch North Sea base, brings us one step closer to our strategy of building a diverse global portfolio of energy businesses across the value chain." TAQA has engaged Wood Group Engineering (North Sea) Ltd, a subsidiary of John Wood Group PLC (Wood Group), for the provision of operating and maintenance activities and to act as Duty Holder for TAQA's offshore assets in the Northern North Sea. TAQA plans to assume the role of Duty Holder for these assets within 9 to 18 months, with Wood Group continuing to be TAQA's operating and maintenance contractor. – Emirates News Agency, WAM
SUBIR | NOTICIAS MÁS RECIENTES (WAM)
|
Página principal
Versión completa del Anuario 2008 de los EAU en inglés y francés, en formato pdf. Información completa y actualizada sobre todos los aspectos de los EAU. 
