His Highness Sheikh Mohammed pledges to take UAE to ranks of developed countries and further

On the UAE's 41st National Day, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, pledged to move forward, taking the UAE to the ranks of the developed countries and further beyond.

''Together we celebrate today the auspices occasion of our national day as we did commemorate it over the last forty-one years, because we want this dear occasion to perpetuate in the history of our people and take roots in the minds and hearts of our citizens and in the national culture so that it can be inherited by generations after generations,'' Sheikh Mohammed said in a statement to the Dira'a Al Watan magazine on the UAE's 41st National Day.

''We will safeguard the symbols of communication between this deep-rooted past and the vibrant present as well as the promising future, which we, as leaders, are working to draw and build for the benefit of the present and coming generations.

“We do this through the construction of the scientific, educational and health facilities, as well as everything that will ensure opportunities of education, safe work and welfare for our citizens, especially the younger generation.

“It is on them we rely in the process of development and modernisation through their active participation.

The challenges faced by the process of building a modern state, he recalled, were many and complex. ''But our founding leaders, who were led by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum, were able to meet those challenges and overcome them with determination, persistence and good intentions until we got this welfare, civilization, economic and political stability and social security.

''Today, under the leadership of my brother His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, we shoulder this great inheritance, which we cherish and glorify its national and humanitarian achievements.

“We preserve it, because it is our national identity that we have to protect and uphold. It is with this identity that we build bridges of communication between ours and other cultures in order to build a humane partnership between our people and the peoples of the world based on mutual understanding, dialogue and coexistence and empathy,'' he added.

Restoration of Union House

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has ordered the renovation of the Union House in Dubai and the restoration of every detail of the structure as it was at the time of the declaration of the Union on 2nd December 1971.

Sheikh Mohammed said: "This house represents a historical legacy of the UAE and an important milestone for future generations. To preserve it means to maintain the historic moments, to perpetuate the national memories and document the experience of an Arab unity that was, and is and will remain, God willing, as the most successful experiments of union in the Arab World".

He continued: "The moments the flag of the UAE was hoisted for the first time in this house are the moments that filled us with the feelings of pride, independence and unity too. And the election of Sheikh Zayed as president and Rashid as the deputy took place in the same House. It was the beginning of a blessed journey, a journey of making and development on the land of UAE. It is our duty towards the children of our motherland to perpetuate those great moments and we remind them all that the modest beginnings can lead to great endings if accompanied by loyalty to the homeland, determination and resolve".

The Union House, which played a key role in the contemporary history of the UAE, is located at the west end of the December 2 street, - formerly known as Dhiyafa street, near the sea. The Union House witnessed the signing of the treaty establishing the first federal state in the Arab World, the United Arab Emirates on December 2, 1971.

Mohammed orders distribution of 76 new homes to citizens

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has ordered to deliver 76 new homes to eligible citizens who were living in old type popular houses in the Al khawaneej Area.

Executive Director of Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment (MBRHE) Samy Abdullah Gargash said that the kind directives of Sheikh Mohammed reflect his keenness to provide the citizens with the means of decent living and ensure social security to the national families.

Gargash thanked Sheikh Mohammed for this benevolent gesture and asserted that the order will be implemented without delay.

The establishment continues to construct modern homes in various parts of the emirate for distributing them among the nationals as per orders from the Ruler.

Three-month medical tourist visa to seek treatment in Dubai

Image Credit: Gulf News

 Dubai: Overseas patients who wish to seek treatment in Dubai will be able to avail of a three-month medical tourist visa, extendible twice — up to nine consecutive months — according to the first phase of an initiative by the Dubai Health Authority and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.

The initiative aims to unify medical tourism procedures for the emirate, and is the outcome of a recent meeting held by DHA and GDRFA with private sector hospitals as well as the Dubai Healthcare City Authority. The first phase will facilitate hospitals with information on how to apply for a medical tourism visa for overseas patients in collaboration with health authorities.

The unification is in line with the directives of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai to push the medical tourism vision for the emirate. The new tourism visa agreement is only for Dubai.

Currently, only hospitals with international accreditation like the Joint Commission International (JCI) and those in the process of securing one will be eligible. The JCI is an independent, not-for-profit organisation which accredits and certifies health care providers and programmes that achieves the highest quality, best-value health care across all settings. In the UAE, several top health care units like Dubai Hospital and Imperial College London Diabetes Centre have this distinction.

For medical tourism visas, the DHA and GDRFA have designed a process for hospitals to comply with. Hospitals have to apply for a ‘facility establishment card’ — a requirement by the GDRFA, to apply for the medical tourist visa. The card has hospital details including the number of employees.

Speaking to Gulf News, Dr Laila Al Jasmi, CEO of Health Policy and Strategy Sector at the DHA said that hospitals are required to apply for a ‘treatment visa service quota’ from the DHA. This is a one-time requirement; if a hospital needs to expand capacity, it needs to reapply. This quota is in place to ensure that a hospital doesn’t over or under utilise its services as well as to protect the medical tourist.

“The quote is based on the medical tourism priority in terms of specialties, the market the medical tourism strategy is targeted at, and the current percentage of medical tourists that particular facility handles,” said Dr Laila.

In the next phase of the initiative, specialised clinics, spas and wellness centres will be invited to avail of the medical tourism visa provision, she added.

In a media statement, Major Jasim Ali Rashid Ahli, director of the Entry Permit Department at the GDRFA, said, that this type of visa has been in place since 2008 and issued to hospitals that sponsor patients and their accompanying family members. The patient needs to get a medical report attested by the UAE consulate in his or her residing country; this report needs to be submitted by the hospital along with the other documents.

Eisa Al Haj Al Maidour, director general at the DHA said that since Dubai offers excellent health care facilities, medical tourism is an extension of the hospitality that the emirate is synonymous with.

Marwan Abedin, chief executive officer of Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) added: “This project is of vital importance to the overall health sector in Dubai as all relevant stakeholders including immigration, the aviation industry, the hospitality sector, public and private hospitals are coming together to position Dubai as a medical tourism destination.

UAE National Day holidays announced for Public, private sectors

The Federal ministries and entities will be off work on Sunday and Monday; December 2 and 3, to mark the 41st National Day, according to a circular issued today by Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qattami, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Federal Government Human Resources Authority.

The circular, which based on law no. 11 of 2008 on government human resources, said work will resume on Tuesday, December 4, 2012.

Al Qattami congratulated President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Their Highnesses, Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of the Emirates and people of the UAE on the occasion.

Private sector holiday

The private sector institutions and companies will be off work on Sunday, December 2, 2012, on the occasion of the 41st National Day of the UAE, according to a circular issued today by Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, Minister of Labour.

Ghobash extended his congratulations to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates and people of the UAE on the occasion.

Balcony barbeques in Dubai may incur up to Dh500,000 fine

Residents of Dubai who use balconies for activities that put at risk public health and safety are violating rules and will be penalised, according to a top Dubai Municipality official.
Redha Salman, Director, Public Health Department and Safety of Community, Dubai Municipality, told  that although Local Decree No.11 of 2003 does not prevent residents from barbequing on balconies, if their actions threaten public health safety or if they cause harm to environment, then that is considered a violation of the decree and offenders will incur fines between Dh100 and Dh500,000.

The amount will vary according to the degree of threat to public safety and health, he added.
If the offence is repeated within a year a fine not exceeding Dh500,000 will be slapped, he added.

The penalties could also include suspension of utility services for not more than three months and suspension of activity permits for a period not exceeding one month.

However, the decree does not include buildings in free zones and freehold properties in Dubai, Salman said and urged authorities to bring them under the purview of the rule.

He also called on residents to circulate the terms of the local order among all nationalities so they understand what is permitted.
Salman said smells, sounds, fumes, dust and waste resulting from any building or facility or dumping waste that may pose a threat to public health and safety is included under the local order. Similarly, any building or creative activity undertaken that puts at risk public safety is also considered a violation.

Animal farming in residential and populated areas is also against the rules, he added.

Naturalization and Residency Prosecution initiatives A'awiddne to compensate the sponsor

A'awiddne  is one of the initiatives by Naturalization and Residency Prosecution so as to compensate the sponsor with Five Thousand Dirham from the amount of fine imposed by the court and this is as a result of his absconding worker being hired by another person pursuant to the Article No. (34) repeated of the Law of Entry and Residence of Foreigners No. (6) of 1973 concerning Immigration and Residence as amended by the Federal Law No. (7) of 2007.

Purpose of this initiative:

1. Enforcing the Law of Entry and Residence of Foreigners.
2. Mitigating the losses of the sponsor.
3. Compensating the sponsor by five thousand dirham.
4. Increasing the clients' satisfaction.

Regulations of enforcing this initiative:

1. Applicant must be the sponsor of the violator.
2. He must have filed the absconding report before arresting the violator.
3. Employer must be arrested and sentenced by fine.
4. Sentence of fine must be final and conclusive.
5. Convict has paid fully the fine imposed.


Mechanism of enforcing the initiative:

1.Cases of employing absconding workers sentenced by fine will be sorted out.
2.Make sure that the employer has paid the fine amount and the conditions are applicable to the sponsor.
3.Contact the sponsor and ask him to submit a request for compensating the sponsor along with enclosing his identity proof.
4.Request is presented to the chief prosecutor and after approval, it will be transferred to the account section to disburse the money.
5.Amount will be disbursed within five working days.