ADJD launches Notary Public e-Platform

Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, ADJD, launched the Notary Public e-Platform that receives 44 transactions and linked to Emirates ID smart card readers.

This step came in line with the department's strategic objective of increasing the efficiency of its judicial and documentation services and making them more accessible and hassle-free to the public to echo the on-going economic development in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Yousuf Saeed Al Abri, ADJD Under-Secretary, stressed the department's keenness on having multiple channels for providing its services to meet the ever-changing needs of its customers.

"It is a part of our plan to provide excellent services as per the best international standards of high quality in line with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, ADJD Chairman, that aim at providing developing the Notary Public services to meet the needs of the business sector and increasing the emirate's competitiveness," he said.

The new paperless facility receives transactions of power of attorney, notarization of contracts, declaration of assignment, among other services.

UAE announce new transit Visa policy

The UAE Cabinet has given the green light for preparations to implement the policy granting entry visas to transit passengers — across all airports in the country.

The visa will be granted to transit passengers who wish to visit the country's landmarks and tourist attractions. The new policy aims to enhance transit visa procedures to enable stopover passengers to enjoy a day out in the country, thus boosting the tourism industry.

The Cabinet formed a working group, led by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, to prepare the new policy considering the possible positive effects it will have on the tourism sector and the economy in general.

About 70 percent of the total passengers who passed through the UAE's airports in 2017 were transit passengers.

The new policy will list visa fees, mechanisms for increasing the number of stop-over visitors, as well as ways to promote the country's tourist attractions.

Equal Wages for Women and men approved by UAE Cabinet

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

The United Arab Emirates’ cabinet approved a bill guaranteeing equal pay for men and women as the Gulf nation strives to bring more females into its workforce.

The 'law on equal wages and salaries for men and women' will ensure that women have equal opportunities as partners in the UAE's development. It will also empower women to lead future national strategies and ambitious projects, it was announced on Tuesday.

Announcing the law on Twitter, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said the country's constitution guarantees impartiality between men and women as a fundamental right.

"Our Constitution calls for equal rights and duties of the genders, and we seek to elaborate, enforce and guarantee this constitutional right through the new law," he tweeted. "We do not want any exception when it comes to providing equal opportunities for both genders."

He said the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan had recognised the importance of establishing gender balance and its long-term positive social and economic effects.

Hailing the law, Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, noted that the UAE has achieved gender balance "in all fields". "The decision encourages women to devote themselves to work and make greater efforts to achieve the state's goals," she said.

The UAE government has been consolidating efforts to narrow the gender gap. In 2015, the UAE Council for Gender Balance was established to position UAE among the leading countries in the world in terms of gender balance. The UAE continues to champion the involvement of women in the development process through the issuance of the new law.

The Cabinet's approval of the law is in line with the government's objective to ensure the protection of women's rights and support their role in the national development process. It is part of the Strategy for the Empowerment of Emirati Women launched by Sheikha Fatima, who is also the President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation.

Empowering women in UAE

• 66% of public sector employees are women, with 30% in leadership roles
• 70% of school and university students are women
• 65% of total higher education graduates are women
• 8 women in the UAE Cabinet
• 8 women in the Federal National Council 2nd in the Arab world in World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2017
• The Federal National Council's speaker is a woman
• The second country in the world after Norway to impose women's representation on boards of directors of companies
• Gender Balance Guide for the workplace in the UAE is the world's first of its kind for workplaces
• The country aims to be among the top 25 nations worldwide excelling in the field of women's empowerment

Passports do not need to get bail in Dubai

Suspects involved in certain misdemeanours will be able to keep their passports in their possession and not have them confiscated by prosecutors thanks to a newly launched smart initiative.

Suspects, who involve in particular misdemeanours, can start obtaining an electronic bail without having to keep their passports or those of their guarantors in the possession of the Dubai Public Prosecution as per the ‘Smart Bail’ initiative, Prosecutor General Ali Humaid Bin Khatem told.

“This new initiative was put into practice as of January 2018 at Jebel Ali Police Station. The ‘smart bail’ initiative allows suspects involved in minor crimes and/or their guarantors to keep hold of their passports without depositing them in the custody of the prosecution or police. However, an electronic order will be issued and circulated to all ports banning the involved suspects from leaving the country,” Bin Khatem told.

The initiative applies on suspects involved in misdemeanour cases of crimes such as bounce cheques, cursing/insulting, breach of trust, drinking alcohol, assault and petit embezzlements and thefts and other minor offences, he elaborated.

 “As per the smart bail, the suspect will not be asked to hand over his/her passport but they will not be allowed to leave the UAE. This initiative acts as an ‘electronic guarantee’ that the suspect attends the prosecution’s investigation or the trial. We do not want any more passports to be physically given to the prosecution in such misdemeanours … it helps in reducing the cost of managing those passports since we have had an average of 30,000 to 40,000 passports to handle per year,” said Bin Khatem.

The number of detainees will be reduced and the ‘smart bail’ initiative will permit such suspects, according to the prosecutor general, to practise their normal life inside the country.

Deliberating further, Bin Khatem said: “Suspects involved in such misdemeanours will be able to renew their residencies or their passports despite being involved in legal action. This initiative was mainly launched to satisfy our clients as much as possible. For instance, guarantors will not have to hassle anymore and have their passports kept in custody.”

He told that the ‘smart bail’ initiative will be put into practice across all the police stations in Dubai ‘very soon’.

“This initiative will make the lives of suspects involved in such misdemeanour cases easier. It falls within the Dubai Government’s plan to turn to a smart and paperless government,” concluded Bin Khatem.

Dubai public prosecution will no longer keep passports

The Dubai Public Prosecution will no longer be keeping any passports of residents or visitors who have been charged with a crime or need a bail. The data of the person instead will be stored electronically.

If the person needs bail, they will no longer require a friend or relative to keep their passport on their behalf.

The 'Smart Bail' initiative has been announced at the Dubai Government Excellence Programme on April 9.

Ali Humaid Al Khatim, Advocate General and Chief Prosecutor of Immigration at the Public Prosecution, told that the move is to ensure they eliminate the method of holding passports.

Last year, and almost every year, we held 50,000 passports and we want to reduce this. The resident or visitor will have all of their data saved in our system all over the UAE so we will not need their passport," he said.

"This will also give the person ease because he can get his visa renewed or anything related to the passport because he will have the important document with him."