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RTA campaigns for safety during tram testing

RTA campaigns for safety during tram testing Lily B. Libo-on / 23 January 2014 Littering on the tramway line, crossing the tramway line from undesignated areas, entering a restricted area, interfering with the operation to invite fines. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is campaigning for public safety during the tram testing from January 26, until it finishes on November 10 this year. RTA, in coordination with the Dubai Police, will enforce fines in the event of an offence. The public is advised to stay alert and stay safe during the tram testing. Circumstances that call for fines are littering on the tramway line, crossing the tramway line from undesignated areas, entering a restricted area, interfering with the operation of the tramway or taking any action that would compromise the safety of the tram or the infrastructure, crossing the red light at the junction with the tramway and blocking the tramway without permission. In its brochure ‘Let’s Talk Safety, Your A-To-Z Guide to Dubai Tram Safety’, the RTA is urging everyone, especially those living near the tramway, to be aware of the signs and symbols to look out for. “The journey begins with safety,” RTA said. Among the signs the public is urged to be aware of and to follow strictly are the signs that say ‘Tram is under testing. Do not enter or use’, ‘Tram Right’, ‘Tram Only’, ‘Tram Ahead’, and ‘Tram Left’. RTA is cautioning the public, including drivers and cyclists, because Dubai Tram is sharing the road with pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists. “If trams are running through the areas where you walk, you will need to take extra care and keep a look out for these signs,” RTA said. Driving cars alongside the tram is perfectly safe, the RTA said. “But, motorists should not enter a road, lane or route reserved for trams, and should always give way to trams. Tramway at junctions is clearly marked.” lily@khaleejtimes.com fact box FOR CYCLISTS Do not cycle on the tracks as wheels may get stuck in the rail gap. Where trams run along the road, avoid following the rails to make sure they do not lead to a route reserved for the tram. Be extra careful where a track crosses the road as tram road users have their own traffic signals. When crossing the tracks, always check your surroundings and consider dismounting and crossing on foot.   FOR DRIVERS You must not enter a road, lane or route reserved for trams. Always give way to trams. Be extra careful where a track crosses the road as trams have their own traffic signals and maybe permitted to move when you are not. You must not stop or park your vehicle where it would get in the way of trams or where it would force other road users to do so. Look out for pedestrians, especially children, running to catch a tram, getting off a tram or bus or crossing the road. FOR PEDESTRIANS Always cross the tracks using a pedestrian crossing and pay extra attention when the tram is approaching. Always look in both directions before crossing the tracks. Avoid using headphones or mobile phones near the tram. Tram corridor is fenced to prohibit crossing. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading

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No hint of compromise in Syria peace talks

No hint of compromise in Syria peace talks (AFP) / 23 January 2014 UN leader Ban Ki-moon urged Syrian regime and opposition to finally work together at the table. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon greets UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Montreux on Wednesday. — Reuters Syria’s peace conference moved into a second day on Thursday with the warring sides showing no willingness to compromise as global powers seek to engineer head-to-head talks on ending the bloodshed. The biggest push yet to end the conflict was marked by fiery exchanges on day one on Wednesday as the regime and the opposition clashed over President Bashar Al Assad’s fate at the UN meeting in Switzerland. Expectations are very low for a breakthrough at the conference, but diplomats believe that simply bringing the two sides together for the first time is a mark of some progress and could be an important first step. After a day of formal speeches set to be followed this week by talks involving the two sides, UN leader Ban Ki-moon urged Syria’s regime and opposition to finally work together at the table. “The world wants an urgent end to the conflict,” Ban said in a closing press conference at the talks in the Swiss town of Montreux on Wednesday. “Enough is enough, the time has to come to negotiate.” US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend the opening speech of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during peace talks in Montreux. AP But official statements made by the delegations gave no hint of compromise, as the two sides met on the shores of Lake Geneva for the first time since the conflict erupted in March 2011. Branding the opposition “traitors” and foreign agents, Syrian officials insisted Assad would not give up power, while the opposition said he must step down and face trial. “Assad will not go,” Syrian Information Minister Omran Al Zohbi said on the sidelines of the conference. In his speech, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al Moallem surprised observers with a vehement attack on the opposition that went on long beyond the allotted time of less than 10 minutes, forcing Ban to repeatedly ask him to wrap it up. US Secretary of State John Kerry talks to UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Montreux on Wednesday. — AP “They (the opposition) claim to represent the Syrian people. If you want to speak in the name of the Syrian people, you should not be traitors to the Syrian people, agents in the pay of enemies of the Syrian people,” Moallem said. Ahmad Al Jarba, the head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, called on the regime to “immediately” sign a deal reached at the last peace conference in Geneva in 2012 setting out “the transfer of powers from Assad, including for the army and security, to a transition government”. Al Jarba said that would be “the preamble to Bashar Al Assad’s resignation and his trial alongside all the criminals of his regime”. Leading a series of sharp US accusations against the Syrian regime, Secretary of State John Kerry insisted Assad could not be part of any transitional government. “There is no way, not possible in the imagination, that the man who has led the brutal response to his own people could regain legitimacy to govern,” Kerry said. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al Moallem leads his delegation during a plenary session of a peace conference on Syria. – AP US officials also slammed the Syrian delegation for its incendiary remarks. “Instead of laying out a positive vision for the future of Syria that is diverse, inclusive and respectful of the rights of all, the Syrian regime chose inflammatory rhetoric,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius accused the regime of lowering the tone of the discussions, saying its delegation was the only one that was “deaf and blind”. “The situation is very difficult, we couldn’t expect a bed of roses,” Fabius said. At his closing press conference, Kerry said Washington was also pursuing “different avenues” to resolve the conflict alongside peace talks, including “augmented support to the opposition”. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the talks will “not be simple, they will not be quick” but urged both sides to seize a “historic opportunity”. About 40 nations and international bodies were gathered, but no direct talks are expected until possibly Friday — when opposition and regime delegations will meet in Geneva for negotiations that officials have said could last seven to 10 days. The UN Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi, centre, attends the start of the Syrian peace talks in Montreux, Switzerland. – AP The UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, told the closing press conference he would meet on Thursday with both sides to discuss the next step in negotiations. “Tomorrow I am going to meet them separately and see how best we can move forward,” Brahimi said. “Do we go straight into one room and start discussing or do we talk a little bit more separately?… I don’t know yet.” Erupting after the regime cracked down on protests inspired by the Arab Spring, the civil war has claimed more than 130,000 lives and forced millions from the homes. Recent months have seen the conflict settle into a brutal stalemate — with the death toll rising but neither camp making decisive gains. With no one ready for serious concessions, world powers will be looking for short-term deals to keep the process moving forward, including on localised ceasefires, freer humanitarian access and prisoner exchanges. Brahimi said he “had indications” from both sides that they were willing discuss these issues. A TV grab from a United Nation’s UNTV broadcast, shows Amhad Al Jarba holding up an image of alleged opposition torture victims, during the Syrian peace talks in Montreux. AFP/UNTV Notably absent from the table was Iran, after Ban reversed a last-minute invitation when the opposition said it would boycott if Tehran took part. There were stark reminders of the conflict’s impact in the run-up to the talks, with continued fighting on the ground and new evidence in a report alleging that Assad’s forces have systematically killed and tortured 11,000 people. The opposition called at the conference for an international inquiry into the allegations. “We have to stop this spiral of violence. We do call for an international inspection to visit places of detention and see the facts of torture that our citizens face every day,” Al Jarba said. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading

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Carpet and Art Oasis: Weaving their own future

Carpet and Art Oasis: Weaving their own future Sudeshna Sarkar & Ishtiaq Ali Mehkri / 21 January 2014 While Persian carpets enjoy a walkover in the industry, now new dark horses are coming up IT’S THE end of Saturday evening and exhausted festival-goers are leaving in their cars, giving the Carpet and Art Oasis a deserted look. The sprawling pavilion looks like something straight out of Arabian Nights . Everywhere there are carpets, rugs, tapestries and more carpets, in diverse colours and designs, on the floor, the walls, and stacked in little heaps. Then there are some more in intriguing glass-topped caskets that look like coffins at first glance. A tapestry at the Carpet and Art Oasis at Dubai Festival City The people around them speak in hushed whispers as befits either death or some work of great note. Indeed, it’s just that. On display is a priceless Persian carpet that took 14 years for its creation. The $6 million price tag is nothing compared to the immeasurable love, care and artistry that was lavished by three Iranian master weavers to craft a timeless work of art. These creations by the Azimzadeh Carpet company have captured the public imagination but then, Persian carpets have long been known to rule the roost in the industry. Tread with reverence  Ishtiaq Ali Mehkri & 
Sudeshna Sarkar  IN THE Central Asian republic of Turkmenistan, the Turkmen carpet is not just a carpet, it’s a way of life. A toddler takes his first tottering steps on the family carpet that is its pride, passed on from generation to generation. Girls store their dowry in carpet bags, and every day, the family prays on the prayer rug. Finally, when a Turkmen essays out on the final journey, the body is lovingly wrapped in a ritual carpet. This integral part of Turkmenistan life is woven from the wool of the delicate Saraja sheep that can be grown only in the bracing climate of Turkmenistan. “The government spent $1 billion to breed the sheep in Europe but they did not survive,” says Arslan Ahmedov, representing the Hatudzha Company. Tukmenhaly, the state-owned corporation, oversees the carpet industry and the export of carpets was allowed by the government only in 2012. Since then, Turkmen carpets have taken part in exhibitions at the Global Village in 2013. “We sold five tonnes,” says Ahmedov. “Of that three tonnes were bought by Russian buyers.” Turkmen carpets, made by women, boast a long antiquity. But because the brand is not as well-established as Persian carpets, Turkmen designs are often wrongly attributed to others. “People ask us, are you from Russia? Or are you from Turkey?” Ahmedov says. The Turkmen President, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, is said to take a special interest in the industry and is seeking to promote it. This is the first time that Turkmen carpets straight from Turkmenistan are taking part in the Carpet and Arts Oasis. To mark that, pride of place is given to a tapestry sporting a wonderful likeness of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.  “If the breed of Saraja sheep dies out, the art of Turkmenistan carpets will also vanish,” says Ahmedov. “Perhaps then the only place where you will see them will be in the museums.” sudeshna@khalejtimes.com mehkri@khaleejtimes.com Perhaps what is not so known is the emergence of new players with their own unique characteristics. The Fatema bint Mohammed bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI) is one of them. Started three years ago by Shaikha Fatema bint Mohammed bin Zayed, daughter of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, with Tanweer Investments, an Afghan carpet maker for three generations, FBMI is promoting Afghanistan’s carpet industry, where the weavers are mostly women, and giving it a global footfall. “We provide direct employment to over 4,000 women and the number is rising,” says Walied Jabarkhyl, FBMI’s executive director. “Plus indirect employment to another 20,000 like nomadic wool suppliers and farmers who provide the vegetables for the dyes.” Though a major export earner, Afghanistan’s carpet industry suffered due to lack of transport facilities. A landlocked mountainous land, its exports are mostly by road, through neighbouring Pakistan. When there are disturbances, the routes are disrupted, bringing exports to a standstill. Also, Afghan carpets have been bulk-sold with the “made in Pakistan” label, causing the Afghan government to lose revenue. But FBMI belongs to the new generation of entrepreneurs whose tools range from the computer to aircraft. It has strategic alliances with major airlines and the consignments are flown out to the UK, US, Brazil, China and Scandinavia.  “Everything is from Afghanistan,” says a proud Jabarkhyl. “The wool comes from Afghan sheep, the designs are done in Afghanistan and the weavers are from Afghanistan.” Women weave FBMI’s carpets. Given Afghanistan’s conservative society, they work from home. The looms are set up in village houses and coordinators monitor the progress of work and collect the finished items. This way, the Taleban threat to women who venture out of their homes does not affect the workers, who can make their living from home. The factory in Kabul produces about 4,000 metres of carpet a month, using wool and silk, and the weavers are paid between $2-5 a day. It is a windfall in a country where people on average live on less than $1 a day. Designers and senior weavers earn more. As FBMI is a social project, it provides workers with vocational training as well as education so that a “weaver does not have to remain a weaver all her life”. It also provides medicare and makes education mandatory for workers’ children. About 7,000 children are currently being educated under the FBMI programme. In areas where water is hard to come by, FBMI constructs wells for its community of workers. In addition, it boasts an extraordinary feat that few carpet businesses can rival. It has set up looms inside the Women’s Prison in Kabul so that women prisoners can also earn money. From their village homes, Afghan women are keeping an eye on the world of sports. Soccer is the current favourite since of all sports it generates the highest business for them. Birth of a tradition THE CARPET and Art Oasis was started 19 years ago by Dubai Customs to complement the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). The current edition will run at Dubai Festival City till Feb 1.  “(It) is one of the most remarkable events regularly scheduled for the Dubai Shopping Festival,” said Ahmed Butti Ahmed, Executive Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, Director General of Dubai Customs. “Dubai Customs is proud to organize the Carpet and Art Oasis that increasingly attracts larger crowds, giving DSF greater splendour as traders, rug lovers and visitors gather in to acquire some of the scarcest and most gorgeous handcrafted carpets.” Jabarkhyl rummages through mounds of carpets to drag out an assortment with some carpets as small as doormats. Each piece is the emblem of some famous football club. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea — you name it, FBMI has it. “There are lots of football fanatics,” Jabarkhyl smiles. “But there is only one place where you can buy this novelty item. From us.” This is the third year that FBMI has been attending the Carpet and Art Oasis. Jabarkhyl says the response has been most encouraging: “It is one of the largest carpet fairs in the Middle East and we are the only representative from Afghanistan,” he says. “FBMI is now known to major floor designers and the footfall has been immense.” Besides the promotion in Dubai, FBMI has something more to cheer this month. Afghan carpets have created a buzz at Hannover’s Domotex 2014, the largest carpet and flooring exhibition in the world. This time, there was an AfghanMade initiative as a tribute to the Afghan carpet industry. Of the hundreds of designs pouring in, six were handcrafted in Afghanistan by FBMI and showcased at Domotex, giving viewers a glimpse of Afghanistan’s rich heritage. FBMI also won the Domotex Carpet Design Award 2014. Like Chinese tea or Indian spices, Afghan carpets are considered to be fit for kings. FBMI’s collection has a carpet designed in 1936 for the then Afghan king Mohammad Nadir Shah by weavers in North Afghanistan. Woven into the royal carpet is a couplet in Dari. It could also be the motto of the Afghan carpet industry: If you decide to work hard to complete a task/Then even thorns will turn into flowers. sudeshna@khalejtimes.com mehkri@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading

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