Tag Archives: dubai
What makes JBR’s The Walk tick?
What makes JBR’s The Walk tick? Kelly Clarke / 23 March 2014 Dubai’s thriving hotspot attracts people from all over the UAE, even neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Take a stroll around JBR’s The Walk and you’re pretty much set for a great day out. From coffee to shisha, or lunch to a quick dip in the sea, the thriving hotspot attracts people from all over the UAE, even neighbouring Saudi Arabia. So what is it exactly that makes The Walk tick? “It’s wonderful here. It’s got all the points of interest in one place and it’s our favourite place to come on a Saturday,” says Egypt-born Cherine Ragab. And true to her word, I catch Cherine, and her partner Hussam Rezk, strolling along The Walk at noon on Saturday. Living in Dubai for 13 years, the couple says they are big fans of the popular shopping and restaurant strip. The fact that the beach is just a hop, skip and jump away, makes the area even more attractive, especially when friends come to visit. “It’s just everything you need in one place, but we do try to manage ourselves so that we don’t come during peak hours when the crowds are huge,” Hassam says. There is one slight drawback to the beachside destination, though he says. “Parking can be difficult because spaces are usually full. We tend to park down at the end which isn’t too bad as the long walk back to the car helps us burn the calories we just consumed,” he jokes. With the new Beach Mall recently opened to the public — adding a much-needed 1,200 parking spaces to the area — it seems visitors are being put off by the steep pricing, with a hefty Dh20 per hour being charged for the privilege of being smack, bang in the middle of it all. “It’s too expensive, but maybe after this gets printed, prices will be reviewed,” a hopeful Hassam and Cherine say. A tourist’s point of view Continuing my march along The Walk’s cobbled pavement, I spot a couple snapping a photograph of a Dubai Police 4WD, and immediately make a bee-line for the duo. “I take it you guys are tourists,” I ask them, and the response is yes. This is Padraig and Clare McAdam’s first trip to Dubai. Staying at a nearby hotel, the Irish couple says they’ve been down on The Walk every day since arriving on March 17. “It’s nice to walk it and there’s a bit of a buzz about the place. The crowds last night were unreal, and the traffic too. We saw so many vintage cars driving along the strip, it was fantastic,” they tell me. Catching the couple in full tourist mode and fresh from sipping on a coffee at one of the new cafes along Beach Mall, Clare says the location is the area’s biggest selling point. “We heard this mall is new and I think it’s lovely, especially with the beach so close by, although he’s really not a fan of the beach,” she says, pointing to her husband. So how does it compare to other holiday destinations? “We’ve been to Spain, Turkey, France. I think the culture, in this particular area, is missing a wee bit, but I tell you what is nice. The people and the food. The variety is great and the people are so friendly, so that will keep us coming back,” Padraig says. And will JBR be the area of choice on the couple’s next visit? “I think so yes. It was about 50 per cent more expensive to stay at our hotel, compared to the city hotels, but the area was recommended to us and it suits us down to the ground. It’s better than being in the middle of a concrete jungle,” they say. Growing appeal Opened to the public in 2008, JBR’s The Walk is one of Dubai’s most favoured hotspots among residents and tourists alike. As the area continues to expand, with the addition of the Dubai Tramway — which opens its first phase to the public in November — and the new Beach Mall, hosting the world’s biggest TV screen, prices in the area have already begun to rise, but it doesn’t seem to be denting its popularity. Syrian resident Hassan has been living in JBR for two years, and with his tenancy contract up for renewal in a few months, rent is due to increase, but he says he is staying put. “The fact that the beach is close by is a big bonus for me, and some of the shisha on offer is very good, too. My rent is rising, but I need to stay here, so I’m just going to pay whatever they ask ,” he says. Although Tracey Spiller and Dan Minks already live on one of Dubai’s most recognisable landmarks, The Palm, they still find themselves drawn to the JBR area. “We’ve just come down today to grab some breakfast and go to the beach,” Dan says. For Tracey, the visits have not been so frequent since the opening of the new mall. “To be honest, we always used to come down here before, but we don’t come as much because it’s just so packed on the beach and it’s quite far to walk to the restaurants.” But like Cherine and Hassam, the crowds haven’t put them off completely as they say it’s always a place they’ll bring visiting friends and family. So despite a hike in prices and the often-overbearing crowds, it seems the lure of JBR will continue. kelly@khaleejtimes.com FACTS > 1.7km stretch along The Walk > 2008 saw the official opening of The Walk For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Dubai Islamic affairs department launches e-services guide
Dubai Islamic affairs department launches e-services guide Ahmed Shaaban / 22 March 2014 The Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai on Thursday launched its electronic services guide on its official website. Dr Hamad Al Shaibani, Director-General of the department, said the move was a step to turn it into a total smart entity in line with the Smart Government initiative announced by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in May 2013. “While smart services were first launched in some mosques of the emirate in February this year, all department services are planned to be smart for the benefit of the public.” The department is also planning to launch a packet of smart services soon, he added. The Department, late in February this year, launched the first ‘smart mosque’ in the country — the Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Mosque at Jumeirah 3. The mosque, equipped with QR (Quick Reader) code technology for the first time in government buildings, was part of Phase I, including nine smart mosques being planned this year. Nasser Mubarak, Head of the IT Section, said the Electronic Services Guide consists of three sections — the Islamic affairs sector, the charitable activities sector, and community and media sector. The Islamic Affairs Sector spans the services being provided to new Muslims, as well as fatwa, scientific and library researches, Quran study, family consultations, mosque affairs and other religious activities. Mubarak said the Charitable Activities Sector includes all services related to all Islamic and charitable societies in the emirate, along with Quran study centres, the Princess Haya Cultural and Islamic Centre, and Zakat and charity. “The community and media sector spans all activities of the Zayed bin Mohammed Family Forum, distribution of books and brochures, recruitment, media institutions, and other relevant electronic services.” Abdullah Al Dallal, head of the corporate excellence section, said the department has adopted a number of initiatives to make all its services smart. “Customers may benefit from the electronic services guide by simply filling an e-form.” The e-form shows customers the right way to get the service needed in a fast and convenient way, he noted. “Customers may also submit their remarks, complaints and suggestions using the same form to give feedback.” ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
No sign, suspected debris may have sunk: Australia
No sign, suspected debris may have sunk: Australia (Reuters) / 22 March 2014 Aircraft return to area near where objects spotted by satellite The international team hunting for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean has not turned up anything so far, and Australia’s deputy prime minister said the suspected debris may have sunk. Aircraft and ships have renewed a search in the Andaman Sea between India and Thailand, going over areas that have already been exhaustively swept to find some clue to unlock one of the most inexplicable mysteries in modern aviation. Royal Australian Air Force Loadmasters, Sergeant Adam Roberts and Flight Sergeant John Mancey, preparing to launch a Self Locating Data Marker Buoy from a C-130J Hercules aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean as part of the search for Malaysian flight. — AFP The Boeing 777 went missing almost two weeks ago off the Malaysian coast with 239 people aboard. There has been no confirmed sign of wreckage but two objects seen floating deep south in the Indian Ocean were considered a credibe lead and set off a huge hunt on Thursday. Australian authorities said the first aircraft to sweep treacherous seas on Friday in an area about 2,500 km southwest of Perth was on its way back to base without spotting the objects picked out by satellite images five days ago. “Something that was floating on the sea that long ago may no longer be floating,” Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss told reporters in Perth. “It may have slipped to the bottom.” But the search is continuing and and Australian, New Zealand and US aircraft would be joined by Chinese and Japanese planes over the weekend. “It’s about the most inaccessible spot that you can imagine on the face of the Earth, but if there is anything down there, we will find it,” Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters in Papua New Guineau, where he is on a visit. “Now it could just be a container that’s fallen off a ship. We just don’t know, but we owe it to the families, and the friends and the loved ones to do everything we can to try to resolve what is as yet an extraordinary riddle.” India said it was sending two aircraft, a Poseidon P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft and a C-130 Hercules transporter, to join the hunt in the southern Indian Ocean. It is also sending another P-8I and four warships to search in the Andaman Sea, where the plane was last seen on military radar on March 8. In New Delhi, officials said the search in areas around the Andaman island chain was not at the request of Malaysian authorities coordinating the global search for the airliner. “All the navies of the world have SAR regions,” said Capt. D.K. Sharma, an Indian navy spokesman, referring to search and rescue regions. “So we’re doing it at our own behest. “We’re doing it on our own because the Malaysian plane is still missing.” Investigators suspect Flight MH370, which took off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing shortly after midnight on March 8, was deliberately diverted thousands of miles from its scheduled path. They say they are focusing on hijacking or sabotage but have not ruled out technical problems. The search for the plane also continues in other regions, including a wide arc sweeping northward from Laos to Kazakhstan. In the Indian Ocean, three Australian P-3 Orions joined a high-tech US Navy P-8 Poseidon and a civilian Bombardier Global Express jet to search the 23,000 square km zone, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
