Tag Archives: education
Visitors barred from driving to Hatta wadis
Visitors barred from driving to Hatta wadis Sajila Saseendran / 2 September 2013 Visitors and tourists to Dubai’s Hatta will be barred from driving into the wadis in the areas surrounding the dams in the mountain village as part of efforts to protect its environment. The Dubai Municipality has also prohibited tourist activities like swimming, fishing, camping, bonfire and barbecuing in these areas near the border. Hunting, cutting or uprooting the bushes or trees in the areas and destructing the flora and fauna are also strictly prohibited. Tourists are also barred from walking their dogs in the wadis and littering the area. The new instructions have been issued by the Environment Department of the Dubai Municipality which intends to declare the valleys surrounding the dams as ‘protected land,’ an official told Khaleej Times . “The dam area is part of a proposed conservation area. That is why the municipality has come up with the new guidelines to protect the environment in this place,” said Nature Conservation Officer with the Environment Department Jeruel Aguhob. The Environment department, with the support of the advertisement section at the Planning Department and the Municipality Centres Department, has fixed huge boards on the way to the wadis to alert the travellers about the new instructions. The boards say that legal action will be taken against those not complying with the new environment and safety regulations. The boards are fixed for tourists and visitors mainly to educate them to follow practices that preserve the environment including air, water and soil, the municipality said. “We want to prepare the people ahead of winter. A lot of tourists are expected in the winter. They shouldn’t be shocked when they go down the valley. That is why we have kept the boards on the main road leading to the wadis,” said Aguhob. He said people wishing to drive down to the wadis will now have to take special permission from the Municipality Centre in Hatta. “We won’t allow everybody to drive their SUVs down to the valleys. Those going there for research purposes and scientific programmes will be definitely allowed. Trekking in still allowed. But littering is strictly prohibited.” Tourists wishing to take photographs in the wadis will have to walk down to the valley, he said. Thousands of tourist and residents visit Hatta every year, mainly to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Dubai’s city life and to enjoy the beauty of the nature in the mountain and the valleys. Aguhob said the municipality will be preparing more educational materials to make tourists and tour companies aware of the new regulations. A tour manager from a Dubai-based tour company said the regulations would make the weekend Hatta trips less exciting for residents and tourists “There are only two major things to see in Hatta — the heritage village and the wadis. If people are not allowed to have any tourist activities in the wadis, it will affect the flow of tourists,” he said. However, a staff at a prominent hotel in Hatta said not many tourists are into swimming or fishing in the wadis and camping in that area. “They know that they cannot swim over there. They just go for a couple of hours and take pictures,” she said.— sajila@khaleejtimes. com Continue reading
School bells chime again
School bells chime again Muaz Shabandri / 2 September 2013 The school bells were ringing once again on Sunday morning as students returned to their classrooms after the two-month summer break. A little girl waits for her bus in Sharjah on the first day of school after summer vacations. — KT photo by M. Sajjad Eight-year old Mehek was among the thousands of students returning to school early on Sunday morning. She was happily waiting to meet her friends and share stories with the class teacher. “I am very excited to go back to school after the long holiday,” said the second grader. Schools across the country reopen this week as a new academic year gets underway for some school. In Dubai, a total of 159 schools open doors for more than 225,000 students. Razan Nueiran, an English teacher at a private school in Dubai, said this time of the year tends to become the best period for learning and sharing experiences. Last minute check before their bus arrives at the Gardens, Jebel Ali, Dubai, on Sunday. — KT photo by Leslie Pableo She says: “After the summer vacation, children come back to school with a lot of stories to tell and so much to share. It’s wonderful to listen to them and see the wonder and joy as they recount their experiences. So many of them travel, and their infectious excitement as they tell their stories quickly takes over the whole class. I always remind myself of how important it is to listen to them, and learn from their experiences. For me, as a teacher, a new school year means a new opportunity to positively touch my students’ hearts and minds, and hopefully their lives.” For her, the back to school season is a time to bond with students and help them build their knowledge by helping them learn from own experiences. STUDENTS START THE TERM WITH A PRAYER … At Pakistan Education Academy, Dubai.— KT photo by Grace Guino “A new school year is always exciting for us teachers. It’s a chance to build on previous experiences and carry them forward. Each child is unique and each child I have taught has opened my eyes to new experiences and new expectations. So often, we become the learners and they the teachers,” she added. Reem Sabobeh, a student at the Al Mawakeb School in Al Garhoud. expressed happiness at being able to go back to school. “I had a nice long break, and I’m ready to go back and finish on a high note. This year is my final year at school and I hope I will have the chance to grow into an even more mature and dependable student, on my way to university. At Al Mawakeb, we learn to be responsible but we also learned that there is no limit to growth, and I plan to keep growing.” – muaz@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Mohammed bin Zayed reaffirms UAE’s support to Egypt
Crown Prince reaffirms UAE’s support to Egypt (Wam) / 2 September 2013 General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the Egyptian interim President Adli Mansour discussed the fraternal relations and cooperation between the UAE and Egypt on Sunday. The discussions took place as the Egyptian President received the Crown Prince and his entourage at Al Etihadiya Palace in Cairo. Gen. Shaikh Mohammed holding discussions with Egyptian President Adli Mansour and prime minister Dr Hazem El Beblawy in Cairo on Sunday. -Wam During the meeting, Gen. Shaikh Mohammed conveyed to the Egyptian President greetings of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and their best wishes of progress, stability and prosperity for the leadership and people of Egypt. The two sides also discussed ways of bolstering and supporting aspects of cooperation between the UAE and Egypt in the service of their interests and the aspirations of their two brotherly peoples. At the meeting attended by Shaikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, and Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, the two sides also discussed the latest regional developments, and the efforts by Arabs and the international community to contain their consequences and to boost the opportunities for regional and international peace and security. Gen. Shaikh Mohammed affirmed the UAE’s satisfaction with the return of security and stability to Egypt, thanks to the efforts being made by the Egyptian leadership at this critical juncture. He reaffirmed the UAE’s support to the Egyptian people and its choices for determining their national requirements and aspirations. He also reaffirmed that the UAE’s support to Egypt stems from its Arab national affiliation and its own national and humanitarian policy which is based on peace, security, tolerance, love, as well as on urging for cooperation, rejection of division and violence, so as to establish stability and implement development and prosperity for all peoples. He emphasised that the directives by Shaikh Khalifa in this regard are clear and stipulate providing support to Egypt and its people. This emanates from Shaikh Khalifa’s belief that a strong and stable Egypt is a strength for, and a pillar of the renaissance of the Arab Nation and the Islamic Nation. Gen. Shaikh Mohammed said: “The UAE people and leadership will always remain a strong supporter for Egypt and its brotherly people in continuation of the UAE’s unwavering approach established by the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who also established the historic and solid relationship with Egypt and its brotherly people, based on love, friendliness and cordiality and on the principles of fraternity, mutual respect. This approach continues under the leadership of Shaikh Khalifa who is always keen on deepening pan-Arab solidarity in the service of the causes of the Arab Nation and the Islamic Nation.” Gen. Shaikh Mohammed wished Egypt further glory, pride and eminence, and continuous peace and stability. He also wished the Egyptian people success in fulfilling their aspirations for progress and dignified living. For his part the interim Egyptian President Adli Mansour asked Gen. Shaikh Mohammed to convey his greetings to Shaikh Khalifa and Shaikh Mohammed. He thanked the UAE for standing by Egypt and supporting the Egyptian people’s choices. UAE’s support hailed Meanwhile, Sakina Fouad, Egyptian presidential Adviser for Women’s Affairs, on Sunday hailed the support extended by the Gulf states, the UAE and Saudi Arabia in particular, to the June 30 revolution, aborting plans targeting Egypt. The Egyptian senior official also hailed the visit by His Highness Gen Shaikh Mohammed to Egypt on Sunday. She noted that the positive aspects of the UAE’s position on Egypt is represented by an emphasis on the strength of the intra-Arab relations and their coming back to normalcy. The Egyptian Permanent Representative at the Arab League, Amr Abul Ata, thanked the UAE and Saudi Arabia, for supporting and helping Egypt after the June 30 revolution. In a speech at a meeting for the permanent representatives of Arab states to the Arab League, the Egyptian representative said Egypt astonished the world with its January 25, 2011 revolution which was triggered under the slogan, “Bread, Freedom and Social Freedom.” Continue reading
