Tag Archives: personality
UAE’s goal is smart govt and happy people: Mohammed
UAE’s goal is smart govt and happy people: Mohammed Muaz Shabandri and Sadiq Shaban / 13 February 2014 mGovernment to incorporate 100 services as nation braces for hi-tech future, says Vice-President. Not content with eGovernment, the UAE on Wednesday launched the mGovernment strategy for seamless service as His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, exuded hope and confidence in a smart future. Shaikh Mohammed addressing the concluding session of the Government Summit in Dubai on Wednesday. — KT photo by Shihab ‘Our main goal is to build hope, build life, build the future and make people happy,” Shaikh Mohammed told an audience of ministers, delegates and senior government employees on the concluding day of the Government Summit. Shaikh Mohammed said that one of the ministers from GCC countries asked him why he says making people happy and not satisfied. VP declares unflinching support to Egypt His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday declared the UAE’s unflinching support to the Egyptian government. “The late President Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan supported Egypt when it signed a peace treaty with Israel. This support continues to this day,” he told visiting foreign journalists. “The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and I believe Egypt is the heart of the Arab nation and we would do all we can to ensure the country proceeds on the path to reform, maintains security and achieves economical development,” Shaikh Mohammed said. Shaikh Mohammed said the economic downturn did not ruffle him one bit when it hit in 2009. “All were wondering how the world financial recession did not affect me. I was confident of recovering from the meltdown especially Dubai,” he said. He called it a “great challenge” and said he thrived in the situation as he saw an opportunity for a stronger UAE after the recovery. “You judge matters from your own present view and analysis,” he told his audience, “but I judge it from my own experiences, expertise, and my vision of the future”. He said he faced the challenge with “persistence, determination and strong faith, and with our own abilities”. The Vice-President said the GCC was vibrant and making rapid strides in cooperation between the countries in various fields — political, economic and military. “We, in the United Arab Emirates, are striving with brotherly GCC states for stronger ties to fulfill the hopes and expectations of our people.” “I would love to assure you that the end will be happy, God willing.” news@khaleejtimes.com “I answered ‘Satisfaction represents a short period of time but happiness lasts more or is semi permanent, this is similar to victory, because the victory is temporary but excellence is eternal’.” “The UAE is proud to have the biggest and most active team in the world. The students of the UAE are the ones who build our country and the staff are its leaders.” Earlier, Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, announced the new mobile strategy at a Press conference with Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, Director-General of mGovernment, and Hessa Buhumaid, Executive Director for Government Services Sector at the Prime Minister’s Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs. “Governments must be in synergy with the demands and expectations of the people in developing its services comprehensively, meeting the pace of smart device developments globally,” Gergawi said. “The UAE’s goal is to ensure the happiness of the people by enhancing access to government services. Delivering mGovernment services seamlessly requires new tools, new thinking and a new level of creativity, which we are implementing.” The plan is to first establish an environment for mGovernment to flourish; provide access capability and capacity of government entities; establish shared resources across government entities at a national level; and ultimately, achieving citizen happiness. mGovernment services are expected 24 hours a day, seven days a week over two years. By May 2015, the government aims to have UAE citizens connecting with the key government services through smart phone devices for services such as payments and identification purposes. Out of the thousands of government services already available online, the UAE has identified the top 100 services based on customer demand, and will focus on refining them into mGovernment Services by May 2015. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Be ambassadors of nation, Mansour tells students
Be ambassadors of nation, Mansour tells students (Wam) / 13 February 2014 Private sector is strategic choice for jobs, Shaikh Mansour tells students at Government Summit. Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, has affirmed that “the UAE supports all outstanding citizens and supports their academic and creative projects both within the country and abroad.” Shaikh Mansour made these remarks when he met 100 outstanding students on the sidelines of the 2nd Government Summit held in Dubai. The students were invited at the request of Shaikh Mansour out of his keen interest to urge citizens to a bright future and engage students in national programmes. The meeting was attended by Hamad bin Abdulrahman Al Madfaa, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council Affairs of the Federation at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs; Dr. Ali Rashid Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Vice-Chancellor of UAEU; Dr Tayeb Kamali, Vice-Chancellor of The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT); Undersecretaries of Sectors in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and a number of senior officials in the educational field. Shaikh Mansour spoke to students about the important issues of concern to young people, including the value of work in the UAE society, and the contribution of educated young citizens in building the nation, as well as the directives of the wise leadership and the government’s efforts to provide a decent life for citizens. Shaikh Mansour said the UAE headed by the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, invests in human development by adopting the best curricula and establishing partnerships with the most outstanding global universities in order to provide citizens with information and skills that will enable them to enter the job market with confidence and make them creative elements raising initiatives, ideas and thoughts. At the conclusion of the meeting, Shaikh Mansour said: “My dear brother students, I would like to emphasise that the private sector is a strategic choice for the recruitment of citizens, not only in the UAE, but in all countries of the world. The report of jobs issued by the International Bank indicates that the private sector is the main engine of job creation and employment opportunities in all countries of the world.” Shaikh Mansour asked the students to be ambassadors of their country, to cling to national identity in the workplace which is teeming with different cultures, abroad or in the country, wishing permanent excellence for all students. For their part, the students expressed their happiness to meet Shaikh Mansour, stressing that the meeting reflected the cohesion between the wise leadership and the sons of the nation. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Hidden secrets of Global Village
Hidden secrets of Global Village (Sadiq Shaban) / 12 February 2014 You are likely to take home a special piece that has a soul and sensory value, unlike anything. There is so much more to Global Village than meets the eye. As one of the region’s most visited cultural, entertainment and shopping destinations, Global Village tucks away some of the finest artifacts, relics and objets d’art from around the world. Some of the interesting products on display at the pavilions of the UAE and the UK at Global Village. — KT photos by Juidin Bernarrd and M. Sajjad Those with a knack for the exotic and curio will find exquisite handmade goods, authentic wooden statutes and hand-painted ceramics in several of the 30 pavilions dotting the 17-million-square-feet facility. But that is not all. From Jordanian shadow artists whose calligraphy is sure to leave you awe-struck to waterproof papier-mâché masks from Venice, it is the less-explored side of Global Village, which should set you thinking to take another trip. “Throughout Global Village, there are a plethora of handmade artifacts that are unique to each country’s pavilion. Visitors can find lots of authentic tribal shields and masks at the African Pavilion, as well as great mosaic handicrafts and lamps that are available from the Moroccan Pavilion. We want to make sure that when people come to Global Village, they get to experience products that are genuine and hold real cultural value to the country it comes from. Bringing authentic goods to Global Village makes the cultural experience we provide to visitors unique within the UAE and the Middle East,” Ahmed Hussain, Executive Director of Operations, Global Village, told Khaleej Times. Once you sashay into the African Pavilion and walk past psychedelic stalls, you cannot help notice some of the most striking hand-carved artifacts from Kenya, South Africa, Senegal, Madagascar and Gambia. Intricate designs on these products, lending them a touch of the peregrine, are often made on the finest types of wood such as ebony, mahogany, rosewood and soapstone. It is tough to take a pick from the vast variety of styles, often varying within the same context, but the African solid wood-carved tribal mask surely stands out. Worn during special events or situations that take place in the tribal communities, these souvenirs reflect the true soul of Africa. Similarly, you will find large wooden croc-figurines for sale along with uncountable designs that are meant to bring good energy, warding off bad spirits. The Tanzanian stall features stunning knife paintings, a unique form of art in which artists use knives to paint. This form of painting, which is quite a rarity, affords a close relationship between the artist and the painting surface. The displays have brilliant textures reflective of the spontaneous and dramatic movement of this art form. “We have been looking around in the African Pavilion and ended up buying an unusual stash of things like horns, knife paintings and vintage walking sticks — all of which carry the signatures of these innovative cultures. I visited the Mauritania, Angola and Nigeria stalls. Without doubt, the wood-carved products available here are priceless and the best part is that one can have them at very competitive prices,” said Sarmad Misgar, a Pakistani art collector visiting Global Village. In the Afghanistan Pavilion nearby, you can meander through piddly kiosks selling the latest crop of mountain almonds, pistachios, walnuts, dried white berries, apricots, figs and raisins. Soon you will come across the daintiest Afghan rugs in town. These eco-friendly carpets are made from colours derived from pomegranate, herbs and cinnamon in addition to other natural ingredients. The best quality Afghan wool and silk, one of the salesmen in a stall told Khaleej Times, is used in these oriental rugs, which are adorned with elongated human and animal figures. Usually woven in Shindand and Adraskan regions in Afghanistan’s Herat province, the rugs are available in warm tones and extraordinary patterns. An alcove in the European Pavilion transports you back to the 15th century Tudor England. The combined pavilions of France, the UK and Germany offers the service of History Land Studios, one of London’s best-known photo studios for old-time portraits. The branch in Global Village, the only one outside of the UK, helps you create your own history by dressing you in costumes from the 15th and 16th century England. You can also have your pictures taken in Victorian attire or the gangster Wild West style. “The History Land Studios is an experience of a lifetime. They have a splendid staff that ensure you are comfortable, styled and pampered royally before you get your portrait clicked,” Kenneth Raley, an English tourist visiting the pavilion, marvelled. The Indian Pavilion, owing to its sheer size (largest in Global Village with 300 stalls), has the feel of a traditional Asian bazaar. However, the must-visit cubbyhole in the sprawling enclosure is a corner shop that sells the splashiest collection of Punjabi juttis. Bargain hunters can haggle for a wide range of bright-coloured traditional footwear here. Embroidered with beautiful phulkari work, these shoes are made from genuine leather with multi-hued sequins and flamboyant threads. Curiously, there is no left or right foot distinction, because this party-wear is supposed to take the shape of the foot over a period of time. Available in flat soles, the sharp extended tips of these must-haves are dazzlingly embellished. In its 18th season now, Global Village has emerged not only as a great entertainment venue, one that has stolen the hearts of millions, but an ideal destination which showcases a selection of the world’s most contemporary designers, artists and craftsmen selling their products directly to public. From the enigmatical figurines ensconced in the various African shoppes to the satiny rugs in the Afghanistan Pavilion, Global Village is a track through some of the world’s most avant garde ideas. sadiq@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
