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Dubai airports are ready to see more growth: Ahmed
Dubai airports are ready to see more growth: Ahmed Patrick Michael / 12 February 2014 Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and CEO of Emirates airline and Group, wears many hats with effortless ease. Even as airline and airport operators in other global markets struggle with uncertainty, he is leading the continuing growth of Dubai’s aviation sector, an unprecedented record in times of sectoral volatility. Under his supervision, the senior team of Emirates airline has proven to be reactive, consistently innovative and ahead of the global game. Having learnt the lessons of the global financial crisis, Shaikh Ahmed is adept at using the aviation sector’s significant footprint on gross domestic production (GDP) to steer Dubai’s economy along the right track. Beyond the immediate economy — and aviation-sector related strategies — he is also in charge of ushering in a greener Dubai, serving as chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy. Across all these roles, his functioning style is characterised by a thoroughly hands-on approach. More recently, he has been formulating economic, investment and fiscal policies and strategies in support of the emirate’s overarching vision. In a freewheeling interview, Shaikh Ahmed talks about Dubai’s aviation sector, Emirates’ challenges and opportunities and dismisses fears of another Dubai bubble. Excerpts from the interview: Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum with Jonathan Chen Chwen-Jing Ph.D, Political Deputy Minister, Ministry of Transportation (left), and Wan-Lee Lee, deputy director-general of the Civil Aviation Administration (right), during a Press conference to celebrate the launch of Emirates’ non-stop daily service between Taipei and Dubai. — Supplied photo Dubai went through a very difficult phase between 2009 and 2011. As the person who led the financial advisory council, what are the key lessons you learnt from the crisis? Is Dubai ready for another bubble? Shaikh Ahmed: There is no real bubble in Dubai and there’s nothing to indicate it is leading up to one. The countries that were crippled by the 2009 economic crisis have learnt their lessons well and most of them are now almost back on track, and so is Dubai. The real estate bubble that everyone seems obsessed with is really not there. The creation of regulatory bodies to oversee developers, brokers and financiers, besides others safeguards that have been put in place will ensure there will not be a repeat of the 2009 crisis. Dubai has surpassed the targeted GDP growth and achieved 4.9 per cent growth in 2013. Its property market will continue to grow even as its economy continues to climb. Remember, Dubai’s fundamentals as a regional hub of shipping, services, people, trade and capital have not changed. If one considers the construction sector, a corporate diversification yielded high returns for five years, which helped (install) new infrastructure and fund the acquisition of new talent. What is the direct contribution of the aviation sector to the economy’s growth? What is the indirect jobs creation impact of Emirates in the UAE? Emirates is one of the major contributors to Dubai’s economy and we support the emirate’s overarching vision. We now support 28 per cent of Dubai’s GDP growth and will continue to do so as we move towards our target of 20 million passengers by the time Expo 2020 opens. Emirates has created thousands of jobs, both direct and indirect, and as we continue to expand these numbers will continue to grow. Dubai follows a three-pronged model for its aviation sector growth: Investing in airports, investing in aircraft, and addition of new destinations. Several other cities in the Arab world are following the same pattern. How much regional competition can be sustained in this industry? Is the growing competition a cause for worry? Are there openings for strategic collaborations? There’s absolutely no cause for worry. Everyone wants a slice of the cake and taste success and the cake is big enough for all who want to enter the industry and take a slice of it. It would be up to us to see how much of that slice we can take. I’ve always maintained, there is room for all. Over the years, there have been many new players like Qatar Airways, flydubai and Etihad, and all of us (are) doing well with enough of the cake left for those still eyeing a piece. As far as strategic collaborations go, we have an open mind. We already have code-sharing deals which are working to both parties’ benefit and we will continue to look at and study any and all collaborations that come our way, since these will vary from country to country. Shaikh Ahmed meets Taiwan President Staff Report Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and CEO of Emirates airline and Group, met the President of Taiwan Ma Ying-jeou in Taipei on Tuesday. Shaikh Ahmed was in Taiwan to celebrate the launch of Emirates’ daily non-stop flights between Dubai and Taipei, which will open new opportunities both for business and for tourism, inbound and outbound. Shaikh Ahmed was joined at his meeting by Ali Mubarak Al Soori, Emirates’ executive vice-president — Chairman’s Office, Facilities/Projects Management and Procurement & Logistics, and Mohammad Al Ghaith. Later, Shaikh Ahmed along with Jonathan Chen Chwen-Jing Ph.D, Political Deputy Minister, Ministry of Transportation and Wan-Lee Lee, deputy director-general of the Civil Aviation Administration, held a Press briefing with over 70 Taiwan-based journalists and also media that had travelled from the UAE and the GCC on Monday’s inaugural flight. “Emirates has been working hard to promote Taipei across our global network and we will continue to do so. We are known as a connector of people, places and passions, and we look forward to connecting Taipei with our network,” said Shaikh Ahmed. Minister Chen extended his congratulations to Emirates, “Emirates is well known for its premium and quality service worldwide. Emirates’ Taipei-Dubai direct flight service offers Taiwanese passengers a more connected network and diversified options, and more importantly, help promote Taiwan tourism to the world. We expect more frequent interactions between both sides, and more people could learn about Taiwan.” “Emirates has been awarded Skytrax World’s Best Airline 2013, and we are happy to welcome another world-class airline to enter Taiwan. In recent years more and more Taiwanese value their pastime and choose travelling abroad to experience different cultures. Emirates non-stop service between Taipei and Dubai enables more Taiwanese to visit the Middle East, and vice versa,”said Lee. Is there possibility of overcapacity post-Expo 2020? Dubai is investing significantly in new aircraft and airport expansion in preparation to host World Expo 2020 and I can see no threat of overcapacity. Dubai is now the world’s fourth busiest airport for international passenger and cargo traffic and I expect to see more growth and recognition for Dubai. Expo 2020 is not for just two or three weeks. It’s for six whole months. This will allow us to spread our wings further and sustain the (airline’s) growth and profitability long after the expo is over. We will continue to expand and connect to more destinations. Many countries continue to approach us because of the airline’s high standards. The Dubai International Airport is set to undertake runway repair work later this year. What are the measures taken to ensure the shift does not affect international airlines’ operations? While the shifting is not simple, I am confident it will be a smooth one. We have picked the months when air traffic into Dubai is not so high. Some of the airlines will operate from Al Maktoum International Airport while most will continue to land at the Dubai International Airport. We expect no problems in the operations. The repair work will be undertaken between May and July and I don’t foresee any major disruption in traffic. Does Dubai have the capacity for two airport hubs? Al Maktoum International Airport is set to become a hub by 2020, especially as infrastructure in the vicinity gains traction. Dubai has always been about growth. The core business model of Dubai remains sound. With or without a booming real estate sector, Dubai is a commercial and tourism hub for a region that encompasses the markets of emerging Africa, South Asia, Russia, Central Asia and of course, the Gulf region. So yes, I am confident Dubai has the capacity for two airport hubs. Even as airline connectivity gains ground, one of the key concerns in the region is the choking air traffic congestion over the regional airspace. Will that affect Dubai’s expansion plans? We are not worried. We are in talks with other GCC aviation industry officials about air traffic congestion fears, but this will not in any way stop our expansion. At a time when airlines globally are yet to make robust returns, how does Emirates sustain its profitability? I have no doubts that Emirates will continue to be a profitable airline. Our strategies are in place and we will continue to expand and connect with more destinations even as we order new aircraft. The Boeing 777X is one of the largest orders we have placed and we hope to see this aircraft take to the skies by 2019. The new aircraft we have ordered will also have something even more pleasing and exciting for our passengers. The design is being worked on but right now that is a secret that will be revealed only when the time is right. Why the new flight to Taipei? Taipei has been an important market for Emirates since we launched our freighter services to the city in 2003. We have continued our commitment to Taiwan and due to the demand, we felt now was the right time to launch non-stop daily services between Taipei and Dubai. The service will bring Taiwanese consumers much closer to the UAE and the Middle East and we are very optimistic about this route. Through Dubai, Emirates offers passengers from Taipei a one-stop connection to 80 countries across the world. We are confident that this new route will open up new trade opportunities across the Emirates network as well as supporting business and tourism travel to Taipei. Etihad is expanding its footprint significantly through new alliances and equity participation. Will Emirates look at such participation in markets such as India, where the aviation sector is opening up? India has always been an important market for us and will continue to be so. Its sheer size and population dictate this and a big percentage of our profits comes from this market. But as far as the first part of your question goes, we have an open mind. Nothing is ruled out. What are Emirates’ plans for Africa? Which are the growth markets you see on the continent? Africa is another big market for us. It is a growth market and we will be looking at it very closely though I cannot tell you right now which market we will be connecting to next. — patrick@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Jumeirah gets first smart mosque in UAE
Jumeirah gets first smart mosque in UAE Ahmed Shaaban / 11 February 2014 QR code technology helps people get general information about mosque launched by the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities. Can a mosque be smart? Yes, now through the Quick Response (QR) code technology, people can get general information about a mosque — its history, capacity, nature, area, prayer timings, lectures or courses offered by the mosque, as well as information about Friday sermon — round the clock. Dr Hamad Al Shaibani trying the e-services available at the smart mosque. –Supplied photo The first smart mosque in the country was launched on Sunday by the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities (DIACA) in Dubai on Sunday morning. The Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum mosque in Jumeirah 3, is now equipped with the QR code technology for the first time in government buildings and is part of Phase-I of developing smart mosques that also includes nine other mosques which will follow suit later this year. The move is 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. Dr Hamad Al Shaibani, Director-General – DIACA, said the interactive services available are accessible through smart phones and tablets 24X7. “We are using the QR code technology to identify all mosques of the emirate to help develop and add more value to them, and make the electronic services easier and more accessible.” For comments on the smart services available, the public may call (04-6087844), mentioning the name and mosque code which is 74, he noted. Nassir Mubarak, head of IT section at DIACA, said the smart mosques project is a new channel that aims at better communication with the public. The public may also send their suggestions, remarks, feedback, complaints, or reports on any dysfunction through the smart mosque initiative. “Electronic donation – under development, shall also be available, along with more services in the future.” QR code is the trademark name for the two dimensional barcode system which was originally invented in 1994 by Denso Wave, a Toyota subsidiary, as a way to track vehicles assembled in a place, and to scan components at high speeds. QR codes have long since expanded their usefulness beyond the automotive industry. They’re used today in everything from inventory tracking, to shipping and logistics, to online ticketing. “The QR code technology allows mosque-goers to access a special webpage of the mosque by scanning its barcode with a smart phone or tablet which are automatically equipped with this technology; otherwise an app for QR code can be downloaded easily for concerned online stores.” ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
A rush to evacuate as truce extended in Syria’s Homs city
A rush to evacuate as truce extended in Syria’s Homs city (AP) / 11 February 2014 Second round of peace talks in Geneva become mired in recriminations between government and opposition delegation. Aid officials rushed to evacuate more women, children and elderly from rebel-held areas that have been blockaded by government troops for more than a year in Syria’s third-largest city, Homs, after a UN-brokered ceasefire in the city was renewed for three more days on Monday. The truce, which began on Friday, has been shaken by continued shelling and shooting that prevented some residents from escaping and limited the amount of food aid officials have been able to deliver into the besieged neighbourhoods. UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos sharply criticised the two sides, saying UN and Syrian Red Crescent workers were “deliberately targeted.” The drama in Homs, where Amos said around 800 civilians have been evacuated so far, played out as activists on Monday reported new sectarian killings in Syria’s civil war. Al Qaeda-inspired rebels killed more than two dozen civilians, including an entire family, when they overran a village populated by minority Alawis on Sunday, Rami Abdurrahman of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. They also killed around 20 local fighters in the village, he said. The violence further rattled peace talks that entered their second round on Monday in Geneva — and which quickly became mired in recriminations between President Bashar Al Assad’s government and the opposition in exile. The two sides’ first face-to-face meetings adjourned 10 days ago, having achieved little. This time, the two appeared even further apart, with no immediate plans to even sit at the same table. UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi was holding separate talks with each side. “The negotiations cannot continue while the regime is stepping up its violence against the Syrian people,” opposition spokesman Louay Safi told reporters after talks with Brahimi. The opposition insists the talks’ aim is to agree on a transitional governing body that would replace Assad. But Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said the issue of Assad stepping down was not on the agenda. “Please tell those who dream of wasting our time here in such a discussion to stop it,” he told a reporter. The events of the past few days have only underscored each side’s position. The government says it is trying to defeat an extremist, Al Qaeda-style insurgency. Syria’s opposition, in turn, points to government blockades of dozens of rebel-held areas that have caused widespread hunger and sickness among civilians as proof of the cruelty of Assad’s rule. The aid operation in Homs laid bare the desperation in the besieged areas. Homs, in central Syria, was one of the first cities to rise up against Assad, and while government forces have retaken much of the city, several rebel-held districts in its historic old center have been under a suffocating siege for more than a year. Many of those evacuated since Friday “were traumatized and weak,” Amos said in a statement. They reported “terrible conditions at the field hospital in the Old City, where the equipment is basic, there are no medicines and people are in urgent need of medical attention,” she said. She said around 800 had been evacuated since Friday, though the governor of Homs province put the number at around 1,070, including 460 evacuated on Monday. Under the UN-brokered truce, the government refused to allow males between the ages of 15 and 55 to leave, presuming them to be fighters. Those leaving are women, children and elderly. Amos said the truce had been extended for three days. The original truce ran from Friday to Sunday, but the continued shelling and shooting between the two sides severely limited efforts. Eleven people were killed by the fighting. Over the weekend, some women and elderly tried to leave but were unable to make their way through checkpoints to evacuation buses, according to Khaled Erksoussi, the head of operations of the Syrian Red Crescent. He said some food aid was brought into the areas over the weekend — “but not the quantity we had hoped for” — and none made it in on Monday. On Sunday, residents rushed through gunfire to reach UN vehicles carrying food that did make it in. Then they fought over the oil, sugar and other supplies, according to one activist in Homs who uses the nickname Eman Al Homsy for security reasons. “They didn’t care about death; the hunger was killing them,” Eman said. Erksoussi echoed the worries of activists who said they fear that once civilians are evacuated, fighting will only escalate. “We know that not all civilians will leave, but the fighting parties will claim that they did and step up the shelling and shooting,” he said by phone from Damascus. Around a quarter-million people in 40 districts besieged by government forces have been cut off from humanitarian aid for months, said Ertharin Cousin, executive director of the UN’s World Food Program. In the Yarmouk area, on Damascus’ southern fringe, activists estimate over 100 people have died from hunger-related illness and a lack of medical aid because of a year-long blockade. The new sectarian killings came in the village of Maan, north of the central city of Hama. Hard-line Islamic fighters overran it on Sunday after mortars from the village hit rebels on a nearby road, according to Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory. On Monday, the Al Qaeda linked Nusra Front announced it had pushed out Islamic State rivals from the eastern province of Deir Al Zour after four days of clashes, the Syrian Observatory said. Meanwhile, a third batch of Syria’s chemical weapons material was shipped out of the country on a Norwegian cargo vessel, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Monday. The Hague, Netherlands-based OPCW, which is overseeing Syria’s attempts to destroy its chemical weapons, said an unspecified amount of chemicals used in making weapons has also been destroyed inside Syria. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
