Tag Archives: technology
UAE, US discuss regional issues and bilateral relation
UAE, US discuss regional issues and bilateral relation (Wam) / 18 February 2014 General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed receives US Secretary of State in Abu Dhabi. General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received US Secretary of State John Kerry and his accompanying delegation at Al Mina Palace on Monday. General Shaikh Mohammed and Kerry discussed bilateral relations and cooperation between the countries as well as an array of issues of mutual concern. During the meeting, which was attended by Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, the two sides reviewed appropriate means of strengthening the existing avenues of joint cooperation for serving strategic interests of the two friendly countries and their people. Discussions also tackled latest regional and international developments where the two sides reviewed ongoing efforts to achieve peace and security in the region and recognised the need for continuous consultations and coordination in this regard. The UAE and the US also underscored that serious dialogue and constructive understanding are the adequate mechanisms to address and resolve all crises and issues in the region. Looking at regional concerns and developments, the two sides discussed the humanitarian crisis in Syria and results of the recently concluded Geneva II Conference. Situation in Egypt was also figured high during the talks, where they stressed the importance of realising political and economic stability there. The two sides also discussed the talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 in Vienna next week, which seeks to reach an inclusive agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme. Current efforts to revive Middle East peace talks were also touched. Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE Ambassador to the US, and Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouie, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, attended the talks from the UAE side. Present from the US side were Michael H. Corbin, US Ambassador to the UAE, Philip Gordon, White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf; Thomas Shannon, Counselor of US Department of State, and a number of US officials. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Public school admissions in Abu Dhabi begin on February 23
Public school admissions in Abu Dhabi begin on February 23 Olivia Olarte-Ulherr / 18 February 2014 Expatriate students can register starting March 16 while admission age for Kindergarten students raised. Registration for the 2014-2015 academic year for the new Emirati students in public schools across the emirate will begin on February 23 and will continue till March 20. Expatriate students will have a week to register from March 16 to 20. Mohammad Salem Al Dhaheri, executive director of school operations at the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec), has urged parents to enrol their children as early as possible in order not to miss the deadline. “Missing the deadline will cause a lot of problems for the parents,” he said, noting that awarding of spaces will be based on first-come-first-serve basis,” he said. Online registration This year, registration has been made easier with the new online system adopted by the Adec. “We have introduced new features like using the Emirates ID to capture all information automatically. This will minimise the time spent by the school and the number of documents required to register a student,” said Walid Nsouli, senior information and communications technology (ICT) advisor at the council. With the Emirates ID card reader, registration of new students takes about three to five minutes compared to the old registration process of typing all information and scanning documents, which takes between 28 and 32 minutes. “For KG to Grade 5, we don’t need any documents to be scanned, but for the higher grades (Grades 6-12) we need their last grade report card,” Nsouli explained. Admission age In keeping with the new Ministry of Education guidelines, Adec clarified that the admission age for Kindergarten 1 (KG1) at public schools is four years old as of December 31 of the admission year. It will be five for KG2 and six up to eight years for Grade 1. The entry level for kindergarten previously was 3.6 years for KG1 and 5.6 years for Grade 1 by October 1 of the admission year. “They changed the new admission age to four years for KG1; the child should be four years old by December 31,” said Thuraya Khalifa Al Salmi, student administration manager from Adec. This is the new guideline in the UAE and takes effect during the 2014 to 2015 academic year,” she added. Waiting list Another system introduced to parents this year is the waiting list e-registration service. Parents who can’t find a place for their child can log on to Adec website www.adec.ac.ae and choose a school according to their area of residence. “This will minimise the parents coming to our regional offices and they will be informed which school they can go,” Nsouli explained, noting that the new system was introduced to avoid frustration among parents. He said this will also allow Adec to manage the distribution of students especially in new settlement areas. There are currently 126,000 students enrolled in 262 public schools across the emirate. Students who are eligible to register at Adec schools include Emirati children, GCC nationals, holders of presidential decrees, diplomatic missions’ children, children of expatriates (according to the applicable laws) and orphans sponsored by UAE nationals. olivia@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Restaurant transforms dining tables into interactive tables
Restaurant transforms dining tables into interactive tables Afkar Abdullah and Amira Agarib / 17 February 2014 Guests can browse through the menu, see pictures of each dish, read the descriptions, place their order directly from their table to the kitchen and then watch it being prepared on ‘Chef Cam’. From choosing your own ‘tablecloth’ designs to watching videos of the ordered food being prepared, Dubai’s first smart restaurant offers it all. As part of Dubai Smart City, this amazing restaurant uses interactive technology to transform dining tables into smart interactive tables that provide innovative ways to make the customer’s experience more interesting. People are flocking Ebony Restaurant — the first of its kind in the UAE and Middle East — not just to satisfy their taste buds, but to also experience ‘smart dining’. The dining tables here are smart touch screens in which guests can see the menu, order their food and connect to the Internet, too. The multi-cuisine restaurant offers African-Mediterranean fusion dishes, Arab, Asian and popular international food. The interiors of Ebony restaurant at the Bay Avenue Mall, Dubai— KT photo by Rahul Gajjar With just a touch, guests can browse through the menu, see pictures of each dish, read the descriptions, place their order directly from their table to the kitchen and then watch it being prepared on ‘Chef Cam’. Customers can also choose the ‘tablecloth’ from a range of images, or watch videos, read current news, check their Facebook timeline, share their photos, send greeting cards to other tables and even order a taxi home. Zeinab El Agib Mahmoud, a Briton of Sudanese origin, owner and general manager of the restaurant, explained that there are two methods to log onto the Ebony table menu. In the first, a customer can scan his/her Facebook profile picture on a small square on top of the menu selections. If the customer doesn’t have a scanner, the system will be activated from the control panel on the Point-of-Sale (POS) computer by the hostess. Once activated, the customer has to choose the language: English or Arabic. The customer can also browse the selection options by pointing to the menu box at the edge of the table, which brings a drop down of the options. They can have their Facebook timeline displayed, or view photos and share them with their companions on their individual seats on the table. The multi-cuisine restaurant has dining tables that are smart touch screens. The media option in the table shows a wide selection of videos and photos where customers can choose their background wallpaper. Default videos or photos can also be set for a number of tables. This is usually done for company events where company logos and presentations can be shown on the table screens for all the guests. The same is done for family occasions, like birthdays, where photos can be displayed on the tables and shared with fellow guests. A selection of cartoons is also available to keep children entertained while waiting for their food. “The idea occurred to us (Zeinab and her husband) because of our IT background,” said Zeinab. “After our sons graduated and got married, we decided to do something beneficial for us and for community. We thought of launching a restaurant and in order to give our customers a unique dining experience we combined it with latest technology, excellent ambience, interesting food, and efficient, friendly service.” “We decided to choose Dubai as it already considers itself a smart city. We moved from the UK to Dubai and started the project in 2013,” she explained. “We not only pride ourselves on our innovative technology, but also on our delicious food. Our menu is a fusion of African, Arabic and Mediterranean cuisines. We combine North and East African flavours to create dishes that are original and very tasty. The food is contemporary, traditional and international,” said Zeinab. “The food meets the highest standards and every customer who leaves our doors is fascinated and excited to come back.” The restaurant is located in Bay Avenue Mall at Business Bay. afkarali@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
