Tag Archives: technology
UAE gets thumbs up as top expat location
UAE gets thumbs up as top expat location Chris Ferguson (Opinion) / 25 August 2013 Dubai has become a centre of financial sophistication “Where in the world do I want to be?” For many expatriates that dream location will be the UAE. Indeed, the recent NatWest International Personal Banking Quality of Life Index survey has confirmed that this year the UAE is in third place, up from 10th position in just three years. This move up the ladder is no surprise to those of us already enjoying the benefits of tax free, above average salaries which are the norm for expats working here. For a ‘quality of life’ index to stand up it has to encompass the categories ‘employment prospects’ and ‘financial status’. These are the parmount considerations for any would-be expatriate. The expanding network of expertise to be found in Dubai’s International Finance Centre provides a vital opportunity for expatriates to maximise their full wealth potential during their time here. — KT file photo And so it will be no surprise to learn that a major theme emerging from GWM’s discussions with our private clients concerns the universal need for professional advice on effective money management; the kind that both protects and builds wealth. In this context, Dubai’s story is an inspirational one. It has emerged from the desert sands to become one of the world’s most sought after locations. It achieved this status because it had the determination to protect its natural resources and the foresight to build upon them for future generations’ prosperity. Any location hoping to remain a universal favourite must build the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the levels of sophisticated financial planning today’s expatriates require in order to protect and build their private wealth. This infrastructure must offer a level of protection that safeguards existing savings and investments as well as the necessary regulatory gumption to licence only bona fide financial management companies, proficient and skilled in all areas of investment advisory and management work. Great strides have been taken by the UAE’s financial regulators to oversee the growth and development of a finance sector that is capable of meeting and matching its counterparts in the global arena. The recent opening in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) of the first FTSE office in this region is an example of how this approach is bearing fruit. Dubai is increasingly recognised as a centre of financial sophistication that can offer global players, such as the index provider, a gateway to this high-growth region. The expanding network of expertise to be found in Dubai’s International Finance Centre (DIFC) provides a vital opportunity for expatriates to maximise their full wealth potential during their time here. As an indication of how successful the DIFC has been over its first nine years in operation it now employs over 14,000 people and is home to 940 companies. The DIFC has confirmed that it continues to receive active interest from companies from the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East all keen to set up shop. The recent news that Abu Dhabi is to set up its own financial free zone will surely set the UAE bar even higher. Another high quality international finance centre will attract even more major players increasing the tiers of expertise and experience in all areas of investment and money management. As with the DIFC, the Abu Dhabi World Financial Market is expected to mature into a significant financial hub with its own legal structure, regulator and courts. Such developments are in keeping with both Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s declared intent to diversify their economies so they are less oil-dependent. The financial services industry is a global market growth area, and paving the way now with the necessary infrastructure to house international finance centres of excellence will ensure its continuing attraction to the world’s best workforce. Indeed, it may not be long before we see the UAE at the top of the indices for most favoured expatriate location. The writer is the managing director of the UAE, Guardian Wealth Management. Views expressed by the author are his own and do not reflect the newspaper’s policy Continue reading
‘How can we continue to fail the children of Syria’
‘How can we continue to fail the children of Syria’ Staff Reporter / 24 August 2013 As the Syrian war enters its third year, the number of Syrian children forced to flee their homeland as refugees has hit one million. The refugee diaspora Syrian refugees are crossing the border into Iraqi Kurdistan in huge numbers, with more than 42,300 passing through the Peshkabour border crossing since it reopened recently. Teams from the international medical organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders have set up health posts on both sides of the border, providing medical consultations and distributing water to refugees waiting to be transferred to five transit camps. “The refugees report having fled Syria from a variety of locations after hearing that the border had reopened after being closed for several months,” said MSF’s Dohuk head of mission Paul Yon. On the Iraqi side of the border, MSF teams have provided more than 200 general healthcare consultations to refugees waiting to be transferred. “We haven’t identified any critical health concerns so far. The majority of patients are children, pregnant women and mothers who are suffering from moderate dehydration due to the long distances they’ve had to walk or the long waiting time before crossing the border. We are also seeing a lot of cases of asthma. The number of consultations is increasing daily,” said Yon. MSF teams have been working in the Domiz refugee camp in Dohuk, home to 42,000 Syrian refugees, since last May. It plans to assess the needs of some 70,000 refugees who have settled in the city of Dohuk. news@khaleejtimes.com According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), children make up half of all refugees from the Syria conflict. Latest figures show that some 740,000 Syrian child refugees are under the age of 11, while the organisations estimate that more than two million children have been internally displaced within Syria. The UAE has launched various campaigns to provide aid to the victims of the war. In June, Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, Wife of Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children, launched a campaign to help over 1.65 million displaced Syrian refugee children, called “Big Heart for Syrian refugee children”. Shaikha Jawaher has made the Syrian refugee crisis her immediate focus, saying: “It is tragic that many refugee children are marking their second consecutive (year) without proper shelter, food and education. Let us not leave them to face another year alone, and rather help them to overcome their situation as refugees and live a better life.” The government has pledged over Dh1 billion in aid for Syrian refugees, while the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Charity Foundation has almost completed a project to benefit 135,000 Syrian refugee families in Lebanon. Most refugees have arrived in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, but increasingly Syrians are fleeing to North Africa and Europe. “This one millionth child refugee is not just another number. This is a real child ripped from home, maybe even from a family, facing horrors we can only begin to comprehend,” said Unicef executive director Anthony Lake. “We must all share the shame, because while we work to alleviate the suffering of those affected by this crisis, the global community has failed in its responsibility to this child. We should stop and ask ourselves how, in all conscience, we can continue to fail the children of Syria,” he said in a Unicef statement. UNHCR High Commissioner António Guterres said what was at stake was “the survival and wellbeing of a generation of innocents”. “The youth of Syria are losing their homes, their family members and their futures. Even after they have crossed a border to safety, they are traumatised, depressed and in need of a reason for hope.” The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights says some 7,000 children have been killed during the conflict. Both agencies also highlight the threats to refugee children from child labour, early marriage and the potential for sexual exploitation and trafficking. More than 3,500 children in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq have crossed Syria’s borders either unaccompanied or separated from their families. The Syria Regional Refugee Response plan, which calls for $3 billion dollars to address the acute needs of refugees until December of this year, has currently only met 38 per cent of the target. news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
You swam! And now you have swimmer’s ear
You swam! And now you have swimmer’s ear Staff Reporter / 24 August 2013 Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the ear canal. If you stick your finger in your ear, you’re feeling a little of the ear canal. But if you have swimmer’s ear and you stick your finger in your ear — YOW! Let’s find out more about this painful type of ear infection, which often affects swimmers. Swimmer’s ear — also called otitis externa — is different from a regular ear infection. Usually, when people say a kid has an ear infection, they mean otitis media, an infection of the middle ear. This sometimes happens when a kid gets a cold. But swimmer’s ear happens when bacteria grow in the ear canal, which is a passageway to the eardrum. In that canal, you’ll find delicate skin that’s protected by a thin coating of earwax. Most of the time, water can run in and out of the ear canal without causing a problem. For instance, you don’t usually get swimmer’s ear from taking baths or showers. Bacteria get a chance to grow when water stays in the ear canal. The protective covering of delicate wax and skin of the ear canal is disrupted. A lot of swimming can lead to these wet conditions in the ear canal. Bacteria grow and the ear canal gets red and swollen. Sometimes you can get an infection in the ear canal even if one hasn’t been swimming. A scratch or other irritation to the ear canal can also lead to swimmer’s ear. Symptoms of swimmer’s ear usually appear within a few days of swimming and include: Itchiness inside the ear. Redness and swelling of the ear. Pain when the infected ear is tugged or when pressure is placed on the ear. Pus draining from the infected ear. Although all age groups are affected by swimmer’s ear, it is more common in children and can be extremely painful. How do I protect myself and my family? To reduce the risk of swimmer’s ear: Do keep your ears as dry as possible: Use a bathing cap, ear plugs, or custom-fitted swim molds when swimming. Do dry your ears thoroughly after swimming or showering. Use a towel to dry your ears well. Tilt your head to hold each ear facing down to allow water to escape the ear canal. Pull your earlobe in different directions while your ear is faced down to help water drain out. If you still have water left in your ears, consider using a hair dryer to move air within the ear canal. Put the dryer on the lowest heat and speed/fan setting. Hold the dryer several inches from your ear. Don’t put objects in your ear canal (including cotton-tip swabs, pencils, paperclips, or fingers). Don’t try to remove ear wax. Ear wax helps protect your ear canal from infection: – If you think that your ear canal is blocked by ear wax, consult your doctor. Consul your doctor about using ear drops after swimming: Drops should not be used by people with ear tubes, damaged ear drums. Please note: Do not swim if you have had any ear surgery or ear tubes done without the approval of your doctor. Consult your doctor if you have ear pain, discomfort, or drainage from your ears. Swimmers have an essential role in helping to protect themselves, their families, and others from Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs). Continue reading
