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Federer trounces Berdych to clinch sixth title in Dubai
Federer trounces Berdych to clinch sixth title in Dubai Alex Leach / 2 March 2014 Roger Federer came back from a set and a break down against Tomas Berdych to clinch his sixth Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship title here on Saturday night. Federer broke in the third game of the first set as Berdych netted a forehand, but he lost his own service game immediately thereafter with similarly sloppy play off the same wing. The Swiss was broken again when a poor second serve sat up nicely for his 28-year-old opponent, whose forceful return could only be directed back into the net by Federer. Berdych thus had the initial impetus and he kept that momentum for the remainder of the opener, winning it with a characteristically strong serve to Federer’s backhand that meekly found the net. The Rotterdam Open winner then looked to be honing in on his second tournament win in succession as another wayward Federer forehand coughed up another break of service. However, just as Federer’s challenge looked to be cruelly falling short at the final hurdle, he retaliated with two breaks to force a crunch third-set decider; Berdych’s backhand and forehand misfiring at the crucial moments respectively. Another long Berdych forehand in the fourth game there handed the perennial winner and all-time record holder here a two-game cushion and he didn’t look back from that point on. Berdych’s failure to capitalise on some crucial break point opportunities in the seventh game perhaps adversely affected his service game in the subsequent eighth as Federer scented victory. He still staved off two championship points to make Federer serve for the half dozen, which he did with typical aplomb to close it out 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 58 minutes. “I’m really happy with my game tonight and for the week,” the 17-time Grand Slam champion said. “It has been tough match clearly and Tomas had the advantage. He could — and maybe should — have brought it home. “I guess I got a little lucky at times out here tonight, but I fought well and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome at the end of course. I stayed calm and then, once I was I got back on even terms, I really started to play better. “I really enjoy playing against Tomas. He’s a great player and he’s had a great streak as well, what with winning in Rotterdam and reaching the semis of the Australian Open, so I wish Tomas all the best for the coming weeks as well.” This win in the emirate was the 78th on the ATP Tour for Federer, who moved above John McEnroe in the all-time list to outright third behind Ivan Lendl (second, 94) and Jimmy Connors (first, 109). It also places Dubai among the Swiss’ happiest hunting grounds alongside the Barclays ATP Tour Finals (six), Halle (six) and — of course — Wimbledon (seven). Federer collects $465,830 and 500 Emirates Airline ATP Ranking points as a consequence, whereas Berdych pockets $210,020 and 300 Emirates Airline ATP Ranking points for his runner-up finish. alex@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Man pays PRO for visa, spends one night in detention
Man pays PRO for visa, spends one night in detention Marie Nammour / 2 March 2014 Legally speaking, if you want a thing well done, do it yourself; never trust a person you hardly know with handling your sensitive documents. Take for instance the case of Samir (name changed), who took the easy way out to sponsor his 4-month-old daughter’s residence visa by seeking the services of a PRO. However, after making the due visa payments, instead of getting the visa, he found himself involved in a forgery case. Samir, 26, works as a manager in a real estate firm and lives in a hotel apartment. He told Khaleej Times that since the day he trusted the PRO with his daughter’s visa application, his life has taken a turn for the worse. Samir claims he paid the PRO Dh2,500 to have the visa issued and to cover expenses such as typing, medical fitness fees, Emirates ID fees, and other typing expenses. He went to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) on November 20 last year to collect the visa. “He told me I need to go in person to collect the visa since I am the girl’s father.” To his surprise, he was apprehended by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers and taken to Al Aweer Detention Centre where he spent one night. He was released on bail after depositing his passport. “I have been told at the Land Department that my Ejari certificate was forged. It bore a serial number that belongs to a tailor shop’s tenancy contract while its details are mine. The PRO forged it.” KT has learnt that the police are on the lookout for the PRO in connection with the case. “This whole thing happened when my daughter was only one-month old. Now she’s almost four-months old and I have not got the chance to hold her yet.” Samir said he loves Dubai and doesn’t want to be deported because of someone else’s wrongdoing. He submitted an authentic tenancy contract and was unaware the Ejari letter was forged, he claimed. His case is currently under investigation by the Naturalisation and Residency Prosecution. “I never told that man to forge any document for me. I paid him for his services and enclosed my application with authentic documents. I was not aware of what he did with it.” Legal procedure Hotel apartment residents should submit their tenancy documents at the GDRFA, as the Land Department in Dubai is no longer issuing tenancy contract registration certificates or Ejari letters in such cases. An Ejari customer service employee said that residents living in hotel apartments and wanting to sponsor a family member should submit their tenancy contracts, among other documents, for verification at the GDRFA. “We, in Ejari, register tenancy contracts for residents of residential flats when they apply for visas for a family member. As for the residents who live in hotel apartments they should submit their tenancy documents for verification at the GDRFA.” The applicant should also get a letter from the hotel stating that he is a tenant of a room at the hotel paying a specific annual rent. The letter should bear the hotel manager’s signature and be stamped with the hotel’s official seal, according to the Ejari employee. Earlier, Ali Humeid bin Khatem, the head of the Naturalisation and Residency Prosecution, in an interview with KT , urged all residents to refrain from forging and presenting forged tenancy contracts registration certificates because “they would be caught and be held legally accountable”. He advised the residents who want to sponsor their relatives to avoid fraudulent ways when applying for visas. “They should indeed have a rented flat or own property so that they could provide the required documents to be able to sponsor their relatives,” the Chief Prosecutor said. Thanks to the Ejari programme, he said, forgery cases are being easily detected and exposed. “The Ejari staff, available at the Residency and the Land departments as well as in several other branches across Dubai, are there to verify the authenticity of the tenancy contracts and then issue the visa applicants tenancy contract registration certificates.” Penalty for forgery According to article 217 of the Federal Penal Code, whoever forges an official document shall be sentenced to a period not exceeding five years in prison. According to article 121 of the Federal Penal Code, the courts, both Criminal and the Misdemeanours, may order the deportation of the accused, if found guilty, in forgery cases. mary@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Heart of Sharjah in tentative World Heritage Sites list
Heart of Sharjah in tentative World Heritage Sites list Staff Reporter / 2 March 2014 Once listed as the Unesco World Heritage Site, the international organisation will protect the site and help with maintenance when needed. The Heart of Sharjah has been registered in the tentative list of World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah announced on Saturday. Shaikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Shurooq, has formed a task force to nominate the Heart of Sharjah to be included on the list of World Heritage Sites. The file will be evaluated by the Unesco’s bodies, which will conduct a number of visits and assessments over a period of two years before recommending whether to inscribe the landmarks on the list. According to the selection criteria, the nominated site must be a place of outstanding natural importance such as a forest, mountain, island or man made structures of cultural significance such as buildings or a city. Once listed as the Unesco World Heritage Site, the international organisation will protect the site and help with maintenance when needed. Shaikha Bodour was thrilled with the achievement, which occurred prior to the launch of the official celebrations of Sharjah Islamic Cultural Capital 2014. “The Heart of Sharjah has a multitude of historical and heritage sites which have outstanding historical value, as Sharjah served as a point of convergence of civilisations, a transit road for trade caravans on sea and land, and a meeting point between people and tribes. We will work to add this area of rich heritage to the list of World Heritage Sites to introduce the significant value of the UAE’s history to the world.” Abdullah Mohammed Al Owais, Board Member of the National Council of Tourism and Antiquities, said the listing demonstrates the historical value of the UAE and will help boost heritage tourism in the country. The Heart of Sharjah is located in the old part of Sharjah. According to historical sources, this location contributed to the development of trade. Al Edrissy — an 11th century geographer — stated that there was a port in the existing location of Sharjah. Sharjah contains two components that have often characterised the existence of settlements in the Arabian Gulf. First, it is located in protected entrance of the sea, locally called ‘Al Khor’. Second, fresh water exists at relatively shallow depth. Historical sources show that as early as 1756 AD there were three locations on the coast between Al Katif (Qutif in Saudi Arabia) and Sir (Ras Al Khaimah), which are Al Ajir, Qatar and Sharjah. These locations contained few residences from which the Basra dates and rice were brought to the Arabs of the desert by the pearl divers. Sharjah was completely devastated by the British in 1820 AD, but it revived more rapidly than other ports in the Emirates area. It was then an important air-station connecting the West with India. Heart of Sharjah contains architectural buildings and religious structures like mosques and markets that bear witness to city’s development and evolution through time. Shurooq is developing the Heart of Sharjah, in what is considered as the first and largest ever heritage development in the region. Seeking to reflect what Sharjah was like over half a century ago, the project will restore and revamp the city’s traditional areas to create a tourist and trade destination with contemporary artistic touches, yet retain the feel of the 1950s. Scheduled for completion in 2025, the first of five phases is already underway, and Shurooq has set up a joint committee comprising representatives from leading governmental and private bodies to oversee the implementation of this first phase. The National Council of Tourism and Antiquities has nominated seven Emirati sites for entry on the tentative list of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. The nominated places included three sites from Sharjah (Sir Bu Nair Island, the Cultural Landscape of the Central Region – Mleiha– and Heart of Sharjah), one site from Abu Dhabi (Settlement and Cementery of Umm an-Nar Island), Khor Dubai, Ed-Dur Site in Umm Al Quwain and Al Bidya Mosque in Fujairah. The addition of new sites to the list contributes to highlighting the rich heritage of the UAE, which dates back to hundreds of years. In 2011, Al Ain City became the first UAE site to be listed by Unesco as World Heritage. In the same year, the organisation approved to study the file of the ancient Sharjah and the emirate’s bid for registration on the tentative list of the World Heritage Sites, an achievement which is realised after two years of dedicated efforts. news@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
