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EU approves agreement on amendment to exempt Emiratis from Schengen Visa
EU approves agreement on amendment to exempt Emiratis from Schengen Visa (Wam) / 13 February 2014 Earlier, the European Parliament had proposed an exemption of UAE citizens from the requirement of obtaining entry visa. The Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament, today ratified the agreement between the Parliament and the Greek Presidency of the European Union, on amending the regulations to exempt citizens of the United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Peru and 15 other Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean countries from the requirement of obtaining visa to enter into the unified visa zone of “Schengen”. A statement from the European Parliament said that “This exemption should be reciprocated on the basis of agreements signed between the EU and each of these countries. It will start when the bilateral agreement comes into force.” Earlier, the European Parliament had proposed an exemption of UAE citizens from the requirement of obtaining entry visa. It was approved by the Commission and the Cabinet. Mariya Gabriel, who prepared the report and led the European Parliament group to negotiate with the Presidency of the European Union, said, “The agreement today has double importance as we progress towards expanding the cooperation with those countries, on the other hand we send a positive message to European citizens, clarifying measures on putting non European countries in the positive list.” Suleiman Hamed Salem Al Mazrouei, Head of the UAE Mission to EU, UAE Ambassador to Belgium, said the achievement is a fruit of huge efforts exerted by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in line with the directives from Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister. He added that the procedures for exemption are almost complete. The EU has a positive list including countries, whose nationals are allowed to enter into EU without visa, and the negative list for countries, whose nationals must obtain prior entry visa. The European Parliament is expected to vote for this agreement in April. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Resist the urge for loans, Mansour tells Emiratis
Resist the urge for loans, Mansour tells Emiratis Muaz Shabandri / 12 February 2014 Shaikh Mohammed launches Ehtmam Web initiative along with the Deputy PM at the end of the plenary session. Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has urged Emirati citizens to be more careful and prudent when taking loans from banks. “My advice and recommendation to UAE citizens is not to take a loan unless you are in dire need. Take a loan in order to establish your own business and if you are aware of the risks. The citizen has to be aware of this matter and the media can play an important role in highlighting financial guidance,” he said during a plenary session on the second day of The Government Summit on Tuesday. Shaikh Mohammed, in the presence of Shaikh Mansour, inaugurated ‘Ehtmam’, a website of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, on the sidelines of the Dubai Government Summit on Tuesday. Citizens can log on to the website and submit suggestions and ideas aimed at development of local community. — Wam His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Ehtmam Web initiative along with the Deputy PM at the end of the plenary session. The Ehtmam service will help members of the public to submit comments and suggestions on services provided by government entities and give feedback for improving government services. It will also allow residents to raise complaints concerning customer service, problems or unjustified delays in finishing processing the applications or any mistreatment from a government employee. Talking about loans earlier, Shaikh Mansour said: “A bank has certain responsibilities and people who benefit from loans should also be aware of the risks involved. We do realise there are some weaknesses in our laws and we should improve these laws for the sake of UAE,” . In 2012, the government’s initiative to pay off debts by Emiratis reached 1,500 citizens. A total of Dh1.3 billion was paid to banks in 2012 to help heavily indebted ones. In 2013, the number of beneficiaries of the debts settlement fund reached 2,000 citizens and it had paid off Dh2.05 billion. Shaikh Mansour, who is also Minister of Presidential Affairs, acknowledged the efforts of local and international banks and recognised the support extended to the UAE Government. Asked about the Arab spring and its effect on the UAE, the Deputy PM highlighted the openness of the UAE’s leaders to innovation and development. “Throughout our history, the people of the UAE have always been very supportive of the leadership because of the strong bond between the leaders and people.” He added: “When a revolution takes place, there should be a positive outcome. We pray to Allah to stabilise these Arab countries and I hope these countries go back to better conditions. Arabs are welcome in the UAE and we do really exchange our experiences with them. We want to take advantage of their ideas and we have implemented some schemes to benefit from Arab experiences.” During the session, Shaikh Mansour was also asked about the increasing energy needs of the UAE and how the country planned to meet the infrastructure requirements. In reply, he said: “The energy minister is doing a great job in upgrading water and electricity infrastructure. The ratio of increase in demand for energy services is very high and it has reached 12 per cent in some areas of the UAE. Federal institutions have created a 10-year plan and providing water and electricity to all emirates is a priority. These high ratios of increase do not suit the requirements of water and power generation and we have insisted on more cooperation (between federal and city authorities).” muaz@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
