Tag Archives: environment
Discovery Gardens gridlock to be resolved soon: RTA
Discovery Gardens gridlock to be resolved soon: RTA Staff Reporter / 17 February 2014 Authority is about to undertake further road works in the area with a view to providing two additional entries and two exits. As motorists’ frustration of being stuck in hours’ long traffic jams in Discovery Garden community at Jebel Ali reaches its peak, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) says it has held an urgent meeting with the developer Nakheel and will study temporary solutions “within a matter of days”. Residents of Discovery Gardens often get stuck in traffic for hours. — KT photo by Grace Guino In a statement to Khaleej Times on Sunday, the RTA said that it is “about to undertake further road works in the area with a view to providing two additional entries and two exits for Discovery Gardens and Ibn Battuta Mall at Interchange 5.5 on Shaikh Zayed Road and Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.” “Works on these solutions are expected to be completed by the end of this year. These works are undertaken as part of the next five year plan that completes parallel roads in that area.” Hussain Al Banna, Director of Traffic, RTA Traffic and Roads Agency, said: “The RTA had an urgent meeting with Nakheel to work out solutions and alternatives, including streamlining functionality of light signals in the area concerned in a bid to ensure a smooth traffic flow.” On Thursday last week, heavy rain had caused a huge gridlock that lasted for hours. A resident of Discovery Gardens said the traffic jams are routine and very frustrating. “On a normal working day, it takes over 45 minutes to reach the only exit that both the communities have access to,” said the resident. “There are two schools in the area and despite the fact that traffic policemen are present everyday, we are stuck in a jam for hours.” Al Banna said the RTA is undertaking a study. “Within a matter of days, the RTA will embark on studying the provision of temporary entries and exits for the Discovery Gardens through the Shaikh Zayed Road and the Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road out of its keenness to overcome any difficulties impacting the traffic flow.” news@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
Sharjah records 10 per cent surge in tourist arrivals
Sharjah records 10 per cent surge in tourist arrivals Lily B. Libo-on / 16 February 2014 Over 4,000 events will highlight the celebration of Sharjah as the ‘Captial of Islamic Culture’, jointly sponsored by SCTDA and various government agencies. Tourist arrivals in Sharjah will certainly see a significant rise this year as the emirate puts on its crown as the “Capital of Islamic Culture” in the world. The old heritage area in Sharjah. -KT file photo Even before the end of 2013, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) recorded an impressive 10 per cent increase in tourist arrivals, specifically 1,391,632 international tourists visiting the emirate from January to September 2013 as against 1,263,908 over the same period in 2012. Mohammed Ali Al Noman, SCTDA Chairman, highlighted the sustained and steady growth of Sharjah’s hospitality industry and its strong fundamentals. Over 4,000 events will highlight the celebration of Sharjah as the ‘Captial of Islamic Culture’, jointly sponsored by SCTDA and various government agencies. The tourism come-on activities are anchored by Sharjah Light Festival, Sharjah Water Festival and Sharjah Tourism Excellence Award. All these are expected to lure tens of thousands of tourists more this year to the emirate that is home to authentic Arab and Islamic cultural heritage. In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times , Al Noman said the authority expects the number of international arrivals to significantly go up as interest in Sharjah, its authentic Arab and Islamic cultural heritage and a wide range of world-class events and entertainment, grows with this year’s celebration. With the Sharjah Light Festival, the first of its kind in the region, that concluded on February 14, illuminating a number of landmarks and historical buildings across the emirate, Al Noman said that five, four and three-star hotels in Sharjah City, Khorfakkan, Kalba and Dibba are experiencing 100 per cent occupancy rate. “This is the main objective of having big events to lure in positive way tourists to come to Sharjah and to UAE. We have 9,573 hotel rooms, and a number of new hotels and luxury resorts coming up in Sharjah. With investments pouring into the hospitality sector, the number of hotel rooms is expected to reach 12,000 by 2015 to keep pace with the growth of tourist numbers.” Latest tourist profile statistics shows 37 per cent (509,481 tourists) are from GCC, 33 per cent (455,489 ) from Europe, 14 per cent (192,715 ) from Asia, 13 per cent (178,268 ) from other Arab countries, two per cent from America, and one per cent each from Africa and the Pacific Region. “We have continuously developed the tourism sector through our affiliation and commitment to the travel agencies. We have lots of participation with travel agencies internally by holding seminars, training and presentations. Our job is not just creating events but we also support others such as the Sharjah International Book Fair, fourth biggest in the world, organised by Sharjah’s Department of Culture and Information; and the Sharjah Heritage Days handled by the Heritage department in the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah. All events revolving around arts, culture, heritage and traditions do not have to be done by one department alone,” Al Noman says. He says that SCTDA is a destination development department, and Sharjah has laws on licencisng of tour guides. “We have done lots of training for the tour guides by affiliating them to Sharjah University. We train tour operators, front-line staff of hotels and others in the travel industry on the culture an heritage of Sharjah and the UAE.” Al Noman says that SCTDA will launch, in few weeks from now, training for taxi drivers, concierge and front desk teams on its various touristic sites in Sharjah to beef up their capability to direct tourists around and make their visits very memorable. “In this way, they will come again and again. Sharjah will be their first destination for a holiday,” he adds. lily@khaleejtimes.com Tourism Assets Sharjah boasts a world-class international airport, Sharjah International Airport, that has been a hub of international travel and trade traffic connecting the emirate to the world. One of the busiest airports in the region, it continues to grow at a frenetic pace along with the emirate’s flagship airline Air Arabia. > Al Majaz Waterfront Al Majaz Waterfront is a landmark project developed by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) that has transformed the picturesque Buheirah Corniche and an old park into a breathtaking, complete family-friendly, fun and leisure area with an area of 231,000sqm. > Beehive of Museums Sharjah is home to some of the richest and most distinct museums in the region and beyond. > Heart of Sharjah The Heart of Sharjah is easily the emirate’s most ambitious project. Scheduled for completion in 2025, the region’s largest heritage project seeks to preserve national historic landmarks in Sharjah and the UAE, including archaeological sites and museums. > Network of Free Zones Sharjah is home to nearly half of the UAE’s manufacturing and industrial sector. The emirate was one of the pioneers in the region encouraging free trade besides setting up Sharjah Expo Centre. Hamriya Free Zone is another major gateway to global business. > Old-World Charm of Souqs Open since 1979, the legendary Central Souq is the most famous souq in Sharjah and is a definite destination for all shoppers. TOURISM PROFILE > Number of international tourists who visited Sharjah in 2012: 1,739,240 > Number of tourists who visited Sharjah in the first half of 2013: 951,592 > Total of hotel room nights in first half of 2013: 1,071,829 > Share of European tourists who visited in first half of 2013: 37 per cent > Share of Arab/GCC tourists who visited in H1 of 2013: 44% > Share of Asian tourists who visited in first half of 2013: 14 per cent > Hotel Occupancy in Sharjah in the first half of 2013: 71 per cent > Number of hotel establishments in the emirate: 102 hotel properties (47 Hotels and 55 hotel apartments) For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
