Tag Archives: opinion
Egypt’s enemy is UAE’s enemy, says Shaikh Saif
Egypt’s enemy is UAE’s enemy, says Shaikh Saif Allan Jacob / 11 February 2014 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior states the country’s resolve to wipe out forces that bring instability. The UAE reiterated its backing for the Egyptian government and its people and said any ‘enemy of Egypt is an enemy of the UAE’. Lt-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, chose the second Government Summit on Monday to spell out the country’s determination to keep out “any enemy” from spreading its influence in the region. “Egypt was very dear to the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, is dear to the heart of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, dear to His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Egypt is dear to all of us,’’ he said, while stating the country’s resolve to wipe out forces that bring instability. Shaikh Saif said Shaikh Zayed was preparing Shaikh Khalifa “for a bigger role” when he sent him to Egypt during the Arab conflict with Israel in 1973. “We stood by them against the enemy Israel then, and Shaikh Khalifa, Shaikh Zayed’s eldest son, was sent on the mission,” he said. Exceptional leadership Elaborating about the values of leadership, he said the Founding Father of the UAE, Shaikh Zayed, had instilled in his sons and citizens certain qualities that had been the hallmark of governance. He shed light on the how UAE ministers lead from the front and said: “If you want exceptional children, you should be exceptional parents; good students should be taught by exceptional teachers, officials should be exceptional.” “If you’re not an exceptional minister, you will not be able to continue in the ministry,” he said to applause. He said the UAE raised the bar for governance and its leaders Shaikh Khalifa, Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have their ears to the ground. “They monitor what is happening, and interaction between the public and the government is constant. Performance of ministries and departments are measured and there is accountability at all levels,” he said. The President and the Prime Minister, he said, have the same goals and ensure projects are implemented. Citizens are encouraged to participate in decision-making and ministers interact with people on social media. Development goals Even during the economic crisis in 2008, the country’s leaders did not put a freeze on development projects, the Minister said. “We built roads, buildings, bought aircraft; now real estate is booming again and people are coming in droves for tourism and investment. There is a 40 per cent increase in investments.” Shaikh Saif said the country launched three satellites, hosted the Formula 1 race, Irena headquarters, and won the bid to host Expo 2020. “All this was possible because of internal security measures which have made the UAE a haven of peace. From number 32 on the list, we are number one for security in the region today, which is no mean achievement. We have ensured there is no organised crime in the country,” the Minister said. He also lauded the military for being a strong pillar of the country, and said it made the UAE proud in places as far as Afghanistan and Kosovo. Smart government stems from imagination Shaikh Zayed saw how far the country could progress back in the fifties, so does Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum today, he said. “Shaikh Mohammed says the government should be electronic because he sees the future. Good leaders see the larger picture and are determined to take their vision through to its logical conclusion.” allan@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Govt Summit serves humanity, says Mohammed
Govt Summit serves humanity, says Mohammed (Wam) / 10 February 2014 Delegates from over 50 governments in addition to the United Nations and other international organisations will attend the summit. Shaikh Mohammed on Sunday opened the exhibition of future government services in dubai on the eve of the Government Summit. During his tour of the exhibition, Shaikh Mohammed, who was accompanied by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, was informed by Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Government Summit, about the displays at the exhibition, the first of its kind in the world to present an unparalleled future vision on the delivery of government services for the next 10 years in sectors like airports, health and education. The exhibition assembles the world’s most smart researchers and designers from 18 countries. — Wam The second UAE Government Summit which begins here today is for conscious and sincere minds, minds that are keen to serve people and improve quality of life, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said on Sunday. Commenting on the three-day summit, which he will be attending today, Shaikh Mohammed said: “We welcome all the UAE’s guests, and we assure them that developing the governments’ services is not an Emirati objective but rather global. It is an objective that the UAE considers a foundation for achieving community welfare and facilitating life to create opportunities for the next generations. This universal gathering for officials, thinkers and innovators is a gathering for the best interest and happiness of mankind.” Shaikh Mohammed added: “The Government Summit is a pure national production and a gift from the UAE to the world aiming to serve humanity.” Shaikh Mohammed asserted that the UAE genuinely believe in developing government services and creating an environment that enable people to utilise their potentials and recognise their dreams. This will take communities to stability and prosperity. This Government Summit is a manifestation for what the UAE believes.” “The previous Government Summit was the first of its kind, and this one will certainly lead the way. We hope everyone will benefit from the sessions and workshops, and we hope to see soon its impact and applications on the ground. We wish the very best for all the participants, and I hope that they will make the best out of it,” Shaikh Mohammed concluded. The world’s most respected government and business leaders, decision makers, executives and experts will gather here for the Government Summit, which is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammed. The summit will focus on how citizen happiness can be improved through transformative government services. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
DM chief calls for curb on vehicles on UAE roads
DM chief calls for curb on vehicles on UAE roads Sajila Saseendran / 10 February 2014 Dubai Municipality Director-General Hussain Nasser Lootah asks to tighten car ownership laws and a hike in parking and insurance fees . Dubai’s civic chief has called for stricter car ownership laws, and a hike in parking and insurance fees to restrict the number of cars on the UAE roads. Dubai Municipality Director-General Hussain Nasser Lootah said federal authorities concerned should study ways to limit the cars plying on main roads in Dubai and other emirates as they were exceeding the roads’ capacity. He was responding to questions by Khaleej Times after a Press conference held to announce this year’s Car Free Day, an annual green initiative of the municipality to be held on February 19 this time. Lootah, who reportedly first made these suggestions at the Dubai-Hamburg 2014 Business Forum in Germany, clarified that it was a proposal and thorough studies have to be carried out before implementation. He apparently cited road congestion as a major challenge for Dubai in future. About two million cars ply on Dubai roads everyday. “We must have ownership regulations to slow down this (enormous increase in the number of cars). Our streets are getting jammed and it affects the daily life… the health of the people and the environment,” he said. “There are different ways to curb the number of cars… You can restrict car ownership based on the salary of people, the number of members in a family and the areas of work and home.” Lootah pointed out that cars are cheap in the UAE and parking fees are too low compared to many other countries. “Almost everybody can buy a car and there are more than one car in many families,” he said, while referring to the high taxation of car owners in Singapore as an example for curbing the number of vehicles. He said the way forward was to use public transport system, especially the Metro. “I am sure the RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) is building Metro in different stages and will open many more stations covering more areas and increasing the capacity,” he said, replying to a query on the jam-packed trains during the peak hours. Brigadier Ahmed Obaid Alsayegh, assistant general manager for Fire Fighting and Rescue at the Dubai Civil Defence, said regulations to reduce road congestion were the need of the hour in Dubai. “Our (fire fighting) trucks are big and we have a response time of eight minutes. But if there is a traffic jam, they also get stuck for several minutes. “Dubai is growing and we need to have rules to make people use mass public transport. We also need to encourage the use of Metro especially among the young generation.” The official pointed out that cities like London and Singapore are managing traffic chaos by introducing congestion charges, high road toll, parking fee and taxation on car purchase. Singapore also has the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) system in place to peg long-term vehicle population growth at threee per cent a year. According to the COE system, anyone wishing to buy a car or motorcycle has to bid for a COE. Each month, a certain number of COEs are released for bidding and if successful, the vehicle entitlement is valid for 10 years. After the 10-year period, the owner may decide to bid for a new COE either for 10 or five years to keep your vehicle on the road. sajila@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
