Mall Of The Emirates & Deira City Centre Announce First DSS Winners

The winners of the first AED 200,000 prizes in the joint Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre weekly draw are thanking their stars.

The lucky Indian man and Filipino woman each walk away with AED 50,000 in cash and AED 50,000 in gift vouchers from both the malls in the mega joint DSS promotion that gives away AED 2 million worth of prizes over nine weeks.

Kalim, a 30-year old engineer from Bihar in India, says that his win is like a dream come true. “Since I received the call this morning giving me the good news, I have been trying to come to terms with what happened. This money is incredible and means a lot to me. My family and friends’ have already started celebrating.”

For 41-year old Agnes Ocampo, who has been living in Dubai for thirteen years, a little indulgence has gone a long way. She remembers the Saturday morning when she went to Deira City Centre to deposit a few cheques and could not resist the temptation to take part in a little retail therapy. “I am so glad I took the decision to go buy a few things and right now I feel extremely grateful. Some of this money is going into the bank for my son and the rest will be spent on many more delightful shopping days at both the malls.”

With eight more weekly draws still to go until August 14, customers just need to shop for a minimum of AED 300 at Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre.

What A ’Delicious’ Way To Raise Money!

For the sixth consecutive year, Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding, is teaming up with Mercato for the annual Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) event known as the Jumeirah Giant Cake Sale, in support of Dubai Autism Center.

With more than 60 Executive Pastry Chefs from Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, 3338 exquisite, mouthwatering cakes will be prepared and sold to celebrate DSS Sweet Surprises. This number of cakes represents the total number of rooms provided by Jumeirah Group’s Hotels & Resorts.

The Jumeirah Giant Cake Sale will take place on Friday June 26th from 6.00pm – 10.00pm at Mercato. The chefs will be preparing 15 signature cakes of all flavours, designs and sizes, with choices to satisfy everyone’s tastes.

With over 100 Jumeirah colleagues on the stand, each cake will be sold for the tantalizing price of AED30 and all proceeds will be donated to Dubai Autism Center. Jumeirah’s finest Pastry chefs will be working towards beating last year’s record of AED 46,427.

Andy Cuthbert, Executive Assistant Manager for Food and Beverage at Jumeirah Hospitality, said: “We at Jumeirah are proud to be associated with the Jumeirah Giant Cake Sale, held annually in Mercato. Enjoyed by the general public as well as by Jumeirah colleagues participating in the activity, this charity event is a light-hearted way to raise awareness and funds for a most important cause in today’s society, autism, and more specifically for the Dubai Autism Center.”

NetLogistics.ae Launches New Interactive Web Site For Warehousing Solutions

NetLogistics is a one stop shop for warehousing products & solutions. With 14 years experience in the storage industry, the company offers services in design, supply and installation for the most complex of warehousing requirements.

NetLogistics.ae showcases a wide range of new and innovate solutions from around the world for the storage of products in a warehousing facility. The racking and cantilever systems can be leased or purchased from NetLogistics.

Visitors to the site can subscribe to the online newsletter and stay in touch with information relating to new products and customized solutions. The site also features ‘Tips for Warehousing’.

NetLogistics.ae is also offering for a limited time, free advertising space on the website to companies offering industry associated products. The products can be related to warehouse, material handling products, supply chain solutions or 3PL service providers.

NetLogictics welcomes inquires for products and services from all over the Middle East.

For more information, contact:
Shabbir Pithawala
Managing Director
Sterling Harware Trading LLC
P.O.Box 25236
Sharjah

Tel: 06 5326025
Email: info@NetLogistics.ae
Web: http://www.NetLogistics.ae
 

ICON Bar & Lounge Invites Music Aficionado’s To Chill-Out

Multi-talented duo, Tahnee and Dany are the top billing at ICON Bar & Lounge’s chill out evening, (this Monday June 22 2009).

The singer-song writing- guitar strumming team will give two performances, starting from 8 pm, at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City.

There is no cover charge, and all guests should be over 21 year of age. Every Monday is Ladies Night with free Mojitos for ladies from 7pm to midnight at ICON Bar & Lounge and this offer is open for the Monday music evening also.

ICON Bar & Lounge is a trendy meeting place and popular for live entertainment, while offering a vibrant ambiance, and a selection of cold and hot bites.

It is also popular among sports enthusiasts, and offers frequent live coverage of sports through-out the year, with special coverage and themed nights planned during major sporting events.

e-Junior Is Steaming Up To Welcome the Dubai Metro With The Launch Of Its Preschool Show Chuggington

e-junior, the exclusive U.A.E kids TV channel from E-Vision which is a part of Etisalat today announced the premiere of three popular preschool shows; Chugginton, Sid the Science Kid and Fishtronaut. The new shows add to the strong appeal of e-junior with a variety of preschool shows making it the favorite destination for parents and their little ones to enjoy the wonders of early childhood.

Starting this month, e-junior has also increased its transmission hours from 6 am-11pm to allow kids to enjoy more programmes during their summer vacations.

Premiering in the region on the e-junior channel before any other kids channel, the show “Chuggington” aims to educate kids about trains and will be an interesting precursor to the launch of the Dubai metro. The show broadcasts everyday at 16:55. Chuggington follows the adventures of 3 young trainee engines, Wilson, Brewster & Koko & has entertainment & enjoyment at its heart coupled with important educational messages centred on learning development. Chuggington is a show that never runs out of steam!

”Sid the Science Kid” is a new show which tackles the everyday ideas that preschoolers find fascinating. The show follows a sketch comedy format inspiring kids to discover the world around them. Concepts such as measuring, estimating, comparing, senses, texture & growth are just some of the topics addressed by this popular show. The show airs on e-junior Sun-Thu at 17:35.

The third show is “Fishtronaut” which is an environment friendly animated series which explores the world’s many mysteries both above and below water in a unique and entertaining way led by a fish called Fishtronaut. The show broadcasts on Fri & Sat at 17:35.

According to Fatiha Bensalem, Channel Manager/ e-junior, “e-junior is very focused on making the channel the ultimate destination for preschool kids and their parents by offering content which is safe, fun and of the highest quality .The launch of the new shows will complement our approach of featuring thematic programming blocks uniquely scheduled to follow the day of a preschooler from breakfast through to bedtime“.

E-Vision is the leading regional source to offer over 270 TV channels, in 21 different languages, ranging from sports to movies, from documentaries to music and kid’s channels. E-Vision’s product line-up includes 15 premium packages from all the major TV providers like Showtime, Orbit, ART, Pehla, Firstnet, TFC, Pinoy Plus and many more, in addition to the E-Vision Basic package.

Dubai International Financial Centre Authority Releases Comprehensive ’Guide To Re-Insurance And Captives In The DIFC’

The Dubai International Financial Centre Authority (DIFCA) today released a comprehensive publication on how to conduct Re-Insurance and captive business in or from the DIFC.

Titled, ‘Guide to Re-Insurance and Captives in the DIFC”, the publication is aimed at supporting the insurance industry inside and outside the DIFC.

The publication provides an overview of the core issues of interest to (re)insurers, brokers, underwriting agencies, businesses considering establishing or managing a captive insurer, insurance service providers and back-office support functions that are looking at establishing a presence in the DIFC to carry out business across the region.

Abdulla Al Awar, Chief Executive Officer of the DIFC Authority, said: “The potential for the development of the insurance industry across the DIFC region is huge. The historically low insurance penetration levels seen from within the region are likely to grow exponentially over the next few years to those experienced in more developed markets. The DIFC continues to receive a great deal of attention from the global insurance industry who recognize the promose shown by the centre to become a regional hub.

“Keeping the rising growth and the vast potential in mind, the Guide to Reinsurance and Captives in the DIFC has been prepared to not only assist those who are interested in undertaking insurance business in or from the DIFC, but it will also be of interest to those who provide support functions and services to insurance businesses across the region,” Al Awar added.

Wayne Jones, Partner and Head of Clyde & Co’s (re)insurance team in the Middle East, pointed out that: “The publication arrives at a time when many international insurers are looking to establish or consolidate a regional footprint to concentrate on the opportunities presented in the Middle East.

“Our team has been involved with helping insurance interests accomplish this by setting up in the DIFC since 2004. It has been a pleasure working with DIFCA to produce what we hope will be a useful resource for the insurance industry, and will continue to stimulate interest in the DIFC and the region generally,” Jones added.

The DIFC Authority has been striving to increase awareness of modern methods of finance and managing risk in the region and part of the efforts are aimed at bringing best-of-breed practices, technologies and expertise to the region’s insurance industry.

Low penetration levels are attributable to a combination of factors, with the main factor being a general lack of insurance awareness with regional firms.

However, with economic development, growing industrialization, rapid growth of international trade, international mergers and acquisitions, improved regulation and increased focus on corporate governance, the region is witnessing a change of attitudes towards corporate risk management, and a growing awareness of the need for innovative ways to finance the future cost of corporate risk.

In view of the recent turbulent finance and insurance markets, volatile premium fluctuations and reduced capacity, regional firms are now looking beyond the traditional insurance markets and assessing alternative opportunities.

For regional firms looking to finance and manage corporate risk, the DIFC’s legislative framework, coupled with its favourable tax environment, offers a convenient platform for the establishment of captive insurance companies. Further, the flexible yet robust onshore regulatory environment of the DFSA in their regulation of protected cell companies helps position the DIFC amongst the most competitive domiciles.

On the other hand, because of the vast potential, global majors are looking at the region, which has a huge programme of infrastructure spending on energy, construction, water, transportation & logistics, trade, tourism, and retail. There is a wave of privatization of state assets, resulting in previously uninsured risks that now require insurance cover. There is also the introduction of compulsory insurance covers and a generally increased insurance awareness.

The DIFC has set out to create a global hub to foster the development of a thriving regional captive insurance industry by attracting global insurers, reinsurers, brokers, insurance managers, actuaries, as well as educational and training providers by offering a unique gateway to regional market opportunities.

RTA Launches Salik Violation Management Online Service

Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has recently launched an online service to manage the violations made to the toll gate systems (Salik) directly on the website of Salik. This will enable users obtain information about violations made by their vehicles, and raise possible objections to the offences reported should they have some reservations, and follow-up the process till clear-cut replies and satisfactory solutions are concluded to their objections.

“The aim of Violation Management service is to ease the process of reviewing the offences reported and tracking them by users of Salik toll gates. Users are now entitled to raise objections to the offences made in case of any doubt about a certain offence, thus saving time and effort of both system users and RTA employees as the client can, under this service, track the status of the application as well as phases and procedures taken without having to visit RTA offices” said Maitha bin Adai, CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency.

“Much attention was given to ensure the smooth process of using this service for the benefit of a wide sector of the public. The user can visit Salik portal (www.salik.ae), select the flash (Violation Management) and follow-up simple and easy steps that prompts the user to key-in the number and category of the vehicle number plate in the search engine to obtain detailed results instantly. Should a violation be reported against a vehicle, it will be displayed in a detailed chart showing the number, date and type of the violation made; be it insufficient account balance or any other offences provided for under the system” added Maitha.

It is worth-noting that RTA has recently launched the service of displaying the image of the violating vehicle at site so that the owner can verify the offence before taking any action thereon. In case the user intends to raise an objection to a violation ticket, he or she has to fill in some information such as the name, telephone number and other details; and the user will then be issued with a reference number to use in tracking the violation without having to engage in a series of procedures.

RTA has also introduced several online services to make it easy for Salik users such as the direct registration and subscription to the system, opening up an account, adding vehicles to an existing account, adding tags to vehicles, verification of the mobile phone number, topping up Salik account, and mPay which enables users to pay Salik charges on the e-Government portal, in addition to the latest service “Violation Management”.

More Than AED23m Fetched From 62nd Number Plates Auction

Vehicle number plate (G 60) topped the sales and fetched 1,390,000 dirham in the 62nd Distinguished Number Plates Auction recently held by Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) at Jumeirah Beach Hotel; which raised total proceeds of 23,775,000 dirham.

“The aggregate amount raised in the 62nd Auction is testament to the success of Distinguished Number Plates Auction in Dubai” said the CEO of RTA Licensing Agency Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan. “The Auction made a good progress towards meeting the demand of a wide segment of the public wishing to own distinguished numbers. This is reflected in the attendance of about 300 bidders who participated effectively in the bidding process and hailed the improved procedure of organizing & displaying distinguished numbers. During the Auction 105 numbers were offered comprising 2, 3, 4, and 5-digit numbers of categories F, G, H & I” he added.

“Out of the total 105 numbers offered, 4 were 2-digit plates, 43 were 3-digit plates, 32 were 4-digit plates, and 26 were 5-digit plates. In the sales ring, 2-digit number plates topped the list of proceeds with the number (G 60) clocking the highest sales price of 1.39 million dirham, next came (G 27) which fetched 1.3 million dirham, followed by (H 90) selling for 1.25 million dirham, and (G 45) which was sold for 1.18 million dirham.

“3-digit numbers, which included 43 numbers, was topped by (H 100) which was sold for one million dirham, and the 4-digit numbers, which included 32 numbers, was topped by (G 4444) selling for 610,000 dirham, whereas 5-digit numbers, which included 26 numbers, was topped by (G 88888) selling for 670,000 dirham.

“The Distinguished Number Plate Auctions, which are held almost on monthly basis, are making continued successes in attracting a wide spectrum of community segments hailing from various emirates who are making serious bids to own distinguished numbers in offer. RTA is therefore seeking to continue with upgrading the Auction in terms of procedures and diversity of issuing new numbers to meet aspirations of these individuals to own distinguished licensing numbers” added Bahrozyan.

The CEO of Licensing Agency elaborated on the factors underlying the success of the 62nd Auction and said: “We can single out two-fold success factors; operational and logistical. These include mobilizing all resources to promote the Auction and licensing numbers, systematic marketing planning adopting various tools to reach the targeted audience, official media support, and forming a work team to oversee the Auction program & requirements. Other factors include the official announcement of the Auction 15 days in advance, and prior arrangements made for the venue and the Auction company, culminating in a smooth flow of associated operations.

Speed Limiters Installed In Dubai Taxi Fleet

In an effort to limit speed and boost public safety, Dubai Taxi Corporation at Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) started, since last April, installation of Speed Limiters in several vehicles of Dubai Taxi fleet.

“RTA is always keen on implementing the best global practices to maintain public safety, foster a safe traffic environment, and minimize catastrophic accidents caused by excess speed resulting in extensive losses in lives & properties” said Ahmed Mohammed Al Hammadi, Director of Resources & Support at RTA Dubai Taxi Corporation.

“We have installed 200 devices in Dubai Taxi Corporation fleet vehicles since last April, where 4 devices are installed per day; each device takes abut 45 minutes to install. These devices will be subject to a 2-month trial run ending in the beginning of June 2009.

“Following the trial period, an effective mechanism will be introduced to assess the overall results of this technique guided by two key factors; percentage of drop in fuel consumption, and percentage of reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from exhausts of vehicles fitted with Speed Limiters.

“This technique does not only stabilize the cruising speed of vehicle, but also plays an effective role in cutting fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Accordingly it will have a positive effect on the public health through contributing to a clean & sustained environment” added Al Hammadi.

DED Seeks To Improve Liquidation Procedures In Dubai

The Business Registration & Licensing and Corporate Quality divisions at the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) organised a meeting with top chartered accountants involved in undertaking liquidation procedures for companies in the emirate. The meeting was aimed at enhancing joint relations and communication channels with the private sector.

Mohamed Ali Lootah, Executive Director, Corporate Quality Division, said: “This meeting is part of DED’s strategic plan to enhance cooperation with the private sector, leverage customers’ satisfaction and achieve the quality and excellence drive led by Dubai’s government.”

The objective of improving the liquidation procedure is to make it easily implemented. Mr Lootah added: “By improving the liquidation procedure, we reduce time to undergo the liquidation process, regulate the procedure and strengthen the protection of companies, liquidators, and government rights alike.”