Community Development Authority In Dubai Launches Friendly Touch Awareness Campaign

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The Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai has launched the "Friendly Touch" campaign to raise awareness on various forms of physical, moral and sexual harassment faced by children with disabilities. Organised with the support of the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy, the initiative is part of CDA’s efforts to enhance the standard of social protection in Dubai and provide support to people with disabilities and support their integration within the community.

Sheikh Maktoum bin Butti Al Maktoum, CEO of Social Care in the Community Development Authority, said: "The Friendly Touch campaign aims at educating the community about the negative aspects of harassment and their ill effects on both the family of the child and the society. CDA is committed to launching community-based initiatives that will contribute to social development and enhance the services for children with disabilities to activate their role in the community.”

"Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy plays a vital role in supporting people with disabilities and we are pleased to co-operate with them for the campaign. We aspire to strengthen cooperation and partnership with government departments and institutions to ensure the protection of all segments of society,” added Sheikh Maktoum.

Dr Sabha Al Shamsi, Senior Executive Advisor to the Education Programme at the Emirates Foundation, said: "Our support to this campaign is in line with Emirates Foundation’s commitment to protect children with disabilities from abuse, and its consequent negative social and psychological impact. We thank CDA for its efforts in educating families about protecting their children and building a healthier society".

Since its launch, the campaign held two discussion sessions led by Dr Eman Gaad, Consultant at CDA. Dr Gaad gave a comprehensive presentation on child harassment, its psychological and social consequences, and how the family can prevent this from happening through dialogue and appropriate advice that would help children enhance their self-confidence.

"Friendly Touch" highlights the types of harassment, signs and symptoms demonstrated by harassed children including recurring bad dreams, refusal to eat,  sudden changes in mood, writings and drawings with sexual overtones, and various other features and unusual behavior.

The campaign also addresses best practices in dealing with these cases, the importance of early intervention, the role of educational and judicial entities in deterring perpetrators, the key role of the media in spreading awareness about the issue, and the impact of harassment on society and ways of prevention, treatment in addition to some recommendations. The response to the campaign has been strong with all segments of the society reacting positively to the message that is being highlighted through ‘Friendly Touch.’

The "Friendly Touch" campaign, which will continue till January 2012, will include 18 awareness sessions.

Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority Honors Developers For Exceptional Contribution

Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the integrated free zone technology park, today announced it awarded property developers for exceptional cooperation in facilitating the unit recording process of their projects in DSO.
A number of DSO officials attended the event, where they briefed the developers on the latest services the technology park has to offer. The event recognized Tameer Holding Investment (Palace Towers), Ali BuJasim (Silicon Arch), and Credo Investments (Le Solarium). It also brought together leading real estate developers including Sevanam Holdings Ltd, Bonyan Emirates Properties, Sun and Sand Developers, Gulf General Investments Co., S.P. Oasis, and Khalid and Mohamed Al Shirawi.

Salem Khalifa, Vice President Commercial and Government Affairs, DSOA said: “All the developers who have been invited to this esteemed gathering have worked alongside DSO as partners in realizing our ambitious endeavor. It is through such collaborative efforts, exchange of ideas and co-operation at every level that the community has successfully shaped an enabling environment at the development.

“We are delighted to acknowledge their immense efforts and great commitment to the projects at DSO. We are confident our upcoming projects will continue to receive their valuable support in the future as well.”

Tameer Holding Investment LLC commented that despite having a large volume of units to record, the company was highly efficient in handling the recording procedure and completing almost 90 per cent of the units in record time.

DSO, wholly-owned by the Government of Dubai, operates as a free zone for companies producing semiconductors, microelectronics, and other high-tech products seeking to establish regional headquarters, and centers of research and development in the Middle East, and Africa.
 

Dubai Electricity And Water Authority Signs 5 Contracts For New Projects As Part Of WETEX Exhibition, At A Cost Up To One Billion Dirhams

On the second day of The activities of the 13th Water, Energy, & Environment Exhibition 2011 (WETEX), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) celebrated the signing of 5 new contracts for power and water projects in a bid to support its infrastructure and boost the efficiency of grids and networks to meet the growth of demand for its services. This comes in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The contracts were signed by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer MD & CEO of DEWA representing Dubai Electricity and Water Authority with the representatives of DEWA’s partners and contractors’ which were selected to execute these contracts.

At the beginning of the ceremony, HE Saeed Al Tayer stated, “I would like, on this occasion to welcome DEWA’s partners and contractors who have cooperated with it for years to execute its projects in different sectors. And today, we are here for the signing of more contracts for new projects.”

HE Al Tayer pointed out that DEWA assumes its responsibilities in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and in compliance with DEWA’s strategy, which is part of Dubai’s strategy aiming to provide reliable infrastructure capable of meeting all the requirements of electricity and water necessary for the march towards development. These directives are being executed according to a systematic approach to meet the growth of demand for DEWA’s services.

“We are here today to sign 5 contracts for new big electricity and water projects at a total cost up to one billion Dirhams,” HE Al Tayer further added.

The first contract includes the construction of AL Ghafat Reservoirs Phase 1 & 2 with capacity of 120Million Imperial Gallons (MIG) and at a total cost of AED 285,000,000. The contractor of this contract is M/s Pratibha Industries Ltd.

The second contract was signed with M/s APINA, Spain, to set up and construct an inlet air chilling for Gas Turbines at “L” Station , Phase I at Gebel Ali. After completion of this project, DEWA will generate additional power of approximate 108 MW from 3 Gas Turbines from “L” Station at peak summer season and it will improve efficiency of Gas turbines.

 As for the third contract, it includes 132 KV cable laying works at a cost of AED 100,000,000 and at total length of 230 km. The contractor of the project is M/s Emirates Electrical Engineering LLC.

The fourth contract was made with M/s Siemens LLC. It includes the supply, installation, testing, commissioning of five Nos. series reactor stations at generating stations with 400 KV OHL, at a cost up to AED 372,000,000.

The fifth contract was signed too with M/s Siemens A.G, and it relates to the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of SCADA/EMS/DTS system for transmission control centres, at a cost up to AED 97,000,000.

At the end of the ceremony, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer MD & CEO of DEWA stressed the importance of executing such projects according to contractual time schedules so that they can be duly put into service. Meanwhile, HE pledged that Dubai Electricity and Water Authority will provide all possible facilities to contractors to ensure that these projects will be properly executed in compliance with environmental standards, on which it places higher priorities.
 

Khalid Al Kamda, Director General Of Community Development Authority In Dubai

Dubai hosting the 59th Congress and Exhibition of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) 2011 held this month bears a distinguished reference to its regional and global position as a leading organizer and host of grand international events.

This unique event materializes the strenuous efforts exerted by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai in order to realize its vision of “safe and smooth transport for all” and turn it into a tangible reality. During the past few years, RTA has greatly contributed to empowering Dubai as a venue with a world-class infrastructure that paved the way to attract many investments, capitals, leading brands and international companies due to its high ability to absorb and accommodate giant investment projects.

The UITP Congress 2011 is considered to be an ideal platform to enrich and feature discussions on the major components relevant to mass transport. It also creates an opportunity for interactions and get-togethers with an elite panel of experts and specialists in this field paving the way for Dubai to become a major platform where crucial decisions can be taken and future trends can be set out for this vital sector with global participation.

Being concerned with developing the various components of community infrastructure for Dubai, including community protection, empowerment, social consistence and consolidation of national identity, the Community Development Authority in Dubai looks forward to yet further contribution by cooperating with RTA during its hosting of this Congress. Through such contribution, we are guided by the directives of our wise leaders who have always stressed the importance of bolstering communication between the various local and federal government establishments along the way to make further achievements, deliver the desirable messages and visions and work towards the progress of Dubai and the UAE.

The Community Development Authority believes that it is necessary to integrate the activities of all local foundations and authorities in Dubai as they have closely tied common objectives with their ultimate goal being to achieve comprehensive development.

The Community Development Authority of the Government of Dubai is in charge of regulating and developing frameworks for community development in the Emirate in order to achieve the objectives of Dubai’s Strategic Plan 2015 announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in February 2007. The Authority supervises institutions of policies, regulations and standards that are essential for the entities providing social services. It is also in charge of ensuring social integration, establishing and managing an integrated social system to enable all residents of Dubai to positively contribute in promoting various development sectors as well as securing homogeneity among all community members through the establishment of a social structure hinged on the principle of accepting and respecting others as well as the concept of receptiveness of other cultures.

The Authority has made great strides since its inception in all social fields by organizing and implementing objective social activities, services and programs, providing family counseling and guidance and highlighting the UAE identity, Arabic language, and social cohesion, activation of volunteers’ registration and a training system in partnership with other community stakeholders.

The Authority devotes special attention to specific community segments in terms of providing them with appropriate services, including people with special needs, senior citizens, and residents of punitive and corrective institutions. It seeks to build an ideal society based on the principles of peace, justice, fairness and sustainable development.

Among the major achievements made by the Authority is the introduction of the El Kayt Program in 2010 which aims at integrating this community segment into the society and empowering them by finding them suitable jobs that are commensurate their qualifications and capabilities as well as to providing them with appropriate training, thus qualifying them to take up jobs and perform their duties and responsibilities conscientiously.

The Community Development Authority in Dubai last year opened Dubai Early Childhood Development Centre which is a fabulous facility meant for early intervention and the first of its kind in the Middle East and third in the world in terms of methodology and type of services. The Centre provides comprehensive family-based holistic evaluation and intervention services and has a working team operating within a system involving various specialized fields for children (from birth up to 6 years) and children with disabilities or who are vulnerable to growth retardation at subsequent stages of their lives as well as community and family support services.

 

Dubai Judicial Institute Launches Special Training Program For Emirates Securities Commodities Authority Employees

Dubai Judicial Institute (DJI), a leading center of law studies and judicial training in Dubai, recently launched a takeover and merger training program tailored for the Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority (ESCA). The initiative is part of a new series of high-quality programs the institute intends to offer to the authority, which will also include training on the inspection of financial violations in the securities market as well as a three-level legal English skills testing system (TOLES) program for judges.

The collaboration with ESCA aligns with DJI’s strategic plan, training philosophy and comprehensive methodology geared towards new programs developed according to the highest international standards. It also reflects the institute’s focus on implementing curricula based on adult learning principles and leveraging the best methodologies and training techniques to qualify staff with the high levels of experience and knowledge necessary to address local, regional and international challenges and trends. DJI will implement the programs prepared for the Authority based on the best legal practices and concepts in order to promote excellence and a culture of creativity and innovation.

Commenting on the new program, Dr. Judge Jamal Al Sumaiti, Director General of DJI, said: “We are always eager to enter into new and strong relationships with leading government authorities in Dubai to help realize the vision and directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, specifically the focus on the exchange of the best information and expertise to further enhance the emirate’s global stature. Our collaboration with ESCA aims to provide its employees with highly transparent and comprehensive training programs. This will lead to the development of sound legal practices covering financial services and anti- money laundering that reinforce local security, one of the key objectives of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015. We are pleased to have initiated this cooperative initiative with the Authority and look forward to providing more training programs to support ESCA’s unique needs in the long run. We would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to cooperating more closely with all government entities involved with Dubai’s legal system in order to sustain excellence at all levels.”

 

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority Receives ISO Award For Quality Management Systems

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), recently received the ISO 9001:2008 certification for Quality Management Systems (QMS), an internationally recognized standard for quality in products and services, on behalf of DSOA for its renewed commitment towards enhancing services, products and operations through a structured and efficient system.

The ISO certification was presented by R. S. Mani, Area Technical Manager – Middle East & Africa of Lloyds Registered Quality Assurance (LRQA) Ltd to His Highness Sheikh Ahmed in the presence of Dr. Mohamed Al Zarooni, Vice-Chairman and CEO of DSOA, and Dr. Juma Al Matrooshi, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Excellence & Support at DSOA.

DSOA’s latest recognition quickly follows the ISO 9001:2000 for Quality Management Systems that was awarded to DSOA in 2007 for providing customers with industry-leading products and services.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed said: “Since we first received the ISO 9001:2000 certification in 2007, Dubai Silicon Oasis has demonstrated its commitment to strengthening the culture of performance excellence in its, while developing the right structure and policies to achieve this. The latest ISO certification that we have received is proof of our consistent efforts to achieve the highest standards as an organisation. Through this certification, the concept of quality becomes an incentive for continuous development.”

Dr. Al Zarooni said: “Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) continues to remain focused on developing a Quality Management System to enhance all services, products and operations through a focused and streamlined system. Receiving the new ISO 9001:2008 certification proves that, in relation to global standards, DSOA has consistently excelled.

“As an organisation, we are proud to have excelled in such a rigorous evaluation and believe that such regular assessments can be of great benefit to us. Our achievement is the outcome of a thorough internal evaluation of all the necessary processes to meet the regulatory, mandatory and customer requirements. At DSOA, we are committed to raise the bar of excellence even further.”

The ISO 9000:2008 standards give organisations an opportunity to add value to their activities and continually improve performance by focusing on their major processes. The standards place great emphasis on developing quality management systems that are close linked to the organisation’s processes and their continual improvement. As a result, they direct users to the achievement of business results, such as customer satisfaction.

Dubai Silicon Oasis is a wholly-owned entity of the government of Dubai and operates as a free zone technology park for semiconductor, microelectronics and other high technology-based companies looking to set up their regional headquarters and R&D facilities in the Middle East and Africa region.
 

Dubai Culture Arts Authority Underscores Patronage For Film Industry At Dubai International Film Festival 2010

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for culture, arts, and heritage, is supporting the seventh Dubai International Film Festival, in keeping with its commitment to drive and strengthen the growth of the city’s cultural and artistic scene.

Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority said: “A powerful medium of cultural expression, the film industry of Dubai is fast-evolving. The Dubai International Film Festival has created a groundswell of interest in filmmaking, promoted local content creation, and has stimulated the development of the cultural scene of Dubai. Most importantly, the festival highlights the spirit of patronage that thrives in Dubai for culture and the arts.”

In line with the vision of its pioneering initiative, the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Awards, Dubai Culture encourages patrons, the heroes behind-the-scenes, to contribute towards the thriving film industry. Whether through financial or in-kind, Dubai Culture believes patronage is the stepping stone that will foster the growth of a dynamic local film industry.

DIFF 2010 box office locations are: Cinestar Mall of the Emirates, Madinat Souk, the CNN Building in Dubai Media City and The Walk at JBR. Tickets can also be purchased through DIFF’s Dial-a-Ticket service at (04) 391 3378 and from the website www.dubaifilmfest.com.

The seventh edition of Dubai International Film Festival 2010 will be held from December 12 to 19. DIFF 2010 is held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, the home of the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The event is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.

For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com.

Dubai Culture Arts Authority Strengthens Emirates Literary Scene

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for culture, heritage and the arts, recently held a dinner event, in collaboration with the Middle East’s largest annual literary festival, Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (Emirates Lit Fest), bringing together authors and potential patrons to drive forward the growth of Literature.

The event was the first in a series of strategic initiatives by Dubai Culture to further strengthen the cultural scene of the Emirate by promoting stronger art and cultural patronage by providing platforms for patrons and talent to interact.

The first dinner-event hosted Kate Adie, former BBC journalist and award winning reporter, and Khalid Khamissi, an internationally acclaimed Egyptian writer, and a number of art patrons, who are the pillars of support for the development of the cultural and artistic scene of Dubai.

Several of the patrons in attendance were honoured earlier this year for their generous support with the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patron of the Arts Awards.

The inaugural Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Awards recognised patrons for their valuable contributions of almost AED 250 million from 2007 to 2009 towards visual arts, film, performing arts, and literature. In this, visual arts recorded the highest percentage with 61.5 percent support, filmmaking accounted for 27.5 percent, performance arts received 9 and literature received 2 percent.

Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting-Director General of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority said that Dubai Culture’s collaboration with EAFL is part of the Authority’s strategy to underscore the need to support and steer the literary sector and promote local talent.

“Dubai took a very important step to appreciate patrons who support the Dubai cultural scene, with the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patron of the Arts Awards. The special dinner event was the next step forward aimed at serving as a bridge between literary talent and potential patrons to encourage patronage for Literature.”

\\\”The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature was delighted to be involved in the first Patrons of the Arts Awards Literature Dinner – an evening which brought together like-minded people to celebrate the written word in all its forms and recognize the efforts of all those who are contributing to the literary scene here in Dubai,” said Isobel Abulhoul, Festival Director, Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. “It was heartening to see the level of interest and support, and the serious realisation of literature’s importance for us all.”

A first of its kind initiative, the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Awards is an annual award that honours and recognizes individuals, businesses or organizations that have demonstrated financial or in kind contributions to the arts in Dubai.
 

Community Development Authority and Dubai Health Authority launch Mental Health Awareness Campaign

The Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai in co-operation with Dubai Health Authority (DHA) officially launched a six-month Mental Health Awareness Campaign during a ceremony held at Mirdiff City Centre yesterday (Saturday).

The launch was attended by H.E. Khaled Al Kamda, Director General of CDA and Sheikh Maktoum Bin Butti Al Maktoum, CEO – Social Care Sector at CDA, along with a number of senior management personnel and officials from both CDA and DHA.

The campaign aims at raising community awareness, especially amongst the youth, about the importance of enjoying a balanced mental health, which has a direct impact on economic and social growth. It encourages the use of psychological counseling with the first signs of frustration and depression that indicate a flaw in the mental health of an individual.

"The Mental Health Awareness Campiagn comes in line with CDA’s commitment to the community to educate them about social issues. Mental health is considered as one of the important issues that directly affect the performance and participation of individuals in the society, and is as important as physical health. Positive mental health is an essential element for the safety of the individual and the society; sound individuals are more useful for the society, themselves, and their families," said Mr Al Kamda.

"Through the six-month campaign, we aim to achieve all the objectives and reach out to the largest possible segments of society. We will introduce an integrated program schedule that includes many educational activities targeting schools and universities in Dubai," said Sheikh Maktoum.

"The community plays a major role in assisting the patient to be a productive member and families have to provide help by instilling the hope of recovery, and provide appropriate treatment. Patients have all the rights and duties as any other individual in the community, and together we can make a difference to the society at large," added Sheikh Maktoum.

He stressed that patients can contain the illiness through timely assistance from specialists, and by following a healthy life by avoiding stress factors, setting goals in life and seeking to achieve them, and improving social relations.

At the launch ceremony leaflets were distributed covering aspects such as positive mental health, steps for good mental health, and the means for the treatment of mental illness.

The activities of the Mental Health launch included a performance by the Dubai Police music band, Harley Davidson bikers’ parade, Dubai Drums performance, Martial arts, Yoga, and singing and music performances by students from different schools.

The Mental Health Awareness Campaign coincides with the World Mental Health Day, commemorated by World Health Organisation on October 10.

Community Development Authority Discusses Cooperation With Higher Education Institutions In The UAE

The Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai organized a meeting to strengthen communication and co-operation with the institutions of higher education and scientific research in the United Arab Emirates, and explore opportunities for long-term partnerships with them.

The meeting, the first of a series to be held throughout the year, highlights CDA’s commitment to strengthen overall social development in line with the goals outlined in the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015.

Through the initiative, CDA aims to share and leverage scientific researches by higher education institutions to drive comprehensive development, and accelerate social progress through joint efforts and programmes.

His Excellency Mr Khaled Al Kamda, Director General of CDA; CDA’s CEOs; along with a large number of officials and representatives from Zayed University, the Canadian University, Al Ghurair University, The British University, The UAE University, Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University, the American University in Dubai, Wollongong University, and the Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Dubai, and Higher Colleges of Technology, attended the meeting.

They discussed the activation of cooperation between CDA and the institutions of higher education in the areas of research, and providing data that facilitates the exchange of experiences and expertise in the field of community development. They also discussed the development of volunteer programmes, the use of CDA’s expertise and facilities in training school students for conducting research on people with disabilities, and in the development of different strategic plans.

“The meeting represents a great opportunity to initiate strategic partnerships between CDA and higher education institutions in UAE. These partnerships will help us to integrate the relevant learning by the higher education institutions into our strategic plans for boosting societal growth and development,” said Mr Al Kamda.

“We recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the British University in Dubai to enhance cooperation between us, and share research and studies to address various community needs and concerns.” added Al Kamda.

The Community Development Authority in Dubai seeks further cooperation with higher education institutions, especially in the areas of research and scientific studies to accelerate sustainable social development in the Emirate of Dubai and to achieve all the desired objectives at the local and global front.