Passengers from around the world cross new Dubai-Prague bridge

Emirates lived up to its name as the international airline of the UAE after passengers from more than 20 countries joined its first flight to Prague.

Travellers from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Singapore, China, South Korea – and as far a field as Australia – were amongst those on board yesterday’s inaugural.

The airline is providing the only daily, non-stop passenger service to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic and site of the famous Charles Bridge, straddling the Vltava River.

Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, who headed the Emirates’ delegation on the first flight, said: "Prague is our second European route launch this year after Amsterdam on 1st May and our 103rd destination globally. The Czech Republic is a popular tourist destination and an exciting emerging market. The route is off to a good start with passengers joining the inaugural flight to Prague from more than 20 countries across the world, underscoring the hub role of Dubai and the boost this new link will provide to the Czech tourism industry. "

Mr Clark added: "With a fleet of 149 aircraft including 11 A380s, we continue to drive forward with our expansion plans and more new routes are on the way. Madrid starts up 1st August and Dakar in Senegal begins a month after that."

Also representing Emirates for the first flight were Richard Vaughan, Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Worldwide; Salem Obaidalla, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe & Russian Federation; Boutros Boutros, Divisional Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Ram Menen, Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo.

They were joined by Brigadier Obaid Mehayer Bin Suroor, Deputy Director of Dubai Naturalisation & Residency department and members of the UAE media.

After arriving at Ruzyne International Airport in Prague, the Emirates’ aircraft received a water cannon welcome, while a traditional Rosenka dance group performed on the tarmac.

Amongst those welcoming the flight were Jaroslav Ludva, the Czech Ambassador to the UAE and Miroslav Dvorak, CEO of Prague Airport.

Mr Dvorak said: "The Emirates’ flight is the first scheduled all-year-round non-stop service to Dubai. It will enable Czechs to travel directly to the Middle East for the first time, whilst also linking passengers to a range of destinations in the Eastern hemisphere. Thanks to this network of connections, we are expecting a great deal of interest in flights to Dubai."

Last night, more than 300 guests were invited to a special gala dinner at Prague’s Municipal House where Michael Bolton headed up the entertainment. Guests also enjoyed New York’s String Angels and the Czech National Symphonic Orchestra.

EK 139 leaves Dubai daily at 1030hrs and arrives in Prague at 1450hrs. EK 140 departs from Prague at 1620hrs and gets into Dubai at 0010hrs the following day.

An Airbus A330-200 aircraft is being deployed for the service, offering up to 278 seats across Business and Economy.

Trade between the Czech Republic and the UAE has leapt from under USD 26 million (AED 95 million) in 1993 to USD 678 million (AED 2.4 billion) in 2008, according to the Czech Foreign Ministry.

Nearly 30% of exports to the UAE are glass products including Czech-made Bohemian glass.

Aside from glass, Czech exports include electrical equipment, jewellery, beverages, data processing devices, machine tools, cars and car parts.

Emirates SkyCargo has served Prague until now by moving goods by road via Vienna. The new non-stop service provides extra capacity in the belly hold of the passenger flights, bringing more flexibility over the movement of goods.

Speaking about the Czech Republic as a destination, John Felix, Senior Vice President, Emirates Holidays, said: "As Emirates Airline’s tour operating arm, the introduction of new routes helps us consolidate and continue to grow the variety of holidays we offer our customers. Europe is a key market for us and Prague is a stunning addition, popular amongst a wide range of tourists, and a gateway to the rest of central Europe. It’s therefore an exciting opportunity for our business and our customers in the Middle East."

 

Three Wins From Three Races For Emirates Team New Zealand

Emirates Team New Zealand took three wins from three races on Tuesday, the opening day of the third Audi MedCup regatta in Cagliari, Sardinia.

Emirates Team New Zealand arrived in Cagliari as the series leader, after two of five regattas (Alicante and Marseille), and had a clear 16 point lead ahead of second–place Quantum Racing.

Tuesday’s three wins gave Emirates Team New Zealand three points, finishing the day seven points clear of Matador with a 3,3,4 scoreline and eight points ahead of Artemis (2,2,7). Quantum (7, 4, ended the day in sixth place on 19 points.

Grant Dalton, Emirates Team New Zealand Managing Director, said: “Today the ball bounced our way. As we expected Artemis and Matador were pushing hard. Quantum (the defending champion) had a bad day, but that could happen to anyone. We’ll have one of those days, too.

“Today the plan was to start well and get clear lanes. The sea breeze came in exactly as forecast and sailing conditions were perfect with 11-14.5 knots of breeze and flat water.

“The breeze was not particularly shifty but there were puffs and the first boats into the pressure made gains. As predicted, the right of the course tended to win more often than not so we worked the middle/right all day and were able to make small, incremental gains.

Dean Barker, Emirates Team New Zealand Skipper, said: “Today we got across the line in really good shape in all three races. Then a combination of good tactics and crew work and a boat that is going really well got the results.

“It was a good start to the regatta. We take the wins and start thinking about tomorrow.”

The 2009 Audi MedCup, TP52 Series, consists of five regattas over the course of five months in four different countries. They are all sailed in Southern European waters, four in the Mediterranean and one in the Atlantic.

Whilst each of the five regattas stand alone as an individual event, winning the circuit requires the best score from all events.

The regatta in Sardinia continues until 25th July.

Visitor Numbers From GCC See 36.5% Increase During First Half Of DSS 2009

Dubai Summer Surprises has played a major role in sustaining the position of Dubai as a leading tourism and commerce destination, said His Excellency Major General Mohammed Ahmad Al Marri, Director General of the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department.“Despite the current global circumstances, we are confident that Dubai has the tourism potential and the state-of-the-art infrastructure to keep it among the leading cities in the global tourism arena and it is based on this confidence that this year’s Dubai Summer Surprises was launched,” noted HE.The number of GCC passengers coming to Dubai since the start of the DSS 2009 on June 11 increased by 36.5 per cent compared to the same period between April and May 2009, he added, explaining that most of the visitors came from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain.“The tourist influx to Dubai during DSS is an indication that the emirate is doing well despite the financial crisis that has gripped most of the world.”The extensive promotion campaigns accompanying DSS and the colossal efforts made by private sector entities such as shopping malls and hotels have played a major role in attracting GCC visitors to Dubai, he added.“Omani nationals are by far the largest in number, followed by Kuwaitis, Saudis, Bahrainis and Qataris; but by the early days of July the number of Saudis has increased to a large extent,” H.E. Al Marri explained, attributing the increase in the number of Saudi visitors to the end of the academic year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.“DNRD stands firmly behind DSS 2009 as is the case with other government departments in Dubai, offering the best possible services that reflect the true image of Dubai as a year-round leading tourism and commerce destination. This is in line with the directives by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai,” H.E. stated.As part of its commitment to offer value-added services during DSS, DNRD efficiently processes round-the-clock visa transactions for those visiting the country during the summer event besides offering many other facilities and services, including the Distinguished Guest Service offered to frequent business visitors to Dubai and the Tasaheel Service offered to guests arriving at the Dubai International Airport to facilitate passport control procedures.
 

Dubai Internet City Hosts Workshop And Networking Programme For Diplomats From UAE-Based Consulates And Embassies

Dubai Internet City, the region’s largest managed ICT cluster and a member of TECOM Investments, today announced more than 30 key representatives from consulates and embassies in the UAE attended a workshop and networking session to see how they could collaborate with the ICT free zone and attract more foreign investors to the region.

Primarily organized to enhance relations with the diplomatic community in the UAE and increase the understanding of the consulates on DIC’s service offerings, the agenda for the event included an interactive session and presentations by the cluster’s management team.

Majed Al Suwaidi, Director of Commercial Operations, DIC, welcomed the officials representing 20 countries, while Faisal Hammoud, Commercial Operations Manager, offered a presentation on DIC’s value-added services and operational procedures for prospective business partners. Following the presentation, Fareed Abdulrahman, CEO of SmartCity delivered an introduction to the SmartCity Malta and Kochi projects, set to become a leading ICT and media destination in the Mediterranean and first European outpost of the global SmartCity network.

Al Suwaidi said: “The DIC Commercial Operations team was developed to complement the dynamic business environment at the cluster. Representatives in the UAE’s diplomatic community play a key role in attracting business partners to the managed ICT cluster and it is important that we remain transparent in all our procedural measures. We will continue to support businesses that are keen to base their operations in the emirate for gaining better regional foothold.”

Following the presentation, Al Suwaidi joined Abdulrahman, in an interactive Q&A session giving the consulate and embassy representatives an opportunity to respond to questions relating to further collaboration with the ICT cluster.

Manuel Valle, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Spanish Embassy, said: “We are delighted that DIC has organized a networking event that will enable the commercial division of Dubai’s Spanish Embassy to meet and create closer ties with DIC officials. As the formal representative of economic and commercial affairs of Spain in Dubai, it is important that we establish solid understanding of business opportunities and operations in leading commercial hubs like Dubai Internet City so that we offer sound and informed recommendations to prospective Spanish business investors.”

As the region’s leading managed ICT cluster, Dubai Internet City has to date welcomed more business partners than in the first and second quarter of 2008. A pioneering destination, the cluster continues to propel the region’s sustained growth in the ICT sector.

Dubai Medical College becomes first representative from Gulf

Dubai Medical College (DMC) has joined the global network of Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), becoming the first representative from Gulf.This follows the selection of DMC senior faculty member and Director of the Institutional Effectiveness Unit Dr. Fouzia Shersad, for the Foundation’s two-year fellowship program.She is among the 20 international health educators chosen this year to receive a grant from the GSMC-FAIMER Regional Institute in Mumbai, India, one of the five centres in the world, says a press release.Professor Mohammed Galal El Din Ahmed, Dean of DMC said, "This milestone further establishes the UAE’s commitment to leadership in medical education, in-line with the vision of our Founder Haj Saeed Lootah. DMC will continue to encourage our faculty members to pursue globally recognised programs towards achieving excellence." Headquartered in Philadelphia, USA, FAIMER is considered the world’s highest authority for medical educators.
 

Early Highlights From Christie’s October 2009 Sales In Dubai

Each year Christie’s seeks to introduce a new sale category into its Dubai sales – Turkish art was first offered in October 2008 and Saudi Arabian art featured for the first time last April. This season, Christie’s will be offering an impressive selection of works from the Indian Subcontinent including works by renowned masters such as Maqbool Fida Husain and Syed Haider Raza. Saudi Arabian works will be included again after their success last season. A work by the Iranian photographer Shirin Neshat (born 1957) is one of the highlights and is estimated at $12,000-18,000. Among the western artists whose works will be represented in the sale is an exciting group of three perspex tables by Yves Klein, filled with his trademark vivid paint colours. Led by his Table D’or, the blue, red and gold tables each carry an estimate of $15,000-20,000.

Christie’s 6th series of Jewels and Watches sales in the Middle East will be led by a selection of rare coloured gemstones, exquisite natural pearls and spectacular diamonds crafted into jewels by many of the world’s leading designers including Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Bulgari and Harry Winston. After the resounding success of the watches offered in April’s sale, Christie’s will once again be offering a selection of complicated timepieces by some of the world’s leading watch brands including Patek Philippe, A Lange & Söhne and Rolex.

Early jewellery highlights include a rare diamond, ruby and pearl necklace, set with 21 antique taviz and octahedral-shaped diamonds, typical of traditional Indian jewellery estimated at $200,000-300,000; a 12.36 carat emerald ring (shown above), framed by a border of diamonds styled as a ribbon tied in a bow at each side, estimated at $15,000-20,000; and a charming diamond tassel pendant set with 115 carats of briolette-cut diamonds, mounted in platinum and estimated at $110,000-140,000.

Both sales are sponsored by Credit Suisse, one of the leading global providers of financial products and services in Private Banking, Investment Banking and Asset Management.

Dubai eGovernment Begins Operations From New Headquarters At HH Ruler’s Court

Dubai eGovernment has announced that it has moved to its new headquarters at the HH Ruler’s Court. This follows the recent recognition of Dubai eGovernment as an independent government entity via Law No. 7 of 2009 issued by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

HH Sheikh Mohammed also issued a decree appointing Ahmed bin Humaidan as Dubai eGovernment Director-General and naming Thani Abdullah Alzaffin as Dubai eGovernment CEO.

Under the law, Dubai eGovernment will devise the general strategy of the eGovernment; provide leadership and guidance; supervise the eTransformation process at the governmental levels; and set structural frameworks, policies and benchmarks for IT management and security. The organization’s mandate of eGovernment also includes the provision of eServices and the management of knowledge and human capital at par with international best practices.

Dubai eGovernment has also been given the responsibility of managing the Government Information Resources Planning (GIRP) Unit and the eServices Unit, which operate under the umbrella of the HH Ruler’s Court. This provides an opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of Dubai eGovernment strategies for promoting digital awareness among various segments of society and increases the rates of eServices adoption and demand related to government transactions.

Ahmed bin Humaidan said: “This step marks the beginning of an advanced stage for us to promote our role in facilitating services provided to citizens, residents, visitors and businesses interacting with the government. We aspire to substantially contribute to establishing Dubai as a leading economic hub, especially after becoming a full-fledged department.

“I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to HH Sheikh Mohammed, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and to HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, for the confidence and support they have shown towards Dubai eGovernment. We affirm our commitment to enhancing the level of eServices in Dubai in accordance with the highest standards of quality and excellence. We shall constantly strive to develop an integrated society based on knowledge which provides people with opportunities to utilize a wide range of government services through modern channels,” he added.

Dubai eGovernment’s comprehensive web portal, www.dubai.ae, allows citizens, residents, visitors and businesses access to government eServices such as payment of municipality fees, visa applications for relatives, health card renewal, company registration, and Roads and Transport Authority fine payments, among others.

Community Development Authority, EIDA Sign MoU To Benefit From Population Registration & Identity Card Programme

The Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai and the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to leverage the advantages of the Population Registration and Identity Card Programme by facilitating internal transactions related to customers’ registration processes and identity. The MoU is part of joint efforts to contribute to the UAE’s economic and social development and to achieve excellence in customer service.

As per the MoU, the two parties will benefit from ID programmes to support services provided by CDA to facilitate the process of forming a unified data base for improving social services in Dubai. The two parties will also benefit from the applications provided by identity cards such as storing special data related to social services, updating customers’ data and exchanging technical expertise.

EIDA will provide CDA with various reports on Dubai’s population to facilitate statistics, analysis and planning processes. It will also find the mechanisms to ensure the protection and safety of electronic identity cards and customers’ privacy whether individuals, government and non-governmental organizations.

Her Excellency Dr Maryam Matar, Director General of the CDA, and His Excellency H.E. Darwish Al Zarouni, Director General of Emirates Identity Authority, signed the agreement at a special ceremony held, recently, at CDA’s headquarters in the presence of Mr Ahmed Al Muhairi, Executive Director, Societies Centres, CDA; and the concerned staff from the Department of Information Technology.

Dubai Customs First Corporate To Receive ISO 10001:2007 From Lloyd’s Register

Scoring another worldwide success, Dubai Customs receives ISO 10001:2007 for its Client Service Charter. Lloyd’s Register Group, an international organization that is a leading provider for ISO certificates announced that Dubai Customs is the first corporate to receive such a certificate across the world, and from both sectors; public and private.

Receiving the certificate is a proof of the sustainability of achievements accomplished throughout the past years whether for the quality services given to its clients or the increased level of clients’ satisfaction as well as adopting and enhancing the best international practices and modus operandi at the Department.

Lloyd’s Register Group has granted Dubai Customs its first ISO certificate 10001:2007 after paying a visit to the Department where the Client Service Charter was examined for two consecutive days for its compatibility with the classification rules and criteria. In addition, the Charter was checked for its implementation process, performance measurement, constant development schemes and the requirements of the ISO certificate.

Dubai Customs has recently launched the Client Service Charter inline with its commitment to developing and reforming services the Department provides to its clients. This entails offering the best quality services on time, responding to complaints promptly and constantly improving practices to cope with clients’ updated needs besides other vital issues that guarantee creating a healthy work atmosphere and a good level of satisfaction for both the Department and the clients.

The Charter’s content and design were generated to meet the requirements of the ISO 10001 certificate. The linguistic and cultural diversity at the UAE was taken into account while making the Charter, it exceeded clients’ expectations especially the disabled when Sign Language and Braille were incorporated in two CSR initiatives. The Charter was published in Braille and a number of customs inspectors received training courses on Sign Language to deal with clients’ complaints in nine different languages.

Mr. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Executive Director of the Customers Management Department said:" Receiving the first ISO 10001:2007 by Lloyd’s Register is considered a worldwide exclusive achievement in every aspect on the grounds that the certificate was received for the Department’s Client Service Charter which was executed in record time within three months only. Moreover, the Charter was developed by Dubai Customs’ staffs without referring to any external consultation. Worth mentioning that this neutral Organization has taken into consideration the fact that the Department had no prior experience in such a project."

Mr. Musabih pointed out that this is added to the long list of achievements Dubai Customs has. Last year, the Department received ISO 10002:2004 for its Client Complaints System as it was the first government department in the Middle East and North Africa to receive this certificate that proved its legitimacy once again in April, 2009.

Mr. Musabih added:" Clients’ satisfaction is of a high strategic priority to the Department in alignment with its 2007-2011 plan. Dubai Customs takes great interest in strengthening economic and social development in Dubai which comes as part of its strategic goals; therefore, it is keen on sustaining the development of the services. Undoubtedly, today’s new success reinforces our clients’ trust put in the Department’s capabilities and the attention it gives to them."