News Updates ..Click Here Indian Students Visa Norms Liberalised With expansion of the education sector in India, there has been increasing demand on the educational facilities available in the country from foreign students. A need was felt to liberalize the existing student visa regime and, accordingly, the student visa regime has been accommodated with the aim to make it more user-friendly. There will be no bar/restriction on the number of courses a foreign student may like to pursue and each time the periodicity of the student visa will be counted afresh. The foreign student will be permitted to take multiple courses in one institution or multiple institutions provided the institutions are recognized/reputed ones. The State Government/FRROs have been empowered to extend student visa within the parameters of liberalized visa regime. London Blasts: Syrian the prime suspect --- Blair's Alliance with Bush Bombed - Phony 'Al-Qaeda' Responsibility Claim a Proven Hoax - See No Evil: Spinning Netanyahu's London Terror Tip-off - Britain Bombed Itself as Nero Burned Roma to Stay on in Iraq - PM calls Netanyahu after explosion under his London hotel - Britain failed to protect London even after Israel warned Britain of coming Al-Queda terror – inefficiency or conspiracy? Gulf Region's First Commercial Real Estate Lending Seminar - Acid attacks on "immodest" women on the rise -Focus on illegal organ trade in Iraq Dubai Transport Sets up Special Railway Department Dubai, 11 July 2005 Considering the importance of the prestigious Dubai Metro Rail project, Dubai Municipality has set up a new organizational sector called Dubai Metro & Public Transport Sector to take care of the project. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry and Chairman of Dubai Municipality has issued an administrative decision to this effect according to the organizational structure of Dubai Municipality based on the official decree No.9 of 1998.Sheikh Hamdan also issued an order appointing Nasser Ahmed Saeed as the Assistant Director General for the Dubai Metro & Public Transport Affairs and promoted him to the special grade of the first category in accordance with the Personnel Affairs System of Dubai Emirate of 1992. Saeed has been working as the Director of Roads Department and also the General Co-ordinator of the Dubai Rail project. In another administrative decision issued by Sheikh Hamdan, another sector called General Projects Sector has been set up. With this decision the Roads and General Projects Sector is now renamed as General Projects Sector. Sheikh Hamdan has also issued an order appointing Essa Al Haj Al Maidour as the Assistant Director General for the General Projects Affairs and promoted him to the special grade of the first category in accordance with the Personnel Affairs System of Dubai Emirate of 1992. According to the new decision, a new department called Dubai Metro Department, the Public Transport Department and the Commercial Marketing and Development Section will come under the Dubai Metro & Public Transport Sector. According to the decision the General Projects Sector will comprise of the General Projects and Maintenance departments and the Advertisement and Coastal Management sections. (photo: Nasser Saeed 2) Essa Al Maidour) Employed Unemployed Driver Spends Day and Night in Diera Park By V.M.Sathish DUBAI – Meet the employed taxi driver who remains unemployed for a driving license. His official accommodation is the public park of Diera where the driver spends day and night. Food, occasionally donated by the well wishers and others who visit the park. This is the story of Sajeev from Trichur, Kerala who was recruited by an agent to wok as a light heavy driver for a leading taxi company of Dubai. He is not like the run of the mill visit visa racket victims who spend three months without visa and go back empty handed. He has got an employment visa as light vehicle driver, but yet to join the taxi company because he did not get a license. At least a hundred people like Sajeev are stranded in Dubai without anyone to help. Thanks to some good Samaritans, Sajeev has been given temporary accommodation in a KM well wishers home. Many of the drivers recruited in this manner can be found near the driving schools, trying their luck to get a driving license. However, the billion dollar question remains: how can a recruiting agent issue visas with their profession as light vehicle driver without a valid driving license? While some agents are kind enough to give driving training, room and accommodation to their recruitees, this particular company seems to be unconcerned about their plight. It continues to recruit drivers... Lured by newspaper advertisements seeking taxi drivers with Indian license to work for a leading taxi company of Dubai, Sajeev sold his property, and pledged gold ornaments of his relatives to pay Indian Rs.1.21 lakhs for a taxi driver visa. Based on the guarantee that the company will give them two months training and definite employment after getting a Dubai driving license, he came to Dubai sometimes back. “I am one of the several taxi drivers recruited by Golden Wings Recruitment Calicut, with branches in Kochi and other cities. They promised to give us two months training and two free driving license tests,” he says. “I have failed in the first test because there was no training. Even though I was working as a driver in India, I am not familiar with the driving methods in Dubai,” he says. Like Golden Wings, some other agencies have also recruited taxi drivers from India, and the unlucky ones like Sajeev are facing a dilemma. “I don’t have any relatives here and I have been living in this park because there is no room or food. I don’t eat anything regularly and sometimes some people give some food,” he says. “I am living in the park because there is no money to take a room. If I can get a driving licese, my problems will be over,” he says. “I was waiting for the next test, but the company Privilege Recruitment says there is no more test. Apparently there is some change in the local rules,” he added. Other daily routine affairs are carried out in the Diera Taxi stand public toilet. “The agents told us that it is easy to get a driving license in Dubai. I have many years experience as a driver in India,” he added. The recruiting agencies have recruited many people like Sajeev, who are living in such conditions. Many of the employed drivers who remain unemployed because of a lack of driving license throng the company’s premises in Abu Hail Centre, Diera. “While come to Dubai, the recruiting agent obtained a written statement which said that they will not be liable, if the candidates have to return without getting a job for any reasons,” he says. “The recruitment process is on and at least 100 people are stranded in Dubai like me,” he added. He had to spend Dhs.460 to take a medical report and has already borrowed Dhs.2000 from different people to stay on in Dubai. As his dream to get a driving license remains an illusion because there is no money to go for training or test, Sajeev continues to live in the Diera Park. While the company still says there are vacancies for taxi drivers. He may work somewhere to raise money for a driving license.. Says an optimistic Sajeev. Privilege Recruitment official admitted that they are recruiting taxi drivers, but refuse to comment on this story. Many taxi drivers who were appointed by new taxi companies in Sharjah have also been facing a similar situation as their temporary driving license issued on the basis of their GCC driving license could not be renewed. Summer stopover at Mirfa Hotel Abu Dhabi hotel an oasis not to be missed (Abu Dhabi, July 2005): Thanks to a location along the western coast of Abu Dhabi, along the Sila highway, Mirfa Hotel provides an excellent value-added stopover for families touring the region, according to general manager Ali Salih.The 50-room hotel offers a complete range of recreation and sports facilities at value rates, and is well located to break up a long drive from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, for example.Salih said: “Offering all the amenities for a perfect holiday, guests can relax by the pool, unwind on the putting greens or cheer on their favourite team in the sports lounge – breaking up the journey along the west coast.”Each of the hotel’s rooms and suites offer panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf along with in-room satellite TV & mini-bar and safety deposit boxes for the comfort and security of the guests. Many rooms are interconnecting – perfect for family travel – and larger accommodation includes four spacious Executive Suites and two Royal Suites. Guests can maximise their time at the resort and take advantage of the complimentary leisure and recreation facilities. Access to the golf and putting greens, as well as two floodlit tennis courts, a volleyball court and fitness facilities is all included. A swimming pool, along with a climate-controlled child’s pool and play area, round up the activities for the whole family. Mirfa Hotel offers a variety of dining experiences from the Al Manara restaurant and the Sports Pub & Lounge with live entertainment, to 24-hour room service for those who prefer to dine en suite. A swim-up pool bar quenches the thirst of guests soaking up the sun. Indoor and outdoor catering is also available upon request for group bookings along with the use of two VIP Majlis and private dining rooms. With a dedicated staff on hand, meetings and conventions are made easy with two conference and meeting rooms using the latest audio-visual presentation facilities. A gift shop, currency exchange, laundry and dry cleaning services are available for the guest’s comfort and convenience, providing a well-serviced holiday. According to Salih, a high percentage of Mirfa’s guests during July and August are travelling from neighbouring GCC countries to the Dubai Summer Surprises. Summer rates start at Dh280 net per night (two adults and up to two children under 12 years) in a standard room overlooking the Arabian Gulf, or Dh500 net for a spacious Executive Suite. The summer package price is inclusive of buffet breakfast; a 50 per cent discount on food and beverage applies for children 7-12 years, while children of 6 years or younger dine for free. Salih said: “Even for guests travelling along the coast on Fridays, Mirfa Hotel offers the popular barbeque poolside lunch. For only Dhs 60 per adult, and half price for children 7-12 years, brunch guests have complimentary use of the fitness centre, sauna, swimming pool, tennis and volleyball courts and both the indoor and outdoor children’s play areas. This is the ideal stopover to relax and refresh."Mirfa Hotel is managed by Danat Hotels & Resorts, a division of the National Corporation of Tourism & Hotels based in Abu Dhabi. A Letter to the British People. Iman AL-Saadun July 10, 2005 I'm sending this letter to the British people and in particular to the residents of London. For a period of hours, you have lived through moments of desperate anxiety and horror. In those hours you lost a member of your family or a friend, and we wish to tell you in total honesty that we too grieve when human lives pass away. I cannot tell you how much we hurt when we see desperation and pain on the face of another person. For we have lived through this situation - and continue to live through it every day - since your country and the United States formed an alliance and laid plans to attack Iraq. The Prime Minister of your country, Tony Blair, said that those who carried out the explosions did so in the name of Islam. The Secretary of State of the United States, Condaleezza Rice, described the bombings as an act of barbarism. The United Nations Security Council met and unanimously condemned the event. I would like to ask you, the free British people, to allow me to inquire: in whose name was our country blockaded for 12 years? In whose name were our cities bombed using internationally prohibited weapons? In whose name did the British army kill Iraqis and torture them? Was that in your name? Or in the name of religion? Or humanity? Or freedom? Or democracy? What do you call the killing of more than two million children? What do you call the pollution of the soil and the water with depleted uranium and other lethal substances? What do you call what happened in the prisons in Iraq - in Abu Ghraib, Camp Bucca and the many other prison camps? What do you call the torture of men, women, and children? What do you call tying bombs to the bodies of prisoners and blowing them apart? What do you call the refinement of methods of torture for use on Iraqi prisoners - such as pulling off limbs, gouging out eyes, putting out cigarettes on their skin, and using cigarette lighters to set fire to the hair on their heads? Does the word "barbaric" adequately describe the behavior of your troops in Iraq? May we ask why the Security Council did not condemn the massacre in al-Amiriyah and what happened in al-Fallujah, Tal'afar, Sadr City, and an-Najaf? Why does the world watch as our people are killed and tortured and not condemn the crimes being committed against us? Are you human beings and we something less? Do you think that only you can feel pain and we can't? In fact it is we who are most aware of how intense is the pain of the mother who has lost her child, or the father who has lost his family. We know very well how painful it is to lose those you love. You don't know our martyrs, but we know them. You don't remember them, but we remember them. You don't cry over them, but we cry over them. Have you heard the name of the little girl Hannan Salih Matrud? Or of the boy Ahmad Jabir Karim? Or Sa'id Shabram? Yes, our dead have names too. They have faces and stories and memories. There was a time when they were among us, laughing and playing. They had dreams, just as you have. They had a tomorrow awaiting them. But today they sleep among us with no tomorrow on which to wake. We don't hate the British people or the peoples of the world We don't hate the British people or the peoples of the world We don't hate the British people or the peoples of the world We don't hate the British people or the peoples of the world We don't hate the British people or the peoples of the world We don't hate the British people or the peoples of the world We don't hate the British people or the peoples of the world. We don't hate the British people or the peoples of the world. This war was imposed upon us, but we are now fighting it in defense of our selves. Because we want to live in our homeland - the free land of Iraq - and to live as we want to live, not as your government or the American government wish. Let the families of those killed know that responsibility for the Thursday morning London bombings lies with Tony Blair and his policies. Stop your war against our people! Stop the daily killing that your troops commit! End your occupation of our homeland! Ray McDermott adopts AVEVA VANTAGE Enterprise Net (VNET) for Dolphin Gas Project July 11 , 2005 AVEVA (LSE:AVV), the international provider of engineering IT systems for the process, power, and marine industries, has announced that J. Ray McDermott Middle East, Inc., a leading worldwide marine solutions company, has chosen VANTAGE Enterprise Net (VNET) for the ground breaking Dolphin Gas Project for which it is the EPC contractor for offshore complexes.The VNET implementation is well underway at J. Ray McDermott, and AVEVA is providing comprehensive training for the company’s on-site engineers and project teams, exposing them to the sustainable and evolutionary platform that VNET provides for integrating complex engineering data. With fabrication facilities in the Americas, Middle East, Caspian and Asia Pacific, J. Ray McDermott has its Middle Eastern operations headquartered in Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai. The facility offers a full range of solutions for offshore development projects, including fixed platforms and pipelines, floating and sub-sea facilities, Spars and FPSO topsides. It has in-house expertise to engineer, manage, procure, build and install facilities worldwide. Commenting on the implementation, Louay Dahmash, Regional Director, AVEVA Middle East, said, “VNET is the ideal solution for those who want to improve their ability to share information from any source between globally distributed teams for more effective handling of project data. VNET provides some of the most advanced features and serves as a blue print for EPC Contractors and Owner operators to implement sustainable information strategies. This unique platform integrates critical enterprise and project data through a manageable and globally-available portal, VNET is making information work harder for the engineering industry. “The Dolphin Gas Project is perhaps the most significant engineering work of its kind in the region and will deeply impact the local energy matrix. As an EPC contractor for this project J. Ray McDermott will derive immediate benefits through the implementation of VNET,” he added. "One of the key advantages VNET brings to our operation is the ability for everyone on the project from the engineering, fabrication or marine departments, to quickly and easily access the current 3D model along with engineering and fabrication documents," said Kevin Brophy, Manager, Piping and Layout, J. Ray McDermott. "The tangible benefits of VNET have allowed staff to react instantly to planned status changes, allowing them to plan their work earlier in the project lifecycle. VNET has also allowed for easier and faster collaboration across both client and other J. Ray intranet sites, thus fulfilling some of the demands inherent with fast track projects." VANTAGE Enterprise Net is an engineering information platform whose strategic implementation delivers control, context, integration and presentation of all plant related data in any form at any stage of the plant’s lifetime. VNET brings disparate applications together and integrates data and information with the entire project value chain through a web based portal. VNET employs the ISO15926 data model using templates, flexible, XML standards and web technology, securing the independence of engineering data with low cost of ownership, interoperability and flexibility in implementation. Explaining further Gary Patterson, Account Manager, AVEVA Middle East said, “With VNET, all members of the Dolphin project team now have a single platform for searching, reviewing, collaborating and commenting on all project data in tag related environment. As well as providing a platform to satisfy data handover requirements, VNET will also improve the accessibility and visualisation of project information throughout the team, helping to streamline the engineering and construction workflow.” DTCM SUMMER TRAINING PREPARE UAE NATIONALS FOR FUTURE JOBS 61 STUDENTS SELECTED FOR THE EIGHT-WEEK PROGRAMME The annual summer training programme of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has recorded an increased interest among the UAE nationals with 61 male and female students registering for the scheme. Last year’s programme had 40 students and the year 2003 had an enrollment of 33 students. The two-month programme is designed for the UAE nationals studying in different colleges and schools and it will conclude in August.The DTCM Manager Human Resources, Mr. Ibrahim Yaqoot, said: "The aim of this training programme is not to allow the students while away their time during summer holidays but to teach them about practical life and hone their skills to bear responsibilities and thereby prepare them for their future jobs. They are given different tasks based on *their age, educational level and their interest in particular fields."The DTCM organized tours for them to Heritage sites and Dubai Cruise Terminal in order to make them aware of the department's role. In cooperation with the Dubai Police authorities, trips to Dubai Police Museum, Naif Museum and Naif Police Station were organized where they were given different booklets on different topics in addition to briefing. A seminar on drug abuse prevention was also presented. The students have been allocated different sections within the DTCM to work. This will offer them experience in sharing responsibilities in addition to helping achieve the goals of the Emiratization programme in the coming years. From the Arabcom Conference Tunisia PAN AFRICAN HEADS OF MISSION VISIT ISRO SATELLITE CENTRE Heads of Mission of 22 Pan African Countries visited ISRO Satellite Centre, Narayana Hrudayalaya, Directorate of State Education Research and Training (DSERT) and Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre today (July 11, 2005) in Bangalore to appraise themselves of India's progress in space technology and its applications. It may be recalled that, during the visit to Africa, the President of India, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, in his address to the Pan African Parliament on September 16, 2004, had announced the special initiatives taken by India for New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). The President also had indicated how electronic connectivity and knowledge connectivity can help in enabling economic development of the region. The President had mentioned about the possibility of connecting all the 53 nations of the African Union by satellite and Fiber optic links which could provide effective communication and connectivity among the nations as well as supporting tele-education, tele-medicine, e-governance, e-commerce, infotainment, resource mapping and meteorological services. The Heads of Mission had called on the President in New Delhi on July 4, 2005. Today's visit of the Heads of Mission is a follow-up to the above events. The team was briefed on the Indian space programme at ISRO Satellite Centre. The team also saw the facilities at the Centre and India's latest communication satellite, INSAT-4A, which is in its final stages of readiness to be transported to Kourou, French Guyana, for its launch on board Ariane. Later, the Heads of Mission had opportunity to witness live telemedicine and tele-education programme. As part of this they visited Narayana Hrudayalaya to appraise themselves of space-based tele-medicine. Narayana Hrudayalaya is one of the super-specialty hospitals that have been networked with hospitals in various rural and remote areas by ISRO for telemedicine connectivity. The team then visited Directorate of State Education Research and Training where they saw the EDUSAT programme under the Chamarajanagar District Rural Education Project and the programme of Visweswaraya Technological University. The team saw the demonstration of remote sensing applications for resources monitoring and management at Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre. The Heads of Mission included: Mr Mohamed Osman Omar of Somalia, Mr Ousman Nacambo of Burkina Faso, Mr Japhet Issak of Namibia, Mr Desmond Monde Nxiweni of South Africa, Dr Kheir Eldin Abdel Latif Mohammad of Egypt, Mr Larbi Moukhariq of Morocco, Mr Mahfud R M Rahiam of Libya, Mr Abdoulaye B A of Senegal, Lr Kayumba Nyamwasa of Rwanda, Mr Christian Goncalves Baeta of Ghana, Mr Santos Alvaro of Mozambique, Mr J Wutawunashe of Zimbabwe, Mr Elyes Kasri of Tunisia, Mr Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem of Sudan, Mr Orlando E Da Cruz Lima of Angola, Teketel Forssido of Ethiopia, Mr Aime Guezeon of Ivory Coast, Mr Charless M P Walimbwa of Uganda, Mr Marius Uzochukwu Offor of Nigeria, Mr Libert Mainza Choombe and Mr Chongo Shula of Zambia, Mr Yeba Sandenga of Congo and Mr D Seetahul of Mauritius. Noting that both the India and African Nations have several common problems associated with nation building and the developments taking place in India can be replicated in African nations, the visiting Heads of Mission appreciated India's achievement in space technology and its various societal applications and said that they look forward to sharing the experience of India in its successful space programme. Parliamentary Committee on Civil Aviation Meets to Discuss Indian Airlines Ltd. The Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Civil Aviation met here today. The subject matter of the meeting was Indian Airlines Limited. The Committee was informed about the performance of Indian Airlines by its acting CMD Ms. Sushma Chawla. The Committee was told that IAs market share has declined due to a fall in its capacity share. From a capacity share of 65.2% in 1997-98 and an accompanying market share of 65.9%, in 2004-05 the capacity share declined to 41.7% and the market share to 38.2%. Members were also informed that various cost control measures taken up by Indian Airlines has resulted in a saving of Rs. 148 crores in the year 2004. Indian Airlines offers Ground Handling services to 19 airlines, including leading international airlines such as British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Silk Air, Srilankan Airlines etc., at 14 airports in India. IAs Ground Handling revenues has grown from Rs. 180 crores generated in 2003-04 to Rs. 2004-05 to Rs. 221 crores in 2004-05. Indian Airlines gave a detailed fleet augmentation/replacement scheme. Its short term requirements are being met through lease. IA presently has 17 A320 aircraft on lease, 4 ATRs inducted on lease exclusively for North East, lease of 10 more A320 under evaluation, 5 A319 aircraft on lease for Alliance Air to join from winter 2005 and Lease of 6 more ATRs under evaluation by Alliance Air. Among its future plans Indian Airlines plans to have a dedicated freighter operations by converting its 737 aircrafts into freighters. The IA Board gave it’s approval to this operation in May 2005. It plans to lease 12 wide body aircrafts for expanding its international network. It also plans to take 6 ATRs on lease for development of a feeder network on routes other than the North-East, to be operated by Alliance Air. Indian Airlines also plans joining a global airline alliance in the long term. According to the airlines the benefits include greater interline flows, access to new markets thru code sharing, global image enhancement, up-gradation of technology and service standards, etc. Members, cutting across party lines while appreciating the effort made by Indian Airlines to come out of the red and improving its performance tremendously in the past few years, expressed concern about IAs falling capacity and market shares. Members also expressed concern about pilot shortages and depleting fleet strength of Indian Airlines. The meeting was chaired by Shri Praful Patel, Minister of Civil Aviation. The Members who attended the meeting were: S/Shri Tusharbhai A. Choudhary, Madhu Goud Yashki, Sachin Pilot, Ananth Kumar, Ratilal K. Verma, Ashok Argal, Ramswaroop Koli, Tarit Baran Topdar, A. Krishnaswamy, Umakant Yadav, Mohammad Shahabuddin, Anandrao Vithoba Adsul, Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Dr.(Prof.) Prasanna Kumar Patasani, Santosh Bagrodia, K.B. Krishna Murthy, Janardan Dwivedi, Balavant Apte, Tarlochan Singh, Dinesh Trivedi, Smt. Sarla Maheshwari, Abdul Wahab Peevee, Pramod Mahajan, Dr. Vijay Mallya, Rajeev Shukla, Bashistha Narain Singh and Smt. Ambika Soni.