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Dubai Ready to offer Tourism Expertise to the Outside World, Says. Sheikh Mohammed

DUBAI CROWN PRINCE OPENS BIGGEST EVER ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET

Dubai’s Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister, HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said the emirate is now a true tourist city with all the required infrastructure to attract visitors and its expertise could now be offered to other destinations.Speaking after opening the largest-ever Arabian Travel Market, the Middle East’s premier travel and tourism show, which runs at the Dubai World Trade Centre until Friday night, HH Sheikh Mohammed commented: “The growth in this show reflects Dubai’s strong position on the international tourist map.

“We have achieved a great deal of progress and have gained much experience in the tourism sector and we are ready to help other countries to utilize this experience.” HH Sheikh Mohammed toured Arabian Travel Market 2005 along with Tom Nutley, Chairman, Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) and a large VVIP contingent. In the VVIP delegation were: HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Information and Culture; HE Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saif Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Civil Aviation; HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai and Chairman of the Emirates Group; H.E. Sheikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, Director General, Dubai’s Department of Information.

HH stopped at many of the stands at ATM to be briefed on new emerging

projects. He spent several hours at the show, which this year features 1,800 exhibitors from 63 countries. It takes up 31% more floor space than last year. In a welcome message to exhibitors and visitors, HH said: “The travel industry is a great economic force – the world’s largest employer. We all have an immense interest in its success as it is more than just an economic generator. It is an educator – a means to broaden our minds and gain a greater understanding of different countries and communities.

“Arabian Travel Market for the second year running has been named ‘Exhibition of the Year’ by Reed Exhibitions, the owning company of RTE, which organizes this event. The title was bestowed upon it after tremendous feedback from exhibitors who commented on the quality of its organization, visitor profile and the capacity for business generation. I would like to congratulate Reed Travel Exhibitions on this achievement.”

Arabian Travel Market 2005 is open to trade only visitors on May 4 and 5. It will be open to the public on Friday, May 6 from 4pm with the Dhs 5 entrance fee being donated to the Reed Travel Exhibitions’ supported charity ‘Just A Drop’ to provide clean water for Tsunami victims. Children under 16 will be allowed into the show free of charge on Friday providing they are accompanied by an adult.

Caption: Tom Nutley welcomes HH Sheikh Mohammed and HH Sheikh Abdullah to the biggest ever Arabian Travel Market.

Nakheel promotes The World development to AHIC delegates 400 delegates treated to an exclusive reception at The World

May 03, 2005

The Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) reached a stylish climax, as conference delegates were invited to an exclusive reception on ‘Greenland’ – one of the islands on Nakheel’s groundbreaking development, The World, where Nakheel has developed and opened it’s corporate hospitality villa. AHIC was held at Madinat Jumeirah and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel from 30 April – 2 May 2005. The event attracted key experts and industry leaders in the real estate development, engineering, tourism, hoteliering and hospitality industries from Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.

The exclusive reception, hosted and sponsored by Nakheel, took place on the evening of 2nd May. Delegates were able to relax in the early evening sun on a boat trip out to The World, where they were welcomed on an area especially designated for visitors. Upon arrival at Greenland - one of the first islands to be developed - they gained first hand experience of this unique and iconic development. Although the event was on Greenland, the delegates were entertained in truly Arabic tradition, culminating in a spectacular firework display.

“This was an excellent opportunity for leading figures from the hospitality industry from all over the world to be one of the first to experience an island on The World. AHIC gave Nakheel the suitable platform to outlay our vision for the hotel industry in the Middle East region, and The World embodies Nakheel’s commitment to a wealth of iconic, innovative developments that offer landmark investment opportunities,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Nakheel.

Bin Sulayem went on to share his experience with key experts and industry leaders in the real estate development, engineering, tourism, hotels and hospitality industries on the ways and measures taken to develop hotels, Islands and the work undertaken to improve gardens. Then he reiterated that his H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and U.A.E. Defence Minister, granted unlimited support to the real estate development industry with the goal of etching Dubai’s place on the world stage.

NRI DEPOSITS WITH INDIAN BANKS

Minister of State for Finance Shri S.S. Palanimanickam informed Rajya Sabha today that the NRI deposits with Indian Banks are steadily rising since 1991 till 2003-04. During the six months period from April to September, 2004, there was a marginal decline in deposits and the trend was reversed again from October – December, 2004. As on January 2005 (latest available) NRI deposits with Indian banks were USD 32582 million.The Minister stated this in reply to a question raised by Shri R.P. Goenka, Rajya Sabha Member.

Tuesday 3 May 2005 15th World Press Freedom day

BAGHDAD - There has perhaps never been a more dangerous time to be a journalist, says Reporters Without Borders, which marks its 20th anniversary in 2005. Scanning the list of journalists killed, imprisoned or physically assaulted in 2004, the evidence is overwhelming. The organisation's struggle is more essential than ever. Press freedom is far from assured throughout the world. More than one hundred journalists are currently in prison. Fifty-three have died while doing their job or for expressing their opinions in 2004. This is the highest toll since 1995. Fifty-one journalists and media workers have been killed since the start of the conflict in Iraq. The abductions of Christian Chesnot, Georges Malbrunot, Mohammed Al-Joundi and Giuliana Sgrena, then of Florence Aubenas, Hussein Hanoun, Marie-Jeanne Ion, Sorin Dumitru Miscoci and Eduard Ovidiu Ohanesian, who are all still being held and who we hope will be quickly released, is a reminder to the public of the high cost this profession can exact.

Reporters Without Borders will mark the 15th World Press Freedom Day on Tuesday 3 May against this very particular background.The worldwide press freedom organisation has once again this year secured the backing of various partners to help urge the public to join the campaign for freedom of expression.It is publishing a new book of photographs Jeanloup Sieff for press freedom, the "2004 Global Press Freedom Tour" and a list of 34 "predators" of press freedom.

Iraq is the world's most dangerous country for journalists and the place where the most are kidnapped. 56 journalists and media assistants have been killed there since the fighting began on 22 March 2003 and 29 kidnapped.The Iraq conflict is the deadliest inter-state war for journalists since the one in Vietnam, when 63 were killed, but over a period of 20 years (1955-75). During the fighting in the former Yugoslavia (1991-95), 49 journalists were killed doing their job.57 journalists were killed in Algeria between 1993 and 1996 but this was during an internal (civil) war.The media was targeted from the first day of the fighting in Iraq, when cameraman Paul Moran, of the Australian TV network ABC, was killed by a car bomb on 22 March 2003. Eleven journalists and media assistants were killed in March and April that year. The situation then gradually improved until early the following year, when bomb blasts and attacks by armed groups increased throughout the country, with nine killed in May 2004. Almost every month since then, one or two journalists have been killed, nine of them so far this year.

This report highlights these journalists, who were murdered for simply doing their job. What media outlets did they work for and what were the circumstances of their death ?It also gives an update on those who have been kidnapped (more than in any other war), who include nationals of many countries, some of which are not involved in the fighting