October 10 2004
Dubai plans Smart City in Kochi Infopark : Kunjalikutty
UAE companies keen to set up training and outsourcing center in Kerala
DUBAI - The Dubai Government has shown keen interest in developing a smart city at the Kochi Info Park for software development and outsourcing work for the Dubai Internet City based companies. P.Kunjalikutty, state industries minister who has been touring Dubai as part of the Gitex delegation, has met two prominent officials to further discuss the project feasibilities. "I met Dr.Umar Sulaiman, Director General of DIFC (Dubai International Financial Center) and Ahmad Bin Byat has been Director General of the Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media Free Zone (TECOM).
Dubai Port Authority is already developing the Kochi container Terminal and the Emirates Group wants to develop further and make Kochi its regional hub for the Indian operations, he said. "We have been holding serious talks with the Dubai Internet City for the last four years and Kerala pavallion has attracted many companies from Dubai," he added. "Now DIC has come out with concrete proposal to set up a Smart City in India and they are positively looking at Kochi. Kunjalikutty, who is at the center of a controversy about giving sand mining rights to a private company without consulting the Cabinet, said the tate government will give all facilities for the smart city project. "They are looking at three options viz, Hyderabad, Kochi and Bangalore."We believe Kochi is the best option due to the high speed data connectivity through Kochi submarine fiber optical cables. "Today's meeting with the TEACOM officials was fruitful and within 15 days an official delegation from Dubai will visit Kochi to explore the project feasibilities and make an assessment of their requirements. They seem to be very positive about it. "In Dubai things are done with perfection and we have to learn from UAE which is efficiently using its natural resources for the country's rapid development," he said. The CEO level delegation to Kochi will be followed by more detailed project implementation. Government may give them sufficient land to develop the property and discussions are also being held with Emaar properties.
Speaking about the current political controversy about Sand mining, he said Kerala has got precious natural resources which can be profitably mined for 400 years. "If it is not properly used, it will be a national loss. Two environmental impact studies have been conducted and their result will be published soon. Looking at Dubai, we should feel ashamed because they have used their natural resources in a disciplined manner. For every project there is controversy in Kerala," he said. "Let people debate the issue and reach their own conclusions. Reacting to the allegations made by Congress leader Vayalar Ravi, he said the Muslim League has never ditched its alliance partners. "Muslim League is a unique party which has always valued its commitment to a common political platform. "Violent means of protest like stone throwing are normally used by Muslim League. But other parties should also stop using such means for political gains," he said. "We are very good friends. However, we don't want anyone to interfere in the Muslim League political affairs.
Reacting to another question about a number of corruption charges and scandals against Muslim League ministers he said: "Muslim League is not a party which will be finished off so easily. When the Ayodhya issue came, everybody predicted our demise. Two new political parties have been formed to weaken Muslim League. Everybody said Muslim League is just a mirage," he said. Reacting to the questions raised by Jaleel, the youth leader who has been sacked from the party for raising serious issues, the minister said: "If we feel that there is some substance in the points made by the members, we will definitely look into those problems. However, we would do it internally and don't want anyone to interfere in the party's internal affairs," he added.
Aruna Sundararajan IAS, IT Secretary Government of Kerala said the Gitex participation has yielded good result for the state as four UAE based companies have already set up business in the state. "We have received 46 inquires from Dubai and 19 of them are very serious. The 1.2 million square feet technology park will be expanding in a big way as international news magazines like Newsweek have given extensive coverage of the Kerala IT potential," she said. The Trivandrum Technopark will be expanding in a big way and Infosys has already plans for a project that will employ 5,000 people. We are planning to develop it as a major IT hub in the region. "Between 70 to 80 per cent of Internet traffic from India is passing through Kochi and we want to utilize that advantage for developing IT business in the state," she said.
Dubai based IT companies shifting to Kochi Infopark:
By V.M.Sathish
DUBAI - A number of software companies from the Dubai Internet City are relocating their operations to Kochi Infopark, which is becoming a much sought after IT destination after the competition of the global fiber optic network link. Banglore, the Silicon Valley of India, is already crowded and companies are expanding to tier two cities like Coimbatore. Now Kochi and Japur are the most preferred destinations for IT investors, said K.G.Suresh Babu, Chief Executive Officer, Infotech Park Kochi. The CEO is in Dubai luring more IT companies to Kochi. Speaking to Keralamonitor.com during the ongoing Gitex 2004 IT exhibition, he said some leading IT companies from the Dubai Internet City are relocating their software operations to Kochi IT Park. A leading real estate software development company from the DIC is already relocating its work to Kochi and will retain only the senior staff at the DIC office, he said. More
DUBAI NEWS
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup soccer championship Announed
The sixth Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup soccer championship for local departments will be organised by Dubai Municipality from Oct 16 to Nov. 8 with the participation of 16 teams.This was announced at a press conference on Saturday by Mohammed Abdulkarim Julfar, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Finance and Properties Affairs, in the presence of Walid Al Shaibani, Chief Supervisor of Dubai Municipality Staff Club and a number of officials and organizers of the event.
Julfar stressed the importance of the participation of different local departments and establishments in this prestigious event, which is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry and Chairman of Dubai Municipality.
He said the event is an opportunity for the employees of different departments in the emirate for enhancing their concept of sporting and encouraging them for healthy competitions.Julfar said Dubai Municipality is keen to promote brotherhood among the employees of local departments. “The aim of organising this championship is not only to conduct a competition, but also to create an opportunity for the employees of the local departments to meet together for an event, thereby enhance personal relations,” he said.
Julfar said the 16 teams participating in this year’s tournament include Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police, Emirates Airlines, Dubai Government Workshop, Dnata, Development Board, Department of Civil Aviation, Department of Civil Defence, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Department of Naturalization and Residency, Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Department, Internet City, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Department of Health and Medical Services, Dubai Courts Department, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and Customs and Free Zone Corporation.He said that this year, for the first time, the opening match will be organised between selected veteran players of the UAE team and veteran players of Dubai Municipality. Many veterans will gather for this match including Adnan Al Talyani, Fahd Khamis, Fahd Abdulrahman, veteran UAE players and Yousuf Murad, Walid Al Shaibani and Hassan Murad among the Dubai Municipality veterans.
Al Shaibani said that this Ramadan tournament is very important and Dubai Municipality is keen to organize this event in a very competitive way. He said the championship offers a number of prizes. There will be prizes for top scorer, best goal keeper, model team, best press coverage, and a number of other daily prizes will be awarded to the public by raffle draw during each match.
Al Shaibani said Dubai Municipality Staff Club has made wide-ranging arrangements for the success of the championship including technical and manual support and rooms for changing dresses. He said the club has studied many suggestions received during the previous championships and made some changes to the championship.Al Shaibani said the championship, which will be kicked off on Oct 16, will be held throughout the Holy month of Ramadan and the matches will be played through a group system.
NEW SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT FOR DUBAI
By 2008, Dubai Municipality plan to complete construction of the first phase of a major new sewage treatment plant (STP) which will serve the existing and extensive new developments planned in the west of Dubai. The new STP, which will more than double present treatment capacity in Dubai, will be located south-ýeast of Jebel Ali village on a Municipality site sized to accommodate future extensions to the plant as Dubai continues to grow.On 2nd and 3rd October 2004 a team from Dubai Municipality led by the Director of the Irrigation and Drainage Dept. Mr. Talib Abdulkarim Julfar, participated in a workshop organised by specialist design consultant MWH to evaluate design options for the scheme. Each option which included mechanical and natural processes was presented and evaluated in terms of both performance and whole life costs. Evaluation categories determined by the Municipality team as important to them included quality of treated effluent to ensure safe re-use; security of sludge recycling and disposal; odour control technologies which will provide a no nuisance standard; process reliability and flexibility; environmental impact of the works, and health and safety both during construction and operation.
As a conclusion to the workshop, it was determined that the conventional activated sludge process would be adopted as the main treatment process for the works supported by an incineration unit for sludge disposal. This combination will not only meet the required standards for effluent re-use, but will provide a secure and reliable means for disposal of sludge which is a serious consideration in view of the ever increasing volumes of sludge being produced as sewage flows continue to increase in the Emirate. Although sludge incineration is widely practised in Europe, Dubai will be the first Gulf State to employ this technology. During 2005, detailed designs and tender documents for the STP will be completed. Dubai Municipality plans to pre-qualify contractors for construction of the works which will be tendered before the end of the year.
eGate system of Dubai Naturalization & Residency Department (DNRD) wins praise at GITEX Dubai 2004
October 9, 2004
Dubai Naturalization and Residency Administration's (DNRD) clutch of eServices offerings drew laud from the visitors at GITEX Dubai 2004, as it demonstrated its effectiveness in providing efficient access to the users to DNRD functionalities
and the outstanding service and no frills experience its internet based services.More than 550 visitors to DNRD stands at GITEX Dubai 2004 registered for the revolutionary fast access gate system (eGate) developed by the Department, that allows frequent visitors to Dubai to enter the emirate through an electronically controlled immigration process, reinforcing its reputation for providing outstanding services by using the best of breed technologies, for easier, simpler, better and faster accessibility for users across the globe. Owing to the keen interest shown by the visitors at GITEX, the DNRD waived the AED 150 annual registration fee for the service for users who
registered at the stand.DNRD, which participated at GITEX Dubai 2004 under the auspices of Dubai eGovernment, also put on show the other eServices that have been developed to meet the remit of Dubai eGovernment who is working towards establishing an eSociety in Dubai. Innovative services such as the Distinguished Guest, which grants visa to frequent visitors belonging to non-visa exempt nationalities on arrival; Online Visa, a web application for companies and establishments to apply for visas online, drew the attention of the high profile visitors and technology veterans who visited the DNRD at GITEX Dubai 2004.
AVEVA opens new regional headquarters in Dubai to address demand for engineering IT solutions in the Middle East
October 9, 2004 AVEVA, the leading global engineering IT software and services group, has opened a new headquarters in Dubai as part of its strategy to expand operations in the Gulf and Middle East region. The new office will provide sales support and marketing activities for the established offices in Abu Dhabi, UAE and Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia as well as technical support for regional clients, including leading companies such as Petrofac International Limited, Technip, Al Jubail Petrochemical Company (Kemya), Sazeh and Energy Industries Engineering & Design (EIED).
The new office will market the established range of plant engineering IT solutions throughout Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Louay Dahmash, Regional Director, Middle East, commented: "The opening
of the new headquarters in the region demonstrates our sustained growth and continuing success in this market. The Middle East is a rapidly developing market and through our new business operations in Dubai, we will be in a stronger position to support our broad client base. The region has the largest process industry worldwide and the new office will help to establish a greater presence and capitalise on market growth.""The global process and power industry is a field of incredible geographical and specialist diversity. Our customers' continued successes repeatedly demonstrate that our engineering methods and solutions achieve positive results."AVEVA, with a history of ground-breaking innovation spanning four decades, provides solutions to a wide range of industries, including oil and gas,
paper and pulp, power, chemical, pharmaceutical and shipbuilding. AVEVA's 'VANTAGE' suite offers proven, integrated and versatile IT solutions for the entire plant lifecycle. It includes the market-leading Plant Design Management System (PDMS): a data-centric, multidisciplinary solution for 3D process plant design."With over 1100 customers worldwide, AVEVA is known for building strong and enduring relationships. It enjoys a track record of bringing exciting and beneficial new technologies to market," added Dahmash. "As the Middle East region has demonstrated strong dynamism over the past few years, especially in process industry, this strategic move to open a new headquarters in Dubai will enable AVEVA to tap the vast potential that exists in this promising region."AVEVA's global growth has been driven by its commitment to use IT as an enabler for business improvement. The company has earned a name for offering both the tools and consulting services to enable its clients to maximise the efficiency of their engineering IT operations. AVEVA Group and its subsidiaries employ more than 450 staff worldwide, with offices in England, Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Malaysia, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea and the United States.
Qatars First Free Hold Properties now Released
Pearl-Qatar's Rivera Arabia Theme
October 9, 2004 The first freehold properties ever to be offered for sale in the Arabian Gulf state of Qatar went on the market today. This follows a test-marketing period which saw great interest from potential investors from within the Gulf Co-operation Council states and beyond, all looking to get in on the ground floor of the latest Middle East real estate market to open up.The 1,012 fashionable apartments, 28 luxury penthouses and 140 stylish town homes in seven, 20-storey towers are due to be completed in the final quarter of 2006/first quarter 2007 and will line Porto Arabia – the main harbour of the rediscovered island, The Pearl-Qatar, being reclaimed offshore the Qatari capital of Doha.
The range of one, two, three and four-bedroomed homes, most with sweeping sea or picturesque harbour views, come in four architectural styles – Monaco, Tuscan, Provencal and Florentine - conceived to reflect The Pearl-Qatar’s Riviera Arabia positioning. The marketing of the towers also represents a lifting of the benchmark in the Middle East’s real estate framework.
“These are the first properties within the Arabian Gulf to be offered with true freehold status as laid down in Article 3 of decree number 17 of 2004, issued by the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani on June 6th of this year,” said Omar Al Fardan, Director, United Development Company (UDC), the developer and promoter of The Pearl-Qatar. “This decree, which is backed by cabinet approval and is subject to a draft protocol between UDC and the Government of Qatar, regulates the ownership of real estate and residential units by non-Qataris.
“We believe local, regional and international investment will be attracted to this unique destination off the coast of one of the world’s most rapidly expanding economies.”The sales launch coincided with UDC’s unveiling of the The Pearl-Qatar’s final masterplan and brand essence.“The island will become the Riviera Arabia and each of the 10 themed districts and their individual localities is named to reflect a Mediterranean lifestyle in the heart of the Gulf,” said Nick Bashkiroff, Development Director, The Pearl-Qatar.
“The names have been created with a mix of French, Italian, Spanish and Arabic, summoning up the promise of an iconic destination and one of the most glamorous addresses in the Middle East. “To invest in a home on The Pearl-Qatar is to invest in a lifestyle, which is exclusive in atmosphere, unrivalled in quality and unique in its Riviera treatment.
“The Riviera Arabia concept will position The Pearl-Qatar as truly world-class and differentiate it from other developments within the region and around the world.” The seven West Porto Drive towers of the project’s first phase will skirt La Croisette, which will be a lively 2.5 kilometre long hub for diners and shoppers. The luxurious Croisette town homes sit on the marina’s edge. The Porto Arabia will eventually feature 21 high rise residential towers in a Riviera-like boardwalk setting around the 400-boat slip marina.
“Every home in Porto Arabia will feature luxurious amenities and an ambience that is truly Mediterranean,” said Bashkiroff.
Also within Porto Arabia is the Fanar Croisette lighthouse, shopping, dining and residential district characterised by its boulevard café culture and upscale quay-side boutiques. The dynamic hub of Porto Arabia is the Piazza Arabia – a destination with an exciting international blend of retail, dining and cosmopolitan chic. The festive heart of Porto Arabia is Ras Croisette with all-night restaurants and lounges. In the heart of Porto Arabia lies the Marsa Arabia anchor island. Accessed via a causeway, this ‘island-within-an-island’ will feature a 250-room, five-star hotel – a haven for some of the million business and leisure travellers expected each year in Qatar by 2010. The Pearl-Qatar, covering 985 acres of reclaimed land is Qatar’s first international real estate venture, the largest real estate development in the country and the first to offer freehold and residential rights to international investors.
When complete in 2009, some 30,000 people are expected to live on the island, which will be linked to the mainland by an eight-lane, palm-tree lined boulevard – the Grand Cruz. The four-phase development will have 10 distinct districts housing three luxury hotels, four marinas, with combined mooring for over 700 boats and 60,000 square metres of luxury retail and restaurant space. “Land reclamation is currently ahead of schedule and piling for the seven towers in the first phase is imminent,” explained Bashkiroff.
Caption: The first phase towers on La Croisette
Nuevo Latino Cuisine at its best this Ramadan
Malécon, based at the Dubai Marine Beach Resort and Spa offers a taste of Cuba with an International appeal this Ramadan with a three course Iftar meal for Dhs 99. With its spacious, unpretentious and relaxed surroundings, guests get a taste and feel of true Cuban hospitality.The life ands soul of Malécon, Gustavo Agreda will be preparing the dishes, which guests can enjoy in the warm ambience at Malécon, which truly is Cuba at your doorstep.
Gustavo, an Award Winning International chef, who has a natural flair for Latin American and Cuban cooking, has prepared meals for celebrities like Gloria Estefan and Jean Claude Van Damme. Born in El Salvador, Gustavo moved to Toronto Canada where his family ran a catering business. Naturally, Gustavo's interest in cuisine grew but he soon realised that he was passionate about Nuevo Latino cuisine.Fifteen years down the line and Gustavo has never changed his specialisation. Diners also enjoy Gustavo's extensive range of tapas dishes, ideal for anyone seeking light snacks.
Guests love the idea of meeting friends at Malécon after work, get a table near the window, enjoy their meal as they watch the waves and calm down from a hard day's work. Gustavo agrees that most people in Dubai like doing that on a regular basis where they wind down with light tapas and drinks and then order meals later in the evening. Gustavo first came to Dubai four years ago to help Mark Turner, owner of Malécon open a Cuban place in Ramada Hotel. When the restaurant moved to Dubai Marine Beach Resort and Spa, Gustavo came back to Malécon to offer residents the perfect combination of cuisine and ambience. What makes Malécon different is not only the Nuevo Latino cuisine, but also the fact that the restaurant is able to accommodate everyone - it transcends all ethnic, age and cultural barriers.
