Philippine Consulate to welcome new head | GulfNews.com

Dubai: The Philippine Consulate General will welcome its new head of post, Consul-General Frank Cimafranca who will be moving to Dubai from his assignment in The Netherlands on September 30.

Cimafranca will arrive in the country on September 29 to assume his post as the new Consul General for Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

He served as the Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General of Philippine Embassy in The Hague prior to assuming his post in Dubai.

Outgoing Consul-General Benito Valeriano will move to New Delhi as the new ambassador of the Philippines to India.

Source: Gulf News

New Year to ring in Smart e-Gate in Dubai | GulfNews.com

Dubai: The new Smart e-Gate system installed at Terminal 3 at Dubai International airport’s passport control entry and exit points will be officially launched on January 1, 2013.

This was announced yesterday during a high-level meeting chaired by Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director General of the General Directorate for Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA)

Major General Al Merri said the Smart e-gate system will be easy to use, fast and efficient. The new system would boost security at Dubai International airport, he said, noting that it was one of the fastest-growing airports in the world and it was a great challenge to facilitate the entry and exit of passengers without affecting security standards.

“The Smart e-gate is a new technology that allows a secure, faster and more convenient movement of the growing number of passengers through Dubai airport, the world’s fourth busiest,” he said.

The new machines are expected to complete verifying passenger details in 12-14 seconds ensuring a high degree of accuracy and top security standards.

Major General Al Merri said the new system quickly scans and reads passport information and captures biometric data including facial recognition elements and retinal scans using a high-accuracy camera. The system then matches the traveller’s recorded biometrics and passport information against existing lists to detect any potential discrepancies.

“The new Smart e-Gate will help to get rid of the need for prior user registration with the GDRFA, which is the case with the existing e-Gate card,” he said.

Passengers who hold passports without e-readable barcodes can proceed to the existing e-Gates or the conventional immigration counters to complete their entry or exit process.

Source: Gulf News

Stricter UAE visit visa rules to be implemented | GulfNews.com

Abu Dhabi: Residency departments across the country have adopted stricter visa rules, banning tourist, visit and conference visas for workers from certain labour exporting countries.

A senior official told Gulf News the move is intended to better protect citizens and residents by preventing foreign criminals from coming to the UAE.

He said: “The Federal Residency Department, which oversees residency departments across the country, has decided to adopt stricter regimes for tourist, visit and conference visas to curb the influx of blue-collar workers from many labour exporting countries into the country,” said the official who wished not to be named.

The new regime bans visit visas for some workers, especially from traditional labour exporting countries to the UAE, and sets a university degree as a prerequisite for obtaining a visa, plus other requirements, the official said.

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and The Philippines are some of the largest countries exporting labour to the UAE.

Categories banned from obtaining tourist, visit or conference visas include electricians, pipe fitters, masons, farmers, drivers, tailors and cleaners.

The requirements include round trip tickets, proofs of a confirmed hotel booking and and enough money to finance the stay.

The move was prompted by the recent arrests of scores of foreigners on tourist, visit and conference visas, who were either engaged in organised crimes, human trafficking or were found unemployed and looking for jobs or begging in the streets, or near hospitals, mosques and malls, according to the source.

The source stressed the UAE continues to welcome genuine visitors.

“However, these visa requirements will give authorities a greater ability to manage the flow of visitors into the country and allow residency departments across the country to screen more travellers for security risks prior to their arrival in the UAE.

“This would help significantly reduce the risk that individuals engaged in organised crime or the trafficking of persons could gain entry to the country.”

The UAE last reviewed its visa requirements for other countries in 2008.

The source stressed it is up to applicants to satisfy visa officers that their visit to the UAE is temporary and that they would not overstay, that they have enough money to cover their stay, have health insurance and are not a security risk to citizens and residents.

Tourist visas must be prearranged, usually through a hotel but possibly also through an airline or other travel agents based in the UAE.

Hotels, travel agents, airlines and other companies, which arrange a tourist visa for a customer, are also held responsible for their customers and pay deposits to cover any fines.

Concerning conference visas offered to business people wishing to attend an event or fair, they will have to submit proof of their status as a businessman or woman or investor and have enough money to cover their stay and health insurance.

Welcoming the new regime, some tour operators said they arrange tourist visas for visitors only through their relatives living in the country, who pay charges of up to Dh10,000 as a surety that the visitors will comply with the visa rules.

Others would withhold passports of visitors during their stay in the country, they said.

They warned of companies who submit fake information about visitors especially for subjects of countries whose passports do not include recognised professions.

Source: Gulf News

Accused 'sorcerers' arrested in separate investigations

Dubai The Police Criminal Investigation Department has warned residents against resorting to so-called sorcerers.
 
Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, said an Emirati woman filed a report against a self-proclaimed sorcerer she visited for a headache cure.
 
On her first visit the woman gave her a herbal blend for Dh3,000. On subsequent visits the price went up to Dh5,000, then Dh14,000.
 
She informed the police, who sent a policewoman masquerading as a patient. The police woman was asked for Dh14,000 for incense and herbs, and the accused sorcerer was arrested after she accepted the money, police said.

 

Brig Al Mansouri said the 50-year-old woman was convicted in absentia of similar charges in 2008 and was sentenced to jail and deportation. In 2011, there were 11 sorcery cases against 10 in 2010, he said, adding that most victims do not report cases.  
Victim travelled from Bahrain

In a separate case, a woman came from Bahrain to seek help from an African sorcerer after her husband left her for another woman.
 
Instead, the self-proclaimed sorcerer threatened to make her very ill if she did not pay him. After losing huge sums of money she reported him, and he was arrested in February.
 
Earlier, an Arab student was arrested for trying to sell online products he claimed had magic powers.
Brig Al Mansouri said most victims in sorcery cases were Arab women, because many believed that using black magic would help them attract men, bring back husbands, to conceive or even to heal ailments.
 
“Unless we catch a sorcerer red-handed, it would be very hard to take him to court, as deciding on the court of jurisdiction, whether it was the court of misdemeanour of the court of first instance, as well as deciding on the charges, is very hard,” Brig Al Mansouri said.

Accused 'sorcerers' arrested in separate investigations

Accused 'sorcerers' arrested in separate investigations

The Police Criminal Investigation Department has warned residents against resorting to so-called sorcerers

Dubai The Police Criminal Investigation Department has warned residents against resorting to so-called sorcerers.

Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, said an Emirati woman filed a report against a self-proclaimed sorcerer she visited for a headache cure.   On her first visit the woman gave her a herbal blend for Dh3,000. On subsequent visits the price went up to Dh5,000, then Dh14,000.   She informed the police, who sent a policewoman masquerading as a patient. The police woman was asked for Dh14,000 for incense and herbs, and the accused sorcerer was arrested after she accepted the money, police said.

 

Brig Al Mansouri said the 50-year-old woman was convicted in absentia of similar charges in 2008 and was sentenced to jail and deportation. In 2011, there were 11 sorcery cases against 10 in 2010, he said, adding that most victims do not report cases.   Victim travelled from Bahrain In a separate case, a woman came from Bahrain to seek help from an African sorcerer after her husband left her for another woman.   Instead, the self-proclaimed sorcerer threatened to make her very ill if she did not pay him. After losing huge sums of money she reported him, and he was arrested in February.   Earlier, an Arab student was arrested for trying to sell online products he claimed had magic powers.   Brig Al Mansouri said most victims in sorcery cases were Arab women, because many believed that using black magic would help them attract men, bring back husbands, to conceive or even to heal ailments.   “Unless we catch a sorcerer red-handed, it would be very hard to take him to court, as deciding on the court of jurisdiction, whether it was the court of misdemeanour of the court of first instance, as well as deciding on the charges, is very hard,” Brig Al Mansouri said. Source: Gulf News

Dubai taxi driver's spotless record wins accolades

Kuddos to you Abdul Rahman! We hope that all taxi drivers are like you.

Dubai taxi driver's spotless record wins accolades

Abdul Rahman believes every job has its own significance

Corporation's cabs, he has caused no accident, received no traffic fine and has had zero customer complaints.

He's also generated fairly high revenues.

 

“ I'm extremely proud. There are so many drivers employed with Dubai Taxi…I'm very happy to be chosen for the award from amongst them”

 

Taxi driver Subhan Abdul Rahman, aged 51 year old Indian from the state of Tamil Nadu, said these were the attributes that helped him win the award.

"I'm extremely proud. There are so many drivers employed with Dubai Taxi…I'm very happy to be chosen for the award from amongst them," Rahman said.

 

He has lived in the UAE for the past 31 years and has worked as driver for two households before joining Dubai Taxi, 15 years ago.   His family — wife, two sons and a daughter — are all in India.   "When I mentioned about the award to them they were all very excited," he said.   He was also congratulated by Dubai Taxi for being a good driver earlier, he said.   "My manager nominated me mostly because so far there have been no complaints against me from customers. Also, during these years as a taxi driver I never caused any accident or got any traffic fines," he said.   He never thought he would ever be able to shake hands with His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. "That was a great moment for me," Rahman said.   "My heartfelt thanks to Shaikh Mohammad and to everyone who worked behind this award. "People often pass by without a second thought and it is moments like this that make us proud of our job," he said.   Rahman's word of advice to everyone is to excel in whatever you do, without thinking of benefits, because every job had its own significance, he said. Source: Gulf News

Taxi fare rise... irate cabbies and unhappy commuters speak out

Taxi fare rise... irate cabbies and unhappy commuters speak out

Taxi users find the hike in fares for pre-booked taxi rides unreasonable as they are unsatisfied with taxi services in general.

While, the decision of Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) to hike the minimum charges for pre-booking a taxi during rush hours from Dh6 to Dh10 was received positively by taxi drivers, commuters are a disgruntled lot.[Click here to read about pre-booking fare hike]
Cabbies are of the opinion that there is a lot of improvement needed in the services offered to them. So rather than focussing on the syndicate, RTA should look into ways of improving services, they say.

However, customers beg to disagree. “Taxi drivers are a law unto themselves here. We will get the same abysmal service but we are now expected to pay more for it. The misuse of the service is by taxi drivers, not the public. I find the comments from both RTA & taxi drivers insulting in the extreme,” wrote a reader of 'Emirates24|7' in response to the announcement yesterday.

The new rule will, to a large extent, prevent misuse by customers who pre-book cabs, believe taxi drivers. Majority of cabbies say that most of the times when they reach a location in response to a request, they find the customer gone in another cab. Or they will find other taxi waiting for the same customer.

However, a frequent taxi user defends saying, "I do not see how this will prevent people from taking any taxi that comes first. Knowing that the taxi on its way will charge me Dh10 more than a regular one, I don’t think anybody will think twice to opt for the cheaper and quicker taxi that coincidently passes by,” says Kinana Homsi-Mardini.

Rather than focusing on the pre-booking service, RTA should look into the refusal of taxi drivers to pick up customers who want to travel short distances, voice many consumers.

“What about taxi drivers, who bluntly refuse to drop you to at your desired destination? It has happened to me several times, with my wife, too,” says an upset reader on the 'Emirates 24|7' website.

Indeed, some taxi drivers have developed their preferences in customer demand aiming to make the largest profit, especially at locations where the taxi-ride is needed most.

“The other day I was trying to hail a cab in front of Jumeirah Beach Park, where only a couple of bus routes lead you to very selective places in Dubai. For half-an-hour every taxi driver refused to take me to the nearest Metro station,” says Nawras Kurdi, a Syrian resident of Dubai.

As a result, illegal taxi practices pop up at such places as bees looking for honey. “I was offered many alternatives by suspicious looking blinded car drivers. For Dh30 they would drop me off right in front of the Metro station. A real taxi ride would not cost me more than Dh10," adds Nawras.

When the minimum taxi ride is Dh10, why does this situation happen so often, wonders another reader, who recently visited Dubai on a five-day trip. Frustration over the Dh10 minimum is great, especially among tourists who do not know about the rule and feel they are being ripped off. “The metre was at Dh6, and I had to pay Dh10! There was no way to negotiate with him,” wrote Nina Knaap, a Dutch.

With a customer paying a minimum Dh10 in any case, taxi drivers are somewhat protected against the unprofitability of the short distance ride. However, reports are abundant that drivers are simply refusing to take customers upon hearing the destination.

“It happened to me yesterday evening. I wanted to go from Stadium Metro station to Sahara Mall, because I can walk to Sharjah from that point, avoiding the extra fee for crossing emirates. A simple nod of the driver told me he was not happy with that request, and off he went,” says Marianne Kramer, another Dutch resident in Dubai.

Paying more for a taxi service is not the problem, but in exchange people should get equivalent service, writes a reader of this news site. “RTA should take this money and educate drivers and train them on basic manners and safe driving. I guess no one would mind paying for a better service.”

Source: Gulf News