Category Archives: Govt

According to the Oman Observer, Dr. Saif al Abri, Director-General of Disease Control at the Ministry of Health, during the press conference of the Supreme Committee has said Oman will open the land borders from the first of September, while adhering to the controls announced by the Supreme Committee, including conducting a Covid-19 examination before arrival. “The land borders will be opened from September according to the conditions set by the Supreme Committee… As for the land ports, the vaccination will be required as well as the examination before coming and not upon arrival.” Al Abri said. The officials from the Sultanate and UAE recently inspected the land border between the two countries and discussed a number of issues to facilitate the smooth flow of commercial traffic and the transit of travellers. The meeting reviewed the joint coordination mechanism between the Omani and Emirati sides, the process of facilitating the transit of travelers, especially in light of exceptional circumstances and precautionary measures to curb the emerging Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, in addition to discussing the direct coordination mechanism for the stage of recovery from the pandemic. Lt Colonel Saeed bin Saleh al Siyabi, Director of Customs of the Buraimi Police, and Khalifa bin Hamad al Shamsi, Director of the Land Ports Department at the General Authority for Ports, Borders and Free Zones Security in the Emirates led the meeting from both sides. The Sultanate reopened land borders with neighboring countries in June allowing Omanis and residents to cross the borders for work purposes. However, it was mandatory for residents to provide proof of work from the employer at the border checkpoints. According to sources, the issuance of visas for expatriates will …

Marine transport means of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) transported 5,734,244 riders during the first half of this year, compared to 4,694,870 riders during the same period last year. The figure reflects a 20.3% increase in ridership of RTA’s water transport means, namely the Ferry, Abra, Water Taxi and Water Bus. “The growth of marine transport ridership posted in the first half of this year is indicative of a recovery in this vital sector in Dubai and the UAE. It is credited to the effective plans charted out by the government, and the strict compliance with the precautionary measures to curb the outbreak of the pandemic,” said Mohammed Abu Bakr Al Hashemi, Director of Marine Transport, Public Transport Agency, RTA. RTA’s marine transit modes offer vital services and form an integral part of Dubai’s tourist attractions as they pass across picturesque landmarks and captivating scenes besides offering congestion-free mobility. The world’s biggest boat manufacturers at the highest standards of the industry design these modes. They are safe, comfortable and have areas designated for people of determination as well as a bay for bikes in ferries to encourage the use of flexible mobility.  As part of endeavours to achieve more and offer a better marine transport experience for residents of Dubai, RTA is keen to deploy the best and latest marine public transport means that cover most of the coastal areas of Dubai.

Ahead of the Expo 2020 Dubai opening this October, the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (PDTI) is optimistic that the global event would catalyze robust and sustainable increase in trade exchanges between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates and the wider Middle East, as bilateral trade between the two nations rose 32% during the first 5 months of 2021. The PDTI, the lead implementing agency of the Philippines’ participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, said the country’s total trade (export and import) with the UAE crossed AED1.33 billion ($362 million) for the period of January to May 2021, with exports valued at AED411 million ($112 million) and imports at AED918 million ($250 million). PDTI Assistant Secretary for the Trade Promotions Group and PH Expo 2020 Dubai, Alternate Commissioner General Rosvi C. Gaetos underscored that the forthcoming World Expo is deemed a game-changer in Philippines-UAE trade relations due to a forecast in the influx of opportunities and investments during and after the six-month long event, which is projected to drive increased revenue in major sectors and industries. Jobs creation With more than 190 countries converging in the Expo—the biggest event ever been held in the Middle East—the Philippines targets to showcase the very best of its culture, heritage, and technology to millions of global audiences, in order to draw investors to the country. This will enable the government to boost the confidence of the global business community to invest in the Philippines. In turn, it would have a positive impact on employment. Gaetos said: “During the Expo, the country hopes to strengthen its trade partnership with the UAE and the greater Middle East region on key sectors. With the magnitude …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has backed ambitious plans to make the UAE capital the global centre of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). At a ceremony this week, DCT Abu Dhabi announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UAE Mixed Martial Arts Federation (UAEMMAF) and Palms Sports, the UAE-based sports management and training company. The MoU outlines a formal collaboration between the three entities to develop MMA in the country as a step towards cementing Abu Dhabi’s reputation as the global capital for the sport. At the signing ceremony, it was also announced that DCT Abu Dhabi had signed a five-year sponsorship agreement with UAE Warriors, the popular MMA fight events organised by Palms Sports. The event was attended by HE Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi; Mohammed bin Dalmouk Al Dhahiri, Chairman of UAEMMAF; and Fouad Darwish, CEO of Palms Sports and UAE Warriors. “Today marks another milestone for DCT Abu Dhabi. Working closely with our partners at UAEMMAF and Palms Sports, we are excited to announce our collaboration to promote and develop the MMA ecosystem in the UAE,” said HE Al Shaiba. “This strategic agreement will play a key role in enabling the emirate’s development as an MMA world capital, as well as boosting Abu Dhabi’s position as the preferred destination for sports tourism.” Al Dhahiri expressed his appreciation for the critical role DCT Abu Dhabi performs in promoting the emirate as a tourist destination of distinction. He said that Abu Dhabi had successfully asserted this status by hosting major international sports events, which were made possible by Abu Dhabi’s …

The UAE Space Agency hosted the Philippines Ambassador to the UAE, Her Excellency Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, along with a virtual delegation from the Philippines Space Agency to explore potential collaborations in the space sector, as the two countries look at ways to further boost their 47-year bilateral relationship. Ibrahim Al Qasim, Space Science Advisor at the UAE Space Agency, welcomed the ambassador and praised the strong and important ties between both nations. The UAE and the Philippines have a deep and long-standing partnership built on decades of mutual collaboration and cooperation across a wide range of strategically important industries. Both nations have bold and ambitious national roadmaps for space exploration and see great value in sharing knowledge and expertise. Exploring the latest developments in space science and advanced technologies can create highly-skilled talent, build local industries and create a knowledge and innovation-based economy. Ibrahim Al Qasim, Space Science Advisor, UAE Space Agency said: “Space sector collaborations are essential for both the UAE and the Philippines. As our two countries accelerate the growth and increase investments into this exciting yet nascent industry, there will be many opportunities to collaborate and share knowledge and ideas as we work together to create new avenues for space-based innovation. “The long-standing strategic bilateral relationship between the UAE and the Philippines is grounded in a shared collaborative spirit and a shared commitment to empower talent and foster an entrepreneurial spirit. We look forward to expanding our horizons through potential joint space exploration programs and initiatives that accelerate economic diversification by scaling up expertise in cutting-edge new industries.” Though a young nation with a relatively nascent space program, the UAE has made history in this industry and …

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled a transportation plan to serve visitors of Expo 2020 from around the United Arabi Emirates. The plan specifies 9 locations across UAE in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah. A total of 70 dedicated buses will be deployed to run 193 daily trips during weekdays, and 213 daily trips on Thursday and Friday. His Excellency Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), reiterated RTA’s commitment to facilitating the movement of visitors from various emirates to and from Expo 2020. The plan aims to make public transport the ideal mobility choice of Expo visitors. “As part of its master operational plan for transporting Expo 2020 visitors, RTA has dedicated a full fleet of public buses compatible with the low carbon emission standards of Euro 6 buses, which will be making their debut in the MENA region. The plan illustrates RTA’s keenness to reduce the carbon footprint of these buses. Each bus has a low-floor entry to make it easily accessible to people of determination. Buses are designed to deliver premium services to mass transit riders thanks to the high-class finishing works, roomy seats, dedicated seats for children, WiFi service, USB charging ports and an array of smart systems,” said Al Tayer. Abu Dhabi and Al Ain “The plan specified 4 stations in Abu Dhabi for transporting Expo 2020 visitors. The first is at Abu Dhabi International Airport. RTA will deploy 10 buses to run 31 daily trips in both directions from Saturday to Wednesday, and 33 daily trips in both directions on Thursday and Friday,” announced Al Tayer. …

Emirates Aviation University (EAU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UAE’s Ministry of Presidential Affairs, supporting the national agenda to promote higher education for UAE nationals.   Under the MoU, two scholarships will be awarded to UAE National students at the Emirates Aviation University every academic year (one post-graduate and one undergraduate), in addition to scholarships for other students sponsored by The Ministry of Presidential Affairs, covering 20% of their fees.   Dr Ahmad Al Ali, EAU Vice-Chancellor, said: “It’s an honour to partner with the Ministry of Presidential Affairs. EAU is committed to supporting the UAE in growing the knowledge economy and fostering high achievement amongst the UAE national community. By increasing the scholarships available to UAE students, we hope to encourage more nationals to pursue higher education and further academic qualifications. We look forward to welcoming our first scholarship students through this new MoU in the upcoming academic year.”   Mr Juma Al Rumaithi, Director of the Scholarships Office, Ministry of Presidential Affairs said: “Scholarships are part of our strategy to promote higher education and help local talent develop their skills and knowledge to achieve the UAE’s varied ambitions. We’ve had great success in collaborating with various higher education institutions across the nation, including with the Emirates Aviation University, and today we are pleased to formalize that collaboration under this new MoU.”  

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, said the UAE is a “global host and an efficient platform for the entire media sector because of its integrated digital infrastructure.” It also has a supportive legal and legislative environment, as well as attractive living standards for all nationalities and international companies in the media and cultural industries, as directed by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, he added. Sheikh Mansour stated this while announcing the launch of the first edition of the Global Media Congress, to be held in Abu Dhabi from 15th to 17th November, 2022, which will be organised by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) in a strategic partnership with the Emirates News Agency (WAM). He said the Congress will be “an exceptional platform” for the media sector. The event will include a media an exhibition and conference, which will enable various media organisations to discuss partnership and cooperation agreements aimed at developing their messages that will serve humanity and support communities through providing useful and credible content. The event will be attended by a range of media leaders and global influencers, in addition to academics and youth. The Congress will also discuss several key topics, most notably digital communication, artificial intelligence, advanced technologies and innovation in the media sector. It will host specialist sessions covering journalism, radio, television, internet, social media and international influencers. The event …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has issued the updated list of “Green List” countries. All travellers arriving from these destinations will be exempt from mandatory quarantine measures after landing in Abu Dhabi. Travellers will be required to present a negative PCR Covid-19 test valid for maximum 72 hours before departure and undergo a PCR test upon arrival at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Vaccinated passengers from the updated Green List will take another PCR test on day 6 (day of arrival counts as day 1). Unvaccinated travellers arriving from these Green List countries will also take a PCR test on days 6 and 9. Countries, regions, and territories included within the “Green List” will be regularly updated based on international developments. Inclusion in the list is subject to strict criteria of health and safety to ensure the well-being of the UAE community. The list also only applies to countries that travellers are arriving from, rather than citizenship. Please note below the updated “Green List” as of 18 August 2021 at 2:00 pm: Albania Australia Bahrain Belgium Brunei Bulgaria Canada China Czech Republic Germany Hong Kong (SAR) Hungary Ireland Malta Mauritius Moldova New Zealand Poland Romania Saudi Arabia Serbia Seychelles Singapore South Korea Sweden Switzerland Taiwan, Province of China Ukraine

Dubai’s business events sector continues to build on its momentum as one of the first cities in the world to reopen for international meetings, with a busy calendar of high profile conferences, meetings and incentives on the horizon through the rest of 2021 and into 2022. Following on from the resumption of international tourism to the city in July 2020, Dubai welcomed international business events from October 2020 and immediately saw a healthy pipeline of conferences and exhibitions taking place across the city. With meeting planners recognising Dubai’s ability to safely host events and its prudent handling of the global Covid-19 pandemic, that is now poised to continue in the second half of 2021, through the hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai and into the rest of 2022.   Among the major congresses and conferences coming to Dubai in the coming months are the Congress of the Société Internationale d’Urologie, Society of Petroleum Engineers Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, International Astronautical Congress, World Chambers Congress, LPG Week, Gastech and Africa Oil Week. Meanwhile, major incentive groups visiting the city will include AFC Life Science, Amway, Sunhope, Jeunesse and OMNILIFE.   Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “Driven by the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the city was among the first in the world to restart its business events sector, providing a vital platform for associations, businesses and organisations to resume their face to face meetings and drive knowledge development in key sectors. We understand the importance for the meetings industry globally to restart physical events, and thanks to …