Dubai Informer
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Saturday, October 27, 2007
Twenty-eight wild dolphins from the South Pacific that were flown to the UAE this week are slowly acclimatising to their new three-metre-deep indoor-pool habitat, as part of a five star hotel's environment-awareness progamme.
The Palm Atlantis Hotel on Palm Jumeirah bought the dolphins from the Solomon Islands where they were captured from the wild and kept in captivity a few months before being sent to the Middle East to inhabit the hotel's Dolphin Bay facility.
Frank Murru, chief marine officer from Kerzner International, the parent company of Atlantis Hotel said captive bred dolphins were favoured for the hotel but as there are none available at this time, it was not possible. "Bottlenose dolphins are not an endangered species so it is not a problem. They will get good healthcare and good food. They were caught in the Solomon islands quite a few months ago before being moved," said Murru.
Interaction
As the hotel is not due to open for another year, the dolphins are currently being acclimatised to humans and trained to be able to interact with hotel guests and visitors.
The dolphins are being kept in seven large covered pools to protect them from sandstorms with between four and five dolphins in each three metre deep pool. No photographers were allowed to visit the facility.
"We are keeping them in their own social groups the way they would group together when they are in large numbers. Ninety-nine percent of the time they are interacting with each other," said Murru.
He confirmed the dolphins would not be involved in any shows but rather brought out into larger outdoor ocean-type habitats to interact with small groups of visitors.
The Palm Atlantis Hotel on Palm Jumeirah bought the dolphins from the Solomon Islands where they were captured from the wild and kept in captivity a few months before being sent to the Middle East to inhabit the hotel's Dolphin Bay facility.
Frank Murru, chief marine officer from Kerzner International, the parent company of Atlantis Hotel said captive bred dolphins were favoured for the hotel but as there are none available at this time, it was not possible. "Bottlenose dolphins are not an endangered species so it is not a problem. They will get good healthcare and good food. They were caught in the Solomon islands quite a few months ago before being moved," said Murru.
Interaction
As the hotel is not due to open for another year, the dolphins are currently being acclimatised to humans and trained to be able to interact with hotel guests and visitors.
The dolphins are being kept in seven large covered pools to protect them from sandstorms with between four and five dolphins in each three metre deep pool. No photographers were allowed to visit the facility.
"We are keeping them in their own social groups the way they would group together when they are in large numbers. Ninety-nine percent of the time they are interacting with each other," said Murru.
He confirmed the dolphins would not be involved in any shows but rather brought out into larger outdoor ocean-type habitats to interact with small groups of visitors.
Labels: Dubai, Holiday, Hotel, Palm Dubai
Saturday, October 20, 2007
A jersey worn by United Arab Emirates Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at a world endurance championship fetched 16 million dirham at an auction on Thursday.
The auction was to raise funds for Dubai Cares, an initiative to help educate needy children worldwide.
The initiative launched by Sheikh Mohammed on Sept 19 to put one million children through school in poor countries has already garnered some 840 million dirham.
The six-week campaign surpassed its target of 200 million dirham in just six days of its launch.
Farhan Faraidooni, chairman of the Board of Sama Dubai, a real estate developer who bought the shirt, said: "Sheikh Mohammed is a visionary. This shirt is symbolic of his leadership and is priceless," the English daily Gulf News quoted him as saying.
In his speech at the launch, Sheikh Mohammed said the campaign would help over one million children and assist countries in achieving their United Nations Millennium Development Goal to provide primary education to every child by 2015.
The campaign recognises education as the best long-term solution to alleviate poverty in the developing world, reinforcing the call of experts that educating children, especially girls, is the key to ending the global cycle of poverty.
Sheikh Mohammed said Dubai Cares sought to give the children in poor countries hope for the future and opportunities to break the cycle of poverty that threatened to entrap them and consign their families to a life with no real future.
Contributions came from Emiratis, expats, private sector, international corporations, financial institutions, retail sector, educational institutions and even schools.
To ensure the campaign's success, Sheikh Mohammed together with his sons and daughters are actively participating in it.
The auction was to raise funds for Dubai Cares, an initiative to help educate needy children worldwide.
The initiative launched by Sheikh Mohammed on Sept 19 to put one million children through school in poor countries has already garnered some 840 million dirham.
The six-week campaign surpassed its target of 200 million dirham in just six days of its launch.
Farhan Faraidooni, chairman of the Board of Sama Dubai, a real estate developer who bought the shirt, said: "Sheikh Mohammed is a visionary. This shirt is symbolic of his leadership and is priceless," the English daily Gulf News quoted him as saying.
In his speech at the launch, Sheikh Mohammed said the campaign would help over one million children and assist countries in achieving their United Nations Millennium Development Goal to provide primary education to every child by 2015.
The campaign recognises education as the best long-term solution to alleviate poverty in the developing world, reinforcing the call of experts that educating children, especially girls, is the key to ending the global cycle of poverty.
Sheikh Mohammed said Dubai Cares sought to give the children in poor countries hope for the future and opportunities to break the cycle of poverty that threatened to entrap them and consign their families to a life with no real future.
Contributions came from Emiratis, expats, private sector, international corporations, financial institutions, retail sector, educational institutions and even schools.
To ensure the campaign's success, Sheikh Mohammed together with his sons and daughters are actively participating in it.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
From a desert oasis to an international metropolis - Dubai has every right to be dubbed the Gulf's most exciting city. The emirate is currently engaged in a multi-billion dollar building phase, which will transform its skyline, add hundreds of kilometres to its beachfront and push development way out into the desert. GulfNews has a great guide to all the Megaprojects in Dubai
Check it out...
Check it out...
Labels: Construction, Dubai, Dubai Metro, Properties
Friday, October 12, 2007
In the latest mega-development to hit Dubai, property firm Limitless on Tuesday announced a $61 billion project to build an 75-kilometre canal and an extensive waterfront development in the emirate.
The Arabian Canal will flow inland from Dubai Waterfront in Jebel Ali and pass to the east of the Dubai World Central development before turning back towards the Palm Jumeirah.
The canal will be up to 150 metres wide, six metres deep and cost around $11 billion.
Along its shores Limitless, part of state-owned conglomerate Dubai World, will spend S$50 billion on a sprawling 20,000-hectare waterfront development that will stretch for 33 kilometres along the inland section of the waterway.
Designed to serve one million people, the development will include marinas, residential communities and business centres serving over a million people.
Work on the canal is due to start in December and will take around three years to complete, while construction of the waterfront development will begin at the end of next year and be completed in phases over a 15 year period.
“It [Arabian Canal] will involve digging and moving more than a million cubic metres of earth – enough to fill 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools – every day,” Saeed Ahmed Saeed, Chief Executive of Limitless, said in a statement.
“Arabian Canal will, without question, be one of the wonders of the engineering world.”
Limitless will be displaying the Arabian Canal project at the Cityscape real estate expo in Dubai.
The Arabian Canal will flow inland from Dubai Waterfront in Jebel Ali and pass to the east of the Dubai World Central development before turning back towards the Palm Jumeirah.
The canal will be up to 150 metres wide, six metres deep and cost around $11 billion.
Along its shores Limitless, part of state-owned conglomerate Dubai World, will spend S$50 billion on a sprawling 20,000-hectare waterfront development that will stretch for 33 kilometres along the inland section of the waterway.
Designed to serve one million people, the development will include marinas, residential communities and business centres serving over a million people.
Work on the canal is due to start in December and will take around three years to complete, while construction of the waterfront development will begin at the end of next year and be completed in phases over a 15 year period.
“It [Arabian Canal] will involve digging and moving more than a million cubic metres of earth – enough to fill 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools – every day,” Saeed Ahmed Saeed, Chief Executive of Limitless, said in a statement.
“Arabian Canal will, without question, be one of the wonders of the engineering world.”
Limitless will be displaying the Arabian Canal project at the Cityscape real estate expo in Dubai.
Labels: Construction, Dubai, Properties
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Dubai is contributing more than its fair share to overcoming illiteracy problem in the world. His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai Cares project in the first week of the fasting month of Ramadan.
The project aims at educating one million people around the world through building schools, distributing school materials, coordinating food programme at schools, providing medical check-up and offering training workshops for teachers. Shaikh Mohammad said: "Education holds out hope for the future, enrichment for the present, and dignity for mankind."
It was clear from the onset that Shaikh Mohammad initiated this noble cause in Ramadan during which believers are uniquely ready to donate towards reducing the plight of others who are less fortunate. Muslims in particular tend to be willing to donate generously during Ramadan, as fasting injects a fresh reminder of the plight of poor.
Shaikh Mohammad called on the society at large and notably the business community including branches of foreign firms operating in Dubai to contribute in this extraordinary effort. He led by example, as he and his family donated money for the project.
Dubai Cares officials expected the campaign to generate some Dh200 million in the first phase alone. Business leaders and firms in the emirate were quick to embrace the idea. Among others, etisalat, the giant telecommunications firm, pledged Dh25 million. Also, Dubai-based real estate developer Damac Properties said it will donate 10 apartments that will be auctioned to raise funds for the initiative. Businessman Mohammad Juma Al Naboudah pledged Dh10 million.
Dubai Cares objectives are in line with millennium development goals (MDGs). One such MGD is that of guaranteeing basic education to every child by the end of 2015. It is estimated that more than 100 million children do not have access to education.
These children are primarily in Asia and Africa. Girls make up about 55 per cent of children denied access to education.
Education serves as one of the three variables on Human Development Index (HDI), the other two being expectancy at birth and income. Illiteracy is a primary reason why some African countries are ranked among the worse on HDI. Niger was ranked the worst country in the 2006 HDI report partly for reporting merely 29 per cent adult literacy rate. Other African countries, namely Sierra Leone, Mali, and Burkina Faso, only followed Niger among 177 countries ranked in the report.
Dubai Cares initiative is a practical implementation of Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation. Designed to contribute towards human development, Shaikh Mohammad unveiled the foundation in May in a speech at the Word Economic Forum held in Jordan. The scheme evolves around a $10 billion endowment to promote human development and improve knowledge infrastructure.
The education drive is the latest in a series of initiatives unveiled by Shaikh Mohammad during 2007. Earlier in April, he announced the UAE Government Strategy covering the period 2007 to 2010. The plan comprises 21 different issues categorised into six sectors, namely social development, economic development, government sector development, safety and justice, infrastructure and rural areas development. The plan aims to achieve sustainable but balanced development by ensuring quality and high standards of living.
And in February, Shaikh Mohammad released Dubai Strategic Plan covering the period 2007 to 2015. The scheme aims at increasing Dubai's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from $37 billion in 2005 to $108 billion by 2015. Also, the plan calls for raising annual GDP per capita income from $33,000 in 2005 to $44,000 in 2015.
The project aims at educating one million people around the world through building schools, distributing school materials, coordinating food programme at schools, providing medical check-up and offering training workshops for teachers. Shaikh Mohammad said: "Education holds out hope for the future, enrichment for the present, and dignity for mankind."
It was clear from the onset that Shaikh Mohammad initiated this noble cause in Ramadan during which believers are uniquely ready to donate towards reducing the plight of others who are less fortunate. Muslims in particular tend to be willing to donate generously during Ramadan, as fasting injects a fresh reminder of the plight of poor.
Shaikh Mohammad called on the society at large and notably the business community including branches of foreign firms operating in Dubai to contribute in this extraordinary effort. He led by example, as he and his family donated money for the project.
Dubai Cares officials expected the campaign to generate some Dh200 million in the first phase alone. Business leaders and firms in the emirate were quick to embrace the idea. Among others, etisalat, the giant telecommunications firm, pledged Dh25 million. Also, Dubai-based real estate developer Damac Properties said it will donate 10 apartments that will be auctioned to raise funds for the initiative. Businessman Mohammad Juma Al Naboudah pledged Dh10 million.
Dubai Cares objectives are in line with millennium development goals (MDGs). One such MGD is that of guaranteeing basic education to every child by the end of 2015. It is estimated that more than 100 million children do not have access to education.
These children are primarily in Asia and Africa. Girls make up about 55 per cent of children denied access to education.
Education serves as one of the three variables on Human Development Index (HDI), the other two being expectancy at birth and income. Illiteracy is a primary reason why some African countries are ranked among the worse on HDI. Niger was ranked the worst country in the 2006 HDI report partly for reporting merely 29 per cent adult literacy rate. Other African countries, namely Sierra Leone, Mali, and Burkina Faso, only followed Niger among 177 countries ranked in the report.
Dubai Cares initiative is a practical implementation of Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation. Designed to contribute towards human development, Shaikh Mohammad unveiled the foundation in May in a speech at the Word Economic Forum held in Jordan. The scheme evolves around a $10 billion endowment to promote human development and improve knowledge infrastructure.
The education drive is the latest in a series of initiatives unveiled by Shaikh Mohammad during 2007. Earlier in April, he announced the UAE Government Strategy covering the period 2007 to 2010. The plan comprises 21 different issues categorised into six sectors, namely social development, economic development, government sector development, safety and justice, infrastructure and rural areas development. The plan aims to achieve sustainable but balanced development by ensuring quality and high standards of living.
And in February, Shaikh Mohammad released Dubai Strategic Plan covering the period 2007 to 2015. The scheme aims at increasing Dubai's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from $37 billion in 2005 to $108 billion by 2015. Also, the plan calls for raising annual GDP per capita income from $33,000 in 2005 to $44,000 in 2015.
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