Dubai, Darshan The Eagle Conquers The Burj Khalifa Skyscraper!

Dubai videos | Buildings | Information | History | Emirates | View

1. Major Arab countries should help solve regional problems: Bahrain FM (gulfnews, Dec 10, 2016):
   
   "Manama: Major Arab countries should be involved in solving the region’s problems, Bahrain’s foreign minister has said.
   
   Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Jordan and Egypt, as well other ‘modern’ states could help to spread peace and establish security, Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa said.
   
   The GCC, established in 1981, comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
   
   Iraq will hopefully re-emerge as a strong nation in the Arab world because it is one of the major countries and active actors in the region, and its strength, unity and stability are essential elements in the stability of the whole region, the minister said as he addressed the Manama Dialogue, an international security conference held annually in the Bahraini capital.
   
   Shaikh Khalid said that the 37th GCC Summit held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Bahrain was an important stage in the progress of joint work.
   
   Its outcomes will give a strong impetus to GCC countries to move forward towards wider and closer cooperation in the defense and security fields, as well as further economic integration.
   
   In his speech, Shaikh Khalid lauded the outcome of the meeting on Wednesday between the GCC leaders and British Prime Minister Theresa May who was making her first visit to the region since she moved into Downing Street in July.
   
   May made history by becoming the first British Prime Minister and the first woman to attend a GCC summit.
   
   The meeting affirmed the importance of bolstering the strong historic relations between the GCC and the UK that stretch over 200 years and expressed a shared keenness to create further opportunities for economic and security cooperation for the interest of both sides, Shaikh Khalid said.
   
   The foreign minister added that Bahrain and the other GCC countries were keen on their international partnerships and alliances with the United States, the United Kingdom and friendly countries and regional and international organizations.
   
   These partnerships will continue to serve the interests of all parties, as well as strengthen the international role of the GCC as an active partner to achieve security, peace and stability in the region and the world, he said.
   
   However, Shaikh Khalid criticised the role of Iran in undermining the security and stability of the region, pointing out that Tehran has been playing this dangerous role for more than 30 years, exploiting every conflict in the region in an effort to extend its influence.
   
   Iran also supported terrorism in the region and the formation of proxy armies in the Arab states to undermine security and stability, and used Wilayat Al Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist) to get followers across the world, he said.
   
   Good relations cannot be built with Iran unless it drastically changes its policies and cooperates transparently and seriously with the countries of the region, the minister added."
2. Longer fast on higher Burj Khalifa floors (gulfnews, June 12, 2016):
   
   "“Dubai: Residents on the higher floors of Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower in Dubai, should end their day’s fast a few minutes later than those at ground level, a top cleric has said.
   
   Ahmad Al Haddad, Grand Mufti of Dubai, explained that the fast lasts until the complete setting of the sun, which is visible for a longer time at high altitudes.
   
   According to astronomers, the sun rises earlier and sets later at higher altitudes compared to the same location at ground level…”
3. Yemen crisis: Heavy fighting for Zinjibar (BBC, Aug 8, 2015):
   
   "Pro-government forces in Yemen have launched an offensive on the rebel-held capital of southern Abyan province, military sources say. They say the troops, using tanks and other military equipment supplied by a Saudi-led coalition, were attacking Zinjibar from the north and south. The fall of the city would deal another blow to the Houthi rebels, who have suffered a number of recent defeats. They were driven out of a key airbase this week, following the loss of Aden.
   
   Heavy casualties were reported during the fighting for al-Anad airbase, north of Aden. Separately, the United Arab Emirates' official WAM agency said on Saturday that three Emirati soldiers were killed while taking part in the Saudi-led campaign to defeat the rebels who still control much of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. The Houthis advanced south in March, forcing President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia...."
4. Gulf allies 'back Iran nuclear deal' after US security guarantees (BBC, Aug 3, 2015):
   
   
   "US allies in the Gulf have backed the nuclear deal with Iran, after the US promised them better intelligence-sharing and faster arms transfers.Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiya said the Iran deal represented the best option for regional stability.
   
   
   He was speaking after talks with visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is trying to win support for the deal in the Sunni-dominated Gulf.Gulf states accuse Shia Iran of stoking unrest in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.They fear the nuclear deal will encourage the Tehran government to boost support for proxies who are fighting Sunni forces across the region.
   
   
   The US has argued that the deal, aimed at preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon in exchange for sanctions relief, will make the region safer.On Monday, Mr Kerry discussed the nuclear deal with members of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) - a regional body bringing together Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar.
   
   
   He later told reporters "it was crystal clear that the US and GCC" regarded their partnership "as indispensible for the security of the region".He said the US had agreed to speed up the transfer of weapons - including missiles - to its allies in the Gulf, as well as to co-operate more closely with them against Islamic State (IS) militants and al-Qaeda."
5. Kerry in Qatar to Ease Arab Concerns About Iran Nuke Deal (abcnews, Aug 2, 2015):
   
   "U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Qatar talks with Arab officials whose countries are wary of the nuclear deal world powers have struck with Iran.
   
   Kerry arrived in the Qatari capital on Sunday after visiting Egypt, where he also spoke in favor of the agreement reached with Iran last month in Vienna. The Sunni-ruled Gulf Arab states fear Shiite Iran's increasing assertiveness in the region. In Cairo, Kerry acknowledged Iran's negative role but said it would be easier to deal with if Tehran cannot develop a nuclear weapon.
   
   "Iran is engaged in destabilizing activities in the region — and that is why it is so important to ensure that Iran's nuclear program remains wholly peaceful," he told reporters at news conference with Egypt's foreign minister. "There can be absolutely no question that the Vienna plan, if implemented, will make Egypt and all the countries of this region safer than they otherwise would be."
   
   Kerry's meetings with the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Doha on Monday are a follow-up on a May meeting that President Barack Obama hosted for Arab leaders at Camp David at which the U.S. promised them enhanced security cooperation and expedited defense sales to guard against a potential Iranian threat.
   
   Saudi Arabia is the largest and most influential member of the council, which also includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, and has been publicly supportive of the Iran deal, albeit with reservations. Just last week, the State Department authorized the sale to Saudi Arabia of $5.4 billion in Patriot missiles and related equipment along with $500 million in ammunition.
   
   Kerry's visit to Qatar follows one last week by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who also stopped in Kuwait and Iraq.
   
   In addition to Iran, Kerry and the Arab ministers are expected to look closely at the situation in Syria and Iraq, which continue to be ravaged by conflict and the spread of the Islamic State extremist group, as well as Yemen.
   
   In Doha, Kerry will also meet separately with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir to discuss Syria and Iran."
6. UAE arrests: 41 accused of trying to establish caliphate (BBC, Aug 2, 2015):
   
   "Authorities in the United Arab Emirates say 41 people will go on trial for trying to "seize power and establish a caliphate" in the Gulf nation. The state news agency said the group comprised foreigners and UAE nationals. Attorney General Salem Saeed Kubaish said the suspects planned to "carry out terrorist acts on UAE territories".
   
   It is the latest in a series of trials against Islamists in the UAE. Rights groups have attacked the fairness of the hearings.
   
   The group had a "takfiri" ideology, Mr Kubaish said - referring to an extremist Sunni Muslim belief pursued by the so-called Islamic State. "Takfir" is the practice of one Muslim declaring another an apostate - and one which IS has used to carry out punishments.
   
   In July 2013, 68 Islamists were jailed without right of appeal after being accused of a plot to overthrow the UAE's government.
   
   One human rights observer said the verdict "cemented the UAE's reputation as a serious abuser of basic human rights".
   
   And in January last year, a court in the capital Abu Dhabi convicted 30 people over links to the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood party.
   
   The defendants were said to be linked to an Emirati Islamist political society, al-Islah, which prosecutors asserted was a branch of the Egypt-based Brotherhood. But al-Islah says it favours peaceful reform and denies ties to the Islamist movement."
7. Billionaire Saudi prince vows to donate $32 billion fortune (yahoo, June 1, 2015):
   
   "DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia's billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the world's richest people, announced Wednesday that he will donate all of his wealth of $32 billion to charity over the coming years.
   
   The money will go to the Saudi prince's organization called Alwaleed Philanthropies to work in the fields of "intercultural understanding" and supporting communities in need, he said in a statement. Programs will include promoting health, eradicating disease, bringing electricity to remote villages, building orphanages and schools, as well as "empowering women."
   
   The prince, chairman of investment firm Kingdom Holding Company, said he has already donated $3.5 billion to the charitable organization.
   
   Alwaleed joins other billionaires who have made similar pledges in recent years, such as Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Michael Bloomberg. He credited the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their wide range of charitable projects and said his organization has partnered with them on health initiatives.
   
   "Philanthropy is a personal responsibility, which I embarked upon more than three decades ago and is an intrinsic part of my Islamic faith," he said in the statement, which came during the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims are encouraged to give charity and help the needy.
   
   The prince, who does not hold an official government position, built his wealth through seed money from his father and smart investments. Kingdom Holding owns stakes in hotels like The Four Seasons, Fairmont and Raffles, as well as companies such as News Corp., Citigroup, Twitter and Apple...."
8. Lawyer of 'Reem Island Ghost' claims non-Muslim witnesses should be disregarded (arabianbusiness, June 17, 2015):
   
   "The lawyer representing the woman charged with murdering a teacher in an Abu Dhabi mall has challenged the testimonies of the non-Muslim witnesses, arguing that they are ‘invalid’ under Sharia Law.
   
   Abdulqader Al Haithami, who is representing Alaa Al Hashemi, argued that the testimonies of those witnesses who are not Muslim should be disregarded, according to a report in The National newspaper.
   
   “The law states cases of murder according to Sharia law are not proven unless they are pleaded by the council of judges, testimony of two male witnesses, or by the oath. The oath taken by the witnesses is invalid as they are not Muslim,” he said.
   
   Emirati Alaa Bader Abdullah Al Hashemi (30) is on trial at the Federal Supreme Court accused of stabbing Ibolya Ryan (37) to death in a toilet cubicle in Boutik Mall on Reem Island on December 1 last year.
   
   Al Hashemi was also charged with making an explosive device with the aim of harming others, creating an online account to promote terrorist ideas, spreading information that harmed the country and donating funds to a terrorist organisation. Her lawyer also argued that the medical reports that say Al Hashemi is not suffering from a mental illness were “contradictory”.
   
   “The first report shows she is suffering from many emotional and mental issues and said it was crucial to have the defendant referred to an internal mental department under strict notice, while the other found her responsible for her actions,” he said.
   
   Al Haithami argued that his client was under the influence of her husband and that she was forced to sign the investigation files. “She is unaware and weak-willed and I call for her acquittal or a lesser penalty,” Al Haithami said.
   
   The verdict in the case will be announced on June 29."
9. Boeing Touts The A-10 Thunderbolt For Sale In Mideast As Ideal Warplane To Fight ISIS (yahoo, June 16, 2015):
   
   “The A-10 Thunderbolt, a relic of the Cold War that’s been flying for the U.S. Air Force since the 1970s and has narrowly escaped retirement as the Pentagon cuts its spending growth, could be about to find itself in demand once again, more than three decades after the final aircraft came off the production line.
   
   An unexpected appearance by the brutish-looking aircraft at the glitzy Paris Air Show this week showcased the return to the spotlight of the Warthog, as it’s universally known by its crews. Not only has the A-10 found a new lease on life fighting Islamic State group militants in Iraq and Syria, and being deployed to its old hunting grounds in Eastern Europe to deter Russian hostility — it’s now being touted by Boeing as a great aircraft for customers in the Middle East, who would get modernized airplanes dismissed by the U.S. Air Force, which has about 300 left in service.
   
   Any deal, however, will only happen if the aircraft is retired under proposed plans by the Air Force, according to Paul Cejas, chief engineer for off-Boeing programs in the company’s support division, who said that the idea to sell the A-10 to new customers “is fairly new and not at a point where we can provide more details.”
   
   Only the United States has ever operated the plane, a slow and ungainly but heavily armed jet that excels at destroying armored targets on the ground. It was made to hunt Soviet tanks in Europe, a role it never performed in real life, finding instead a new job as a specialized platform for supporting troops on the ground in close combat….”
10. Gulf allies, worried about Iran, show more muscle with U.S. (CNN, May 14, 2015):
    
    "When President Barack Obama welcomes America's Persian Gulf allies to the White House and Camp David this week, he will be confronting a group of countries that are assertively strengthening their own alliance as a counterweight to Iran and staking out a new status quo with the United States.
    
    Obama invited the heads of the Gulf Cooperation Council -- a union of the oil-rich monarchies of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates -- for a summit beginning Wednesday night after reaching a nuclear framework deal in April curbing Iran's nuclear program.
    
    A formal U.S.-GCC gathering to discuss security is long overdue, and reflects the level of concern the gulf nations have over Iran's growing influence in the region. The gulf states, along with Israel, worry that the deal with Tehran will pave the way for a nuclear bomb rather than prevent one, and unlock billions of dollars that Iran will use to wreak havoc in the region.
    
    That fear has forced the six nations to overcome a host of internal differences, heal long-standing rifts and show a level of unity that has been lacking. It has also led the bloc to show less deference to the United States, even as the countries are eager for heightened U.S. security guarantees given the growing threats in the region.
    
    The meetings are also expected to address a long list of crises unfolding in the Middle East, from the civil war in Syria and the growth of ISIS to the conflict in Yemen and Islamic extremism in Libya..."
11. Indian charged in UAE with 'insulting Islam' (daijiworld, Apr 14, 2015):
    
    "An Indian man has been charged in a UAE court for allegedly posting on a social networking site comments that insult Islam, a media report said on Tuesday.
    
    The 41-year-old Indian was charged in the Court of First Instance in Dubai for allegedly making the insults through his conversations and posts on Facebook, Khaleej Times reported.
    
    The Indian made the comments last year after watching a video clip about the violence in Iraq.
    
    The police were informed about the incident by another Indian man, who said in his complaint that he received a message on his phone on July 6 last year that said "there was a post on Facebook that insulted Islam".
    
    The public prosecution said the defendant's mobile phone was seized and sent to the criminal lab and that his conversations showed there was indeed an insult to Islam."
    
    
    
    
    Foreign salesman facing seven years imprisonment in Dubai because his Facebook status was deemed blasphemous against Islam (dailymail, Apr 14, 2015):
    
    "An Indian salesman is facing seven years in prison and a fine of up to one million dirham - around £186,000 - for allegedly cursing Islam and the Prophet Mohammad on Facebook.
    
    The 41-year-old man - identified only by his initials S.G. - is said to have posted a 'blasphemous' status on his Facebook page after watching a news bulletin about the war in Iraq on television last July.
    
    If found guilty, the suspect could face up to seven years in jail, a fine of between Dh250,000 to Dh1 million, or both.
    
    Lawyers for the prosecution said the man abused the social media network - namely Facebook - and the telephone communication system by cursing the Prophet and Islam, according to Gulf News.
    
    They are now looking for the toughest punishment possible under the country's cyber-crime laws.
    
    Islam is the official religion of the United Arab Emirates, and committing blasphemy is considered deeply offensive..."
12. Actress Nicole Kidman takes heat from flight attendants over her latest role (latimes, Apr 5, 2015):
    
    "Actress Nicole Kidman is drawing fire from flight attendants for her latest role as the face of Etihad Airways, the state-owned carrier of United Arab Emirates. But there may be more to this story than meets the eye.
    
    Kidman, who was named a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for women in 2006, is featured in a new ad for Etihad that promotes the luxury and sophistication of the carrier.
    
    The Assn. of Professional Flight Attendants say her UN work is at odds with what the group says is poor treatment of women by Etihad and the United Arab Emirates, where men are allowed to physically discipline their wives.
    
    “The APFA must respectfully ask that you — as a leading advocate for women around the globe — not lend your voice, your image and your good name to Etihad Airways, the second-largest airline in the UAE,” the flight attendants said in an open letter to Kidman.
    
    Only a week earlier, the same flight attendants union took a shot at Etihad for another reason.
    
    The group complained that Etihad and two other Persian Gulf carriers unfairly compete with U.S.-based airlines by relying heavily on subsidies from their government owners. They have urged the U.S. government to restrict the carrier’s access to American airports.
    
    Responding to the criticism of Kidman, Etihad said the airline treats all workers fairly and recently received a 93% approval rating from its employees in an independent survey.
    
    “Our commitment to the welfare, safety and well-being of the diverse group of men and women who have worked so hard to make Etihad Airways great is one of our airline’s top priorities,” Etihad said."