Gulf news

Al Hijri New Year holiday for public, private sectors on Nov 3

The holiday was announced in a Cabinet meeting chaired by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday. The New Hijri Year 1435 is likely to begin on Tuesday, November 5. Khaleej Times

New routes launched to Al Maktoum airport

Dubai: Express buses by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will provide a 24-hour service to the newly opened Al Maktoum International Airport, RTA has announced. One route, F55, will run every hour between Ibn Battuta Metro station and Al Maktoum International Airport from 6am to 10pm, wh

Girl students stir storm by backing polygamy

  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] The female students who launched a Twitter campaign encouraging polygamy as a means to control the increasing rate of spinsterhood in the Kingdom. — Courtesy photo[/caption] DHAHRAN AL-JANOUB — A number of female college students here have l

iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c in UAE: Etisalat, du open pre-orders

UAE telecom providers etisalat and du have started accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Currently both operators are only offering contract free plans, meaning buyers can only opt to buy a phone by paying the handset price upfront. The iPhone 5c starts at Dh2,399 and the 16GB

Dubai Expo 2020 chairman welcomes World Expo delegates

Dubai: An in-depth symposium presented to more than 250 representatives from 167 member nations of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the international organisation that oversees World Expo, will be showcased from October 22 to October 24. The conference concentrates around the Dub

Dubai Creek Extension project launched

Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid has launched the Dubai Creek Extension project to create a new water passage from Business Bay to Jumeirah beach. The canal will span 3 kilometres. Work on the project will start with a bridge on Shaikh Zayed Road, near Safa Park, Shaikh M

Abu Dhabi to begin work on Dh7.4b highways

The Department of Transport (DoT) will soon commence the construction of new Mafraq-Ghuwaifat and Abu Dhabi-Dubai highways with a budget of Dh7.4 billion.   The announcement comes following the approval by the Executive Council during its recent meeting presided over by General Shaikh Moh

Dh500 fee for expat health cards from September 30

A Cabinet resolution, issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, levying Dh500 for issuing and renewing health cards for non-nationals of all ages will go into force as of 30th September, the Ministry of Health annou

White points scheme to reward good driving

Dubai :   Dubai drivers can cash in on their good driving under the white points reward scheme which will continue next year, said a top police official on Sunday. Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai Police chief, said a total of 1,000 motorists who don’t commit traffic violations in any of the em

Historic document reveals King Abdul Aziz’s philanthropy

A historic letter unveiled recently reveals that the late King Abdul Aziz had stopped leading the government's Haj missions for six years so that the money saved could be donated to the poor, particularly those who could not afford to perform Haj. The letter also shows that he personally supervised

Al Maktoum Internationl Airport at Dubai World Central cleared for take-off: October 27

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the sole regulator of all licensed airfields in the UAE, has certified Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC) for passenger operations after assessing and confirming full compliance of the aerodrome with its stringent requirements. This

Dubai Tram to connect JBR, JLT-Marina and Al Sofouh-Palm Jumeirah by next year

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) yesterday signed a contract for the operation of the Dubai Tram with the British Serco Company for a period of 75 months starting August 2013, including 15 months preparations for operation; covering the recruitment and training of employees in addition to

Sharjah residents complain about high Sewa bills

Sharjah: Notice a hike in your water and electricity bills this summer? Sharjah residents are complaining about a substantial raise in their monthly bills over the summer months. In light of the large number of complaints, Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) said that there has been

Free parking in areas attached to Dubai Metro and bus stations… only if you use them

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Dubai Executive, has issued Resolution No. 1 of 2013, amending a number of articles of Resolution No. 3 of 2009, concerning the unified tariff for public parking in areas attached to public transportation statio

Sandstorm surprises Dubai, Northern Emirates: More expected

A sandstorm hit Dubai on Monday afternoon, reducing visibility to just a few hundred metres, with rain in some areas. The weather forecast for today also forecasts the blowing of dust/s and the formation towering clouds offers a hint of rain as well. The National Centre for Meteorology and Sei

Dubai Metro on track for record growth: 300 million users in 4 years

On September 10, 2009, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated Dubai's first Metro line. It served ten stations and transported just over a million commuters that month. Today, four years later, Dubai Metro s

Dubai school buses: Safety gear not compulsory this year

Dubai: Schools transport providers in Dubai have been advised to upgrade their units with GPS, surveillance cameras and electronic bus attendance, though they are not yet mandatory, Gulf News has learnt. The upgrades, though not officially enforced by Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), are be

Dubai Metro set for massive expansion

Dubai: Dubai Metro will see a massive expansion on both Red and Green Lines with work expected to begin as early as next year, Gulf News has learnt. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has finalised plans to extend the Red Line from Rashidiya to Mirdif, to go with its earlier plan to extend