Gulf news

7.5m iftar packets offered in Grand Mosque

Philanthropists will distribute more than 7.5 million packets of iftar meals among worshippers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah throughout Ramadan. “Everyday they supply 250,000 iftar meals, of which 80,000 meals are distributed in the northern courtyard and 70,000 in the southern courtyard,” said a

Worshippers can now listen to live translation of taraweeh prayers

The Grand Mosque authorities have intensified efforts to address the increasing number of pilgrims and worshippers and to facilitate their performing of rituals inside the mosque. Most of the pilgrims coming from Asian countries are elderly and the local authorities are paying extra attention to en

UAE Water Aid campaign kicks off

Dubai: Every 21 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease. As little as Dh25 from you can help reverse this. The UAE aims to help prevent deaths caused by unsafe drinking water through a nationwide campaign called the UAE Water Aid (UAE Suquia) launched on Saturday. His Highne

'Observe Ramadan in the true spirit of Islam’, request Saudi Imams

Imams in mosques throughout the Kingdom, including those in Makkah and Madinah, welcomed on Friday the holy month of Ramadan with an immense sense of piety and requested their respective congregation to strictly follow the teachings of the Holy Qur’an during the fasting period. The Supreme Court

Ramadan starts on Sunday in UAE

Abu Dhabi: The first of Ramadan will be on Sunday, June 29, 2014, according to the UAE Moon Sighting Committee. Dr Hadef Jua’an Al Daheri, Minister of Justice, said after the committee’s meeting at the Judiciary Department in Abu Dhabi, that after contacting neighbouring countries and following

UAE clarifies housemaid contract rules with embassies

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: The UAE authorities had contacted the embassies of countries that export the largest number of domestic workers about the enforcement of a new unified contract for housemaids to clarify the confusion on the new rules, an official said. A new unified contract law for domestic wo

Ramadan 2014: Official UAE timings for services, work hours

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the timings for services during the holy month of Ramadan covering customer service centers, car parks, public buses, Dubai Metro, marine transit modes, driving institutes, and vehicles testing and registration centers. “The customer service c

‘Blank cheques can land you in jail’: Dubai Police

Dubai: The long-standing practice of borrowers issuing blank cheques to lenders as guarantee of payment is one of the reasons people end up in prison, Dubai Police said on Tuesday. “We want to change people’s and companies’ mentality about cheques. Cheques should be used to fulfil monetary tran

UAE Ministry of Economy to control price rise during Ramadan

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Economy has made an elaborate plan to monitor the food market in the UAE during Ramadan to control prices, a top official told Gulf News. The ministry has fixed prices of many food products and a mechanism is in place to ensure that retailers are strictly following th

Indian passport delays in UAE to end soon

Abu Dhabi: India’s diplomatic missions in the UAE expect to receive more passport booklets soon. Indian missions in the UAE used to issue between 1,100 and 1200 passports a day, but shortage of booklets in India has caused delays in passport issuance and renewal. Between 260,000 and 290,000 pas

Ramadan working hours federal government announced

The working hours for employees at various Ministries and other Federal Institutions will be from 9am to 2pm during Ramadan, according to a circular issued by Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qattami, Minister of Education, in his capacity as Chairman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources

Dubai Police: Slow drivers in the fast lane risk a fine

Dubai: Motorists who drive slow in the fast lane of the highway, posing a threat to themselves and to the lives of others, can be fined even if they are driving over the minimum speed limit, the Director of Dubai Traffic Police has warned. “What many people do not know is that if the maximum sp

Dubai: From Desolate Refueling Stop to Booming Travel Crossroad

Dubai, United Arab Emirates:  The gimmicks to attract attention and passengers - a $1 million raffle, a chance to win a Porsche 911, or a monthlong shopping festival - are still there but are hardly needed anymore. Travelers from around the world no longer need to be lured to this parched former tra

Passport shortage at Indian consulate

Dubai: Indian expats seeking new passports in Dubai have no option but to apply for jumbo booklets as there is a shortage of regular 36-page booklets since June 10. The cost of the 60-page jumbo booklet is Dh436 against Dh341 for the regular passport. An Indian Consulate official told XPRESS:

Card fraud hits UAE expatriates hard

Dubai: The next time your phone beeps a $1 credit card transaction you don’t seem to recognise, drop everything you are doing and call the bank immediately. You could be just in time to block your card before someone else runs riot with your stolen plastic money. Indian expat Alex Mani, 32, learn

Ramadan expected to begin on June 29; Eid al-Fitr likely on July 28

The start of the Holy month of Ramadan will fall on Sunday, June 29, 2014, the Sharjah Planetarium has confirmed. Sharjah Planetarium said that the New Moon of Shawwal 1435 AH will be on Sunday, July 27, 2014, at 2:42 (local time) for the UAE. Therefore, Monday, July 28, 2014, will be the start o

Shake your phone to book a taxi in Dubai

Dubai: Booking a taxi in Dubai is now as easy as shaking a mobile phone after the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) launched the Smart Taxi app on Tuesday. The new mobile application that went live on the Android platform on Tuesday allows a person to open the app and just shake the phone to

Anti-Islamic’ glasses seized in RAK

Ras Al Khaimah: Authorities have seized 20 glasses from a store after an Emirati woman claimed they were offensive to Islam. The woman took photos of the items to show to the Department of Economic Development. “The department is investigating how these anti-Islamic glasses found their way int