Dubai's Dh4 billion (US$1.08bn) Al Sufouh Tram project in Jumeirah is set to open in late 2014, rather than in April next year as originally planned, transport officials said yesterday. The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is working to resolve funding issues on the 14km tramway, said Abdul al Hassan, the director of rail planning and development at the RTA.
The agency is also negotiating with the project's contractors, Mr al Hassan said. That group includes Alstom of France, Besix of Belgium and Parsons of the US. "Because of the recession we had to replan and reschedule. This is true for all projects in Dubai, not only transportation," he said. "… we are negotiating funding for the rest of the project." The RTA is working to settle accounts with planners, engineers, consultants and contractors across the emirate, after embarking on a wide-ranging transport plan during the economic boom, when Dubai's roads became clogged with traffic.
Mr al Hassan's comments come a day after the Dubai Government revealed in a bond prospectus, published by the London Stock Exchange, that it had reached agreement on a new payment schedule worth Dh9.6bn with the Dubai Rail Link Consortium (DURL), a group of companies building the Dubai Metro. They included the Japanese companies Obayashi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation and Kajima.
The prospectus revealed the DURL consortium has been paid about Dh20bn, with Dh9.6bn left for work on the Red and Green lines, which will span more than 70km and 47 stations when complete. Under the repayment plans agreed with the DURL, Dh3.77bn will be paid by the RTA in monthly instalments of about Dh169 million starting in May and extending until September next year. The balance of Dh5.82bn will be paid in equal monthly instalments over seven years, with a guarantee provided by the Dubai Government.
The Al Sufouh tram, which is designed to run from the Dubai Marina to the Mall of the Emirates, will have 11 Alstom trains and airconditioned stations. It will be driven by a ground-level power supply, compared with conventional trams that rely on overhead electrical wires. The tram line was initially due for completion next April, but the new target is the end of 2014. Key aspects of the project are now 40 per cent complete while a viaduct was 60 per cent complete, Mr al Hassan said.
Vincent Prou, the Dubai general manager of Alstom, said his company was ready to adapt to meet its customer's wishes. "The RTA is committed to this project, which is the most important thing for us," Mr Prou said.
igale@thenational.ae
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
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One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.