ABU DHABI // For many residents of Al Gharbia, the visit of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, presents a unique opportunity to personally convey both their appreciation and concerns.
The region is undergoing a dramatic overhaul of services and infrastructure, with a greater focus on access to health care, education and government services.
"This happens every year and he generally comes for two days and gives people the opportunity to speak to him and tell him about the problems they are facing and what they need," said Mohammed al Mazrouei, from Madinat Zayed, who is among those hoping to meet the President today.
"[Visits like this] are so important because he comes here to speak with people and see what he can do to look after the people. He speaks to young and old people."
Mohammed al Qubaisi, from Liwa, said the visit gave people an opportunity to meet the President and focused attention on the region.
"It is so important ... because most of the resources come from here, like oil," he said. "Everyone is very happy and wants to meet him."
Mariam al Hammadi, 26, from Mirfa, said she hoped the President would be able to visit her coastal town.
"It is such a great idea for him to visit the area, but I would also like him to come here," she said. "If I met him, I would welcome him to Mirfa and let him know that we need jobs here, good hospitals and other [recreational] facilities."
Al Gharbia accounts for more than 80 per cent of Abu Dhabi emirate, but has only eight per cent of the population. In recent years, with limited job opportunities in the vast and isolated area, young people have migrated elsewhere in Abu Dhabi, or to other emirates.
At the forefront of people's minds is the need for more jobs, as well as houses, schools and hospitals, say many residents.
Mr Mazrouei said the limited number of hospitals in the region was one of the main problems.
According to the Policy Agenda 2007-2008 for the emirate of Abu Dhabi, about Dh230 million (US$62.6m) must be spent on bringing health services in the region up to date with modern demands.
Infrastructure, including the state of the main motorway linking Abu Dhabi to Sila, is another concern. The road is scarred with potholes and there are long stretches without street lights. "This is a major problem because this is the main gateway to the UAE from the rest of the Arab world," he said.
Residents in Al Gharbia complain of living in isolation, disconnected from the rest of the country and often without access to basic services.
However, the situation is changing, with millions of dirhams being invested to entice people back to the area. The Government is also devising initiatives to stem the flow of migration from the vast region.
An ambitious tourism strategy will bring much needed jobs and other business opportunities. Phase One of the Desert Islands tourism development, including hotels and a nature reserve, is near completion and due to open to the public in October. A key development, the Qasar Al Sarab resort in the Liwa desert, is also under construction.
The Western Region Development Council and the Khalifa Fund are also encouraging more small- and medium-size businesses in the region and have made vast sums available to support the initiative.
"The support of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, has been instrumental in helping us to shape the future of Al Gharbia to ensure it becomes a better place to live, work and visit," said Mohammed Hamad bin Azzan al Mazrouei, the director general of the Western Region Development Council.
"His determination and dedication helps us all to work towards his vision for the region and provide Al Gharbia's people with a higher quality of life through greater employment opportunities, better infrastructure and more investment."
@Email:zconstantine@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
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Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
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Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
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Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Perfect Couple
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