Further Change to Travel Instructions from Dubai to Fujairah

This is a further change to the updated travel instructions (18 December 2008) from Dubai to Fujairah.

The relevant change is indicated in italics:

There is a significant change in the road system for people travelling from Dubai to Fujairah and it hasn’t been clearly explained by the road signs.

I have made changes to my ‘Directions from Dubai to Fujairah’ posted at this link.

Flick through to the heading 20.00kms (which marks the 20 kms mark from the Dubai International Airport Terminal 1) as this is where the change occurs.

Previously
At this roundabout (at the end of Highway D50) where one could go (first right) to Dubai/Abu Dhabi or (next right) to Al Awir or further round (anticlockwise) to the Sharjah-Al Dhaid Rd, I had said coming in at a 6.00pm position you go around and exit at a 9.00am position.

Now
On the D50 highway just before the roundabout there is a sign on a green board that has instructions blotted out. At this roundabout there has been a significant change.

You still come in at a 6.00pm position but you turn right, taking the road to Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi. This takes you in the opposite direction that you ultimately want to be going.

After only 200 metres, taking Exit 63 (Blue sign to Al Awir; Sharjah and Al Dhaid) you turn right like a hairpin bend on a Grand Prix track. This takes you back 150 metres where you turn right and go underneath the road and turn right again.

You drive another 150 metres (towards Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi) and turn right (another hairpin bend) but this has you on the other side of the road and now back on the highway.

You drive another 150-200 metres and finally reach the roundabout [No Longer].

The roundabout has been removed and the Al Awir direction is now reached by taking Exit 64 [see blue sign board pictured]. Don’t take this route to go to Fujairah.

Continue straight and you will find you are on the Sharjah-Al Dhaid Road with ugly pylons on the right side of the road. This is where you notice you are in the desert.

If you keep on going too far you will find yourself on the Al Khawaneej Rd heading back towards Dubai and you will have to go to the next roundabout before you can return and Take Two.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: “The Al Awir direction is now reached by taking Exit 64 [see blue sign board pictured]. Don’t take this route to go to Fujairah. Continue straight...”

Eight Emiratis Make the Fifty Richest Arabs List

Did you make the list in 2008?

Arabian Business.Com has released the complete list of the World’s Richest Arabs who hail from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Check out their bank balance at the end of 2008, the sectors from which they made their pile and where they rank with other Arab billionaires.

The reader’s comments are interesting. One hinting reader says:

“If any of these billionaires give zakat [alms to the poor] to poor people like me, they are creating another billionaire.

Source: The World’s 50 Richest Arabs, Arabian Business. Com, 14 December 2008.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Header of the Richest Arabs List (courtesy at the above link).

The Challenges for Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson in Dubai

On the Grapevine
The word buzzing around the news sites (e.g. see this link) is that Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson are looking to buy a house in Dubai, possibly on the Palm Island development.

Media Haven, Sun and Glitz
Noting the recommendation from the Beckham family, the attractive factor appears to be the chance to escape the media frenzy of LA. When the Beckhams snapped up a luxury pad in Dubai, they could use it to escape the frenzied media circus back in LA.

There is also the lure of the beach and sunshine. Furthermore, Lindsay loves the glitziness and opulence of Dubai and the pair were entranced with the resort after Sam did a gig at the recent opening of the Atlantis Hotel.

Property Market
With property prices dropping across the Dubai market it should not be a problem for Lohan and Ronson to snare a luxurious abode. As indicated in this article, UAE property marketers regularly drop the price or give houses away to celebs to encourage other less known investors to put their dirhams on the table.

Challenges in Dubai
There are further challenges that Lohan and Ronson will face that pertain to the UAE law and culture.

Over Exposure
As a sun lover, Lohan has the habit of throwing off the clothes in order to get a sun tan. This tendency will attract the paparazzi as it did recently on Miami Beach. If Lohan is seen in bikinis like this one she may well contravene the Decent Laws of Dubai, even though they are not as strict as the laws in neighboring Sharjah.

Before they buy their house, Lohan and Ronson might do well to read this article entitled, ‘What to Wear in the UAE’ and this article on ‘respectful clothing’.

Unmarried People Associating
In writing about the ‘Sex on the Beach’ saga of 2008 it was mentioned that the UAE law proclaims that “an unmarried man and woman are not allowed to associate by themselves in an apartment or a car.” The laws have not been adjusted to apply to two lovers of the same sex and this leads to a further challenge.

Lesbian Liaison
Lohan and Ronson are in a lesbian relationship. While the UAE has invited high profile homosexuals such as Elton John and George Michael to perform their concerts in the Emirates, homosexual activity is illegal in this country.

The 2008 incident of two women jailed and deported for kissing, fondling and engaging in ‘indecent acts’ on a public beach in Dubai [different from the case cited above] revealed that the Dubai courts were taking a hard line and were keen to make the sentence tougher because it was two women involved in the act.

American universities invited to establish Middle Eastern branches in the Emirates, usually have a tradition of maintaining human rights and equal opportunity in students admission without prejudice to race, culture, disability, gender and sexual orientation. But they are finding it difficulty to be true to their convictions in the UAE. See New York University-Abu Dhabi campus; US Colleges, UAE Campuses and Conflicts of Interest.

The UAE law is not always applied consistently and the values are unclear and often confusing (see this article for detail).

Because transgressors who get caught in the UAE are often hit hard it would pay for Lohan and Ronson to do their homework and have a hard think before signing up for a house and a lifestyle in the Emirates.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson.

Weighty Work for UAE Beach Cleaners

Most days workers from the respective UAE Municipality clean the beaches of the country.

In addition to the usual trees, wood and rubbish from boats the workers have to clear up an inordinate amount of trash and the frequent oil slicks that wash up on the UAE beaches.

Fortunately each Municipality has one or more mechanical beach cleaner and sifter. One of the team will drive the machine up and down the beach while the other will pick up things by hand and do the hard and dirty work.

I have posted some photos today at the following link in order to illustrate some of the surprises and challenges that these workers face in their job:

Weighty Work for Local Beach Cleaners, Facebook, 3 January 2009.

Image: The driver of the Beach Cleaner and Sifter at Khor Kalba beach today contemplates how he and his fellow worker might deal with this huge challenge. The beautiful Hajar Mountains form the backdrop to their daily work.

Dr Geoff Pound

Here Comes the Sun Over the UAE East Coast

One of the advantages of living on the east coast of the UAE is being able to see the sun rising over the Arabian Sea.

The sunrise from Khor Kalba beach is so often spectacular (there are some photos at this link taken on 2 January 2009 when the sun battled to break through the clouds and sea fog).

Every day it is different as the red ball conjures its magic over the waves.

This morning it was a different performance. One view of the sun is pictured here and a short series of pictures is posted at the Facebook link below:

Sun Rising over UAE’s East Coast Today, Facebook, 3 January 2009.

If you don’t live on the east coast, come and visit and get up early enough to see the solar fireworks displays.

Further on Fujairah:
Recent Articles on Fujairah in Focus or click here to subscribe:

Fujairah Ruler Mourns the Death of the Ruler of Umm Al-Qaiwain, FIF.

Fujairah Corniche: A Great Place for a Jet Ski…to Improve Your Golf Swing…Mend Your Nets…Have a Lie Down…Exercise…

Looking to buy an apartment in Fujairah with a sea view? What about this one? Or this one? Or this high tower?

Ever seen the Fujairah fort…in the day…or at night?

If you’re coming to Fujairah, you may need these updated travel instructions from Dubai/Sharjah.

Don't forget bull butting in Fujairah on Friday afternoons. It is good to visit in the cooler season. Arrive at a flexible 4.00pm (Fujairah time!) You've been to Madrid and Pamplona for bull fighting, bull goring and blood and guts? Add to your experience with an episode of Fujairah bull-butting . Click here for your orientation. You still won't be able to understand the mystery but it is a chance to enjoy what Fujairah residents have been doing for centuries.

Send me a message or connect with me via Facebook.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Kalba fisherman in the morning sunlight.

Chill Out on Versace Hotel Refrigerated Beach in Dubai

Stories are popping up in the Times Online and the New York Times about plans by Versace, the renowned fashion house, to create the world’s first refrigerated beach so that Dubai hotel guests can walk comfortably across the sand on scorching days.

In these articles Soheil Abedian, the founder and president of Palazzo Versace, is quoted as saying that he believed it is possible to design a refrigerated beach and make it sustainable. “We will suck the heat out of the sand to keep it cool enough to lie on,” he said. “This is the kind of luxury that top people want.”

International writers love to seize about the bizarre and the luxurious when it comes to articles on Dubai and the UAE but the country has given plenty of material so that the ‘believe or not’ essays can be written frequently about the Emirates.

Environmental Concerns
Beyond the bizarre is the concern that such stories appear in the ‘Environment’ section of the newspapers. Readers with strengthening environmentalist convictions will find these articles increase their rage, especially when a luxury-chilled beach is being planned for the country that has the world’s largest ecological footprint and at a time when many will conclude that such a cool creation is thumbing the nose at international efforts to reduce global warming and combat climate change.

Sources:
Jonathan Leake, Chill Out, You Beautiful People, the Versace Beach is Refrigerated, Times Online, 14 December 2008.

James Kanter, Global Tourism and a Chilled Beach in Dubai, The New York Times, 2 January 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: A luxury beach resort wants to make this experience cooler (photo courtesy of the NYT at the above link).

American CBS Network Declares Dubai Has Gone Bust

A New Year story on America’s CBS evening news looks at the downturn in Dubai, especially in the property market and building industry.

The article and video is full of hyperbolic statements such as, ‘Once Booming Dubai Goes Bust.’

Judging by the comments on the site, it seems that this is another of the ‘riches to rage’ stories that international viewers and readers love to see.

To see and read the report: Once Booming Dubai Goes Bust, CBS, 2 January 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Villas on Jumeira Palm Island, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo courtesy of CBS News Photographic Essay)

UAE Mourns the Death of the Ruler of Umm Al-Qaiwain

Death of UAE Ruler
It was reported on Friday 2 January 2009 by WAM, the state news agency, that the ruler of Umm al-Quwain, one of the seven emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates, has died.

Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al-Mualla, died on the morning of Friday 2 January 2009, in London.

Funeral Prayers
WAM further reported (2 January 2009) that special prayers for the dead would be offered for the late Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al-Mualla on Saturday, January 3, after the "Asr" evening prayers at the Grand Mosque in Al-Ras, in Umm Al-Qaiwain.

H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al-Mualla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al-Qaiwain, would receive at his palace condolences for three days, beginning from Saturday.

Week of Mourning
The UAE President, Sheikh Khalifah bin Zayed al-Nahayan, has ordered a week of national mourning and all government institutions to close for three days starting from Friday.

While not all emirates have issued statements pertaining to their state, several appear to be following the lead of Dubai where a week of mourning has been declared in the Emirate, during which flags shall fly at half mast, while all federal and local government departments and institutions shall remain closed for three days beginning from Friday.

All celebration activities, scheduled for Saturday, to mark the third anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as Ruler of Dubai, have been cancelled.

The wedding party of Sheikh Saeed Bin Dalmouk Al Maktoum and the daughter of Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, scheduled for Sunday 4 January, has been postponed.

Life and Legacy
Much will be recalled in the next few days about the life and legacy of Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al-Mualla.

Shaikh Rashid was born in 1932 of the Al Ali tribe and he received a religious education at the hands of his father.

In the late 1950s he gained experienced in state affairs and became the ruler of Umm Al Quwain in 1981, after the abdication of his father, Shaikh Ahmad.

Shaikh Rashid was a close friend of the first UAE President Shaikh Zayed.

A tribute in Friday’s Gulf News lauded Shaikh Rashid's farsightedness, vision and wisdom.

Furthermore it stated that once when he was asked how he wanted to be remembered, Shaikh Rashid said: “I want to be mentioned in history as a fair ruler who tried his best to make his people enjoy the greatest deal of welfare, and that I had dedicated my life to preserve noble values that were followed by our ancestors.”

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al-Mualla.

Challenges Facing the Arab World in 2009

Rami Khouri, in the International Herald Tribune, takes a year-end look at trends in the Arab world during the past 12 months [and] reveals little to be optimistic about.

Here are some tasters from this article:

“The core weaknesses, distortions and dysfunctionalities of the Arab world all seemed to worsen during the past year. Here are the major trends that I believe define our region these days, and will persist for some years to come…”

On the One Hand
“On the one hand, many in our region continue to look abroad for protection or salvation, in the form of countries, ethnic groups or political movements that rely on foreign patronage for their survival more than they do on their own people."

"We remain deeply mired in a colonial-era mentality in many respects. The massive attention paid to awaiting the new Middle East policies of the Obama administration in the United States is the most dramatic manifestation of trend.”

On the Other Hand
“On the other hand, the single most important change in the Arab World in the past two decades has been the attempt by several hundred million people to break away from this "vassals-of-the-West" mentality, and instead to assert one's own identity and interests. The various Islamist movements in the region have been the main vehicles for such self-assertion, but these movements have not been able to translate their proven credibility into coherent state-building momentum.”

To read the entire article, follow this link:

Rami Khouri, Arabia’s Troubling Trends, IHT, 1 January 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: “On the One Hand…. On the Other Hand…”

Prescription for Transforming Islam

With a new President in the White House, author and activist, Irshad Manji, states her prescription for transforming Islam, which includes a special role for the UAE and the Gulf States.

Here are some excerpts from her Newsweek essay published on the last day of 2008:

Empower Women
Ultimately, it is women who will help Muslims help themselves. The new U.S. president can benefit the Islamic world by engaging the entrepreneurial talents of Muslim women…

Encourage Microcredit
Enter a tiny miracle known as microcredit.

In this season of financial turmoil, it takes chutzpah, I confess, to propose more lending as the answer to anything. But extending minuscule loans to Muslim villagers has demonstrated its worth time and again, inspiring near-perfect repayment rates that shame today's industrial banks.

Better yet, microcredit has the backing of Islam. Khadija, beloved first wife of the Prophet Muhammad, was a self-made merchant who employed her husband for many years. If Muslim men are serious about emulating the life of Islam's messenger, they should have no qualms about letting their wives work for themselves. Moreover, according to traditional Islamic teachings, when a woman earns assets, she may spend 100 percent of them as she sees fit. Through microloans, Muslim women can launch community businesses that build profits and, ultimately, change cultures….

I know of a woman in Afghanistan who accepted a $200 microloan, started a candle-making venture, and used some of the returns to pay for reading lessons. She found female-friendly verses in the Qur'an and recited them to her still-illiterate husband. When he realized that these words came from God's book rather than a secular declaration of human rights, he immediately stopped beating her. Not exactly paradise, but no longer the pit of hell…

Establish a New Alliance
In adopting this [microcredit] policy, the new president should ally with other countries, each of which would shave a sliver of its annual security budget and pool the proceeds into a coherent microloan program. Bye-bye to the Coalition of the Willing. Hello, salaam, and possibly shalom to the Alliance of the Interdependent.

Western nations ought to join the alliance, but Muslim countries, particularly the royally rich Gulf states, must also pull their weight. The next U.S. president can whisper into the ears of emirs his respect for the Qu'ran's message of personal responsibility. Islam's scripture tells Muslims that "God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves." Translation for Muslim leaders: put your money where your moderation is…

To read the entire article, follow this link:
Irshad Manji, ‘The Best way to Fight Islamic Extremism’, Newsweek, 31 December 2008.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: “The best way to fight radicalism is to empower Muslim women worldwide.”