Restaurateur in Abu Dhabi found dead in flat

Abu Dhabi: A restaurant owner in Abu Dhabi committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan in his bedroom, Abu Dhabi Police told Gulf News on Thursday.

K.A. Abdul Gafour, 59, the owner of Mughal Restaurant in the Madinat Zayed area in the capital was found dead in his flat directly above the restaurant on Wednesday evening. He hailed from India's southern state of Kerala.

My brother looked pleasant as usual when I last met him Tuesday night. I still can't believe that he took such a drastic step

K.A Basheer, victim's younger brother

"My brother looked pleasant as usual when I last met him Tuesday night. I still can't believe that he took such a drastic step," K.A Basheer, 47, Gafour's younger brother, who also worked in the same restaurant, told Gulf News on Thursday.

Unanswered calls

Basheer said Gafour neither came to the restaurant nor answered phone calls on Wednesday. "We thought he would be busy as he has a wide social network and always visits friends and acquaintances," he said.

Gafour's bedroom was found locked. Basheer said he opened the room with a spare key and was shocked to find his brother hanging from the ceiling fan.

"I immediately called up colleagues and friends who called up the police," he said.

Abu Dhabi Police added that the reasons behind the suicide are not yet known but did not report anything suspicious about the incident. Investigations are continuing to get to the bottom of the incident, Colonel Ebrahim Al Za'abi of Abu Dhabi Police said in a statement issued to Gulf News.

Gafour's body has been moved to the Preventive Medicine Department at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City for further procedures, Col. Al Za'abi said.

Call to community

The official called on troubled members of the community to approach relevant institutions in the UAE which could help solve their problems. "There are mechanisms to protect the UAE community from drastic incidents that are against the ethics and traditions of the community, Islamic teachings and social values that we hold dear."

Basheer said Gafour had not left a suicide note or any other hint about the circumstances that made him take the extreme step. "He was the one who extended courage and support to all around him whenever they were in a crisis," he said.

Gafour came to the UAE about 40 years ago by a boat and worked as an ordinary worker before starting his own restaurant in 1981, Basheer said. "He was a self-built man."

Gafour is survived by his wife and three children — two boys and a daughter who are studying in India.

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Telling stories with sand

Dubai: Sand fills the desert and in a country such as the UAE it is available in abundance. Yet, not many people stop to think how this natural property is used in manufacturing glass or silicon computer chips, for example.

However, Shayma Al Mughairy, 18, has found another way to use sand to spread awareness about issues dear to her. The Omani national, who lives in Umm Al Quwain, is one of the few GCC nationals known for performing sand art.

"Sand art is a different kind of art and it's special to me because here in the Gulf there aren't many girls who draw with sand," she said. "I wanted to learn this art to be one of the first Gulf girls to draw with the sand."

Drawing her plans

Shayma's talent took her all the way to the finals of the reality talent competition, Arabs Got Talent, where she acquired the nickname ‘Queen of the Sand' from her fans.

An artist throughout her childhood, Shayma was introduced to sand art by her teacher when she was 12-years-old and quickly developed a knack for it.

She has now been commissioned across the GCC region and some parts of Europe to perform at events — most recently at the American University in the Emirates' (AUE) inaugural graduation ceremony.

"For the AUE performance I told the story of a student and their journey through university," she said. "I usually draw to raise awareness about certain issues like drug abuse or the trafficking of humans and their organs."

Just like a painter only needs his pallete and brush, all Shayma needs is her light box and a few handfuls of sands. Her fingers then get to work telling a story through a series of slides set to music.

Music most important

"For a performance I first find out how long they want the show say five or seven minutes and then I storyboard a scenario and start to practise," she said. "The music is the most important part of the whole performance to me because it sets my speed."

Only in her last year of secondary school, Shayma hopes to go on to take up an undergraduate degree in architecture.

However, her sand art will by no means be thrown on the back burner.

"I plan to open the first school to teach sand art."

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In the pursuit of happiness

On clear summer afternoons, she would sit out in the porch with a bowl of soap solution and a slender glass tube and endlessly blow bubbles.

The exquisitely fragile creations, some as large as a pomelo, and some as small as a tear drop, would quiver daintily at the edge of the tube for a few seconds and then gently disengage themselves to float away into the sunshine, dazzling in their iridescence. And then with a soundless pop, vanish. Every time a bubble burst, she felt a surge of happiness flood her heart. "So impermanent, so beautiful, so unforgettable," she would sigh.

For people looking for everyday philosophical gems that upend traditionally held notions of what happiness is, this one, from a friend of mine, is a collectible. She is, understandably, in a minority. Most people would tell you that there nothing to feel happy about a bubble that has burst. Having said that, isn't life also about how you wish to view it? Yes, that classic chestnut about the glass being half full or half empty is not a mothball in disguise.

In the last decade, science has deigned to turn its attention to subjects that at one time were considered to have the intellectual heft of the Great Indian Rope Trick. So it is that the subject of happiness is the new lab rat. Concurrently, and perhaps due to it, a slew of books on happiness have been scaling up the bestseller lists.

There are books by university professors, new-age gurus, life coaches, management mavens and from everyday men and women who chased happiness down the emotional highway, caught up with it and shook hands.

One individual of the latter tribe is Gretchen Rubin, the New York-based author of the bestselling The Happiness Project, who gave up a career in law to pursue writing.

The book enjoyed a long stay atop the New York Times' bestseller lists in 2010. As a happy fallout of her smash-hit effort, Rubin launched The Happiness Project as a participative exercise that today has millions signed up, sharing their experiences and urging others to have a go at it. Her blog, The Happiness Project, enjoys, in her own words, "a gigantic readership".

Sudden realisation

That Rubin is deeply dedicated to the exploration of happiness is evident in her email conversation — many of her sentences end with an exclamation! But she is not a unique individual, she says. On the contrary, she is just another typical person who did not have any reason to be unhappy to begin with. As she puts it: "One day, I was travelling in a city bus when I had a sudden realisation — I was in danger of wasting my life."

By her own admission, she lacked nothing: "I wasn't depressed… wasn't having a midlife crisis... wasn't divorced. I didn't have to forgive any terrible wrongs. [In fact] I was pretty happy."

And here is the rub: most people who are chasing happiness are in a similar predicament, sort of. Despite being fortunate enough to have failed the audition for a crushingly sad life-script, they still go about with a woebegone look, looking for missing links. Rubin caught herself doing the same. "In that single moment, with that realisation, I decided to dedicate a year to trying to be happier. ‘I'll start a happiness project,' I vowed. I did."

Rubin's year-long experiment with this warm and fuzzy feeling helped her arrive at some interesting conclusions. The biggest obstacle to happiness, she realised, was… herself. "[It was about recognising] my failings, my limitations. It was time to expect more from myself."

This is not as scary as it sounds. What she means by expecting more from herself is to do the things that we all can but don't. Like appreciating the beautiful things we have in our lives already; the key word is ‘already'. The other important key to happiness is to stop complaining. "I wanted to behave better," says Rubin.

At the end of a year, Rubin was happier. There was no thunderbolt heralding electric and happy times, just a quiet inner shift. "It mostly happens inside," she says.

Small but important

So what's the distillate? Rubin says she dislikes being reductive to the point of just offering a list — it's too simplistic — but she swears by the power of making small but important changes in everyday life; exercise, a proper diet, keeping a distance from the things that annoy you, connecting deeply with those you love, appreciating nature... Rubin's conclusions are comfortingly familiar.

Which brings us to the most baffling question of all: If all it takes to feel happier is to do things which we are capable of, why don't we do them? "It's like dieting," explains Rubin. "We all know the secret to it: eat better, eat less, exercise more. It's the application of it that's the challenge." The same goes for happiness.

The trick to understanding and processing ideas for Rubin, and many like her, is to understand the fundamental truth about life as stated by Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician and philosopher: "Everything important has been said before." The oldest truths are the newest realities. It all depends on whether you want to see it that way or not. You could blow beautiful soap bubbles and weep when they burst or you sit back and enjoy their spectacular beauty while it lasts.

You get the headline, right? It’s like that saying – you need to know the risks so you can avoid them. Dave Crane wasn’t too happy contributing to this apparent negative piece on happiness. “I spend too much time on the positive,” he told Gulf News. Still, the life coach, motivational trainer and keynote speaker, agreed. He listed the sure-fire ways to unhappiness with the caveat, “Do the opposite of everything below.”

Waste time doing things of little or no value that make you uneasy, feel unwanted and land you in debt.Constantly blame everyone else for your rotten situation — the authorities, your friends, your parents, Justin Bieber, etc, basically everyone but yourself.Expect to fail at everything and say, “I told you so”, after everything goes as badly as you predicted.Waste time regretting past mistakes and lousy decisions as though that could magically change them.Close your mind to new ideas that might make a real difference to your life and continue doing whatever didn’t work before.Make sure that all your friends have the same pessimistic outlook in life as you do, and listen to their advice.Think badly of yourself and say so into the mirror whenever you get a chance.Think of your life as worthless and get people to tell you what they think is wrong about you as well.Waste time trying to change other people, who don’t want to change.Do nothing about changing anything in your life except complaining to everyone you meet.

By Carolina D'Souza, Staff Reporter

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Social worker quits UAE after 36 years

Sharjah: "A few years ago, a father came to me with a six-year-old girl who was confined to the walls of her home all her life because she was born at home and had no legal documents. She never went to school or to a hospital and was not even allowed to play outside," M. Amanulla, a Sharjah-based social worker said.

The girl was born out of wedlock to an Indian father who was a laundry worker in Umm Al Quwain and a Sri Lankan mother who was working illegally in the country.

When the girl was a baby, her mother was deported to Sri Lanka after being caught in a police raid.

The father did not know what he needed to do and was too afraid to reach out to the authorities.

It was an amnesty period so, with the help of some Indian Consulate officials, Amanulla helped the man get outpasses for his children and he sent them back home to start a new life.

Amanulla said in the 36 years he has lived in the UAE, extending a hand to such people has become part of his life. Now he looks back at his years here, as he gets ready to go back to his home town in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

Resolving issues

From helping repatriate dead bodies of loved ones, to helping rescue women caught in prostitution rackets, to extending help for those in jail, Amanulla has helped numerous expatriates resolve their issues, many community members testified at a recent farewell gathering in his honour at the Sharjah Indian Association.

After reaching the UAE in 1976, and starting off with many odd jobs, Amanulla got his first office job as a temporary replacement for someone who was hospitalised after falling ill. But that person died in hospital.

What started off as just helping the family of that stranger, by sending home small amounts of money for their support, paved the way for years of humanitarian services, he said.

"People like Amanulla, who are aware of their social responsibilities, have made a difference in the lives of many expatriates living here," Nissar Thalangara, general secretary of the Sharjah Indian Association, said.

Amanulla said most of his time, after his job at Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, is taken up by similar social commitments and involvement in cultural activities and gatherings organised by the Indian community here. "The little bit that I managed to do was only with the help and support of many kind-hearted people around me."

Similar efforts

Once back home, he intends to continue similar efforts with the support of his wife and two sons, he said.

Years ago, he came to the UAE with the intention of staying here for a few years, making some money and returning. "Like most people I too continued to stay."

He added that even though salaries were very low, life was much easier and less complex back then.

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Companies and agencies in UAE told to destroy banned pesticides

Dubai: Owners of banned pesticides within the UAE have 90 days to register and destroy the potentially fatal chemical compounds under new regulations issued by federal authorities on Monday.

One year after announcing an extensive ban on 401 of a listed 835 pesticides on record since the mid-2000s, the Ministry of Environment and Water announced on Monday that it is further cracking down on killer chemicals attributed to the deaths of more than five people across the country in 2011.

Officials investigated more than 20 incidents of pesticide poisoning last year in which infestation-ridding chemicals migrated throughout buildings under fumigation and threatened human health.

"Companies, organisations, and private and governmental bodies that own these banned or restricted pesticides will have three months following the issuance of this resolution to notify the ministry, or a specialised authority or body, so they can take the appropriate measures and dispose of these pesticides," said the ministry in a statement yesterday.

Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, said new measures will ramp up efforts by the government to protect human health.

In its statement, the ministry said new measures prohibit "individuals, private and governmental bodies from using, importing or trading in various types of pesticides.

Meeting standards

"As per the resolution, it is forbidden to trade or use any type of pesticide until it is registered in the ministry's register, which requires the approval of the pesticide registration committee at the ministry, and receiving a licence from the specialised authority. The pesticide must also meet the standards and conditions of the bylaws of Federal Law No 41 of 1992 pertaining to agricultural pesticides."

Dinesh Ramachandran, technical director of National Pest Control based in Dubai, said steps to protect human health and ensure that only licensed companies handle dangerous chemicals may go a long way in preventing human tragedy.

"It is a good move. These are toxic chemicals. Definitely, it's a welcome move for chemicals that are harmful to the environment," Ramachandran told Gulf News, adding that the country "is moving in the right direction in line with international standards".

The latest steps will augment moves by Dubai Municipality's public health section where authorities are constantly monitoring pesticide firms to ensure public safety is adhered to.

"Dubai Municipality is doing surprise visits, evaluating company sites and making sure there are no banned products," he said.

On the no-go list

An Environment Agency list of banned pesticides obtained by Gulf News yesterday showed as many as 82 agents such as arsenic and DDT to mercury compounds are on the no-go list across the UAE. The chemicals are not only dangerous to human health but can hurt the environment.

Otaiba Al Qaidi, director of the Department of Hazardous Chemicals and Waste, said that a new resolution updates the list of banned pesticides in the UAE but did not elaborate on whether new pesticides were added to the blacklist.

Restrictions

The ministry, however, "separates the pesticides into different types, depending on its type, dangers, level of toxicity to humans and animals, and damage it causes to the environment".

The ministry said yesterday that the list includes "agricultural and veterinary pesticides, some of which are highly poisonous, carcinogenic and very damaging to the environment… banning these pesticides protect human, animal, and plant health, as well as agricultural and animal products".

Continued use of restricted pesticides for the time-being will help control pest problems under licensed technicians at approved pest control companies in the UAE, the ministry said. Dinesh Ramachandran, technical director of National Pest Control based in Dubai, said new measures dictate that companies or individuals storing pesticides that fall under the blacklist updated in January 2011 should contact authorities such as the municipality's Hazardous Materials department.Pesticides can then be taken to Jebel Ali Hazardous Materials site for proper and documented disposal."Once they register and are approved, they have a contractor dispose of it," Ramachandran told Gulf News.

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Man thwarts fraudsters impersonating policemen

Abu Dhabi: When a group of five Arab-speaking youth, wearing the dishdasha and holding a walkie-talkie, claimed to be CID officials, an Abu Dhabi resident did not get intimidated and give in to their demands to furnish his identification (ID) card.

Instead, reminded of incidents of people impersonating police officers and conning unsuspecting victims, he had the gumption to seek their identity proof.

The incident occurred at around 7.30pm on January 3 in the bustling Tourist Club Area in Abu Dhabi. When the five-member gang approached Madappattuparambil Mohammad Akbar, 37, an Indian driver, the area was deserted.

Recalling that the gang members appeared very young, probably even under 18 years of age, Akbar said he immediately exercised caution since he had Dh2,000 in his wallet.

Though the youth spoke Arabic, they were not Emiratis, but nationals from other Arab countries, he clarified.

On being asked to display their ID card, one gang member "flashed" a certain document in front of Akbar.

Proof of identity

However, the latter refused to give in until the gang members displayed appropriate identity proof of being officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

"Then, one of them started talking on a walkie-talkie. He told me angrily that his superior had instructed him to detain me for not showing the ID card," Akbar said.

Although this made Akbar hesitant, he had decided to not give in without putting up a fight.

His insistence on not display his ID card made the youth furious. "One of them started attacking me and I resisted," Akbar said. However, he realised that it was not safe to fight with a five-member gang.

"I knew it was not easy to get immediate help from the police, but I decided to try my luck," Akbar said. In between trying to thwart the criminals' attempt to assault him, Akbar managed to dial 999 [emergency number of the police] from his mobile and reported the incident.

Gang members

"The moment they heard my conversation with the police, the youths ran away," Akbar said.

The police, meanwhile, arrived at the scene, combed the area and arrested four of the five gang members. Akbar went to the Al Mina police station and registered a formal complaint.

An official spokesman of the Abu Dhabi Police confirmed that a group of people had recently been apprehended for impersonating police officers.

Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence and those found guilty will be dealt with accordingly, he told Gulf News.

Verify credentials

All members of the community need to verify the identity of any person who claims to be a police officer, by asking them to produce their Identification Card (ID), a senior police official said.

As Gulf News has frequently reported, criminals pose as CID officials to rob people of their money and belongings.

The victims in such incidents are generally uneducated workers who are not aware of their right to ask the ID card of plainclothes police officers. Some hapless women have also become victims of such bogus CID officials.

As Gulf News reported on December 6, 2011, an unemployed man is being tried in a Dubai court for posing as a policeman, kidnapping a young woman from the beach, driving her to the desert and raping her.

The suspect, identified as H.J., 28 (a UAE national), was charged with impersonating a police official, kidnapping the 23-year-old Russian, M.A., and raping her. He was also charged with stealing her belongings.

Judge Mahmoud Al Sharshabi adjourned hearing on the case until later this month.

All members of the community need to verify the identity of any person who claims to be a police officer, by asking them to produce their Identification Card (ID), a senior police official said.

As Gulf News has frequently reported, criminals pose as CID officials to rob people of their money and belongings. The victims in such incidents are generally uneducated workers who are not aware of their right to ask the ID card of plainclothes police officers. Some hapless women have also become victims of such bogus CID officials.

As Gulf News reported on December 6, 2011, an unemployed man is being tried in a Dubai court for posing as a policeman, kidnapping a young woman from the beach, driving her to the desert, and raping her. The suspect, identified as H.J., 28 (a UAE national), was charged with impersonating a police official, kidnapping the 23-year-old Russian, M.A., and raping her. He was also charged with stealing her belongings.

Judge Mahmoud Al Sharshabi adjourned the case until later this month.

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Trio deny impersonating policemen

Dubai: Three men have denied posing as policemen, kidnapping a Pakistani worker and stealing Dh700 and his mobile phone before leaving him in Sharjah and fleeing.

Prosecutors accused the defendants, a 37-year-old Emirati and two Pakistanis aged 33 and 24, of forcibly kidnapping the worker, M.A., in Dubai and driving him to a sandy area in Sharjah where they left him after stealing his money and mobile phone.

The three defendants pleaded not guilty and denied the accusations when they defended themselves in the Dubai Court of First Instance Sunday.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said 33-year-old B.A. and 24-year-old I.A. beat up M.A. and posed as policemen. Then they forced him into 37-year-old H.M.'s car. The trio was charged with kidnapping M.A. and assaulting him inside the car before stealing his belongings, then throwing him out of the vehicle and fleeing.

Sting operation

The worker testified that the incident happened while he was sitting in a parking lot in Hor Al Anz.

"It was 9pm when B.A. and I.A. walked up to me and claimed to be policemen… when I asked them for their police ID, they asked me to shut up. Then one of them asked me to present my personal identification papers.

"Suddenly they grabbed me by my arms and forced me into the Emirati man's car. They told me that they would take me to the police station and call my sponsor to come. They refused to explain anything to me when I asked them why they wanted to take me to the police station.

"They drove to the highway which leads to the Maleeha area… then they stopped at a sandy spot. They assaulted me, stole my belongings, then they threw my wallet out of the car and left. Initially I did not resist because I believed that they were policemen…" M.A. claimed during prosecution questioning.

An Emirati lieutenant testified that police first arrested H.M., who was identified from his car plate number. The Emirati defendant cooperated with the police to arrest B.A. and I.A. in a sting operation.

The court will assign a lawyer to defend the suspects when it reconvenes on September 20.

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New policies to control speed limits on main roads

Abu Dhabi: Changing the colour of the asphalt, implementing speed control tapes on the roads and installing panels indicating new maximum speed limits are parts of an initiative to control speed on main roads across Abu Dhabi, officials said on Tuesday.

The new policy, meant to ensure smooth traffic flow and improved traffic safety standards, will be completed by the third quarter of this year, according to a spokesman from the Department of Transport.

The initiative is implemented by the Department of Transport (DoT) in Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate.

The program will seek to control vehicle speeds on main roads through four measures:

First, the implementation of systems to notify and alert drivers of the change and reduction in speed limits on main roads, such as changing the colour of the asphalt, implementing speed control tapes on the roads and installing panels indicating new maximum speed limits.

This initiative will be implemented in five new areas across Abu Dhabi and is expected to be completed by the third quarter of this year.

Second, changing the numerals on speed limit panels from Arabic to English numerals only. This change is being made to increase the visibility of speed limits to all drivers. These new panels, placed every 5 km instead of the current 10 km, will constantly remind drivers of road speeds.

Implementation of this initiative has already begun and is expected to be replicated on all main roads in Abu Dhabi by the second quarter of 2011.

Third, the installation of panels indicating the different speed limits to alert drivers of the different speed limits allowed on different segments of the same road. This initiative was recommended by Abu Dhabi Police and will be implemented on all main roads in the city by the third quarter of this year..

Police will enforcing the implementation of and adherence to traffic rules and regulations through continuous police patrolling.

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Fire breaks out at building in Sharjah

Sharjah: A massive fire broke out on Monday evening at a building under construction in Al Khan area, opposite Safeer Mall.

An official at Sharjah Civil Defence explained that the fire partially damaged the 21-storey building, and that the fire was suspected to have been caused by an electric short circuit.

The fire broke out at around 6:30pm and caused heavy traffic jams for commuters who were heading towards Sharjah via Al Ittihad Road.

However, no casualties or injuries were reported.

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Police assign BlackBerry pin to keep users posted

Dubai: A special BlackBerry pin has been assigned by Dubai Police to keep the public informed about their campaigns and activities. Police have urged BlackBerry users to add the pin 27875985 to their contacts on the Messenger service to communicate with the police and get the latest updates.

The allocation of the special pin for the public comes in line with instructions by Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai Police Chief, to use modern technology to ensure police awareness campaigns and services received the best possible responses.

Captain Saleh Abdul Rahman Al Saleh, acting director of security awareness at Dubai Police, said the service attracted over 1,100 subscribers in a matter of three days since its launch. The move would also serve the strategic goals of Dubai Police about spreading security awareness in the community, he said.

"This will serve people of all ages, as BlackBerry is one of the most used means of communications due to its affordability and ease of information delivery," he said.

BlackBerry services marked their start in promoting police campaigns with the traffic safety drive ‘Commit', launched last Sunday.

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Dubai Appeal Court confirms verdict

Dubai: The Dubai Appeal Court has confirmed that two men had consensual sex with a Turkmen businesswoman, who claimed she was kidnapped and raped in a villa owned by one of the men.

The Dubai Appeal Court confirmed the acquittal of a 41-year-old Russian businessman of kidnapping the 26-year-old, N.A.

Presiding Judge Mustafa Al Shennawi upheld the one-year imprisonment against the two men who were found guilty of having consensual sex N.A.

Earlier, prosecutors said 41-year-old M.G. forcefully kidnapped N.A. and locked her up in his villa against her will. He was also charged with consuming liquor.

M.G. and his 26-year-old Tajik friend, T.Q., were both accused of raping N.A. and M.G. was charged with assaulting the businesswoman and injuring her.

Altered charges

In April, the Dubai Court of First Instance cleared M.G. of kidnap. The primary court altered the charges from rape to consensual sex and jailed the defendants for one year. M.G. was handed two months in jail and fined Dh5,000 for assaulting the woman and consuming liquor.

Upon announcing the Appeal Court's verdict, Presiding Judge Al Shennawi said: "The court has upheld the primary verdict. The claimant's civil lawsuit has also been dismissed."

The defendants will be deported after serving their sentences.

"I didn't rape or lock her up in the villa against her will. We had consensual sex," argued M.G. when he defended himself in court.

T.Q. pleaded not guilty. He said: "Her accusations are baseless and malicious. I did not rape her. We had consensual sex."

N.A. testified that she got acquainted with the businessman in Sharjah Airport eight months prior to the incident.

The verdict is subject to appeal within 28 days.

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Inconsiderate motorist

A few weeks ago, from the window of my flat, I noticed a car parked on Passport Road, Abu Dhabi, right on top of a speed hump from 12pm until 4pm.

The motorist caused inconvenience to other drivers entering and exiting the parking area. Such inconsiderate behaviour from drivers is a menace to society. People who violate the law in this way must be penalised.

On seeing this incident, I felt I should do some service to our community and clicked a picture of the car.

How can a motorist park in this manner right in the middle of the road for over five hours? If the motorist indeed faced problems with the car, it still would not have stopped right in the middle, and could have been towed away or moved in an hour or so.

I would like to highlight this incident in order to let people become aware of the dangers and inconvenience such behaviour poses to others.

— The reader is based in Abu Dhabi

Be a citizen reporter. Tell us what is happening in your community. Write to us and send us your videos and pictures at readers@gulfnews.com

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Future of camel breeding

Dubai: Deep in the Dubai desert, some 25km from the centre of the city, veterinarians are working on a first-time project that could have historic implications for future camel breeds.

In the 150 hectare desert farm, 14 calves stand out among the 2,500 camels living there because they are the product of a new procedure through which farmers hope camel milk could become available to a wider pool of people in a shorter period of time.

Camel milk: The Emirates Industry for Camel Milk and Products (EICMP), is the world's first and only camel farm to specialise in milk production in large scale. 
       Videography: Sunita Menon, Reporting: Abbas Al Lawati

The Emirates Industries for Camel Milk and Products (EICMP) is a private project that was initiated and is supported by the Dubai Government.

The facility includes a farm and a milk processing plant that produces 4,500 litres of camel milk per day for the shelves of the UAE's supermarkets and to be shipped abroad.

The facility was set up to promote camel milk and camel milk products, and has been sold at reduced rates to encourage residents to adopt it.

EICMP is the world's first and only camel farm to specialise in milk production at that scale. The farm and veterinary sections are run by Dr Judit Juhasz, the chief veterinarian, and Dr Peter Nagy, the farm manager, who have over a decade of experience in camel breeding and embryo transfers.

Passionate about their jobs, both veterinarians have several favourite camels which they have named. Despite the large number of camels on the farm, they insist that they can recognise their favourites. The rest of the camels are known to them by numbers.

"You just learn to distinguish between the camels with time," shrugs Dr Juhasz as she feeds carrot snacks to the camels.

Turning the ancient practice of camel milk drinking into a consumer product, however, is not without hurdles. In markets where cow milk dominates, it is a challenge to have the product compete and remain feasible as a business.

While cows can produce up to 40 litres of milk a day and about one calf a year on average, camels produce seven litres of milk a day and one calf every two-and-a-half years in a 13-month pregnancy.

EICMP works around that through a selective breeding procedure that involves making one milk-producing mother have multiple offspring through surrogate mothers, which it developed with the cooperation of Dubai's Camel Reproduction Centre.

The process

The process involves having the high-milk-producing female camel produce more eggs, or ova, by being injected with a female hormone. The female is then mated with a selected male, or bull, and once the female's eggs are fertilised, they are removed from its uterus through a non-surgical "flushing" technique.

The veterinarians then identify the embryos under a microscope, clean them and manually inject each directly into a surrogate mother's uterus using a catheter. Six in 10 of such cases result in pregnancy.

"With flushing, we get out all the embryos. If we take 10 embryos we transfer them into 10 surrogate mothers," says Dr Juhasz.

The procedure ensures that one high producing mother can have up to 10 offspring instead of one, thus speeding up the breeding process and making the farm more efficient.

While selective breeding through embryo transfers in animals such as cows and even camels is not a new phenomenon, it has never been done in camels to improve their milk production.

It has not been proven yet whether, like other animals, high milk producing camels' offspring will produce similar amounts of milk. The veterinarians are hopeful, but will have to wait for the young calves to grow to determine their production levels.

For the past 20 years, camels have been selectively bred in the UAE for the purpose of racing. As with horses, well performing camels had been selectively bred to produce subsequent generations of racing camels. EICMP's innovation is, however, in that it selectively breeds camels to produce new generations of better milk producers. "We have camels from different regions of the world, and their milk production average is the same. This means that camels have never been selectively bred for milk production," said Dr Peter Nagy, the farm manager.

Through selective breeding, the veterinarians hope to improve milk production every generation. The 14 special calves are those that were born as a result of the procedure. Another 50 surrogate camels are currently pregnant.

Break-even point

"[The venture] is reaching its break-even point," said Dr Nagy.

The work being done at the farm has caught the attention of the outside world as word has spread about the nutritious value of camel milk.

Dr Nagy says it regularly serves as a stop for European diplomats touring the country.

The future potential for camel milk and products is huge, he says. While chocolate made of camel milk has already hit the shelves, there are plans for cappuccino and a possible future expansion into cheese, ice cream and milk powder and cosmetic products.

Importantly, he points out, it has also attempted to bring back to Emiratis a camel-milk drinking practice that was almost lost as society was urbanised.

"By introducing camel milk in schools, perhaps we can get the next generation of Emiratis to start drinking camel milk again," says Dr Nagy.

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Using inhaler can result in ending fast: fatwa

Dubai: Asthmatics who use an inhaler are ending the fast according to a Ramadan series of fatwas issued by the Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD).

The fatwa states that because the solution reaches the throat and eventually reach the stomach, it therefore ends the fast.

The list has been released to help Muslims clarify any concerns about fasting.

If the person fasting has to use an inhaler as a matter of life or death, he or she must make up for each broken day after Ramadan. But chronic suffers who must use an inhaler daily should refrain from eating and drinking to show respect for the month and go on taking the medicine. They must then offer ‘fedaya', an amount of either money or food for each day they failed to fast.

Medication

There are many kinds of medication for asthma, the most widely used of which is an inhaler containing oxygen, vapours and capsules.

The puffer uses a compressed gas which acts to expand the lungs of the patient. It in no way resembles food or drink.

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Reader's issue resolved

Bank charges

I opened a Kunooz Value Plus savings account with Dubai Bank last year and made regular payments into it.

In October 2010, I withdrew an amount and my balance went below the Dh1,000 mark. Since then there have been no transactions relating to this account. On March 13, 2011, I went to deposit Dh2,000 in my savings account and was surprised to learn that Dh75 has been deducted each month from October 2010 to February 2011 — around Dh375 in total. I found this practice unfair and deceitful for the following reasons.

1. At the time of opening the account, this was not stated in the account opening form and it was not explained to me.

2. Even their website which markets Kunooz Value Plus account does not state this.

3. Each month when the Dh75 deduction was made from my account, there was no SMS alert or warning sent on my mobile phone.

4. No monthly bank statements were sent to my P.O. Box mailing address either.

When I expressed my disappointment to the customer service manager at the bank, he stated that nothing could be done as this is the policy of Dubai Bank regarding account deposits less than Dh2,500. They only send an SMS and mail your monthly statement to your postal address whenever you deposit or withdraw money from the bank. Since I had made no transaction from October 2010 to February 2011, they had systematically been deducting Dh75 each month without the knowledge of the account holder.

In my opinion, even a deduction from an account is a transaction and Dubai Bank was obliged to ensure that the customer was notified.

From Mr Faroukh Summiullah Sunny
Dubai

The management of Dubai Bank responds: Dubai Bank takes the concerns of our customers seriously.

When any customer at Dubai Bank opens an account, they must agree that they understand the terms and conditions of the bank, one of which is the acceptance of the charge schedule, which is posted at every branch and on the Dubai Bank website. We encourage all our customers to thoroughly read through this documentation to fully understand their accounts.

After looking into this specific case, however, Dubai Bank has found that the customer did not receive SMS notification of the service charges nor the statements from November 2010 to February 2011 due to technical reasons.

We have initiated immediate action to rectify this and Dubai Bank would like to thank Mr Faroukh Sumiullah Sunny for bringing this issue to our attention and as a gesture of goodwill, we have arranged to reverse the SMS charges accrued during this time. 

Mr Sunny responds: Thank you for all your efforts. I am assuming the last line of Dubai Bank's response was meant to read that they have arranged to reverse the service charges accrued during this time and not the SMS charges. I will double check that when I receive my next bank statement.

In any case, I congratulate Gulf News for covering this issue in the right spirit. It would be very prudent if Dubai Bank rectifies the lapse and ensures that no other customer gets affected on similar grounds. 

Dubai Bank responds: Dubai Bank has reversed the service charges of Dh375 and resolved the matter to Mr Sunny's satisfaction. He has been advised accordingly. We would like to thank Gulf News for bringing this matter to our attention.

Mr Sunny responds: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Gulf News for acting as a community arbitrator and covering this issue in the right spirit. On the same note, I commend Dubai Bank for taking immediate corrective action and reversing all the bank charges.

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Tunisian PM arrives in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Tunisian Prime Minister Al Baji Ca'ed Al Sebsi arrived Monday in Abu Dhabi on a visit to the UAE.

He was received at the airport by Minister of Environment and Water Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd and a number of senior officials.

The Tunisian prime minister will meet President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Tuesday.

He will also hold talks with senior officials here on ways to strengthen fraternal relations between the two countries.

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UAE President expresses support for Tunisia

Al Ain: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has stressed the UAE's continued and diversified support for Tunisia to help it achieve economic stability and growth for the benefit of the Tunisian people. 

Shaikh Khalifa reaffirmed the UAE's support during a meeting he held on Tuesday with Tunisian Prime Minister Al Baji Ca'ed Al Sebsi at Al Rawda Palace in Al Ain. 

He also pointed out that the distinguished relations between UAE and Tunisia are based on fraternal and historical ties between the two countries and people. 

Shaikh Khalifa said that UAE was monitoring with keen interest the recent political developments in Tunisia due to the importance of this phase as a historical turning point for the Tunisian people. He expressed his confidence that Tunisian people can achieve their aspirations in a secure, stable and prosperous country. 

Shaikh Khalifa reaffirmed the UAE's keenness to provide the necessary support for the Tunisian people to help the country regain its position among other countries in the region and the world. 

For his part, the Tunisian Prime Minister expressed his pleasure with the visit and meeting with president Khalifa valuing the support of the UAE to the Tunisian people during this historical period. 

He also stated that Tunisia government and people are thankful for the support UAE has shown towards Tunisia, stressing the interest of his country to enhance cooperation and coordination with the UAE in all fields. 

Al Sebsi also briefed Shaikh Khalifa on recent developments in the country. They also discussed issues of mutual concern. 

The meeting was attended by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, Shaikh Saeed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler's Representative, Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Abdullah Ebrahim Ganem Al Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to Tunisia, Mohammad Al Saidari, Tunisian Ambassador to the UAE, and other Shaikhs, Ministers and senior officials. 

The Tunisian Premier was accompanied by Abdul Kareem Zbidi, National Defence Minister, Jalloul Ayed, Tunisian Minister of Finance, and other senior officials.

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Dubai Courts seeks to inspire better judgment on attire

Dubai: Dubai Courts has launched a new coat-lending service to help women caught in a quandary after finding themselves inappropriately dressed for court proceedings.

Judge Mohammad Yousuf, Deputy Director of Dubai Courts, said all judicial systems in the world require people approaching courts to wear formal and modest clothes, and that such a choice reflects respect for the judicial system and the authority of the state.

"People should have a respectful appearance and behaviour when they enter courts," he told Gulf News.

Both men and women should wear modest, formal and respectful clothing, and if they fail to do so, they are not allowed to enter the courts, he said.

Judge Yousuf explained that the law applies equally to men and women as wearing shorts, cargo pants, slippers and other casual clothes is not allowed for men.

Thani Khamis, Head of the General Services Section and the person behind the idea, said there were signs at the entrance of the Dubai Courts complex showing clearly that dressing modestly for men and women is a condition for entering the courts, which is in line with the UAE's Arab and Islamic culture and customs.

"Some women show up dressed inappropriately as they may not be aware of this beforehand," he said.

Good response

The step aims to help women who may have to return home to change their clothes, which can waste their time and delay their transactions, as well as delay the court hearings and procedures.

"Any woman who shows up inappropriately dressed will be lent a coat to wear during her visit to the court, which she needs to return when she leaves," Khamis said. When the coat is returned, it will be washed and ironed before being lent to another customer, he said.

The service, which was implemented last week, was welcomed by women visitors, who were spared the hassle of having to go back home to change and risk delaying their transactions, he added.

The service stems from the keenness of Dubai Courts to facilitate visitors' transactions without compromising the rules and respect for the court.

While being modestly dressed is a must to enter any court in Dubai and the UAE, Sharia courts in other emirates do not allow women in unless they cover their heads.

Other government departments do not display signs about a dress code, but a formal and modest dress code is implemented, while malls all over the UAE clearly stipulate acceptable a dress code, and courts have seen some cases against women who were deemed inappropriately dressed in public places. Sharjah saw a strict decency law implemented in 2002.

Illustrated reference

Dubai Courts employees received a detailed circular about the dress code regulations including an illustration of what acceptable attire looks like.

Clothes should not be revealing, see-through or tight. Shoulders should be covered and dresses or skirts should fall at mid-calf, at least.

Both men and women shall wear formal clothing and shoes. Flipflops and slippers are not allowed.

Shirts should not have obscene slogans or pictures, and torn or acid wash denim is also banned.

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Tailor sews up 180,000 beads to make giant rosary

Abu Dhabi: A visiting Jordanian tailor, who claimed to have made the world's largest rosary in number of beads told Gulf News he was working to get the accreditation of the Guinness World Records of the rosary which contained 180,000 of the best glass beads from Thailand.

Faris Al Faris, 35 year-old and a father of two children, came to Abu Dhabi this week with his 7-metre-long rosary that weighs 5 kg in order to show it to people who have interests in this kind of products.

"It took me 18 months, working 13-hour shifts every day to complete weaving the beads," Al Faris added.

He said a friend and a family member had inspired him to put together the largest rosary in the world. Al Faris lived in the village of Safoot near the Jordanian capital, Amman.

"It was his dream to make this rosary. Sometime ago he embarked on the project but eventually gave up when he found out it was taking so much of his time. I decided to make his dream come true," Al Faris said.

"When I showed it to him, he could only express his joy with tears," Al Faris told Gulf News.

Al Faris said the rosary he weaved has the largest number of beads in the world, a fact that was confirmed by the Guinness World Records,

"Getting an official certificate would need more work and a costly trip to show the rosary to the committee in charge of issuing the certificate," Al Faris said.

"The number of beads was not my focus but rather the content. What I wanted to carve on each bead was set clearly in my mind before starting the work," Al Faris added.

Most of the beads were small to medium size in addition to 131 very large ones.

Jordan's colours

"I chose colours that reflect Jordan's nature and weather; I used a very fine tool to carve on each bead an Islamic art design, except the first bead. Additionally I carved on the beads the 99 Holy Names of Allah. I then carved all prophets' names starting from Adam to Mohammad (PBUH) on the end of the rosary as well as the "Shahada" (affirmation of faith) on the top part," Al Faris explained.

Al Faris used a large blue bead surrounded by four pearls to separate sets of 33 large white beads. "This was followed together by a set of 100 small beads joined by a golden thread. All writings were in Arabic Kufi calligraphy font," Al Faris said.

"The design involved lots of mathematical works and calculations," he said.

Al Faris carved the UAE flag on the first bead to express his great love and appreciation to the UAE, its people and leaders and came to the UAE to display his work of art in the country he loves.

The world's longest rosary currently is registered under Mohammad Al Asiri, a Saudi, who set the record for the longest rosary of 150 metres using 1,500 beads.

Quality

Al Faris used golden threads and glass beads from Thailand; it was the best quality available in his city in Jordan.

Al Faris' friend contacted Guinness World Records hoping to have the rosary included in the Book of Records.

According to Al Faris' statement the Organisation agreed to look at it. However, he failed to get the financial support necessary to pay the airline ticket, hotel and other relevant expenses to the trip.

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Parking a daily misery in Abu Dhabi as Mawaqif fails to solve problem

Abu Dhabi: Parking woes continue to disrupt the lives of Abu Dhabi residents so much that some are planning their entire days around finding a vacant spot.

According to residents, finding parking space has become such a serious problem that it requires attention. Collecting fees alone is not a solution. A block that has three buildings with 145 apartments in total, has 22 assigned parking spots. That leaves about 130 residents without any allotted parking space.

When Gulf News spoke to residents about the new approach to parking, almost all said they were unsatisfied about the new Mawaqif parking system.

"Rules are well enforced and the authorities never hesitate to ticket violators. But not all tickets are just and fair," said I.S., a resident of Khalidiya, who received two tickets last month while legally parked in a zone designated to her block.

"I paid the first ticket because I didn't have time to debate it. But the second was not tolerable. When I confronted the Mawaqif attendant, he told me that my car was not registered in the system," I.S. claimed.

Endless form-filling

"A trip to the Mawaqif office was equally fruitless. After 90 minutes of waiting, the attendant confirmed that my car was indeed registered but nothing could be done about the ticket except to fill a form of a formal complaint. I was told I will get a call -back soon but no one called me back and so I had to pay again, unfairly," she added.

Another resident in the same area added: "After ten days abroad, I returned to find five tickets for being illegally parked, I went to Mawaqif's office and explained that my registration with them doesn't expire until September. They gave me five forms for complaints."

The parking system has become intolerable, according to Hana, another Khalidiya resident.

"I now have to give serious thought to how and when I use my car," she said. "I must now plan my return in time to find a parking spot. My family and friends don't want to visit often because parking has become a serious issue."

Hadi, another resident mentioned that "after a long day at work, sometimes I go around the block 10-12 times without luck".

"Most often, I have to go to the Corniche to park. That means a long walk back home and an additional expense of about Dh 2-3 per hour," he said.

"I paid Dh800 for a permit to park where I live but Mawaqif cannot get me a spot, " he claimed.

Meanwhile, resident Khalid, said: "I worry about parking problems at home and at work. My office is in the Electra area. Residents there illegally put cones to block parking spots, so we cannot park to get to the office."

S.T., another user of the system is appealing for Mawaqif to build more parking areas to accommodate him and his guests, especially after 9pm when they are not allowed to park around the building where he lives. He is also hoping that Mawaqif can sell the prepaid parking cards at the gas stations.

"I don't even find parking at the Mawaqif office," he said. "After running around for over 15 minutes I finally found a vacant spot but before I could back into it, another car forced its way in.

Despite several requests Mawaqif did not comment.

Noble intentions

Mawaqif is an integrated programme for the management of parking in Abu Dhabi.

The Department of Transport (DoT) had introduced Mawaqif in 2009 as part of its strategic plan to find the best possible solutions for transport and traffic-related issues, and parking in particular.

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