Sports
Abu Dhabi airport to get VIP terminal
Abu Dhabi airport to get VIP terminal (Wam) / 19 August 2013 A VIP terminal is set to open at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the coming months, and whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure, the luxury surroundings, private drop off area and dedicated team of staff will be on hand to ensure a relaxing start to your trip. As part of its Capacity Enhancement Programme (CEP) and in line with its ambition to provide a world class travel experience, Abu Dhabi Airports Company will open the VIP terminal which will be available to all interested travellers. The terminal will be operated by National Aviation Services (NAS), an internationally recognised aviation services provider, which also provides Golden Class services in Terminals 1 and 3. Through the VIP terminal, passengers will experience a unique personalised service ensuring completion of all travel procedures in the fastest manner possible while enjoying a range of services within the private terminal. Scheduled to open its doors in the 4th quarter of 2013, the VIP terminal will be available to all passengers flying to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport at a pre-set fee, and will offer added privacy, convenience and luxury — a completely new proposition. The terminal will have its own facilities, separate from those of Terminals 1 and 3, which include a dedicated drop off area, with a new road being built specially to accommodate it, and will also provide separate immigration, police and baggage handling services to its passengers. Chief Commercial Officer at Abu Dhabi International Airport Mohammed Al Bulooki, said: “Abu Dhabi Airports Company is committed to providing the best services to airlines and passengers despite the existing capacity challenges. In 2012, the airport saw an 18.9 per cent growth in passenger traffic compared with 2011; and, with the strong growth registered to date this year, traffic in the upcoming years is expected to follow the same if not an increased growth trend.” He added that the new VIP terminal, spanning 924 square feet, will add to the handling capacity of the airport, accommodating the foreseen growth. Guests using the new terminal will be welcomed and escorted by a special services NAS agent to facilitate check-in, baggage and immigration procedures, as well as escort guests to and from the aircraft directly utilising a limousine service. NAS’s chief executive officer Hassan El Houry said: “NAS is proud to partner with Abu Dhabi Airports Company once again in our mutual endeavour to offer passengers world class luxury and a unique travel experience. The VIP Terminal will…provide style and sophistication for travellers, on par with the best airports in the world. With its seamless immigration and baggage handling services, and private limousine services directly to and from the aircraft, the VIP Terminal is set to take “travel in style” to the next level.” Continue reading
Premature twins battling for life, await financial assistance
Premature twins battling for life, await financial assistance Lily B. Libo-on / 19 August 2013 Premature twin boys, Aadi and Arnav, born to an Indian father and a Filipina mother, are fighting for their lives in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Dubai Hospital and are in dire need of financial assistance from kind-hearted individuals. Their mother, Andrea Rivera, married to Gaurav Rawat, an Indian, was scheduled to give birth on November 26 this year but they were born prematurely on August 2, just six-and-a-half months into Andrea’s pregnancy at Mediclinic City Hospital, after she suffered from profuse bleeding. Both the parents are working here in Dubai, but their health insurance cards could only pay the Mediclinic City Hospital for 11 days of incubation at the rate of Dh10,000 per child per day, since the birth of their twin sons. They could no longer use the same health insurance cards to pay for the hospitalisation of their twin sons in Dubai Hospital, where the twins were shifted on August 11 for another two-month incubation. “We have been asked to make a down payment of Dh40,000, which I took as a cash advance from my company. Dubai Hospital is charging us Dh3,900 daily for each baby in the NICU. But, still we decided to shift our twins to this government hospital. In Mediclinic City Hospital, we were daily being charged Dh3,500 a baby for the incubator alone, in addition to Dh1,400 for the ventilator, and then every time the doctor came to check on them, we had to pay for professional fees plus prescribed medicines that totalled our bill for 11 days to be Dh220,00,” Andrea said. She said that Dr Laila Matar Al Muhairi, head of NICU at Dubai Hospital, told her that Arnav, the younger twin, still has an open pipe in his heart, which needs to be closed either by medication or if, after some time, through operating on him. “With operation, we have to raise Dh800,000 to Dh1,000,000. Of this, some Dh450,000 more or less will go for the NICU. Our health insurance card can no longer cover this payment, so we are asking kind-hearted individuals to help us save our twins,” Andrea said. “They are our first babies, and we want to do the best for them. My husband and I are both earning but even if we merge our monthly income, we may not be able to raise the said amount for their hospital bills,” she added. “We humbly beg for your generous and kind assistance to help our twin babies. This is not an easy step for both of us, but we set our pride aside for their welfare, as they are still in the Dubai Hospital. The heart pipe of my elder twin Aadi is closing, but he is still receiving medication, which started at Mediclinic City Hospital, for the same. We will appreciate your kindness and compassion. God bless you and your family,” Andrea said. lily@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Mohammed: Bureaucracy inhibits innovation
Mohammed: Bureaucracy inhibits innovation (Wam) / 19 August 2013 His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has said bureaucracy and routine are counter-productive and inhibit innovation and excellence, referring to the importance of developing government administrative work. “Let us be advocates of innovation and excellence. Our mission is to join forces and make our beloved country rank top globally in terms of services provided to citizens,” he said, as he paid an inspection visit to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) on Sunday. Shaikh Mohammed, Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed and Lt-Gen Shaikh Saif bin Zayed looking at the old passports displayed at Al Dana Museum in the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai on Sunday. — Wam Shaikh Mohammed underlined the significance of tolerance and respect for the rights of people irrespective of their religion or ethnicity, stressing the value of enriching the welcoming experience for visitors who enter the country by means of air, sea and land. During the visit, Shaikh Mohammed was briefed on the efforts being made to streamline workflow at the directorate. He was accompanied by Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; Lt-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; Lt-General Musabbah Rashid Al Fattan, Director of the Office of the Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Director- General of Dubai Protocol and Hospitality Department; Major-General Nasser Lakhraibani Al Nuaimi, Secretary-General of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister; and a number of senior officials. Shaikh Mohammed was also accompanied during his tour to the departments and sections GDRFA Director-General Major-General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, who briefed him on the transactions carried out by various sections at the department. Al Marri pointed out the efforts and technology adopted by the GDRFA to streamline workflow with aims to reduce transaction time to a minimum and raise output. Shaikh Mohammed stopped at the Entry Permits and Visa Department, where he was briefed on the daily work carried out by the employees before visiting the Online section where transactions are processed swiftly. Shaikh Mohammed inspected the numerous facilities designed to make people’s visit to the department as comfortable as possible such as the waiting places dedicated for women. He also stopped at Al Dana Museum within the GDRFA headquarters which displays passports dating back to the establishment of the UAE. The Electronics Services Department was the next stop where Shaikh Mohammed listened to a briefing on the various projects carried out by the department such as the electronic link project with different Dubai Government entities. The department successfully processed over five million e-Transactions and received over 500,000 SMS service requests through “Jadid” service last year. During the first quarter of this year, the GDRFA processed more than three million e-Transactions and received more than 400,000 SMS service requests. He also stopped at the Call Centre operated by GDRFA staff. Shaikh Mohammed expressed satisfaction with the high level of proficiency the GDRFA staff had and their dedication to their work which, in turn, reflected the civilised and advanced status of public services in the UAE. Continue reading
