Tag Archives: lifestyle
Over a million to get Iftar meals from families
Over a million to get Iftar meals from families Olivia Olarte-Ulherr / 19 June 2013 Over a million people are expected to benefit from the Iftar meals prepared by families across the UAE during the holy month of Ramadan. Now in its fourth year, the initiative by the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation (KBZF) aims to provide for the needy while fostering entrepreneurship among the Emirati population. Mohamed Hajji Al Khoori with representatives of the institutions sponsoring the Ramadan project at a Press conference in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. — KT photo by Nezar Balout According to Mohamed Hajji Al Khoori, director-general of the KBZF, the foundation signed a contract this year with 587 families to prepare 100 meals per day, which comprises chicken biryani and dates for the fasting Muslims and needy people living in labour housing clusters and industrial areas across the country. These include the industrial cities of Mussafah in Abu Dhabi, and Al Quoz and Al Ghurair in Dubai. About 1.76 million Iftar packages are expected to be distributed all throughout Ramadan. “This is the seventh year of our Ramadan project, but for the local ladies, we have the agreement with them for four years now,” said Al Khoori. The initiative started in 2010 in the Western Region with only 40 Emirati women. But this increased to 400 in the second year from across the country, and about 600 in 2012. This year, 256 are from the Abu Dhabi emirate — 121 in Abu Dhabi City, 84 in Al Ain and 51 in the Western Region — 82 from Dubai and 249 from the Northern Emirates. “We are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to help low-income families by sourcing out creative and sustainable projects that provide them with the necessary long-term financial support,” Al Khoori explained. As part of the agreement, each family is given Dh63,000 as the start-up capital which would be used to buy the ingredients for the Iftar meals, including rice and chicken. The rice is provided by the foundation at a minimum cost. “This is a very good way to create a job for them, to start business from their homes without expense. It is also good to teach their kids and for the whole family to start learning the business,” Al Khoori told Khaleej Times. The whole family usually contributes by helping with the packing of meals. “We request for 100 meals per day but we found out they prepare more than 100. In Ramadan, everybody is trying to help the people in need,” he pointed out. In order to make the programme successful and sustainable, the women have undergone basic training on food hygiene and safety according to catering standards. They have also received eligibility certificates by the Civil Defence to cater from their homes and regular spot checks are carried out in Ramadan during meal preparation. Established in 2007, the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation is committed to providing aid and assistance to people everywhere — locally and internationally — regardless of race, sex or religion. Last year, the foundation provided financial support in distributing Iftar meals in 58 countries worldwide including the US, France, Switzerland, Australia and countries in Asia and Africa in coordination with the UAE embassies in those countries. This year, 60 countries are expected to benefit from this generous initiative by the UAE leadership. olivia@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Dubai resident kills deadly snake at home
Dubai resident kills deadly snake at home Amanda Fisher / 19 June 2013 In the last month, Adnan Farhat has faced a house fire, an excess load of unwanted whiteware deliveries and he has now had to kill a deadly snake. Khaleej Times wrote about the Al Warqa resident last week after he was inundated by deliveries for unsolicited goods. While those have now stopped, the drama has continued, when about 7pm on Monday evening, as he was in the garden with his family, he noticed a snake slithering up the stairs into his house. Farhat said he grabbed two brooms and cornered the snake, identified by Dubai Municipality Wildlife and Zoo specialist Dr Reza Khan as a saw-scaled viper — the most deadly in the country. Khan said it was “very rare” to find one of these snakes in human dwellings, with the non-venomous hissing sand snake a much more common discovery. “I held it (with a broom) and used the other one to hit it, but no matter how hard I was hitting, it was still trying to attack me…it was jumping, but it was killed eventually,” Farhat said, estimating the whole episode lasted about five minutes. Farhat, who said the snake was only about 45 centimetres long but very aggressive, said he had been scared to tackle the snake but he did not have any other option. “I didn’t lose my nerve. My kids and wife were around and they were all scared. I was the only one who could handle it, if I let it go, then it could go into the garden and become a bigger threat for us as well as our neighbours.” Farhat’s wife and four children, aged between eight and 17, were worried overnight as they had read online that other snakes would use their strong sense of smell and go to the location of a dead or wounded snake. “We did not know what to do after we killed it — if there’s one there maybe more around it, you never know.” When he spoke with the municipality officials on Monday evening, they had told him they would come to the house to inspect it and spray the area with a deterrent. By Tuesday evening no one had appeared and if they did not, he said he would contract a private company in an effort to keep any future stray snake from wandering in. “Some relatives, when I was moving to this area, warned me there could be snakes but I didn’t believe them…but now I believe it.” Farhat said for now he and his family were hoping the next drama to hit would be a positive one. Khan said while it was rare to hear of a snake being found in a house, those who lived in areas such as Al Khawaneej, Mirdif, Mushrif, Al Awir and areas beyond Jumeirah and the Mall of the Emirates “could expect a snake or two once in a while,” as these areas were built in their former habitat. “These (areas) were snake country during the 1990s.” There was also a seasonal pattern, with snakes moving from the sparse vegetation of the desert to human habitations in semi-desert areas with the advent of summer. However, there had not been a noticeable number of snake finds recently and sightings appeared to be becoming less frequent, he said. “In general, snake numbers are going down because human habitations or urbanisation takes over the land once occupied by snakes.” How to handle a snake Dubai Municipality Wildlife and Zoo specialist Dr Reza Khan advised anyone who found a snake in or near their homes to attempt to kill it with a strong stick. However, he underscored no one should kill snakes that are found in the desert, which is their natural habitat. Khan also requested people to take photos of the snakes and send them over to him through the municipality at info@dm.gov.ae , so he can identify the snakes. news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Sufouh Tram test run held in France
Sufouh Tram test run held in France Staff Reporter / 19 June 2013 Trials of Al Sufouh Tram to be operated in Dubai were held in France on a 700-km-long test track. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), watched the technical test in the facilities of Alstom Company in France. During the trial run, which was done at various speeds, tests on the safety system, electric propulsion of the coaches, braking system, sudden stops during emergencies, ground power feed of the track, overhead power feed and doors operation mechanism were conducted, according to a release from the RTA. “This test run is a milestone in the implementation of Al Sufouh Tramway Project, which is being planned, designed and constructed in conformity with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, calling for the provision of a sophisticated transit system to serve Jumeirah Beach Residence, Marina and Al Safouh neighbourhoods,” said Al Tayer. Al Sufouh Tram is considered the first of its kind outside Europe fed by ground power cables and the coaches will be shipped to Dubai from December. The RTA will commission other tests at the track site and these tests will continue till the official launch of the tram service in November 2014. The tram system is 14.6km long and runs along Al Sufouh Road, and the initial phase of the project envisages the construction of a 10.6-km-long track starting from the Dubai Marina and stretching up to the Tram Depot near the Dubai Police Academy. There will be 17 passenger stations, 11 of which with 11 trams are covered in the first phase, and 14 trams in phase II. The trams are expected to carry about 27,000 riders per day at the start of operations in 2014, and the ridership is bound to pick up to hit 66,000 per day by 2020. Each tram measures 44 metres in length and can carry 300 people with First Class (Gold Suite) and one cabin designated for ladies and children as well as a Silver Class cabin. The tram’s carriages and stations will have deluxe interior finishings, and feature state-of-the-art technologies in the transmission and display of entertainment materials. In the stations, the passenger lounge will span 44 metres and is set to be equipped with automatic fare collection systems. The practice test was also watched by Adnan Al Hammadi, CEO of Rail Agency; Abdul Rida Abu Al Hassan, Director of Rail Planning & Development Projects; Dr Khalid Hamdi, Projects Advisor of the Chairman of the Board & Executive Director; Dr Kamal Adeer, Systems Manager at the Rail Agency; Mohammed Amiri, Manager of Rail Coaches Maintenance; Ali Lootah, Senior Engineer; and a host of executives from Alstom. – news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
