Tag Archives: opinion
Dubai International Airport braces for summer surge
Dubai International Airport braces for summer surge Lily B. Libo-on / 29 June 2013 Summer is here again, the time when a lot of expatriate families pack their bags and fly home, and residents visit cooler climes. Once again, airport authorities and travel advisors are bracing for the busy days ahead and reminding passengers of those dos and don’ts to make travel a smooth rather than harrowing experience. Dubai International Airport is preparing for the rush of not just outbound passengers but also tourists coming in as their numbers grew 18.9 per cent in May. Smart tips for travellers Say goodbye to loved ones at home to save time and avoid congestion at the airport Use online check-in facilities or self-service check-in kiosks in the departure hall to avoid queuing Ensure that each piece of baggage is within the 32kg allowance to avoid delays; you should expect to be charged for baggage in excess of the limit set by your airline Make sure any liquids, aerosols and gels you are carrying are in a clear re-sealable plastic bag. Each item should not be more than 100ml and the total content of all items should not be more than one litre. Unless absolutely necessary during the journey, it is simpler to pack them in your checked-in baggage Remember to put anything metal — watch, jewellery, mobile phone, coins — into your hand luggage well before you arrive at the X-ray machines, and save time at Security Screening As the world’s second busiest airport for international passengers, Dubai International Airport has come up with a number of new initiatives to ease the flow of passengers this summer. Majed Al Joker, vice-president, Terminal Operations at Dubai Airports, said this year was going to the busiest summer at the airport, and it would pose many challenges, “but the entire team at Dubai Airports is committed and ready to keep it smooth and easy for all our customers. Hence, aside from technological solutions, the airport has also boosted the numbers of trained customer service personnel deployed across the facility to assist passengers”. The new initiatives covered all important areas from the kerb to the boarding gates. “To reduce vehicular traffic in the forecourt at Terminal 3, Dubai Airports has rerouted all buses to the car park check-in, while seating capacity of Concourse B has been increased by nearly 30 per cent. Smart e-Gates have been increased to facilitate easy flow of passengers through immigration. Additionally, the introduction of automatic tray return machines in security check areas is also expected to ease the flow of passengers.” Though the fares of most major airlines are rising by 20 per cent, the increase has nonetheless stopped people from travelling to and from Dubai. Liezel Houghes, a British-American consultant in Dubai for the past five years, says that she has accumulated air miles that enable her to get a free air ticket to Turkey and neighbouring European states this Ramadan. “I travel annually towards the end of July and most of August where business slows down a bit due to Ramadan and the heat is soaring high in Dubai. Luckily, this year my travel is free due to my huge accumulation of air miles,” she says. A German specialist, Ludwig Schmidt, who has been here for three years, will go on vacation with his family to New Zealand as soon as the school holiday starts. “The fare is pretty high, yet this is a great chance to see my sisters there. What is important is this summer, we will escape the heat and will be rejoicing in a family reunion out there,” he says. Dubai International has recorded a passenger traffic of nearly five million for six consecutive months, up by 16.8 per cent to 27,124,195 compared to 23,216,893 during the first five months of 2012. In May alone, the airport facilitated 5,218,832 passengers, an increase of 18.9 per cent compared to 4,388,614 in 2012. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports which manages both Dubai International and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International, says that as a result of Emirates airline’s and flydubai’s expanding network, Western Europe topped the list of regions with the largest increase in total passenger numbers (+208,393), followed by the AGCC (+189,810), and the Indian sub-continent (+131,364). “Following the launch of flights by Qantas in May after the airline’s tie-up with Emirates, Australia was the fastest growing destination with 50 per cent growth in traffic and Saudi Arabia a close second (40 per cent) thanks to the post-liberalisation boom in the kingdom’s aviation sector.” India remained the top destination country in terms of total passenger numbers which reached 728,259 in May. In terms of percentage growth in passenger numbers, Eastern Europe remained the strongest market (87.3 per cent), followed by Australasia (45.6 per cent) and Asia Pacific (29.5 per cent). “Passenger numbers at the world’s second busiest international hub increase significantly during the season, which this year will coincide with the holy month of Ramadan boosting the traffic further,” Griffiths says. – lily@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Cyber security risks on the rise, study reveals
Cyber security risks on the rise, study reveals Issac John / 28 June 2013 Cyber security risks in the UAE are potentially increasing with social media becoming more available within companies, new study reveals. While 65 per cent of IT experts in the UAE believe the region is a prime target for cyber criminals, 63 per cent believe that the number of “successful cyber attacks” will decrease in the next 12 months, the research conducted by Gulf Business Machines (GBM) said. Across the globe, cyber crimes are growing and by 2017, the global cyber security market is expected to skyrocket to $120.1 billion. The estimated annual cost over global cyber crime is $100 billion, latest data reveals. The total global volume of cybercrime in 2011 was $388 billion, and in 2012, consumer cybercrime alone caused losses of $110 billion. In the UAE, experts estimate that three-quarters of Internet users in the country will become victims of cybercrime. Of that figure 75 per cent of the hacking is slated to happen around our bank accounts. And only one out of 10 is estimated to have installed anti-virus software on mobile phones. The GBM survey results reveal that 35 per cent of incidents are staff related, which can be avoided by increasing employee awareness. “ The security landscape in the UAE has continually evolved in recent years, largely due to the increase of cyber crime. The results of the research also highlights that 21 per cent of respondents said their organisations have not been conducting regular proactive screenings to ensure that their IT infrastructure and critical data are protected. Respondents are expressing a false sense of security as the survey shows that 63 per cent of respondents believe that the number of successful attacks will decrease in the next 12 months,” the GBM report said. “Companies are more aware of IT security issues than ever before. Although organizations are showing more interest in pre-emptive measures against possible cyber threats, they are not always taking the appropriate measures,” said Hani Nofal, director of Intelligent Network Solutions (INS) at GBM. “Nearly half of the organizations polled spend up to 10 per cent of their IT budget on security. However, we expect this number to increase in the future,” said Nofal. Similar GBM research conducted last year showed that just over a third of those polled claimed that their organisations’ IT policies completely prohibited access to social networking websites. Today, this number has been cut in half, indicating that more businesses are adopting and embracing social media. “Companies in the region have been exploring social media as a new way of communicating with the public. Enterprises are, therefore, opening their internal networks and allowing access to social media. This is increasing the potential of cyber risks for organizations and making them more vulnerable to cyber security attacks,” said Nofal. A report published in the January issue of 999 Magazine, the official English monthly of the Ministry of Interior, revealed that cyber-attacks had mostly targeted the banking sector, including both the ATM and Internet banking applications, in the UAE. The banking sector topped the list of the most eyed target (35%) while the remaining 65% attacks were launched against the government’s e-services, telecommunication systems, and educational institutions’ systems, according to the report. To address this problem, most of police general headquarters in the UAE have established cybercrime and organisational security units. They also have computer forensics teams that specialise in obtaining, recovering, examining, analysing, and presenting electronic evidence stored on computers or other electronic devices. Cloud computing has also become an ideal target because of its reliability and scalability. In 2012, a new legislation came into force in the UAE codifying the full range of cyber crimes that can be committed and the resulting penalties. The UAE is the first country in the Middle East to implement such a wide-ranging cyber crime law. The law has been introduced in response to increasing levels of cyber crime in the UAE, brought about by rapidly evolving technology and the growth of transactions conducted via the internet. The new law, which builds on the previous 2006 law, is far more comprehensive in its nature and scope. — issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
SummerFest lets the fun begin
SummerFest lets the fun begin Staff Reporter / 28 June 2013 The annual SummerFest Abu Dhabi, the emirate’s blockbuster seasonal promotion, kicked off on Thursday. The 52-day event, which includes a three-day, first-of-four ‘STOMP at Emirates Palace’ show until August 17, spans mid-summer, the Holy Month of Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr and the destination’s traditional EidFest celebrations. “These high-energy STOMP performances will get SummerFest Abu Dhabi off to a rousing start with new music and choreography and two recently added routines — ‘Trolleys’ and ‘Frogs’ — which have never been seen before in the UAE,” said Sultan Al Muhairi, Manager, SummerFest Abu Dhabi. Tickets start at Dh150 with residents booking through www.summerfestabudhabi.ae and GCC show goers able to book through leading regional travel agents. Organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) to build the destination’s seasonal appeal, SummerFest Abu Dhabi features sizzling hotel deals with free tickets to some of the emirate’s leading leisure attractions. Guests booking a minimum of three nights’ stays at any of 40 participating Abu Dhabi hotels during the festival — with the exception of Eid — will receive free tickets to Yas Island’s headline attractions — Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, world’s largest indoor theme park, and the award-winning Yas Waterworld, named the Middle East’s leading attraction by the World Travel Awards. “With a new identity and our longest-ever line-up, SummerFest Abu Dhabi sends a resounding message that there is now much more to see and do in Abu Dhabi,” added Al Muhairi. “We anticipate huge interest in our Adnec hub with its world-class schedule of live Show World performances while the line-up at du Forum on Yas Island adds to the entertainment appeal for all ages.” At Show World, an action-packed bill of 98 shows over 47 days features seven blockbuster acts performing twice-daily during week-long runs at Adnec. With varied performance times, the Show World schedule sees regional premieres of 90-minute live action shows from Cartoon Network’s Lazy Town and perennial favourites Bananas in Pyjamas during its opening fortnight. By the time Cartoon Network’s Ben10 rounds out Show World proceedings in mid-August, the international stars of Scooby Doo, Freej and Sesame Street will all have trodden the Adnec boards. Tickets to Adnec, which include entrance to Show World, are Dh40 for adults and Dh20 for under-12 children while kids under two-years-old enter free. “SummerFest Abu Dhabi is one of the emirate’s key events during summer months and we anticipate thousands of visitors attending this year’s festival and enjoying a delightful calendar of family-focused activities at Adnec,” said Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Chief Commercial Officer at Adnec. Elsewhere, the side-splitting United Nations of Comedy makes its UAE debut at du Forum on July 4 and 5, before international sports stars including tennis star Tim Henman, ex-Manchester United and England striker Andrew Cole and seven-time NBA champion Robert ‘Big Shot Rob’ Horry take centre-stage during ‘SportFest’ – a programme of weekly jiu-jitsu, tennis, badminton, basketball and football clinics, masterclasses and tournaments rolling out during Ramadan evenings. Other Abu Dhabi attractions are getting in on the SummerFest act with their own seasonal activities. Al Forsan International Sports Resort, the multi-sport facility behind Abu Dhabi Golf Club, is running summer camps from July 10 to August 3. — news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
