Global Village Extended for 42 Days...

The success of the 18th edition of the Global Village has encouraged its management to extend operations until April 12. The extension by 42 days is the longest one so far in history, according to a Press statement. This will allow visitors to continue enjoying all the 30 pavilions and the Fantasy Island rides brought to the Middle East for the first time by the Mellors’ Group.

A carnival theme will ensure that visitors enjoy tastes from across the world. Live performances by Nikhil D’Souza, Bollywood’s latest singing sensation will be an added attraction.

The Global Village aims to promote talent in the UAE by providing them a platform to showcase their skills. Street performers and talented individuals will have the chance to perform at the venue during the extended season.

Students from schools have also been invited to perform. Those wishing to participate can email to info@globalvillage.ae

The musical fountain, stunt and cultural shows and popular shows such as the Orbis and Level Up will continue.

'Hemayati'(my protection) Application

Called ‘Hemayati’ (my protection), the app allows parents to keep track of their youngsters throughout the day. A free smartphone app designed to let parents keep tabs on their children is now available in the UAE, the Ministry of Interior announced.After downloading the app to their smartphones, parents will be able to see where their children are at any given time. In the case of suspected danger an emergency button can be pressed that automatically calls the authorities for help.

Only parents can activate the application, which is available exclusively in the UAE, This initiative is part of 169 electronic services and 30 smartphone apps launched by the Ministry of Interior.

Maj Gen Nasser Lakhribani Al Nuaimi, Secretary-General of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, said the app relates to the country’s upcoming seven-year agenda, which is concerned with the field of security to make the UAE the safest country in the world.

In a bid for UAE residents to feel totally secure, the agenda includes reducing the response time for emergency calls to four minutes.Parents across the capital welcomed the step, adding they will be avid users of the app.

Meanwhile, Major General Ahmad Nasser Al Raisi, Director-General of Central Operations at Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, added that extra security measures have been taken to ensure information shared among family members remains private.

Police officials added the app’s ability to request children’s locations will enable parents to be aware of how well a school is running its transport services. Each family will be given a private ‘group’ on the app and guardians and information shared in this closed circle will remain within it, a police statement said.

National ID card numbers will be used to sign up for Hemayati to ensure that parents downloading the application have the authority to do so. After receiving approval, parents can instruct their children to download the app to their own smartphones. Guardians will also have the option to hide their own location if they wish to do so. Each person will have a password for access and the app will be limited to families with children.

'1971 Initiative' will kick off on March 3

The ‘1971 Initiative’ ordered by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, to coincide with ‘Education Day’, will start its first three-month edition on March 3.

The online quiz competition, 1971 questions will be asked about the UAE’s history in a three-year-long campaign. In each year’s edition, there will be 71 winners, who will get Dh50,000 each. In total, Dh3.55 million could be shared by the winners in the three editions in three years.

The competitors must be UAE nationals or Arab-speaking residents. They have to visit on www.mubadara1971.ae to register by entering their identity numbers. The participation will be open to all from the age of 16. The organising committee of the initiative will set the contest criteria.

The Board of Directors of the ‘1971 Initiative’ announced the details of the contest at a Press conference on Tuesday.The board said the mass information contest will kick off on March 3. The event will be widely covered by mass media.

“1971 Initiative, Our history, Our identity”,

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown

Prince and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, Tuesday launched a mass national competition called the ‘1971 Initiative’.The UAE-wide initiative, which will last three years, includes citizens and residents asking 1971 questions about the UAE's past and future.

For each year of the three-year campaign, there will be 71 winners, who will get Dh50,000 each for their questions and contribution.

The initiative will begin in March each year and continue for three months.

Reduce the Carbon Foot Print and Save the Earth, Dubai Muncipality

For one day you use any of the public transports(Metro,Bus or water transport) to go to your work and register in the link http://carfreeday.dm.gov.ae/Register.aspx, you may win a sports bicycle and you can really reduce the carbon footprint[Dubai Muncipality].

The Dubai Municipality is giving away 100 sports bicycles to winners chosen among people registering to take part in its Car Free Day on February 19.

Residents have been urged to register online through the link http://carfreeday.dm.gov.ae/Register.aspx to pledge using any means of public transport and help reduce the carbon emission caused by cars.Dubai Municipality to give away 100 sports cycles to winners chosen among people registering to take part in Car Free Day on February 19. 

What is Carbon Footprint?

The amount of carbon dioxide or other carbon compounds emitted into the atmosphere by the activities of an individual, company, country, etc.

Fees Increases Approved for Dubai Schools,2014-2015

A senior official of Dubai’s school regulator, The Knowledge Human Development Authority(KHDA) has confirmed that fee increases have been approved for 17 schools for the academic year 2013-2014.

In an interview with the Sharjah based Arabic daily Al Khaleej Mohamed Ahmed Darwish, Chief of Regulations and Compliance Commission, at the KHDA said that the authority had received 31 applications to increase school fees.

Of these 12 were from non-profit private schools and all have been approved. Seven of these had preliminary approval last year, according to the regulations. Parents at two leading British curriculum schools Dubai College and JESS had been informed earlier this year of their intention to seek fee increases for the coming academic year.

The report quoted Darwish as saying that fee applications of the other five for-profit private schools have been approved and the applications of two other schools were still being studied.

The majority of parents in the UAE pay fees themselves (62%) so the news will no doubt evoke heated debate as household budgets are set to be stretched again come next September.

The report claimed that the authority ignored the requests of 14 for-profit private schools because they did not comply with the regulations.

Ittihad Bridge will replace the existing Floating Bridge

Etihad Bridge, which will replace the existing Floating Bridge, comprises 12 lanes (six in each direction) in addition to a footpath in each direction. It measures 61.6 metres in width and has an arch that rises 100 metres. The bridge is set to provide free traffic movement in both directions and will allow free navigation round the clock as it rises 15 metres above the creek water level and has a 400 metre-wide navigation line, enabling the passage of bulky ships underneath.

By the end of this year, the RTA will award a contract for constructing Ettihad Bridge near the Dubai Creek Park and Dubai Courts on the Bur Dubai side, and near Deira City Centre and the Dubai Golf Club in Deira.

The New City, "Mohammad Bin Rashid City"

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice- President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced the establishment of a new city within Dubai, setting new benchmarks in urban development in the region.The new "Mohammad Bin Rashid City" will be located between Emirates Road, Al Khail Road and Shaikh Zayed Road, and will include Mohammad bin Rashid Gardens Project.

The new city, which will be called “Mohammad Bin Rashid City”, will feature world class leisure facilities and provide an integrated environment for the development of entrepreneurship and innovation.

The first component focuses on family tourism, and will include a park that is equipped to receive 35 million visitors and the largest family centre for leisure and entertainment in the Middle East, Africa Indian subcontinent and region.

This centre will be set up in collaboration with Universal Studios and include over 100 hotel facilities to meet the needs of visitors from the region.

The second component, focusing on retail, will feature the largest shopping mall in the world. The third component will include the largest area for arts galleries in Mena.

The fourth component will see the development of a unique area that will provide an integrated environment for entrepreneurship and innovation in the region.

Today the last Day to win the Mega Prizes, DSF2014

Al Ghurair Centre:

Spend Dh200 to get a Scratch & Win coupon for instant prizes. 

 http://www.alghuraircentre.com

Arabian Center: 

Spend Dh200 to enter the weekly draw for 100 grams of gold (2 winners) or 50 grams of gold (1 winner).

http://www.arabiancenter.ae

Dubai Mall: 

Spend Dh300 to enter the grand draw for a new Lamborghini.  

www.thedubaimall.com

Deira City Centre:

Spend Dh300 at any store to enter the draw to win a dream trip with your family to any destination in the world.

http://www.deiracitycentre.com

Dubai Festival City: 

For every Dh150 get a chance to win gold jewellery worth Dh200,000.

http://www.dubaifestivalcity.com

Dubai Outlet Mall: Spend Dh250 to get a coupon to the draw for a new Jeep Grand Cherokee.

http://www.dubaioutletmall.com

Ibn Battuta Mall: 

Spend Dh200 to get a raffle coupon for the weekly draw to win Dh5,000.

http://www.ibnbattutamall.com

Lamcy Plaza: Spend Dh200 to enter the weekly draw for 100 grams of gold (2 winners) or 50 grams of gold (1 winner).

http://www.lamcyplaza.com

Mall of Emirates: 

New Bentley, home makeover worth Dh100,000 and a trip for 2 to Rio de Janeiro up for grabs.

http://www.malloftheemirates.com

Mercato Mall: 

For every Dh200 spent, get a ticket to the grand draw for an Infiniti QX 70 and other prizes.

http://m.mercatoshoppingmall.com

Mirdif City Centre: 

Spend Dh300 at any store to enter the draw to win a dream trip with your family to any destination in the world.

http://www.mirdifcitycentre.com

Oasis Mall: 

Shop for Dh200 and enter the draw for the chance to play Money Mania and grab up to Dh500,000 in shopping vouchers.

http://www.oasiscentremall.com

Sahara Centre: 

Spend Dh200 for a chance to win 1 of 2 Land Rover Defenders or a safari trip to Kenya.

http://www.saharacentre.com

Town Centre Jumeirah: 

For every Dh200 spent, get a ticket to the grand draw for an Infiniti QX 70 and other prizes.

http://www.towncentrejumeirah.com

DSF 2014 Ends Today!

DSF organisers will give away prizes worth up to AED 2 million to four lucky winners Today.

Some 31 lucky winners have each driven home two Infiniti cars(QX60 and G25) and a cash prize of AED 100,000 each for the past 31 days since the draw started on January 2. But at the closing of the event, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and organisers of DSF, said they will give away eight Infiniti cars and AED 400,000 to four ticket-holders on Sunday.

This year’s total value of prizes is AED100 million, which includes luxury cars like Lamborghini, Bentley, BMW, Infiniti, and Nissan plus an apartment, 32kg of gold and cash.