UAE Aircrafts to participate patrols enforcing the U.N.-mandated no-fly zone over Libya

Fighter jets from the United Arab Emirates have arrived at an air base in Sardinia to support the coalition operation in Libya, a French armed forces spokesman said on Thursday.

Spokesman Thierry Burkhard told a news briefing he could not confirm any details on the actual deployment of the planes in the campaign against Muammar Gaddafi's forces, who are pitted against rebels trying to topple the longtime Libyan leader.

A defence ministry spokesman said that there were 12 UAE planes in Sardinia.

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan said last Friday that his country had committed to sending 6 F-16 and six Mirage warplanes to participate in patrols enforcing the U.N.-mandated no-fly zone over Libya.

Qatar was the first Arab country to contribute planes to police the zone last Friday -- a move that helped the United States to argue that the Western-led air strikes have Arab support.

(C) Reuters Africa

Tourism booms again in Dubai, Thanks to unrest in other parts of ME

Regional turmoil is creating an unexpected boom for Dubai as tourists and businessmen flock once again to the shopping and skyscraper oasis after fleeing just a few years ago in the wake of its spectacular debt debacle.

Visitor numbers are noticeably higher in Dubai's gleaming malls and restaurants, and hotels are ecstatic as rooms fill up and deals are done.

"It has been a windfall. There are 65,500 hotel rooms and apartments in Dubai, and they were all full. There was not a single one available," said Guy Wilkinson, managing partner at Viability Management Consultants, a hospitality consultancy.

"Dubai occupancy has been better, unfortunately, since the unrest started. It lives a charmed life through big events in the region."

Occupancy rates have surged for hotels and hotel apartments in the emirate since a wave of unrest hit the region. Hotel occupancy in Dubai increased by 7.9 per cent in January compared with the same month in 2010, data from STR Global showed. February data is not yet available.

However, Dubai is still off its peak, when free restaurant tables and taxis were as rare as water in the desert.

The main driver, however temporary, appeared to be business.

"We're seeing a number of clients, particularly among large multinationals, that have moved people and operations to Dubai," said Nabil Issa, Dubai-based partner at law firm King and Spalding. "The common theme is becoming 'get them out of Bahrain and send them to Dubai for a while'."

Issa said the flow of deals has virtually dried up in Egypt, Bahrain and Oman, prompting banks and other international businesses to switch their attention to Dubai.

"It's become the place to meet with one another and negotiate a deal," said one Bahrain-based public relations executive who had moved operations temporarily to Dubai.

"You'll see the coffee shops at the (Dubai International Financial Centre) and boardrooms are full with business executives trying to close deals that may have been delayed if they had waited it out in Bahrain."

Clubs and restaurants catering to the financial industry are witnessing an influx of clients from countries affected by unrest.

"There are members from our club in Bahrain who have moved to Dubai temporarily and they are using the club here frequently," said Russell Matcham, chief executive of Capital Club Limited, which runs Dubai's Capital Club.

"We have also seen senior Saudis more in the club recently as Bahrain has been off limits. Interest in membership has increased dramatically and we are getting three or four enquiries per day."

A DRAW FOR TOURISTS

Besides businessmen, tourists are staying away from travel hotspots such as Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh, now known as the beach town where President Hosni Mubarak fled at the height of the uprising. Tunisia, seen as ground zero for regional unrest, is also off the tourist map.

"We changed our plans when we saw TV pictures of the huge rallies and violence in Egypt. We originally wanted to head to Sharm el-Sheikh," said Reinhold Fleischhacker from Germany, as he boarded a sightseeing bus at the Dubai Mall with his family.

Dubai has world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, the Gulf's only indoor ski slope and has built an artificial palm-shaped island complete with resorts.

Even more extravagant projects were being dreamt up when the cranes came to stop and construction sites fell silent when the asset and property bubble burst as the global financial crisis drew easy money away from Dubai and the region.

The unexpected influx of business and tourism -- in other words cash -- is a welcome boost for the emirate, which has struggled with an estimated $115 billion debt thanks to the collapse of the real estate market.

The International Monetary Fund expects the Dubai gross domestic product to rise by 2.8 per cent this year, compared with 0.5 per cent in 2010.

Dubai might be one of the few places in the region to see growth increase on a year-on-year basis amid political turmoil in the Gulf, said Rachel Ziemba, senior research analyst at Roubini Global Economics.

Ziemba cautioned that the initial boost might not herald a long-term positive outlook for the emirate.

"Dubai and, more broadly, the UAE is somewhat sheltered and could see some benefit of tourism flows," she said. "However the scope of the unrest and particularly its escalation to regions like Bahrain means even Dubai is not immune."

(C) South Morning Herald (Australia)

Dubai: Serviced vs unfurnished apartments

For the first option all the necessary furnishings and services such as maintenance, cleaning and laundry are available


With many consumers looking to avoid numerous hidden costs of housing, fully serviced apartments can offer convenience compared to bare flats and villas.


Serviced accommodations are popular among leisure and business travellers who want to cut their travel budgets, but they might just be a good alternative for working expats who opt for a hotel style or hassle-free living.


Serviced apartments come with all the necessary furnishings and services that you get from hotels, such as maintenance, concierge, cleaning and laundry. Essentially, all you need to carry with you is your toothbrush and wardrobe.


If you are planning on being in Dubai for a short time and not planning to settle, then I think this is a great option and there is so much on offer now. When you add up how much you pay to set up home in Dubai, it definitely makes economic sense.


Serviced studio apartments can now be had for Dh6,000 to Dh7,000 a month in Dubai Marina or Jumeirah Beach Residences, or even lower (Dh5,000 to Dh6,000) in the Greens.


Another option for hassle-free renting is furnished apartments. Furnished studios can cost anywhere between Dh4,000 and Dh9,000 a month. These units are ready to move into, so there is usually no need to spend money on furnishings and utility connections. Some landlords do take care of everything, from internet to Dewa bills, maintenance and cleaning services, but others require tenants to pitch in.


So, the furnished/serviced apartment option will work for those on a tight budget or who need a temporary, hassle-free stop-gap until they're ready to settle.

Dubai Homeowners have sleepless nights due to overhead costs

Dubai Homeowners struggling with their commitments on maintenance and service charges have another cost overhead to reckon with.


With owners’ associations having formally started to take control at various developments, individual owners are required to take out insurance on their own properties.


Failure to do so could end up costing them a lot more if some mishap originating within their property leads to widespread damage to the adjoining ones. But by the looks of it, the local freehold sector needs to go through a steep learning curve before homeowners start giving this issue a lot more thought.


“Individual owners — and even the owners’ associations — are generally ignorant of their insurance requirements and the types of cover available,” said Munroe Deysel, an independent insurance adviser on jointly-owned properties. “There is a lot of education required, not only as to what insurance is appropriate but also what is legally required.”


Therein lies the nub of the issue. In the absence of owners’ associations, it was the developer or the landlord who was legally required to take property insurance cover.


But these responsibilities are for the owners’ associations to bear as soon as they take over the running.


For the individual property owner, the transition from landlord to owners’ associations represents a world of difference.


(C) Zawya

UAE's first federal rail (country wide) link to be ready in early 2013

The United Arab Emirates' Etihad Rail said its first route will be completed in early 2013 between Habshan and Ruwais in Abu Dhabi as part of its 40 billion dirhams ($10.9 billion) project to build a rail network. The first route will transport granulated sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export. The project, which will take seven to eight years to complete, will eventually include a rail network of 1200 km in the UAE. The rail will also be linked to Saudi Arabia and Oman. Construction of the first phase will begin in the second half of 2011.

Etihad Rail, capitalized at 1 billion dirhams is 70 percent owned by Abu Dhabi's government and 30 percent by the UAE's federal government. "The railway network will form an imperative part of the country's infrastructure and promote integration between various methods of transportation," Nasser al Sowaidi, chairman of Etihad Rail said.

"The railway will also form a vital part of the greater GCC railway network, facilitating trade, opening up communication channels and fostering economic and infrastructure development." The second phase will see the construction of the remainder of the Abu Dhabi emirate network as well as a connection to Dubai. The final phase involves extending the rail network to the country's northern Emirates. The rail network will transport some 50 million tones of freight and 16 million passengers for the next 20 to 30 years.

For the first phase, three major contracts have been tendered, said Richard Bowker, CEO of Etihad Rail. The largest is the infrastructure contract and the remaining two are for rolling stock, he said, adding that 21 firms have been prequalified for the contracts. He declined to give a value for the first phase contracts.

The UAE is a federation of seven members with Abu Dhabi as the capital. Dubai, the second largest member, has had a metro rail system since September 2009.

(C) Yahoo Maktoob