Newsletter 20/2018

FESTA DI FAMIGLIA – EVERY SATURDAY AT CERTO
Enjoy an afternoon of sharing homemade Italian food served to your table. Let the kids be entertained with pizza making classes, face painting and a magician!
Where: Certo Italian Restaurant
When: every Saturday 11:30 am – 3:00 pm
Price: AED 109 per person – Eight-course sharing menu including: salad, soup, pasta, main course, pizza, dessert and a bottle of wine! (one bottle per two adults)
To book call +971 4 366 9187 or e-mail to certo.mediacity.dubai@radissonblu.com

WHY UAE IS BEST PLACE FOR EXPATS
Strongly maintaining its status as a dream destination among foreigners, the UAE has been rated the 10th-best location for expats worldwide, fourth-best for economics and sixth-best country in terms of salaries. According to HSBC’s Expat Explorer 2018 released on Wednesday, bigger salaries is the top reason for expatriates to move into UAE followed by career growth and quality of life. Nearly 67 per cent of UAE expats have more disposable income, thanks to higher earnings and the tax-free environment. The absence of tax system also attracts expats to UAE.
Source: Khaleej Times

NEW TECHNOLOGY TO BOOST QUARRYING INDUSTRY
New technologies such as drones and 3D modelling have been playing a key role in the UAE’s quarrying industry, helping to increase safety and improve efficiency, experts at the RAK Quarrying Show said. Philip Angell, CEO of VPS, a company which provides drones for quarry surveys, said that drones-as-a-service (DaaS) is the way forward. Wael Jaber, sales manager for the Middle East and Africa, Dassault Systemes, spoke about creating sustainable value with 3D modelling and simulation and how having the right data is invaluable.
Source: Khaleej Times

DUBAI PROPERTY NETS DH162 BILLION IN FIRST 9 MONTHS OF 2018
Dubai’s real estate market recorded 39,802 real estate transactions worth Dh162 billion from the beginning of 2018 till the end of September, according to a report released by the Dubai Land Department (DLD). This compares to Dh204 billion worth of real estate transactions achieved in the first nine months of 2017, done through 52,170 transactions. Real estate transactions in Dubai totaled Dh111 billion in the first six months of 2018 and Dh285 billion for the whole of 2017. In the list of top 10 areas in terms of the number and value of real estate transactions in Dubai during the first nine months of 2018, Business Bay topped the list with transactions worth Dh5.3 billion. Dubai Marina came in second place. In terms of mortgages, Dubai Marina listed 736 transactions worth Dh2.2 billion, Al Thanyah Fifth came in second with 640 transactions totaling Dh1.4 billion and Business Bay recorded 590 transactions exceeding Dh3.7 billion, topping the list in terms of value.
Source: Khaleej Times

GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK: IT’S ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL
Industry-leading entities and personalities will gather at Gitex Technology Week 2018, which is pegged to be the biggest edition ever of the Middle East’s premier IT showcase. All the figures in this year’s edition are expected to top last year’s gathering: over 100,000 visitors and more than 4,500 exhibitors are to fill up the 1.3 million sqft of exhibition space across 21 halls at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Even more enticing is the over 290 hours of seminars and conferences over the five-day-long event, which begins on October 14. The UAE, particularly Dubai, has been at the forefront of utilising increasingly-popular technologies – artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, Big Data and data centres, among many others – gaining global recognition and putting it firmly in the lead within the region.
Source: Khaleej Times

NEW DUBAI-SHARJAH ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TAKES SHAPE
Connecting Mohammad Bin Zayed Road with Emirates Road with a new 12km link that is expected to bring 30% drop in traffic between the two Emirates. Set to be ready early next year, the DH500 million project will work as an extension of Al Khail Road heading all the way along Buisness Bay Crossing, Rabat Street and Tripoli Road, which is being extended to connect with the Emirates Road. The new project will help motorist gain a quicker access to Emirates Road via Mirdif along Tripoli Road.
Source: Gulf News

LIGHTS ON! DUBAI GARDEN GLOW OPENS FOR A NEW SEASON
The Dubai Garden Glow (DGG) – “the world’s largest unique theme park” – puts the switches on for its fourth season. After the whopping success of the previous chapters, this year’s theme is ‘Glowing Safari’. African wildlife has been recreated innovatively and uniquely, with incandescent animals all around, colorful flower valley with dynamic, moving blossoms, a glittering butterfly trail. The park is lit by 10 million energy saving bulbs. Other than the Glow Park, Dinosaurs Park and Ice Park, DGG presents, for the first time Art Park, boasting artworks and installations using recyclable glass, porcelain, plastic bottles/dishes and CDs.
Source: Gulf News

DUBAI AIRPORT TRIALS “SMART TUNNEL”
Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) rolled out the pilot phase of its “Smart Tunnel” at Dubai Airports’ Terminal 3, which allows passengers to go through passport control procedures in just 15 seconds. Passengers who use the new system wil simply walk through the biometric recognition system without having to stamp their passports. “The smart tunnel was made n the UAE. We have worked with the idea for four years. The project is aimed at continuing to offer the best in airports, especially in view of the growth in passenger numbers”, commented Major-General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director of GDRFA.
Source: Arabian Business

SAUDI’S FIRST HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY OPENS TO PUBLIC
Saudi Arabia’s new high-speed railway opened to the public on Thursday. The Haramain High Speed Rail system will transport passengers 450 kilometers via the Red Sea port of Jeddah at speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour. Two trains, each carrying 417 passengers, departed from Makkah and Madinah at 8am (0500 GMT), according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. The new link will slash the travel time Makkah and Madinah from several hours to 120 minutes, transport officials said.
Source: Khaleej Times

LUBNA OLAYAN TO BECOME FIRST CHAIRWOMAN OF PUBLICLY-LISTED BANK IN SAUDI
Prominent Saudi business woman Lubna Al Olayan has been named the chairwoman of the board of directors of a new bank resulting from the merger of Saudi British Bank (SABB) and Alawwal Bank. This marks the first time a woman will head the board of a publicly-listed bank in the Kingdom. The boards of the two banks on Thursday approved the merger that will result in the creation of the Kingdom’s third-largest lender.
Source: Khaleej Times