Current Final

Tag: UAE

  • Govt allows Dubai ruler to export 150 rare falcons despite ban

    In spite of a ban on the trade of falcons under wildlife protection laws, the federal government has granted permission to Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, to export 150 falcons of rare species from Pakistan to the United Arab Emirates.

    According to a report in Dawn, the Dubai ruler needed younger falcons to hunt houbara bustards, and a permission in this regard has been issued by the foreign ministry.

    The permit issued on Sept 15 this year read: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs…has the honour to inform that the esteemed embassy may export one hundred and fifty (150) falcons from Pakistan to the United Arab Emirate (UAE) for personal use of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al Maktoum, vice president of UAE and ruler of Dubai, from Karachi/Bahawalpur/Rahim Yar Khan/Islamabad/Quetta.”

    “In this regard, the concerned authorities have been requested to accord facilitation for the export of one hundred and fifty (150) falcons from Pakistan to UAE,” the notification read.

    The permission, however, will create challenges for Pakistan as it is a member of various wildlife conservation treaties. The newspaper reported that Pakistan is a signatory to treaties that ensure the protection of wildlife, such as the Switzerland-based Conven­tion on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES).

    Also, due to a ban on the trade of rare falcons, there are no markets in the country that would deal in the ‘legal trade’ of these species, which meant that the Arab exporter will have to seek these birds in the black market. By allowing this trade, the government and the exporter will be guilty of patronising this illegal wildlife trafficking, the news report added.

    In addition, the export of these birds would also hurt Pakistan’s standing in the eyes of the European Union and the country may lose the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Plus for violating international conservation treaties, the newspaper quoted sources as saying.

    The GSP+ status facilitates the easy access of Pakistani exports to the highly lucrative market of the European Union.

  • New UAE law allows unmarried couple to live together

    New UAE law allows unmarried couple to live together

    The Government of United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced an amendment to its personal and family laws in an attempt to improve living standards for the country’s multicultural residents.

    Under the new laws, men and women who are not married or related can now freely live together.

    Drinking alcohol will also no longer be an offence. Residents will no longer need an alcohol license to consume alcohol in a private or unauthorized space. However, individuals must still be over the age of 21 to purchase or consume alcohol.

    Additional changes to the law apply to couples undergoing a divorce, where the laws of the country where the marriage took place will be now used if the wedding wasn’t in the UAE.

    Punishments will be harder on men who harass women, including street harassment and stalking, with severe consequences for someone who commits an act of rape.

    Several other law changes related to the court system, inheritance, judicial procedure and mental health have been outlined, with more details expected to follow.

  • Woman fined Rs 0.65m for calling man ‘shameless’ in public

    Woman fined Rs 0.65m for calling man ‘shameless’ in public

    A woman has been fined Dh15,000 (Rs0.65 million) after she called a man ‘shameless’ in a public space, The News has reported.

    The verdict was announced by the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeals, according to which, the defendant had called a young man ‘shameless’ in a mall. 

    Following the incident, the man filed a complaint against the woman, followed up with a civil suit claiming Dh100,000 in moral damages.

    The civil court, in addition to court fees, ordered the defendant to pay Dh15,000 in compensation.

    However, the woman appealed the ruling, saying that the man had attempted to stalk her daughter and pass on his contact details to her. 

    The appellate court rejected this appeal, as there was no evidence regarding the provocation by the man.

  • Imame Kaaba wants Muslims to make peace with Jews; hints at normalisation of Saudi-Israel ties

    Imame Kaaba wants Muslims to make peace with Jews; hints at normalisation of Saudi-Israel ties

    A debate is continuing on social media ever since Abdulrahman al-Sudais, the Imam of the Grand Mosque of Makkah, hinted at possible normalisation of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel during the Friday sermon.

    Imam Sudais is a senior religious leader in Saudi Arabia and is also the president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.

    In his Friday sermon, Imam Sudais spoke of peace and kindness with non-Muslims, making specific reference to Jews. He highlighted the importance of Muslims respecting other faiths and underlined several stories about interactions between Jewish people and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

    He mentioned how the Prophet (PBUH) dealt with a Jewish neighbour who eventually converted to Islam and also advised people to remain loyal and obedient towards the leaders and authorities and to stay away from the “misguided factions and groups”.

    The Imam’s remarks about peaceful coexistence are not controversial in any way but the timing of the sermon amid geopolitical changes in the region has sparked an online debate as they came less than a month after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — a close ally of the Kingdom in the Gulf — recognised Israel, leaving questions on Saudi Arabia’s next move in this regard.

    The statements have caused unrest among Muslims on social media who blame the cleric for exploiting the platform of Islam’s holiest mosque to make ground for the Saudi government.

    Here’s what Twitterati have to say about it:

    https://twitter.com/d_iplo/status/1301928122602971137

    While one user said that the sermon was against Imam Sudais’ traditional stance on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, another one shared the videos of two contrasting sermons of the Imam — one, in which he calls to save Al-Aqsa Mosque from the abomination of aggressors, and the second, which prepares the ground for acceptance of Israel.

    https://twitter.com/be4after/status/1302223008199774209
    https://twitter.com/aqadir23/status/1302557731362992129

    Muhammad al-Mukhtar al-Shinqiti, a Mauritanian author, saw the sermon as a misuse of the Grand Mosque to promote normalisation and call for the obedience of the “murderous rulers”.

    Have anything to add to this story? Let The Current know in the comments below.

  • UAE dispatches fighter jets to support allies against Turkey

    UAE dispatches fighter jets to support allies against Turkey

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is once again deploying its air force in support of allied countries that share its strong opposition to Turkey’s attempts to extend its military reach in the Eastern Mediterranean and Libya.

    The UAE is sending between two and four warplanes to the Greek island of Crete for joint training exercises with the Hellenic Air Force following talks between senior Greek and Emirati military officials. 

    The UAE’s air force previously participated in military exercises in Greece in 2019, with Emirati pilots flying alongside their Israeli counterparts, among others. 

    What’s notable about this deployment, however, is its timing. France has also just sent two Dassault Rafale jets to Crete in a show of support to Greece as its dispute with Turkey over gas and oil exploration and drilling rights in the Eastern Mediterranean and the delineation of maritime boundaries escalates.

    Turkey recently sent warships to escort a research ship for a drilling survey in waters claimed exclusively by Greece.

    On August 14, one of these warships suffered a minor collision with a Hellenic Navy warship that the Greek side said was an accident. On August 22, Turkish air and naval forces carried out exercises in the Aegean Sea that included F-16 jets in a show of force. 

    Turkey has a significantly larger air force than the UAE, as well as Greece, that consists of over 200 F-16s and 40 F-4 Phantoms. The UAE has over 70 F-16s and about 60 French-built Mirage 2000s. While smaller, the Emirati fleet flies more advanced F-16s than the Turks: the Block 60 one-seater E and two-seater F variants built especially for the UAE air force.

    Turkey and the UAE have been locked in an increasingly bitter cold war in recent years.

    Turkey’s incumbent ruling party, alongside its close ally Qatar, is a strong supporter and patron of Muslim Brotherhood groups across the region. The UAE and Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, strongly oppose the Brotherhood and support regimes that suppress it, such as President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s regime in Egypt. Both countries also began blockading Qatar in July 2017. Turkey and the UAE have also been on the polar opposite sides of regional proxy conflicts, most notably the one in Libya. 

    The UAE’s decision to send some fighter jets to demonstrate its support of Greece in its dispute with Turkey is another example of Abu Dhabi’s consistent opposition to Ankara’s regional policies in this multi-front cold war. 

    UAE allies Egypt and France also strongly oppose Turkey’s policies in the Eastern Mediterranean and support Greece. These policies also include Turkey’s drilling for natural gas in the Republic of Cyprus’ economic exclusion zone (EEZ) and its agreement with Libya’s UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) to create an EEZ that claims huge swathes of the Mediterranean between their two distant coasts.

    Today, it’s still highly unlikely Turkey and the UAE jets will clash. Nevertheless, such a possibility cannot be totally dismissed out of hand so long as both rivals continuously find themselves facing each other down in tense flashpoints like the Eastern Mediterranean and volatile conflict zones like Libya.

    The article originally appeared on Forbes.

  • ‘Mangoes in Lamborghini’: Pakistani store’s delivery initiative becomes a sensation in Dubai

    ‘Mangoes in Lamborghini’: Pakistani store’s delivery initiative becomes a sensation in Dubai

    Pakistani mangoes are popular worldwide and recently a Pakistani Supermarket started a ‘Mangoes in Lamborghini’ drive that went viral in Dubai as it offers a short joyride in the supercar.

    It has doubled the sales of mangoes since its launch in mid-June. Minimum order of Dh100 is required to avail the offer.

    Speaking to Khaleej Times, managing director of the Pakistan Super Market Dubai Jhanzeb Yaseen said, “There is no commercial aim behind the campaign. I want to spread the message of happiness and love and the response is overwhelming.”

    He said mango sales had increased by more than 100 percent and most of the customers are now registered for ‘Mangoes in Lamborghini’ with a minimum waiting time of one week.

    The regular van delivery service is also available but customers are keen on receiving their purchase in the supercar, he added.

    Video Credits: Gulf News

     “I was expecting a good response from Pakistani and Indian community as they love mangoes. But I’m surprised residents from Western countries are also huge fans of Pakistani mango varieties such as Langra, Sindhiri, Anwar Rattole and Chaunsa, among others,” he said.

    “The campaign has gained popularity since the Lambo mango delivery videos have gone viral on social media. Now I’m planning to extend the service to five days a week to cater to more buyers and clear the backlog,” he said.

    Pakistan is home to about 250 varieties of mangoes and is the fifth largest producer of the fruit in the world after India, China, Thailand and Indonesia.

  • Another Etihad plane from UAE carrying medical aid lands in Israel

    Another Etihad plane from UAE carrying medical aid lands in Israel

    United Arab Emirates (UAE) flag carrier Etihad Airways sent its second flight to Israel in less than a month on Tuesday, carrying medical aid to help Palestinians tackle the coronavirus pandemic, witnesses and officials said.

    Jordan and Egypt aside, Arab countries have no official diplomatic ties with Israel, but Gulf Arab nations have had ever more publicly warm ties with Israel of late, partly over shared rivalry with Iran.

    In mid-May, the UAE flew its first publicly announced flight to Israel, also an Etihad flight carrying coronavirus aid for the Palestinians.

    But Tuesday’s aircraft bore for the first time the logo of the Arab carrier, a source with knowledge of the flight told AFP.

    It is “the first time that a plane carrying Etihad’s marking is landing in Israel”, the source said.

    Israel’s foreign affairs ministry confirmed that Tuesday’s flight was the second one to Israel from the UAE.

    “It is the second direct flight from the UAE and it has medical aid for the Palestinians,” the ministry said.

    The aid “will be given to the UN to distribute,” it said.

    Palestinian premier Mohammed Shtayyeh said the Palestinians had not been informed about the flight.

    “The Emirati plane took us by surprise, we didn’t know about it,” he told foreign journalists at the Palestinian Authority headquarters in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

    He voiced appreciation for the aid but said the delivery should have been coordinated.

    “When China decides to help us, they coordinate with us, when any country in the world is extending its assistance, they tell us,” he told foreign journalists in Ramallah.

    In another sign of warming ties between Israel and Gulf Arab nations, the Jewish state Tuesday congratulated the UAE on its bid to launch the first Arab space probe.

    That and the latest flight came as Israel prepares to potentially move forward in July with annexing its West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley.

    A peace plan announced by US President Donald Trump in January gave the green light for such annexations as well as creating a reduced Palestinian state, crucially lacking a capital in east Jerusalem.

    The Palestinians have rejected the proposals and Shtayyeh said Tuesday the Palestinians had submitted a counter-proposal to the Quartet mediating in the conflict, namely the United Nations, United States, Russia and the European Union.

    Analysts say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes Arab states normalising with Israel will push the Palestinians to reach a peace deal, not the other way around.

  • Around 10,000 Pakistanis lose jobs in UAE amid coronavirus outbreak

    Around 10,000 Pakistanis lose jobs in UAE amid coronavirus outbreak

    Due to the coronavirus outbreak in United Arab Emirates (UAE), 10,000 plus Pakistanis have lost their jobs, The News reported.

    Moreover, around 35,000 Pakistanis have registered with the consulate in Dubai in a bid to return Pakistan, Consul General Ahmed Amjad Ali Said.

    The officials informed that preparations are underway to bring back the stranded Pakistanis.

    Besides, “Tourists, unemployed and the elderly will be given preference,” as per evacuation policy.

    The screening measures have been completed at the Dubai airport but bringing Pakistanis back in such large number in very challenging for the authorities.

    According to Pakistani diplomats, Pakistan is a big labour supplier to the UAE — more than a million Pakistanis — who are living and working in UAE.

    In March, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Division Moeed W Yusuf had assured the nation that the government was in touch with the authorities of those countries where Pakistani passengers are stuck in transit.

  • ‘No special flights between Pakistan, UAE,’ officials warn people of travel agents’ scam

    ‘No special flights between Pakistan, UAE,’ officials warn people of travel agents’ scam

    The Pakistan Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued a warning about a ticket scam involving travel agents offering to book tickets on “special flights” from the UAE to Pakistan.

    “Flights between Pakistan and the UAE are suspended and there is no announcement of any special flights from UAE to Pakistan so far,” said a statement issued by the Embassy on Tuesday.

    The statement added that the embassy would announce if any special flights would be offered, while stressing that there will be an official announcement whenever normal flight operations between Pakistan and the UAE resume.

    “This is to inform Pakistani community members in the UAE that some agents are offering tickets for ‘special flights’ from the UAE to Pakistan. Beware of such people and instead contact the respective airlines to confirm the flights before purchasing any tickets,” the embassy statement went on to say.

    The Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai reiterated the warning on its Twitter account.

    “Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai has not announced any special flight to Pakistan of any airline yet. The consulate will not be responsible for any such ticket purchases.”

    Thousands of Pakistanis are stranded in the UAE after flights were suspended amid the global coronavirus outbreak.

    It is understood that Pakistanis’ data is being collated to assist the government in formulating plans for repatriation.

    The Foreign Ministry in Pakistan is also believed to be working out how to bring back stranded Pakistanis from around the world, with some flights already being operated.

  • Saudi Arabia’s energy company ‘Aramco’ worth’s $1.7 trillion after a historic IPO

    Saudi Arabia’s energy company ‘Aramco’ worth’s $1.7 trillion after a historic IPO

    Saudi Arabia has recently turned Aramco (Arabian-American Oil Company) in publicly owned enterprise. By making it a public entity – that investors can buy and sell shares in the stock market.

    Shaybah

    In the Initial Public Offering (IPO) phase, the worth of the company has plunged to $1.88 trillion that break all the records of the recent decades.

    The offering price of Armaco shares were 32 Riyals ($8.53) and people bought the shares of $25.6 billion – eclipsing Alibaba’s $25 billion IPO of 2014.

    Moreover, seconds after the debut on Riyadh’s Tadawul exchange, the price per stock rose to 35.2 riyals. This development further boosted the energy giant’s valuation.

    Haradh Gas Plant (Aramco)

    On the launch ceremony, the Chairman of Aramco Yasir Al-Rumayyan said “Today the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is no longer the only shareholder of the company. More than five million shareholders have joined including citizens and residents, in addition to Gulf countries and international investment institutions. The kingdom is immensely proud of this day.”

    It was the strategy of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman to overhaul the oil-reliant economy.

    The IPO process had put the energy giant’s value at $1.7 trillion, far ahead of other firms in the trillion-dollar club, including Apple and Microsoft.

    The listing of Aramco, with its huge capital value, boosts the Saudi bourse — known as Tadawul — to the ranks of the world’s top ten.