Downtown Dubai - The Centre Of Now

www.mydowntowndubai.com

Downtown Dubai Twitter

Downtown Dubai Facebook

Eid: special buses and free parking

108 special buses to tour 23 routes, while car parking’s free from October 25 to 28

Dubai: Special express shuttle services will be introduced at various locations across Dubai during the Eid holidays, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced.

The service is part of RTA’s arrangements to offer greater convenience to commuters during the Eid rush, which includes around the clock Metro and bus operations, extra taxis and buses as well as additional parking arrangements around malls and parks.

“We are looking to provide as much convenience to people as possible. We want to make sure every person in Dubai has a choice of his transport around the clock at all locations,” Eisa Abu Rahman Al Dossary, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency.

A total of 108 special buses on 23 routes will serve shoppers and visitors for Eid celebrations, which includes an express shuttle from Al Ghubaiba and Etisalat metro station to Global Village.

The service will operate between 1pm and 1am from Thursday to Sunday.

Express shuttle services will also operate around all hot spots, including Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Zaabeel Park, Al Seef and Creek Park.

Al Dossary said that the RTA planned its services in a balanced way so as to cater to all segments of the society and across different areas of Dubai, though their primary focus is areas around malls and parks, which are likely to be congested.

RTA has also announced free parking for motorists across the city from Thursday October 25 to Sunday October 28.

Parking fees will be applicable from Monday, October 29.

However, paid parking systems will continue to be applicable during the Eid Holidays at Deira Fish Market and all the RTA’s multi-storey parking buildings.

All the RTA’s service centres, vehicle testing and registration stations and other offices will remain closed during the Eid holidays, the centres will resume work on Monday October 29.

However, the RTA affiliated driving centres are following different holidays.

Emirates Driving Institute, Belhasa Driving Centre, and Drive Dubai, will be off from the first Eid day and resume service on Monday October 29. Al Ahli Centre will be off during the first Eid day only and resume duty on Saturday 27 October. Galadari Centre will be off on the first and second days of Eid and is set to resume duty on the third day.

All the RTA’s transport services will be operational with extended timings during the Eid holidays. The Metro will remain open until 4am ,while many buses will run for 24 hours.

All public bus stations will operate from 6am and continue up to midnight throughout the holidays. The Metro Feeder Bus Stations, such as Rashidiya, Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta, Abu Hail, Etisalat, and Burj Khalifa Stations, will be following Metro timings.

The inter-city service operates for 24 hours from Al Ghubaiba and Gold Souq, while subsidiary stations such as Sabkha, Union Square, Deira City Centre and Karama will be operating from 6am to midnight.

The working hours of marine transit systems during Eid holidays will be as follows: Water Bus from 7am to 10pm, Ferry Dubai from 9am to 7pm, and the Water Taxi from 10am to 3am, starting from Thursday and during the first and second Eid days only.

Gulf News

Nol payment for cabs from next year

RTA to extend marine transport network to 450 km around Dubai

Dubai: Passengers will be able to use Nol cards to pay their taxi fares from early next year, a senior Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official announced at the 37th Interferry conference, which opened on Monday at Grand Hyatt hotel in Dubai.

The three-day conference and exhibition was inaugurated by Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

The Automated Fare Collection system (Nol) which currently serves to make payments for Metro, buses, water buses and parking facilities will be extended to taxis as well, said Eisa Abdul Rahman Dossari, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency (PTA), speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of conference.

He said the decision to introduce the system has already been approved by the RTA’s higher committee and technical details now are being worked out. “We are working out the technical details and studying various options to implement the system on taxis and we should be able to start the service by early next year,” Al Dossari said.

He said that the convenience of commuters was behind the move to introduce Nol card payment for taxis. “We will leave options open for the commuters, if they want to pay by Nol or cash, they can do it. We will even start a credit card payment system soon on taxis, which is already available on water taxis,” he added.

He said that the next phase of the initiative would see Nol payment being extended to water taxis as well but no timeframe has been set for such a move.

The Interferry conference saw around 350 international delegates coming together to discuss best practices related to public transport and the future of the marine transportation industry. A thought-provoking keynote address by Andreas Chrysostomou, chairman of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, International Maritime Organisation, set the tone for the discussions.

Presenting the RTA’s master plan for transport and infrastructure in Dubai, Nasser Abu Shehab, director of the Strategic Planning Department at RTA, said that Dubai is deploying a multi-pronged strategy to promote the shift to public transport. Efforts in this direction will include building infrastructure, raising awareness, and framing appropriate policies and legislation, etc.

“RTA has spent Dh75 billion in building the infrastructure and public transport system over the last five years and we are spending more over the next 10 years. Our target is to increase the share of public transport from the current 11 per cent to 20 per cent by 2020 and marine transport is a vital part of our plans,” Abu Shehab said.

He said the RTA has plans to develop the marine transport network to around 450 kilometres over the next decade around the creek and coastline, effectively doubling its current size.

Similarly, the Metro network will also be extended to 320 kilometres by the end of 2030, while bus routes will more than triple over a decade from the current 800 kilometres to 2,500 kilometres.

Around 350 delegates from around the world are participating in the conference and, over the next two days, the event will see a host of experts presenting technical papers and other presentations.

The conference, which is being hosted for the first time in the Middle East, concludes on October 24.

Dubai Mall opens world's largest shoe store

Dubai is now home to the world’s largest department store dedicated exclusively to shoes, following the opening of a new store at Dubai Mall on October 19 by luxury retailer Chalhoub Group.

The new 96,000 sqft store, named the Level Shoe District, is located in Dubai Mall – the largest retail destination in the world – and will contain 15,000 pairs of shoes across around 250 different brands. It opened on October 19.
"The whole idea is to create a place for men and women who love shoes, who are passionate about shoes, who are addicted to shoes, who are obsessed about shoes," Patrick Chalhoub, CEO of Chalhoub Group, told Bloomberg.
“The luxury market is developing extremely well… People aspire for luxury and aspire for quality,” he added.

The previous record holder was Macy's 39,000 sqft shoe store in Manhattan.

Arabian business 

UAE film scoops Gold Dolphin Award at Cannes

The Turtle has won the top award at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Festival

An environmental film, The Turtle, made for the UAE Pavilion at EXPO 2012 Yeosu, Korea, has won the top award of its class at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Festival.

Following on from its enthusiastic reception in Korea where the UAE Pavilion achieved a Silver Medal, beating all its competitors except China, the film’s success in Cannes was warmly received by a large gathering of some of the world’s top film-makers.

The star of the evening and the actor chosen to receive the award on behalf of both the filmmakers and the UAE’s National Media Council, was Ahmad Al Dahouri, a young schoolboy from Ras Al Khaimah, who has no formal training as an actor but whose performance in The Turtle has been variously described as “inspirational, deeply emotional and mature”.

In a speech of appreciation at the award ceremony, in front of an audience of commissioning agents, film producers, directors and experienced actors, Al Dahouri thanked the production team for guiding his first steps into the world of film and mentioned that he was quite shocked to be standing on stage after his first performance.

He also made a plea that film producers would continue to play their role in raising awareness of key environmental issues.

“This film has focused a bright light on just one of the actions the UAE is taking to reduce pollution and protect the environment”, he said. “There are many others and highlighting such issues to the general public can have a really positive influence. As a young person who worries about what we are doing to our planet, I believe that we have a responsibility to influence change. I think film can play a big role in this,” he added.

Congratulations to Al Dahouri and the film production team were received from key figures in the UAE including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who commented that he found the film both moving and engaging and had been deeply impressed by the quality of the production, particularly the performances by Emirati actors.

A message was also received from Minister of State, Reem Al Hashemi, who thanked Al Dahouri for his strong performance in the film and also for his recent contribution to Ali’s Film’ in support of Dubai’s bid to host World EXPO in 2020. “You are a great ambassador for the UAE”, she told the young Al Dahouri, “and we hope that you will be with us when we win the bid to host EXPO 2020.”

The Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards is one of the most important festivals worldwide for corporate films, on-line media and TV documentaries and is the biggest of its kind in Europe. The present festival included 666 entries from 35 countries.

Global Village to open to public for free

Dubai: Global Village, the region’s largest seasonal theme park on Emirates Road, will open its gates to the public tomorrow (Sunday) for free as it marks the opening of its longest season ever in 17 years. 

The park has also decided to extend its opening hours until 2am (Main Park) and 3am (Rides) during the weekends which fall within the Eid in Dubai celebrations. Regular timings will resume after the Eid celebrations. The traditional Monday Family Day will begin after November 2.

Eight countries have been added to the 37 pavilions at the park totalling over 65 countries to date. Funfair rides have also increased by 30 per cent this year.

gulfnews 

Philharmonic orchestra performance at Burj Khalifa lends high note to Emaar's Downtown Dubai commercial

Dubai, UAE,
October 18, 2012: As orchestra performances go, they cannot get any higher. A philharmonic orchestra performance, set in Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, serves as the musical backdrop for the newest television commercial of Emaar's Downtown Dubai, with inspiring footage reaffirming its position as 'The Centre of Now.'

Emaar's newest destination marketing campaign is not only a statement on Dubai and its growing appeal world-wide as the must-visit tourist destination, but also a spectacular showcase of the world-class attractions that await visitors to Downtown Dubai, the flagship mega-development of Emaar in the heart of the city.
Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director of Emaar Properties said: "Dubai is today the undisputed regional tourism and business hub of the region. One of the new, constantly evolving and fascinating attractions in the city is Downtown Dubai, home to the iconic Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall and The Dubai Fountain. The appeal of these attractions is further elevated with the fascinating choice of lifestyle experiences that await visitors to this vibrant 500-acre community located centrally in Dubai.
"With our new television commercial, we are presenting the majestic brilliance of Downtown Dubai to the world at large, and extending our warm welcome to visit our city and Downtown Dubai, and savour the refreshing lifestyle that awaits them. The commercial, to be presented across all channels, is a product of global collaboration – much like the spirit of Dubai, home to over 200 nationalities, and Downtown Dubai, a dream project developed through the teamwork of people from all over the world."
Developed by an international team of professionals, the commercial follows the journey of an Arabesque melody as it travels through Downtown Dubai, painting a compelling portrait of the visual appeal of the destination.
The imagery is stunning: Burj Khalifa, framed against the evening sky with children cycling in the foreground; an Arab couple dining just as The Dubai Fountain springs to life; visitors marveling at the shopping choices in The Dubai Mall; the exceptional service and amenities that await visitors to The Address hotels in Downtown Dubai, and the graceful elegance of a ballet dancer skating on ice, among others.
A helicopter was used to capture dramatic new footage of Burj Khalifa, as the philharmonic orchestra and musical diva render the enchanting musical set-piece. The music wafts across the landmarks of Downtown Dubai, and as it crescendos, the camera pans from the faces of fascinated visitors, through the performing fountains to Burj Khalifa, where the philharmonic orchestra performs from a terrace on Level 112. The music was composed specifically for the commercial and performed by a multicultural orchestra representing more than 14 nationalities.
The commercial is complemented by a new addition to the repertoire of The Dubai Fountain, which will now perform to the bespoke music score. The TVC can be viewed online at www.mydowntowndubai.com.
Anchored by Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, Downtown Dubai will soon host the Dubai Modern Art Museum & Opera House District, which is billed to become the cultural referral point for the city. The mega-development of Emaar includes world-class hospitality and lifestyle offerings from The Address Hotels + Resorts, The Dubai Mall, Souk Al Bahar, The Dubai Fountain and several homes and offices

What does it take to keep malls running for 24 hours?

Retailers, government bodies and mall operators figure out logistics of keeping malls running for 24 hours

Dubai: Retailers, mall management and various government departments have joined efforts to figure out the logistical challenges of the 24-hour Eid Al Adha shopping initiative that began yesterday as malls remain open around the clock this weekend.

alls have hired up to 25 per cent more cleaning, maintenance and security staff outsourced from labour supply companies and assigned extended hours to existing staff to deal with the expected influx of people, Eisa Adam, board of directors member on the Dubai Shopping Malls Group, told Gulf News.

Customer Service staff will also work extended periods of up to six hours on top of their 48 hours a week schedule to meet shoppers’ requirements, he said.

One of the logistical challenges is the delivery of supplies to stores, a process that goes on after-hours long after the last shopper leaves.

“In normal hours, we don’t allow our tenants to replenish supply during hours, but now we have to be flexible and do this within shopping hours. So we want our customers to bear with us. Maybe you will see some trolleys or big boxes in the malls passing by,” he said.

The main challenge ahead is to ensure healthy footfall during the late hours of the night.

“We have to pull people to come to our malls after midnight, to make the malls more attractive, have more entertainment and promotions, have more life in the shopping malls, and get shop keepers excited about this,” he said.

So will people actually go to the mall at 4am?

“People will come to see if it will work. This will add to the flavour,” he said, adding that restaurants are likely to be the busiest outlets at 4am or 5am.

Overtime

The City Centre malls will ensure that their staff is compensated for overtime, said Fouad Sharaf, senior director of asset management of shopping malls at Majid Al Futtaim Properties.

“The mall is actually already operating 24-hours, with security and soft services like cleaning and maintenance operating in the mall 24-7, throughout the year. With this in mind, the additional costs are related to utilities expenses and ensuring that our Customer Service staff are compensated appropriately for their overtime,” he said.

Retailers are pulling staff from their stores in other emirates to work in Dubai and cover the extra hours or hire temporary staff and students — a step permitted by a new directive from the Ministry of Labour.

“We had to relook at all our staffing plans and revise it where required. Additional shifts have been incorporated to cover the extended hours. Where possible existing staff were allocated to cover the extended hours, but we will also give temporary employment opportunities to students and others for the duration of the Eid celebrations. Every effort has been made to adhere to the Government’s initiative, yet not unnecessarily inconvenience our employees. But we make sure not to overload our employee,” said Esmail Al Fahim, Group Commercial Manager of Paris Gallery.

Temporary work permits

The Ministry of Labour (MOL) announced the issuance of temporary work permits free of charge to the shopping malls in Dubai so they can hire additional workers for one month.

“Communication regarding this initiative from the MOL is still in progress. Once clarified we will of course hope to benefit from saving on the operational expenses. This seems to be a very positive step from the MOL and should be very well received by the private sector in general,” Al Fahim said.

DEPE has waived all fees for participating retailers in the Dubai 24 hours shopping campaign.

The DED has also assigned 50 of its inspectors to monitor the campaign across all malls and tackle consumer complaints, according to Laila Suhail, the chief executive of DEPE.

“The ‘Dubai 24 hours Shopping’ initiative is a new scheme, not only to Dubai, but to the whole region... Hence, we have to wait and see what exactly would be the impact of such a step, but overall, we feel that this step has added a lot of excitement and anticipation to the retail sector, and we are sure that it will also add to the festive mood of the city and attract shoppers to the malls driven by the excitement of experiencing shopping in unusual hours,” she said.

Ckeck The Amazing FlashMob @ The Dubai Mall

18-10-2012

Abu Dhabi, Dubai government employees to get salaries before Eid Al Adha

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: In keeping with the directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, employees of local government departments in Abu Dhabi, military personnel at the Armed Forces and Abu Dhabi Police, as well as retired employees of armed forces and police will get their October salaries on October 21, ahead of Eid Al Adha.

Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Finance Department Hamad Al Hurr Al Suwaidi said the move is aimed at enabling employees prepare for the celebration of the auspicious occasion.

Dubai

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, has ordered, in his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai, the payment of October salary of Dubai government employees on  October21.

The move is aimed at enabling the employees to meet the needs of their families on the glorious occasion of Eid Al Adha.
Abdul Rahman Al Saleh, Chairman of Dubai Finance Department, said the department will implement Shaikh Mohammad’s order immediately and make the necessary procedures to transfer the salaries of employees to banks.
 

Round the clock Metro opening for Eid, weekends

Additional bus routes and parking spaces arranged for Eid holidays

Dubai: The Dubai Metro will run for close to 24 hours on weekends and the Eid holidays during the October 18 to November 2 ‘Eid in Dubai’ celebrations.

According to the public transport operations scheduleby the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) for this period, buses and water buses and water taxis will also work extended hours, with additional routes and more trips.

Special arrangements have been made with all the shopping malls and popular hotspots in Dubai, which will operate 24 hours on weekends and the Eid holidays falling between October 18 and November 2.

Complementing the celebrations, Metro will run from 5.30am to 4am on Thursdays and Eid holidays and from 10am to 4am on Fridays.

According to Ramadan Abdullah, Director of Metro Operations at RTA, the October 18 -19 weekend will be the first of the three weekends that will see trains operating on new timings.

“We will have trains running at every 3 minutes 30 seconds and we will also have a few trains on standby. As and when necessary extra trains will be inserted to meet the increasing demand,” said Abdullah talking about the preparations for Eid.

The next weekend, which coincides with the Eid holidays will see trains operate on new timings for four days —Thursday (October 25), Friday, Saturday as well as Sunday.

The last weekend of the ‘Eid in Dubai’ celebrations falls on November 1 and 2, when the trains will again operate for 22 hours 30 minutes and 18 hours respectively. November 1 will also be the RTA’s free transport day.

Eisa Abdul Rahman Al Dossary, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency (PTA), said buses will also run extended hours with some feeder buses running for 24 hours.

“We will have bus and Metro schedules displayed at every mall so that people know when exactly the buses are moving. All information about additional buses and routes will also be available for people at malls and stations,” said Al Dossary.

Additional buses, water buses are being deployed for this period with special routes also planned for popular destinations to meet the demand. As many as 23 bus routes will feed the Metro stations to bring up the total number of buses deployed during the events to 108.

Special bus routes have been planned between Al Seef and Khalid Bin Waleed Metro station, and to Global Village from Al Ghubaiba and Etisalat Metro station. A bus route will also be introduced between Creek Park and Oud Metha Metro station.

Water taxi timings at Festival City and Dubai Marina have also been extended to 24 hours.

Around the popular malls, parks and amusement areas special parking arrangements have been made to accommodate extra shoppers and visitors while shuttle bus services have also been introduced to reach different locations.

RTA has also adjusted traffic lights around the mall areas like Dubai Mall, Festival City, Deira City Centre, Mall of the Emirates and Marina Mall, etc, to ease congestion.

Trains and buses will run normal operation hours on weekdays.

Eid Al Adha holidays in UAE from Oct 26: 4 for public, 3 for private sector

Eid Al Adha is likely to fall on October 26, according to Fatwa Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai.

Dr. Ahmed Abdul Aziz Al Haddad, Mufti, Managing Director, Fatwa Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities, Dubai, said the first day of Eid Al Adha for the year 1433 Hijri and 2012 AD would likely be Friday, October 26, which corresponds to the 10th of Al Hijah.

 

Government sector employees in the UAE will begin holidays on Thursday, October 25 until October 28. Public sector employees will return to work on October 29.

 

Meanwhile, private sector employees are likely to begin their Eid holidays on Thursday, October 25 and resume work on Sunday, October 28. 

Dr. Haddad wished the Rulers of the UAE and Muslims across the world on the occasion of Eid Al Adha

Now, drive from Downtown Dubai to Business Bay in a flash

two master communities in Dubai -- the Business Bay and Downtown Dubai - are finally being interlinked

By year-end, these districts will be linked by a road and tunnel that will cut travelling time and provide easy accessibility to residents and others.

Khalid Al Malik, Group Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Properties Group (DPG), told 'Emirates24|7' that the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is working to connect Business Bay and Downtown Dubai together by roads and tunnels by year-end.

 

“It is not like before when you had boundaries and walls… all that has been removed to manage the flow of the traffic. The work is expected to be completed by end of the year.”

 

He added that developers will have to take care of their own infrastructure development; the authorities will take charge of the infrastructure components that belong to them.

 

“The RTA is doing the bridges and roads, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) is building two new substations while Empower is developing the second cooling station in Business Bay.”

 

DPG, a subsidiary of Dubai Holdings, has confirmed that a sewerage system and a portable water system had been installed throughout the district, along with a new irrigation system, street lighting and traffic lights.

 

Last month, the Dubai Executive Council’s Infrastructure and Environmental committee discussed the infrastructure issue of Business Bay.

 

During the meeting, it was decided to set up a work team comprising Dubai Municipality, Department of Finance, Dubai Land Department, Dubai Properties Group, Dewa, RTA and other bodies who will cover various aspects of the project such as infrastructure, water channel, transport, sewage and drainage system, road lighting, telecommunication and cooling. The committee will then provide support for development.

This website reported on Tuesday that Business Bay was buzzing with construction activity, once again.

 

“People have bought plots lately in the area, plots are trading in the market, plots are under construction, plots are in design phases and developers, who bought in the past and struggled, are in negotiations with investors,” Al Malik said.

 

The company had no land plots left to sell in the master development, which covers 5.9 million square metres of area, he revealed.

 

Business Bay is expected to serve 200,000 people upon completion.

 

 emirates 24|7

Now... Check My Website !

Hi All , I had An Amazing Website Now You Can See My Photos And My Panoramas And To Check My Updates

My Website

Mobile Site

Nol cards to work in supermarkets

Travel card can be used for groceries ‘within a few years’

Dubai: Residents will soon be able to use their Nol transport cards to pay for transactions in supermarkets, a senior Roads and Transport Authority official revealed on Wednesday.

People using the Nol transport card will be able to use them in grocery shops or hypermarkets in new RTA plan.

Speaking at the Future Cities Conference on Wednesday at CityScape, Abdul Mohsin Younes, chief executive, strategic and corporate governance sector, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), explained that the expansion plans of the Nol card will be expected to be in use in the next few years.

“Within the next few years, passengers using the Nol transport card will be able to use them in groceries or hypermarkets. They will be required to top up their card at use it at their own convenience, whether it is for buses or water taxis or even at the supermarket,” said Younes.

He also pointed out that the service of using the Nol card as a debit card is determined by the willingness of commercial establishments, and it is up to businesses to decide whether they want to install the necessary equipment to carry out such transactions.

During the conference, titled, “RTA experience in sustainability strategy,” Younes noted that Dubai is acknowledged as the first global city of the modern Arab world, and this achievement was made partially due to integrating the public transport system, implementing a comprehensive road safety plan and striving for a safe and environmental sustainability plan.

One of the main challenges the RTA faced was the traffic congestion in the emirate when aiming to achieving sustainability, and the number of road accident fatalities have reduced from 21.9 per 100,000 per population in 2006 to six per 100,000 in 2011.

“With our intensive plans, we were also able to reduce the average delay in trips by 15 minutes per trip a day in 2005 to 5.5 minutes to 2011,” Younes said, adding that road accidents directly cost more than Dh800 million a year on the government.

He further pointed out that as part of the emirate’s road expansion and integration plan, the RTA aims to construct 120 interchanges, nine new roads and increase the number of lanes across the creek on both sides to 100 lanes in 2020.

GulfNews 

RTA launches payment of public transport fare by mobile phone service

A new system is to be launched for paying for public transport with your smart phone

Dubai: Matar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has announced a new smart phone payment service for public transport fares.

  

The system, to be showcased at Gitex 2012, will be operational by mid 2013.

Customers will be able to pay fares for Dubai Metro, public buses and the water bus through the new system.

The contactless technology, where the mobile phone is passed over sensors mounted on the access gates, is to be the first of its kind in the Middle East.

“The new service enables public transport users to pay their fares through the e-payment portal, top-up their Nol accounts electronically, and query about their balances through the phone,” Al Tayer said.

Gulf News

Dh1.5b Dubai Business Bay project extended

The Business Bay canal will be extended from Business Bay area from Shaikh Zayed Road to the Arabian gulf

Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has endorsed the extension of the Business Bay Canal Project, costing Dh1.5b.

The Business Bay canal will be extended from the Business Bay area from Shaikh Zayed Road to the Arabian sea, passing through Safa Park, Al Wasl Road and Jumeirah 2. The project will be completed within two years.

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said: “The extension of the Business Bay Canal is one of the key strategic projects undertaken by the RTA and encompasses the extension of the water canal from the Business Bay up to the Arabian Gulf in a waterway stretching 2.8 km in length and width ranging from 80 to 100 metres."

"The canal crosses Shaikh Zayed Road (before the Al Safa Interchange) and passes across the Safa Park, Al Wasl Road, and Jumeirah 2 to terminate at the Arabian Gulf,” Al Tayer said.

Article continues below

The RTA will use the soil-cement method to construct the banks of the canal; an innovative engineering solution that adds aesthetic appearance to the canal and the surroundings.

This canal will ensure the replenishment of water supplies in the entire Business Bay Canal automatically without any need for pumps.

"Due to the enormity of the project scale, and the need to expedite construction works, the project has been divided into three contracts. The first covers drilling and landscaping works as well as the construction of marine transit stations. The other two contracts relate to road and bridge projects, and the project is set for completion early 2015,” Al Tayer said.

Gulfnews

Dubai malls gear up for 24-hour Eid schedule

Several outlets express interest in scheme that heralds extended celebrations

Dubai: Malls across Dubai are gearing up to welcome shoppers and holidaymakers by extending business hours during three weekends this Eid, Eisa Adam of the board of directors of the Shopping Malls Group told Gulf News.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had announced on Saturday that shopping malls in the emirate would remain open 24 hours during ‘Eid in Dubai’ festivities which, too, are set to be held over a longer duration than the customary four-day period.

The event is now expected to last from October 18-28, with Eid Al Adha itself on October 26.

“We welcome our brothers and sisters from the Gulf region and across the world to experience the hospitality and unique cultural experiences that Dubai will offer this Eid,” Shaikh Mohammad said.

Adam said: “The malls are welcoming the proposal and we will be able to come up with a list of the participants by next week. Dubai is always known for its ground-breaking initiatives and a commitment to fulfill those objectives with passion. As always, the city is yet again living up to its reputation of being called a shopper’s paradise bringing an all new shopping experience to its people. During the Eid Al Adha celebrations, this will mark another major step towards offering convenience for customers. Several malls have expressed their intentions to participate as they see it as a great opportunity to give maximum shopping experience to the customers.”

Participating malls will be open round the clock on the weekends between October 18 and November 2 — October 18 and 19, October 25 and 26 and November 1 and 2, he added. “During the festive period, GCC and local shoppers will have the opportunity to shop, explore and dine at their convenience. We believe this is a step towards a consumer-driven approach that sets a new benchmark in the region.”

Mohammad Al Shael, CEO of business registration at the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai, told Gulf news the department will assist retailers and restaurants to operate round the clock during the Eid period. “We haven’t decided yet if these outlets are in need of permission to stay open around the clock but the DED will process any decision on the spot. We are going to liaise with the DEPE [Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment] and shopping malls to keep the city lively during Eid time.”

He added that the initiative would require a big effort from retailers who would have to reschedule staff timings.

The Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection Division at DED will designate a team to carry out inspections and monitor malls to ensure a very high level of customer service. “Teams of inspectors will be working around the clock to monitor the implementation of the new procedures and how retailers are operating their businesses in a healthy environment. We are expecting residents and tourists to flock to the malls round the clock during these two weeks.”

Al Shael remarked that the initiative would not only boost the number of visitors to Dubai but also lift economic indicators.

gulfnews.com