Emirates introduces “Do more in Dubai” promotion

Emirates Airlines and Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) Company, are offering families the chance to ‘Do More in Dubai’ this summer with great offers across the city for families with children under 12 years.

The promotion, which coincides with Dubai Summer Surprises, is available until September 30, when Dubai stores have summer sales.

Do More in Dubai covers all a traveller’s needs: flights, transfers, accommodation, shopping, activities and tours – making Dubai a unique destination without breaking the bank.

In a statement released in Accra on Thursday, Mr Richard Vaughan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations worldwide said Dubai had developed into a destination for all seasons.

He said Emirates had chosen its partners, DTCM, Dubai Mall and many participating hotels, to showcase the best the city has to offer.

“Emirates knows that finding a holiday destination to meet the needs of a diverse group, be it families with children or a group of friends, is challenging and has thus created this offer to make travel a little easier,” he stated.

Under the Do more in Dubai offer, up to two children under 12 years, travelling with an accompanying adult in economy class, are eligible to receive complimentary accommodation, minimum three night stay, meals in participating hotels, plus airfare discounted 50 per cent off the adult fare.

Families will have a choice of more than 70 hotels and apartments in Dubai, ranging from two- to five-star, with city or beach locations, to meet every family’s need.

Furthermore, offers at participating hotels can be extended beyond three days and will include free breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets for children, plus room taxes and service charges.

For parents, Emirates will increase its baggage allowance by 10kg per one for up to two traveling with children; making space for shopping purchases and family souvenirs from Dubai.

Emirates’ partner; Dubai Mall will enhance the exclusive Do More in Dubai packages by including free children’s access to the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Sega Republic and Dubai Ice Rink at the mall, the world’s largest.

The entrance deals with some major attractions in Dubai such as the Wild Wadi Water Park, Aquaventure & Lost Chambers at Atlantis, iFLYDubai; Soccer Circus & Cite’ des Enfants at Playnation – Mirdif City Centre; and the Dubai Dolphinarium at Creek Golf Club.

The offer also covers Meet & Assist service at the Dubai airport, airport transfers, and a free Dubai City Tour & Dhow Cruise with dinner for up to two children with accompanying paying adults.

For visitors to Dubai travelling without children, the Dubai Mall discount voucher book provides one-of-a-kind experience for those still young at heart such as golfing at the Els Club in Dubailand and Arabian Ranches Golf Club and dinner along the Creek on a Bateau Dubai Dinner Cruise.

Do More in Dubai allows travellers of any age to create unique experiences across Dubai – from beach to malls, from the desert to the pinnacle of the world’s tallest building, Emirates customers will be limited only by their imaginations.

“Emirates is known for its superior service in the air and with Do More in Dubai it brings our spirit of hospitality and adventure to our passengers while on the ground. Emirates invites families with children, as well as those still young at heart, to come and experience everything our hometown has to offer this summer,” said Mr Vaughan.

REF [Spyghana]

SpiceJet to connect Dubai with Delhi, Mumbai

SpiceJet, India’s most preferred low fare airline, is further expanding its wings in international sky and would be launching its service to Dubai, one of the most sought after destinations in Asia. SpiceJet is connecting Dubai with daily services to India’s two biggest metros—Delhi and Mumbai and inaugural flights are set for last week of this month.

The first flight to Dubai will be on June 25 2102 at 11:55 AM from Delhi and the first flight from Mumbai will take-off at 08:30 PM. Tickets for Delhi-Dubai and Mumbai-Dubai flights will be available for booking from today.

SpiceJet will fly its New Generation Boeing 737-800 on these international sectors. SpiceJet will ensure the most competitive fares in the Industry for its passengers with compromising on the service it offers.

SpiceJet already operates on two international routes namely—Delhi-Kathmandu and Chennai-Colombo. Dubai would be SpiceJet’s third international destination. In domestic market, SpiceJet has a wide network and connects 34 destinations.

"The Government of India has taken substantial and positive steps to open the market and allowing private carriers to connect with new international destinations. To leverage the opportunity and offer quality services at affordable price to our guests, we are pleased to announce the launch of flights to Dubai with more exciting destinations coming soon." SpiceJet Chief Executive Officer Neil Mills said.

SpiceJet has received all the required regulatory/government approvals from concerned authorities in India as well as from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to launch its services and put tickets on sale.

With superb facilities at Dubai International Airport, Dubai offers excellent shopping and a variety of sports and leisure activities. Dubai has something to offer to everyone and is a preferred choice for many Indians for tourism, business and employment. SpiceJet looks forward to welcoming its guests to Dubai.

To celebrate this earlier launch, SpiceJet is offering introductory airfares starting from just Rs.4,477 (plus government taxes) one way, on the two routes connecting Dubai with Delhi and Mumbai, which will be a limited seat offer on our online bookings.

SpiceJet made its debut into the global skies about two years ago with the launch of its first international flight from New Delhi to Nepal's capital Kathmandu on October 7, 2010. This was followed shortly by flight from Chennai to Colombo, Sri Lanka on October 9, 2010.

Tickets can be booked through www.spicejet.com or Toll Free Reservation at 1800 180 3333 / 0987 180 3333 and through Travel Agents. For more details on schedule and fares please log on to www.spicejet.com.

About SpiceJet:
SpiceJet is India’s most preferred airline, with more than 17% of market share, delivering the lowest air fares with the highest consumer value. We operate more than 275 daily flights to 34 Indian cities and 2 international destinations. The city of Agartala, Ahmadabad, Bangalore, Baghdogra, Calicut, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Guwahati, Goa, Hyderabad, Jammu, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Port Blair, Srinagar, Surat, Varanasi and Vishakhapatnam and two international destinations, Kathmandu and Colombo are connected using our new generation fleet of 34 Boeing 737-800/ 900ER aircraft which are  of highest standard in safety and operating efficiency.

Spicejet has acquired 7 new Bombardier Q400 aircraft for enhancing connectivity to Tier II and Tier III cities. On this aircraft SpiceJet now flies to Aurangabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Calicut, Chennai, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Kochi, Madurai, Mangalore, Rajahmundry, Tirupati, Trichy, Trivandrum, Tuticorin, Vijayawada, and Vizag.

SpiceJet is the winner of

• Travel and Hospitality India’s Most Outstanding Airline LCC-Domestic Award (Feb 2012, New Delhi)
• Smart Travel Asia’s Top 5 Best Budget Airlines in Asia (Aug 2010) and in Top 10 list for 2 consecutive years (Aug 2008 & Sept 2009, Hong Kong)· Outlook Traveler’s Best Low Cost Airline (Feb 2008 & Feb 2010)
• Award for Best Website at ‘World Low Cost Airlines Asia Pacific Conference’ (January 2010 & Feb 2012, Singapore)
• India’s best low-fare airline in a survey conducted by MaRs on behalf of Hindustan Times (December 2009)
• World Travel Market Award for multi-channel approach in distribution (November 2009, London)
• National Award (ICWAI) for excellence in Cost Management (March 2009)
• CIO 100 Award for IT efforts for customer satisfaction and business growth (2007, 2008 & 2009)

REF [Business Standards]

Sunland to face ASIC over Dubai criminal probe role

A MELBOURNE court has asked the Australian Investments & Securities Commission to investigate listed property developer Sunland over its disclosures to the Australian Stock Exchange regarding its involvement in a Dubai criminal investigation.

In 2009, Sunland made several announcements to the ASX claiming that none of its staff had been under investigation by the Dubai authorities over a deal with employees of state-owned company Nakheel.

However, judge Clyde Croft yesterday found Sunland Middle East boss David Brown had admitted under oath in the Victorian Supreme Court that he had been questioned by Dubai police over the company's deal with four Australian businessmen in Dubai to secure a prime plot of waterfront land.

Mr Brown was not charged by the Dubai authorities. The four other Australian businessmen involved in the transaction were later charged by the Dubai authorities but each denies any wrongdoing.

The most influential people in Sport
Justice Croft dismissed Sunland's civil case against the two of the four Australian businessmen -- Matthew Joyce and Angus Reed -- involved in the deal.

In that case, Gold Coast-based Sunland sought to recover a $14 million "introductory fee" that it alleged the pair duped from Sunland to help it secure a prime plot of waterfront land.

The judge found Mr Brown and Sunland founder Soheil Abedian were unreliable witnesses and that it was Mr Brown who sought out Mr Reed and Mr Joyce to participate in the deal.

Sunland said it disagreed "in the strongest possible terms" with the judgment and the court's grounds for referring its findings to ASIC.

"A preliminary reading of the judgment indicates that Sunland has very strong grounds for appeal," the company said. Sunland's shares plunged 4.3 per cent to close at 89c yesterday.

An ASIC spokesperson said it would re-examine the judgment.

Supporters of Mr Joyce, who is under house arrest in Dubai, hope the ruling against Sunland will improve his chances of being found not guilty of corruption charges there.

Transcripts of the Melbourne trial have been admitted as evidence in the Dubai criminal proceedings.

Mr Joyce and former colleague Marcus Lee -- both former Nakheel executives -- have been held by Dubai authorities since January 2009 over their participation in the transaction.

Both men are vigorously disputing the charges.

Mr Reed was not an employee of Nakheel but a Geelong Grammar School friend of Mr Joyce.

Boss of Prudentia Investments, Mr Reed acted as middleman in the deal to secure plot D17 on the Dubai Waterfront development.

Mr Reed and another businessman involved in the deal fled Dubai to avoid being arrested.

He has since been declared a fugitive by the Dubai government and has been charged in absentia for his involvement in introducing Mr Brown to Mr Joyce.

Mr Reed said the Melbourne ruling made clear that he along with Mr Joyce and Mr Lee were innocent.

A ruling is expected in the Dubai criminal case on June 17.

REF [theaustralian]

Dubai makes waves on the beach soccer scene

DUBAI // The president of Beach Soccer Worldwide on Thursday described Dubai as the "second home" of the sport.
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Joan Cusco, who is also a member of the Fifa board, stressed the importance of the emirate after signing a deal that will see Dubai host the next five Intercontinental Cup competitions.

"If you talk about beach soccer in the world and you ask people to name one city, they will say Rio de Janeiro," Cusco said. "But now more and more people are getting to know Dubai. If you ask which is the second most important city in this sport, people say Dubai.

"If you talk to the players and ask which tournament you would like to play, they will say Dubai. If you talk to the teams and ask where you want to play, they say Dubai. So Dubai has become the second home of the sport.

"We have a world champion [Humaid Jamal] here and this is another measure of success."

Dubai has been hosting beach soccer events since 2006, including the 2009 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup, and now Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the chairman of Dubai Sports Council, has ordered the construction of a complex for beach sports, with a seating capacity of 5,000 to 7,000.

The UAE also held their first beach soccer league earlier this year, which saw international stars such Madjer and Rui Combra, from Portugal, Stephan Meier, from Switzerland and Hussain Ahmed turn out for the eventual champions Al Ahli.

Last month, Jamal, the UAE national team goalkeeper, helped the Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow beat Flamengo to win the Mundialito de Clubes, the sport's Club World Cup, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Dubai caught the eye of the beach soccer world after hosting the 2009 World Cup, which Cusco described as the best ever. The city hosted the first ever Intercontinental Cup last year and the annual tournament will now stay here until 2017 following yesterday's signing of a formal agreement between Dubai Sports Council and Fifa's beach soccer committee.

"We take pride in the fact that Dubai's name will be linked for the following five years with this important tournament and that our audience will get the chance of seeing international teams competing for the cup, including our national team, which we are seeking to improve in order to be among the best international teams," said Matar Al Tayer, the deputy chairman of Dubai Sports Council.

Cusco, said the Intercontinental Cup was the perfect event for Dubai after the successful World Cup, and added: "In 2010, we did not have any event because after the World Cup, we had kind of a hangover. You can't go back and you have to think what is next. So we thought about it and in 2011 we created the Intercontinental Cup, which has proven to be a great idea and event.

"It brings the champions of all the confederations together and they play for the best possible trophy after the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup."

REF [thenational]

Dubai deports four HIV positive women inmates

Public Prosecution orders deportation of four women serving long sentences

Dubai: Two women inmates at the Punitive and Reformative Establishments who have tested HIV positive have been deported while two more await deportation for the same reason, a police official said.

A decision was received from Public Prosecution last week to deport the four women, who were being kept in a separate ward at the central jail in Aweer, according to First Lieutenant Fatima Shir Mohammad Al Mazemi, Director of the Execution and Follow-up Section.

“The four women were serving sentences of seven to ten years for drug-related charges, but the decision was to deport all HIV-positive inmates even if they were serving a life sentence,” Al Mazemi said.

Two of the women were deported on Tuesday, another woman deported on Thursday, while the fourth awaits her travel documents.

“We have informed her consulate and are waiting to receive her documents,” Al Mazemi said.

“The four women, all African nationals, have been assisted by their churches, which provided them with tickets to go back home. Our Human Affairs Section helps inmates who cannot afford a ticket or those who have financial obligations by paying for their tickets and allowing them to go home, and in some cases paying off their debts.

“The four include a pregnant woman, who jeopardised her health and that of her baby by swallowing capsules containing narcotics in an attempt to smuggle them and was caught in Dubai Airport,” said Al Mazemi.

“A pregnant woman who was smuggling drugs in her guts years ago and was arrested and sentenced gave birth in prison to a baby boy who was born missing some fingers. The boy was given treatment and underwent many surgeries at the expense of Dubai Police and is doing fine now, but he is still in jail with his mother, although he is almost six years old now, as he has no family and no one to take care of him,” Al Mazemi said.

All inmates undergo a full medical before admission to assess their health condition. Those with contagious diseases, such as Aids, are kept in isolated wards.

“In many cases, women who have Aids became easy targets for drug dealers, as they think they have nothing to lose and want to make some extra money for their families before they die,” Al Mazemi added.

REF [gulfnews]

117 Dubai schools apply for fee hikes

The Knowledge and Human Development Auhority (KHDA) said that 117 of the 146 private schools in Dubai had applied for hikes in the 2012-2013 academic year. Of the remaining 29 campuses, 17 were not allowed to apply for increases as they had not been in operation for the required three years, and 12 schools did not want to raise fees.

KHDA is allowing fee increases after a two-year freeze. It says it has approved 83 of the requests for fee hikes and is processing the other 34.

Under a new framework that the authority announced in April, all schools operating for more than three years may apply for increases based on their performance in school inspections and an educational cost index based on inflation.

Schools rated outstanding can apply for a 6 per cent increase, while those rated good can raise fees by 4.5 per cent. Acceptable and unsatisfactory schools are allowed a 3 per cent increase. The educational cost index encompasses for the first three percentage points of each of these figures.

However, schools rated good and outstanding can apply for additional increases if they can show the funds are required to carry out infrastructure or facility upgrades - a clause of which many schools appear to be availing themselves.

Not-for-profit and embassy schools may also ask for additional increases.

Yesterday was the final day schools could apply for any increase.

KHDA officials did not specify how many schools had applied for additionl fee increases but said eight such requests had been approved.

Kings Dubai, a school rated outstanding, told parents it had applied for an 18 per cent increase, citing infrastructure expansion. It was granted an increase of 9 per cent.

Indian High School also received an outstanding grade and was granted a 9 per cent increase. "We are improving IT facilities and built a new campus last year which justifies our increase," said Ashok Kumar, the chief executive of the not-for-profit school.

Dubai Modern High School, which operates on the Indian curriculum, informed parents this week that it had been granted a six per cent increase.

"This 6 per cent fee increase is with effect from April 2012," said the letter from the school's principal. Parents have been asked to pay the April and May fees in June.

"You will be happy to know that come September, our students will enjoy training in a second swimming pool and have three new state-of-the-art science labs in place as well," wrote Darryl Bloud, the principal.

A parent of two children at the school was less enthusiastic.

She said parents were bitter because the hike comes very soon after a 90 per cent increase the school was granted when it moved to a new premises in 2009.

"It was a big increase then and any increase now just makes it worse," she said.

She will be paying a total of Dh82,000 annually for her two children this year.

Jonathan Hughes D'Aeth, headmaster of the Repton school, said it was investing in a library, theatre, additional swimming pool and boarding facilities, which required an increase of more than 6 per cent. He did not reveal what increase the school had requested as it had not yet been approved. The school was ranked good in its latest inspection.

"The other challenge is our school is not yet connected by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and runs on generators. Diesel is expensive," he said.

The fees at the school are up to Dh85,000 for day students, or Dh140,000 for boarders.

"We are conscious that parents are paying high fees and have tried to bring a fair balance in our request," the headmaster said.

REF [thenationals]

Dubai Matchmaking nets Dh117m expected deals

DUBAI — Dubai Exports, the export promotion agency of the Department of Economic Development, or DED, in coordination with the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting, or GOIC, Qatar, held a ‘Dubai Matchmaking Day’ over two consecutive days, concluding 222 bilateral meetings between various large Gulf and UAE companies, including manufacturers and suppliers.

Deals worth Dh117 million for projects with an estimated total value of Dh365 million were discussed in the meetings. The matchmaking was aimed to promote cooperation between main GCC contractors and their potential subcontractors in the UAE, GCC and the rest of the world across various industry sectors.

Mohammed Al Kamali, director of Export Market Development at Dubai Exports, said: “Dubai Exports concluded Dubai Matchmaking with a series of records as 86 per cent of participants expressed full satisfaction in the event and more than 74 per cent praised the way in which it was organised. The meetings resulted in a variety of suggestions and mechanisms to strengthen the role of UAE and Gulf companies in the industrial sector and boost exports among GCC countries through contracts between suppliers and manufacturers of raw materials.”

“The Industrial Subcontracting and Partnership Exchange (SPX), promoted by GOIC, strengthens the capacity of small and medium industries (SMI) to encourage import substitution and exports of manufactured goods. SPX has been specifically designed to boost technical information systems and networking potential to facilitate links between small, medium and large manufacturing firms,” added Al Kamali. The objective of SPX is to reinforce the capacity of local industries to increase their production, upgrade their technological processes and products and to improve their international competitiveness. SPX contributes to finding new investment opportunities through connecting different industries, which will result in value addition and increase in export opportunities, thus keeping pace with international industrial development.

“SPX and Dubai Exports have been working as partners since 2008, providing support to small and medium enterprises and helping industrial sector to upgrade capabilities and activate its economic role. The cooperation brought together major manufacturers in the region and raw material suppliers from the GCC markets and Europe,” said Mohammed Khamis Al Mukhaini, director of Industrial Information Department, GOIC.

He noted that the strong presence of suppliers and vendors have a significant impact on the success of such events and in sustaining the role of small and medium enterprises in the industrial sector.

REF [khaleejtimes]