999 - وزارة الداخلية · renewal in jeddah, ksa. 6 issue (477) september 2010 h.h...

999Society and Security Monthly

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Contacts

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Consultative Board

Maj.Gen. Khalil Badran

Lt.Col. Thani Al-Shamsi

Editor-in-Chief

Major Awad Al-Kindi

Editor

Issam Al Sheikh

Associate Editors

Bassel Souraya

Omar Hamza

Art Directors

Souliman Hajer

Hisham Abdul Hameed

CONTENTSIssue (477) September 2010

Every second counts.....................................................Code X............................................................................WEB-WISE.......................................................................Police schools… four decades of success....................Hands of Benevolence...................................................Brave heart.....................................................................The riotous mixture.......................................................

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President His Highness Sheikh Khal-ifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has orderedurgent delivery of relief materials toshelter displaced people in the areas ofPakistan hit by floods.

This came as General H.H. SheikhMohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi andDeputy Supreme Commander of theUAE Armed Forces received Pakistanpresident Asif Ali Zardari who made ashort visit to the UAE, en route toEurope.

Sheikh Mohammed conveyed SheikhKhalifa’s condolences on the victimsof floods.

Sheikh Mohammed expressed hissympathy with the families of the vic-tims and reiterated UAE support toPakistan in these difficult times.

The meeting was attended by Nation-al Security Advisor H.H. Sheikh Hazzabin Zayed Al Nahyan and Minister ofHigher Education ‘&’ ScientificResearch Sheikh Nahyan bin MubarakAl Nahyan.

President Zardari expressed appreci-ation to Sheikh Khalifa and SheikhMohammed and praised UAE’s unlim-ited support and efforts to alleviate suf-fering of the people affected by thefloods.

The meeting also discussed bilateralrelations and ways to enhance them, aswell as regional developments andissues of mutual of interest.

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Issue (477) September 2010

News

President orders aid toflood-hit areas in Pakistan

Orders release of 724 prison inmates,settles their debtsPresident His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al

Nahyan has ordered release of 724 of prisoners, ofwhom 426 are in Abu Dhabi prisons and 298 in otherprisons across the country. The prison inmates had beenserving the jail terms on different cases.

Sheikh Khalifa’s gesture comes ahead of the HolyMonth of Ramadan. He pledged to incur all the prison-ers’ debts and financial commitments that ensued fromthe cases against them at the courts.

The UAE President’s humanitarian gesture on par-doning Emirati and expatriate prison inmates comes inline with Sheikh Khalifa’s keenness to give them chanceto resume new life and ease suffering of their families.

The release and settlement of the financial commit-ments reflect the habits of the UAE President in reli-gious and national occasions, and reiterate tolerancespirit of the UAE community.

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Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE His High-ness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in hiscapacity as the Ruler of Dubai, has ordered the release of557 prisoners who spent various times of their terms, onthe occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.

Dubai attorney general Esam Eissa Al Humaidan saidthat the order will immediately be implemented in coor-dination with the public prosecution department andpolice department, adding that the released prisonersinclude 55 UAE nationals.

Vice President and Prime Ministerof UAE and Ruler of Dubai HisHighness Sheikh Mohammed binRashid Al Maktoum has issued adecree for organizing the use of fed-eral roads and facilities.

The decree comes within the Fed-eral Government’s strategy aiming toprovide an up-to-date infrastructure,protect the federal roads and facilitiesand ensure the safety of their users.

The Ministry of Public Works, incooperation with the Ministry of Jus-tice is authorized, by the decree, toappoint judicial officers in order toseize and ticket violators on Federalroads.

The decree sets out a range ofadministrative fines for such viola-tions between one thousand to 300thousand Dirhams, according to thetype of violation.

Besides, the decree gives exclusiveuse of roads and federal facilities tothe Ministry of Public Works and notothers, including the collection offees for the use of roads and facilitiesin coordination with the Ministry ofFinance and the Ministry of Interiorand signs contracts with specializedcompanies to grant them the right ofusing federal roads and facilities forthe purpose of advertising.

The ministry has the right to deter-mine speed limits on federal roadsand places to install radars in cooper-ation with the Ministry of Interior,though all revenues from installedradars should be handed to the publictreasury of the state.

The decree also included that the

Ministry of Public Works has to ful-fil fees payable for services providedon Federal roads, assess the extent ofdamages and irregularities that result-ed from traffic accidents taking intoaccount the terms of reference pre-scribed by the law for any otherparty.

In addition to that, the decreeincluded that the Ministry of PublicWorks has to monitor all infringe-ments of Federal roads and determinethe costs of repairing them and thecosts of removing and processingirregularities to maintain their qualityand provide protection for road users.

Mohammed bin Rashid issues decreeregarding federal roads and facilities

Pardons 557 prisoners

Mohammed BinZayed reshufflesADFCA’s board

H.H General SheikhMohammed bin Zayed AlNahyan, crown prince of AbuDhabi and deputy supremecommander of the UAEArmed Forces attended a lec-ture on: ‘Readings on the devi-ations in the contemporaryreligiosity: Causes, implica-tions, and the exit’.

The lecture, held at theMajlis of Sheikh Mohammedmarked the beginning of aseries of Ramadan lectures,delivered by scholars fromaround the world.

The lecture was delivered bySaudi Arabian thinker andresearcher Sheikh MohammedBin Saleh Al Dahim, founderof the Centre for CulturalRenewal in Jeddah, KSA.

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H.H General Sheikh Mohammed BinZayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of AbuDhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander ofthe UAE Armed Forces and Chairman ofthe Abu Dhabi Executive Council hasissued Resolution No. 43/ 2010 reshufflingthe board of directors of Abu Dhabi FoodControl Authority, or ADFCA.

The new resolution appoints H.H SheikhMansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, DeputyPrime Minister and Minister of PresidentialAffairs as Chairman of the board ofADFCA and Rashid Mubarak Al-Hajiri,Hamad Al-Hur Al-Suwaidi, Nasser AhmedAl-Suwaidi, Obaid Al-Hiri Salim Al-Ketbiand Majid Ali Al-Mansouri as members ofthe board.

The resolution takes immediate effectand will be published in the OfficialGazette.

Attends lecture on deviationsin the contemporary religiosity

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Orders delivery of 35,000 iftar meals to motoristsHH Lt.General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan,

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, hasinstructed delivery of 35,000 iftar meals to motoriststraveling on internal and external roads in the emirate ofAbu Dhabi at the time of fast breaking.

Major General Mohammed Awad Al Menhali, actingDirector General of Operations, Abu Dhabi Police, said

the feed the fast programme is being carried out for thethird running year in coordination with the Abdul JalilAl Fahim and Family Endowment and Al Foah Compa-ny.

He said that traffic patrols will distribute the meals tomotorists who could not reach their destination at thetime of iftar.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Minis-ter of Interior HH Lt. General SheikhSaif bin Zayed Al Nahyan has stressedkeenness of the higher leadership toprovide the world-class security spec-ifications for travellers.

He reiterated that the services ren-dered to public, including the securityservices get much attention from theleadership.

The remarks were made during the

inspection tour to the two terminalbuildings, new and old, at the AbuDhabi International Airports, where hewas briefed about the security meas-ures and services rendered to the trav-ellers.

Sheikh Saif was also briefed on thework progress of the UAE e-portal,statistics and future developmentalfields through the demonstration pre-sented by the Directorate of Central

Operations at Abu Dhabi Police.He was accompanied during the

inspection tour by Major GeneralAhmed Nasser Al Raisi, director ofthe central operations, Brig. Ali Khal-fan Al Dhahiri, director general of theHeadquarters Affairs at Abu DhabiPolice, Col. Khamis Musbeh Al Murr,acting director general for the SecurityAffairs and Ports at Abu Dhabi Policeand a number of senior officers.

Saif bin Zayed tours two terminalbuildings at Abu Dhabi Airports

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Speed andaccuracy withsimplification ofall proceduresshould be main-tained at allexternal officesof the GeneralDirectorate ofResidency and Foreigners Affairsin Abu Dhabi, said Major GeneralNasser Al Awadi Al Menhali,Director General of the Naturali-sation and Residency Department(NRD).

“The quality of work should beupgraded to highest level and bestservices must be offered to nation-als and residents. The work stan-dards are to be monitored”,stressed Maj Gen Al Menhali. Hewas on an inspection visit recentlyto external offices of the GeneralDirectorate of Residency and For-eigners Affairs in Abu Dhabi.

The visit included Bani YasPolice station, Al Rahba PassportsCentre, Mussaffah Centre and theIndustrial Area Centre.

He urged all NRD personnel toexert all efforts to improve servic-es and overcome any obstacles.

Major General Khamis Mattar AlMazeina, Acting Commander in Chiefof Dubai Police, received HE HussainAbdul Khaleq, consul-general of thestate of Palestine. The meeting dis-cussed means to enhance cooperationbetween the consulate and DubaiPolice. Maj Gen Al Mazeina and Mr.Abdul Khaleq also reviewed severalissues related to the Palestinian com-munity in Dubai.

Major General Khamis Mattar AlMazeina, Acting Commander in Chiefof Dubai Police, received a delegationfrom the Directorate of Public Securi-ty in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jor-dan, headed by Colonel Omar Adil,Director of Communications andInformation Technology.

The meeting, attended by Maj GenAbdul Rahman Mohammed Rafia,Director of Community Service atDubai Police, and Lieutenant ColonelAhmed Abdullah Shahil, Acting

Director of Command Centre as wellas members of the Jordanian delega-tion, discussed joint cooperation andthe exchange of expertise between thetwo sides.

46 officers receive accoladesfor ‘long and sincere service

Al Menha l i saysprocedures to befu r ther s imp l i f i ed atNRD centres in Abu Dhabi

Police News

Al Mazeina receives consul-general of Palestine

Major General (S) Obeid Al HiriSalim Al Kitbi, Deputy Commanderin Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, hashonoured 46 officers from the ranksof lieutenant colonel and major in var-ious departments for their outstandingperformance.

He decorated the officers with the‘Long and Sincere Service’ medals atthe auditorium of the Criminal Evi-dence Department. The officers areincluded in decree number 146 of2010, issued by His Highness Lieu-tenant General Sheikh Saif bin ZayedAl Nahyan, Deputy Prime Ministerand Minister of Interior.

Six officers and police personnelwere also honoured as part of theIdeal Employee Award. The honour-ing ceremony was attended by Major

General Khalil D. Badran, DirectorGeneral of Finance and Services,Major General Mohammed bin AlAwadhi Al Menhali, Director Generalof Human Resources and ActingDirector General of Police Opera-tions, and Brigadier Faris Khalifa AlFarsi, Director General of Guards andSpecial Missions as well as a numberof officers.

“I call on all the honoured to contin-ue to develop their capabilitiesthrough training and knowledge, andto benefit from our experts in policework”, said Maj Gen (S) Al Kitbi.

He underlined that success meansthe continuation of effort in all depart-ments to upgrade services in line withthe priorities of the strategy of AbuDhabi Police Headquarters.

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The committee tasked with theimplementation of the new organisa-tion structure of the Civil DefenceGeneral Headquarters, met recentlyunder the chairmanship of MajorGeneral Khalil D. Badran, DirectorGeneral of Finance and Services,and head of the committee.

The meeting discussed the guide-lines of the media team, and MajGen Badran instructed the commit-tee to complete the Civil Defenceguide.

Captain Fawaz Ali, head of theMedia Support Section at the Securi-ty Media Department, gave a presen-tation on the plan that will focus onprint and broadcast media, in addi-tion to electronic media.

The committee will also erect edu-cational boards that explain the roleof Civil Defence in the light of thenew organisation structure.

“Work has already started on theguide. It will be distributed soon”,Capt Ali said.

Major General Khalil D. Badran,Director General of Finance and Ser-vices at Abu Dhabi Police, honouredat his office recently Captain RashidAbdullah Al Dosari, head of theInstitutional Excellence Secretariatat the Strategy and PerformanceDevelopment, and Suhail Zakaria,coordinator of the secretariat, fortheir performance in spreading qual-ity culture at the Finance and Ser-vices General Directorate.

Maj Gen Badran highlighted the

keen interest of His Highness Lieu-tenant General Sheikh Saif binZayed Al Nahyan, Deputy PrimeMinister and Minister of Interior, insupporting the culture of quality andexcellence for all employees, in linewith the vision of Abu Dhabi gov-ernment.

He said: “Cooperation among allpolice departments is very importantto implement the strategy of AbuDhabi Police”, he stressed.

The Sharjah Commerce & Tourism DevelopmentAuthority (SCTDA) has affirmed its support to all localactivities throughout the year, in line with the directives ofHis Highness Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Mem-ber of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. TheSCTDA will keep up the cooperation with all governmentdepartments to achieve the growth objectives of the emi-rate in all sectors. This came during an honouring ceremo-

ny by Sharjah Police in appreciation of the SCTDA’s sup-port to the Police Friends programme. The SCTDA organ-ised a number of awareness workshops for young studentsattending the programme.

Mohammed Ali Al Noman, Director General of theSCTDA, said the authority was keen on providing allbacking to programmes initiated and implemented by gov-ernment institutions in the emirate.

A cooperation agreement betweenRas Al Khaimah Police and the Ras AlKhaimah Hospital was signed recently,giving police personnel and their fami-lies and their staff special medicalincentives.

The agreement was signed on Ras AlKhaimah Police’ behalf by BrigadierMohammed Al Nobi, Deputy Directorof Ras Al Khaimah Police, and Dr.Arban David, CEO, Operations, onbehalf of Ras Al Khaimah Hospital.

According to the pact, special med-ical services and incentives will begiven to Ras Al Khaimah police per-sonnel and their families.

The Ras Al Khaimah Hospital offi-cial was briefed on the objectives and

plans of Ras Al Khaimah Police and heexpressed his admiration for theadvancements made by the emirate’spolice force.

Brigadier Mohammed Al Nobipraised the efforts of Ras Al KhaimahPolice in applying best scientific prac-tices.

Sharjah Police honours SCTDA

Media Plan in new organisation structure of civil defence discussed

Agreement inked between RAK Police and hospital

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His Excellency ColonelSheikh Rashid bin AhmedAl Mualla, Acting Direc-tor General of Umm AlQuwain Police, recentlyhonoured decorated abatch of officers who werepromoted to a higher rankin accordance with minis-terial decree no. 444 of2010.

He wished them all suc-cess in their professionallife, and hoped their pro-motion will serve as animpetus to exert moreefforts in the service of thenation.

The ceremony wasattended by LieutenantNasser Ali Bu Aseeba,acting director of the Pub-lic Relations and MoralGuidance.

The phenomenon of begging that usuallyincreases during the holy month of Ramadan wasdiscussed at a recent meeting in Fujairah presidedover by Brigadier Mohammed Ahmed binGhanem Al Kaabi, Director General of FujairahPolice.

The meeting was attended by heads of depart-ments and sections in preparation for the holymonth of Ramadan.

The meeting discussed the phenomenon andBrig Al Kaabi instructed the heads of depart-

ments and sections not to tolerate this violation.“We know that some unscrupulous people usebegging in Ramadan abusing the benevolenceand sympathy of people in the holy month. Peo-ple should not encourage these beggars to spreadthis strange phenomenon in our society”, saidBrig Al Kaabi.

The meeting also discussed a plan to increasetraffic police patrols during rush hours and mech-anisms to reduce traffic congestion, as well as theincrease of police patrols on external roads.

Several activities in Ajman during the holy month ofRamadan are being implemented by Ajman Police.

This was stated by Major Mohammed Majid AlShakoosh, Director of Public Relations and Moral Guid-ance.

“We have been coordinating with Dar Al Bir Society inAjman in the planning and implementation of Ramadanfeasts at a tent in Ajman, to serve Iftar meals for around200 people daily throughout Ramadan”, said the official.

“We have also been coordinating with Human AppealInternational to prepare a tent for Ramadan Iftars to

receive 150 to 200 people daily. Ajman Police personnelalso donated cash to cover the expenses of 1,000 Iftarmeals to fasting people during the holy month”, headded.

Police patrols have also been instructed to providewater and dates to drivers on the emirate’s roads at thetime of Maghrib (sunset) call to prayer.

“The distribution of Iftar meals is one of the features ofthe holy month. People from all nationalities in the coun-try gather and receive the meals”, explained MajorMohammed Majid Al Shakoosh.

Move to curb begging in Ramadan

Ramadan activities in Ajman

Police officers promoted in Umm Al Quwain

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Issues

Imagine this: an ambulancemaneuvering its way out ofclogged roads during rush hours,

with a deafening siren and flashinglights indicating a serious situation,and drivers should pull over and allowthe ambulances to pass, and savelives.

It is an awkward situation wheremotorists in some situations look atone another through car windows, notknowing exactly what to do in a grid-lock.

This scene is no longer experiencedoften on our roads, but gridlocks docontinue to happen. Some motorists,unfortunately, have lost their sense ofresponsibility and they care littlewhen an ambulance is in a raceagainst time to save a life. Thesemotorists are few, but their irresponsi-ble driving behaviour can be a seriouskiller.

Social culture

Abiding by traffic rules and regula-

tions helps achieve a smooth trafficflow, according to Lieutenant ColonelAhmed Al Shihi, Director of CapitalTraffic Department at the Traffic andPatrols Directorate of Abu DhabiPolice.

“Complying with traffic regulationshelps emergency responders reachtheir destinations fast in order to savelives. Motorists should leave roadsand intersections clear so emergencyvehicles can get through if they haveto”, he said.

When licensing authorities givedriving licences to motorists, said the

official, they clearly inform them thatusing the roads involves allowingemergency vehicles (police and civildefence vehicles and ambulances) toget through, explained Lt. Col. AlShihi.

He said motorists, when they con-front such an emergency, should giveway to emergency vehicles by mov-ing their cars to the right or left side ofthe road. However, giving way toemergency vehicles does not meanjumping the red signal as somemotorists tend to think.

“In that case, a disaster could hap-pen, causing collisions at intersec-tions”, he said. “Even emergencyvehicles do not jump the red signalbut with the help of traffic policemenorganising the traffic. Emergencyvehicles also have many warning sys-tems like flashing lights and sirens toalert other road users”, he added.

For emergency vehicles, every sec-ond counts when responding to a calland ambulances and civil defencevehicles don’t have time to wait in

Every second countsMotorists should stop clogging roads; they should pull over to allow the emer-gency services through

By Lara Al Zarasi

Ahmed Al Shihi

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traffic. “To keep roads and intersections

clear in case of emergency is a socialculture that cherishes the efforts ofemergency responders helping peoplein distress and saving lives”, said Lt.Col. Al Shihi.

There are many hurdles during rushhours, and some irresponsible driversfollow emergency vehicles becausethe latter can open clogged roads.“This is a negative behaviour as thatmakes disappointed drivers carelessabout pulling over. It can make thesituation much worse”, the officialsaid.

Time is gold

Paramedics work hard to save livesand can reach accidents sites in eightto ten minutes in the city and in 15 to20 minutes outside the city, said Lieu-tenant Colonel Sultan Al Hosani,Head of the Ambulance Division.

“Time is precious than gold in thesesituations. Time is the enemy numberone for paramedics in their race tosave lives”, said Lt. Col. Al Hosani.

Traffic accidents on the way to inci-dent sites and traffic congestion dur-ing rush hours are the main hurdles,said the official. Irresponsiblemotorists failing to pull over are alsoanother major problem. “Enlightened

motorists who know their responsibil-ity towards others can help us do ourjobs better”, stressed Lt. Col. AlHosani.

Taxi drivers blocking roads or driv-ing behind emergency vehicles con-stitute a major problem and contributeto worsening traffic congestion,explained the official.

He also said ambulances carryingparamedics on their way to accidentsites jump the red signal only whenthere is, and with the help of, a policepatrol in the vicinity.

Crowds at accidents sites delayparamedics’ work, and the police offi-cial urged the public not to gather ataccident sites.

He said 37 ambulances are sta-tioned at five central points aroundthe city of Abu Dhabi, in a geograph-ically suitable locations in order toreduce response time.

In the first three months of this year,the Ambulance Division responded to5,263 cases. In 2009, the divisiondealt with 18,580 cases.

‘Psychological fatigue’

Road works and traffic accidents,especially during rush hours in themorning or in the afternoon are aggra-vating the traffic problem and causing‘psychological fatigue’ to motorists,

according to Yousuf Al Saaedi, abank division manager.

“This makes some motorists fail tomove over to let ambulances getthrough, because their action couldmean tens of cars following emer-gency vehicles could pass and moredelays could happen”, said Al Saaedi.

Internal arteries in Abu Dhabi,added Al Saaedi, do not have emer-gency vehicle lanes like externalroads.

A human gesture

Moving over and allowing emer-gency vehicles to pass is a human ges-ture that is highly needed, said Mar-wan Al Asali, an employee at a pri-vate company.

“The person in need of help couldbe a family member or a colleague atwork… he could be any human beingin need of assistance. We have torespect our humanity and allow para-medics to save lives… this is part ofour social responsibility. Delayingemergency responders could costlives”, Al Asali said, emphatically.

He accused taxi drivers of refusingto pull over when emergency vehiclesflash their lights and sound theirsirens. “They also follow them (emer-gency vehicles) as a regular method toget out of congested roads and inter-

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Interview

Many operations conductedby Dubai Police againstlaw-breakers have become

famous, bringing about an outcomewhat is known as the psychology ofdeterrence, from behavioral psycholo-gy, that prevents or controls actions orbehaviour through fear of punishmentor retribution. Codenames have madethese operations the talk of the townfor a long time.

999 spoke to Brigadier KhalilIbrahim Al Mansouri, Director ofCriminal Investigation Department atDubai Police, to tell us the story ofcodenames and their role in crimeprevention.

Q. Dubai Police have been givingcodenames to their operationsagainst gangs and criminal activi-ties in the emirate. What is thesecret of these codenames?

A. The fight against crime is a 24-hour job. In most cases, we do notneed to give codenames for everyoperation, but some anti-crime teamshave a special feature dealing withserious or mysterious activities. Thismakes them so peculiar that theyshould be given codenames.

Q. How do you select the code-names of operations?

A. There is a multitude of factorsthat lead us to give codenames to suc-cessful operations sometime after thecompletion of the operations. Partly,these codenames are necessary to pro-vide distinctiveness to some opera-tions enabling us to nominate themfor the Dubai Government ExcellenceProgramme. Our aim is keep theseoperations in the memory of policestaff and people in general.

Q. What are the most famous

operations given codenames byDubai Police?

A. One of them has won the ‘BestTeamwork Award’ as part of theDubai Government Excellence Pro-gramme. The codename is ‘Al Gar-hood Operation’, in 1999, and it hadto do with a gang that set up a narcot-ic pills factory and seven tonnes of thedrugs were seized. The codenamerelated to the location of the factory.There are tens of operations that weregiven confidential codenames duringthe phases of planning, like the‘Rebound Sting’ in 2001, and the‘Spider Net’ in 2002.

Q. What is the first codename ofan operation by Dubai Police?

A. It is ‘Al Garhood Operation’ Imentioned earlier.

Q. What is the psychological rolecodenames given to police opera-

Code XWhy Dubai Police have been known for giving codenames to many of their keysecurity operations against criminals

By Khalid Al Dhanhani

tions can play in curbing crime?A. The psychological role of these

codenames cannot be measurable ifit is not connected to the role of themedia shedding light on theachievements of police un unravel-ling the mystery of crimes andarresting culprits in record times.The codenames are given to someoperations, demonstrating the effec-tiveness of security agencies in con-fronting crime and protecting stabil-ity in society.

Q. Have you actually noticed adecline in crime rates as a result ofpolice strong performance andsuccess of their operations?

A. Yes. We can say that a largepart of that target has been realisedin the decline of crimes committedby UAE nationals and expatriates.Most of recent crimes were commit-ted by gangs or persons comingfrom outside the UAE. There mayhave been a psychological effect ofour practice on people with criminaltendencies in the country preventingthem from engaging in criminalactivities.

Q. What about the impact oncomers to the UAE with the inten-tion of committing a crime?

A. One cannot ignore the positiveimpact of Dubai Police success onpeople coming to the UAE withcriminal intentions. One example isthe success of the Arsène Lupinoperation and the great repercus-sions of the achievement of DubaiPolice in arresting Croatian criminalleader Damiano. Other examplesinclude the Wafi City heist and theassassination in Dubai of al-Mab-hooh, the Palestinian Hamas leaderin Dubai. We can measure the psy-chological impact from two points:curbing crime by reducing majorcriminal activities committed byinternational gangs after their failurein previous incidents and the arrestof their members, and by increasingthese gangs’ readiness in planningtheir activities in Dubai, includingexiting the UAE without beingdetected. But despite gangsters’planning, police have been able tofoil their attempts and to arrest themas well as chase them international-ly, and that has further enhanced theexcellent reputation of Dubai Policeworldwide.

- ‘Al Garhood Operation’, 1999.

- ‘Rebound Sting’, 2001: The operation aimed to arrest a gangthat broke into a money exchange house and ran away with Dh10million. The money was recovered. It was codenamed ‘reboundsting’ because police were able to respond fast and act against thegang’s ‘sting’.

- Spider Net’, 2002: It was against an international gang based inthe UAE, attempting to smuggle 17 tonnes of drugs to five Euro-pean countries. It was given that codename because its memberswere existed in many regions around the world trying to sell theirpoison.

- ‘Arsène Lupin’, 2005: The arrest of members of the gang ofCroatian criminal leader Damiano (known to police agencies asArsène Lupin, in Dubai, for committing an armed robbery on a jew-ellery outlet and running away with jewellery worth Dh6 million.Two gangsters were caught including Damian.

- ‘Midnight Operation’, 2006: The crime involved the kidnappingof a school girl and demanding a huge ransom to release her. Thetwo kidnappers were arrested and the girl rescued safely andbrought back to her family. It was codenamed ‘Midnight Operation’because the police team made a commitment to unravel the mysteryof the crime before midnight. That promise was fulfilled.

- ‘Octopus Operation’, 2007: An international gang ‘imported’drugs from some Asian countries to be shipped to several countriesin Europe, Africa and Asia. Gangsters also wanted to launder themoney generated from the illicit activity of selling drugs in thecountry.

- ‘Arrow Operation’, 2008: UAE-based international gangstersmanaged to get hold of billions of sterling pounds from the BritishTreasury as a result of fraudulent practices against British customs,by claiming to export goods and then retrieving the added value andtransferring it to foreign accounts to launder it. The CID operativesin the UAE were able to penetrate the gang despite its top secretdealings.

- ‘Love & Revenge Operation’, 2009: The case of a womanwhose body was found at an apartment in Dubai. She has her throatcut b y a knife. Police used state-of-the-art technologies to get to thekiller. He was arrested outside the UAE, and it was codenamed‘Love & Revenge’ as investigations showed that the killer commit-ted the crime at the orders of the woman’s lover because she desert-ed him.

There are other codenamed operations including ‘Race AgainstTime’ in the murder of a businessman at a club in Dubai, and ‘Spar-row Hunting’ against the killers of a trader by knocking him downwith a car and stealing his cash. Operation ‘Sparrow Hunting’ wascodenamed so was that despite the running away from the crimescene, the culprits were easily caught as if they were ‘sparrows’ bya professional CID team.

Codenamed Operations of Dubai Police

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Cover story

Obesity is no more restrictedto discussions at healthcarecircles, but has become a

social topic of conversation toobecause of its serious threat to peo-ple’s wellbeing and lifestyle. Manyargue that obesity has hindered com-munication between obese peopleand others, and led to the embarrass-ment and subsequent isolation ofobese people in an environment thatglorifies slim bodies and propagateshealthy diets and the gym culture.

Fear of weight gain is not restrict-ed to women; the modern age hasbrought men into this circle. Asevery one appears to be seeking the‘perfect body’, some ‘heavier’ peo-

ple obviously fail the test. They set-tle into their sedentary lifestyle andtake a back seat while others pursuetheir dream of the body-beautiful.

“Obesity for men and women is akind of social embarrassment”, said

Issam Hinnawi, technical designer atthe Abu Dhabi Police General Head-quarters. “It is an embarrassment infamily circles, at work or any socialinteraction”.

Mr. Hinnawi is 108 kg in weight,and he’s 173 cm in height. His idealweight should be 73 kg, which meanshe has some 35 kg in excess weight.The 30-year-old man said the causeof his obesity is that he was a sports-man who deserted sporting activitiesand fell prey to the comforts of mod-ern life, including the use of eleva-tors and escalators. “I deserted sportsaltogether, and fats started buildingup in my body”, he noted.

Foods with high calories and fast

Weight-phobiaThe problem of obesity is becoming a worrying social barrier, in addition tobeing a threat to life.

By Lara Al Zarasi

Issam Hinnawi

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food that has “saturated our liveswith fats, in addition to soft drinks,constitute together a recipe for obesi-ty.

Mr. Hinnawi admits he suffersfrom social embarrassment becauseof his obesity. “On many occasions, Icannot find the right size of clothes Iwant to buy. Even the right size ofsocks are hard to find. I also tend touse dark coloured clothes that arebelieved to help hide excessive obe-sity”, he said.

The most serious and saddest partof the story is the health risks associ-ated with obesity. Mr. Hinnawi saidhe suffers from blocked veins andunderwent catheterisation and anopen heart surgery.

He currently follows a healthy dietto keep Cholesterol levels low. How-ever, losing weight is not merelypossible through healthy food; phys-ical activity on a daily basis veryimportant, “but that does not happenbecause of life’s commitments”.

Ehab Al Khateeb, a public rela-tions officer working at a privatecompany, weighs 170 kg and is 165cm tall. This means he is overweightby 105 kg. The 39-year-old man saidobesity has caused him many healthproblems.

“I have diabetes, high blood pres-sure, high cholesterol, triglyceridesand thyroid gland problems. I under-went gastric bypass surgery and lostsome 20 kg”, Ehab said.

Obesity has also caused Ehab a lot

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of inconveniences due to his slowmovement and problems in his mari-tal life. He desperately wanted solu-tions to the threats facing his healthand social life.

“Once I lose excess weight, I willfollow a new and different lifestyle.Living with 100 kg of fat is a slowdeath”, he underlined.

Moza Khamis Salem, a guard atwomen’s prison in Al Wathba, is 40years old. She weighs 89 kg but sheis 50 cm tall. “Obesity has caused

many health problems like diabetes,blood pressure and cholesterol. Ihave to get rid of 39 kg. A medicalcheck up has also caused a profes-sional problem as I was unfit to get ajob that I have been dreaming of forthe last 20 years”.

Dr. Sameer Sami, Head of Nutri-tion and Obesity Treatment at MeccaMedical Centre, said obesity is oneof the most common health problemsin today’s world. It is a medical con-dition in which excess body fat has

21


Moza Khamis Dr. Sameer Sami

22


accumulated to the extent that it mayhave an adverse effect on health.Body mass index (BMI), a measure-ment which compares weight andheight, defines people as overweight(pre-obese) when their BMI isbetween 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2,and obese when it is greater than 30kg/m2.

Dr. Sami explained that many rea-sons lead to obesity, like the lack ofphysical exercise, excessive food.Age, sex are also factors in causingobesity, as energy expenditure isnormally reduced with ageing.

“There are also psychological andsocial factors around obese people.These factors have an effect on theeating patterns of obese people, inaddition to physiological and hor-mone factors like the thyroid gland.These, however, cannot always beblamed for causing obesity”, Dr.Sami said.

Obesity, said Dr. Sami, increasesthe likelihood of various diseases,and also increases the likelihood ofdeath, particularly if associated withdiabetes, blood pressure and highcholesterol. Obesity can lead toperipheral artery disease, certaintypes of cancer, prostate diseases,high blood pressure, diabetes andothers.

Results of a study on obesity andchronic diseases conducted on72,000 people above the age of 14,has showed that the more body massincreases, the more is the likelihoodof diseases like diabetes, blood pres-sure, heart diseases, breathing diffi-culties, kidney diseases andosteoarthritis. Obese people withBMI greater than 30 kg/m2 are moreprone to these diseases.

Dr. Sami said women usually stockup more fats than men, and thus theyare more prone to obesity than men.Obesity in the upper part of the bodyis usually associated with an increasein the risk factors of the diseases ofthe heart and arteries. It is also asso-ciated with high cholesterol and

triglycerides, diabetes and highblood pressure.

Obesity in the lower part of thebody is more common amongwomen. It poses the same threats asobesity in the upper part of the body.Some other studies have shown thatobesity in the lower part of the bodycould give more hints about the riskof heart diseases than any other indi-cator.

Obesity is a preventable cause ofdeath worldwide. The Head of Nutri-tion and Obesity Treatment saidtreatment of obesity varies from oneobese person to another. The objec-tive of any treatment is to reach thedesired results in a safe manner.There are a number of methods totreat obesity:

Medications: Medicines should beused in a safe way and within a shortperiod, under complete medicalsupervision. A strict diet should alsobe followed on a continuous basis aswell as physical activity. Anti-obesi-ty drugs may be taken to reduceappetite or inhibit fat absorption.Fibre pills made of natural ingredi-ents are the most common medicine;they should be taken with a lot ofwater to lead to reduced appetite.

There are also medications thatreduce appetite; unfortunately, thesemedicines normally have side effectsand can sometimes lead to depres-sion. They should be used understrict and continuous medical super-vision.

Other medicines can increasemetabolism. They should not betaken arbitrarily as they have manyside effects.

Diuretics and laxatives are anothermethod of treatment if the doctordecides they can help.

Procedures: Surgical and non-sur-gical procedures are decided inextreme cases and after all othermethods have failed. Surgeriesinclude liposuction, gastric bypasssurgery, intragastric balloon toreduce stomach volume and others.

Prevention is the key

There are various recom-mendations that can help pre-vent obesity. Nutritionistsmust be consulted to suggesthealthy diets, as arbitrarynutritional methods can aggra-vate the problems.

First of all, foods with highfats like butter, high-fat meats,full-cream cheeses, nuts andsweets. Moderation in eatingsome foods with high carbohy-drates is also required, likebreads, rice, pastas and pota-toes. Foods with high fibreslike fruit and vegetablesshould be taken, and high-fatmeats should be replaced withlow-fat meats. Full-creamproducts should be replacedwith low-fat or no-fat substi-tutes.

Drinking a lot of water isalso recommended, and theuse of salt should be reducedto a reasonable amount as saltcan lead to storing water in thebody and thus increase weight.Physical activity, even for halfan hour daily, is necessary.Anti-obesity drugs withoutconsulting physicians shouldbe avoided.

24


Focus

25


Next time you see your col-leagues on the internetupdating their social net-

working sites, they may not be shirk-ing work after all. New media is big-ger than ever and is now a vital part ofthe way that government connectswith the public.

Just 5 years ago talk of “Tweeting”,“Uploading” or “changing your sta-tus” would have been met by blanklooks and puzzled questions. Now,with Facebook, You Tube and evenTwitter as part of the everyday medialandscape, any government institutionmust include them as part of theircommunication strategy if they wantto reach all sections of the communi-ty.

“Abu Dhabi Police has always been

at the forefront of new technology andinnovation” says First Lt Majed AlMarzouqi, Chief of the Media Studiesand Security Co-Ordination Section atAbu Dhabi Police. “So of course wehave to adapt and ensure we are partof this massive new part of many peo-ple’s lives.”

The figures are astonishing. Just 5years ago Facebook had a few thou-sand users, mainly in college campus-es across the United States. Now ithas 500 million users around theworld – up from 100 million in just 2years. It’s a business now valued at$15 billion. After the Google searchengine, Facebook is the number twomost visited site on the web.

“Our Facebook page has become

very popular in a short space of time.We have hundreds of visitors a week.We use it as a place to post interestingstories from the newspapers or otherwebsites about the Police. We answerquestions too, either on the main pageor by private correspondence if neces-sary. For example, we had an enquiryabout working for the Abu DhabiPolice and we were able to give thatperson the information they neededalmost immediately. Others just wantto comment on news or share infor-mation”.

Facebook is interesting because itcover so many demographics.Detailed figures from the UK (whichhas 25 million active Facebookaccounts) show that half of users areover 25. 8 per cent were over 55.

Web-wiseAbu Dhabi Police’s growing presence on the internet is a key way of keeping intouch with the whole community.

By: Robert Hillier

“It’s not just a tool for teenagersand students” says First Lt Al Mar-zouqi “people use it in differentways. Yes, you can use it to chat toyour friends, but now that everymajor company and organizationhas its own Facebook page anyonewho uses the internet is likely touse Facebook”.

The global phenomenon of YouTube is just five years old. Over 2billion videos are watched everyday by this simple file sharing sitethat has now hosted Presidentialdebates, broadcast live sportingevents, attracted the British RoyalFamily to set up their own channeland made stars out of the unlikeli-est people. The Abu Dhabi PoliceChannel was set up a year ago, andhas attracted 170,000 views of 45videos. First Lt Al Marzouqiexplains “With so much mediacompeting for attention these days,it’s no longer possible to ensureyour message will be seen by thewhole community. We reach mostpeople because we target TV,radio, newspapers, cinema, out-door screens. But not only doesthis site allow people to see whatour latest news is, it also providesan archive, and allows people toshare videos they’ve seen withother people, wherever they maylive.”

Not only does the You TubeChannel show the latest awarenessfilms, such as drugs or road safetycommercials, there’s also footagethat you won’t see anywhere else,

such as film of a man being res-cued by a police Air Wing helicop-ter. “That kind of footage reallycaptures people attention”, sayFirst Lt Al Marzouqi, “pictures ofaction and events that we wouldn’tbe able to show anywhere previ-ously.”

Twitter is still in its infancy onthe web, and in many ways stilllooking for its niche. Billed as a“social networking and microblogging” site, it allows people topass on information in 140 charac-ters or less. These are called“tweets” and “tweeting” hasbecome a very popular pastimeamongst some “A” list Hollywoodcelebrities, allowing their fans tofind out where they are and whatthey’re doing. Making this workfor the Police was more of a chal-lenge admits First Lt Al Marzouqi.“While police forces around theworld are on Facebook, and a feware on You Tube, not many are onTwitter. We thought about the kindof information that people in AbuDhabi need that can be conveyedeasily – so we began with trafficupdates and are now extending theservice to include other informa-tion”. The Twitter site has caughtthe imagination and made it into amedia story in its own right. “It’svery satisfying” says First Lt AlMarzouqi. “We have a very closerelationship with the community ofAbu Dhabi and we pride ourselveson keeping up to date with anydevelopments that allow us tostrengthen that bond”.

26


Facebook is a social net-working website launched inFebruary 2004. It has morethan 500 million active

users. Users can add people as friendsand send them messages, and updatetheir personal profiles to notifyfriends about themselves. Users canjoin networks organized by work-place, school, or college. The web-site’s name stems from the colloquialname of books given to students at thestart of the academic year by universi-ties in the US to help students to get toknow each other better. Facebookallows anyone who declares them-selves to be aged 13 or older tobecome a member of the website.

Twitter is a social net-working and microbloggingwebsite. It enables its usersto send and read other user’s

messages called tweets. Tweets aretext based messages of up to 140characters displayed on the author’sprofile. Users may subscribe to otherauthor’s tweets—this is known as fol-lowing and subscribers are known asfollowers. All users can send andreceive tweets via the Twitter website,compatible external applications(such as smartphones) or by sms. Ithas more than 100 million usersworldwide. Britney Spears is the pop-ular “Tweeter” in the world, with 5million followers. President BarackObama has 4.5 million.

You Tube is a videosharing website where

users can upload, share, and viewvideos. Three former PayPal employ-ees created YouTube in February2005. It displays a wide variety ofuser generated content, includingmovie clips, TV clips, and musicvideos, as well as amateur contentsuch as short original videos. Most ofthe content on You Tube has beenuploaded by individuals, althoughmedia corporations offer some oftheir material via the site, as part ofthe YouTube partnership program. InNovember 2006, You Tube wasbought by Google Inc $1.65 billion. Amusic video by US singer JustinBieber is the most viewed with 250million hits.


Focus

Police schools…four decades of successEstablished in 1968, Police Schools have been instrumental in providing thecountry’s security apparatus with the human resources it requires

By Amani Al Yafei

28

29


Generations of police cadresgraduated from PoliceSchools, located east of the

town of Sweihan in the emirate ofAbu Dhabi, since the inception of theschools in 1968. Military discipline isthe norm at the schools that have suc-ceeded in providing the UAE withqualified men and women confrontingthe security challenges of the youngnation.

“We have always been working todevelop human cadres capable ofmeeting the security needs of thecountry in accordance with highestinternational standards”, said Colonel

Waleed Salem Al Shamsi, Director ofPolice Schools. “The advanced train-ing we have bring cadets to the levelthat meets security challenges at alltimes, providing the police force withpolice men and women that meet therequirements of society and abide bythe rules and principles of humanrights”, he added.

The police official said the missionof the Police Schools is in line withthe directives of His Highness Lieu-tenant General Sheikh Saif bin ZayedAl Nahyan, Deputy Prime Ministerand Minister of Interior, who is keenon keeping “Police Schools among

the best police training institutes”.Col. Al Shamsi said the Police

Schools play a very important role inthe implementation of the strategy ofAbu Dhabi Police Headquarters. Hesaid the General Directorate ofHuman Resources provides theschools with all facilities and equip-ment to help them achieve the visionof Abu Dhabi Police in preservingsecurity of the nation.

Many batches of police men andwomen graduated from these schools,meeting the security requirements ofthe country that has been witnessingunprecedented progress over the pastyears. “Police Schools’ efforts haveculminated with the setting up of amodel police school in Al Ain”, saidthe official.

Several objectives are set to beachieved in coming months and years,said Col. Al Shamsi. “We are workingto achieve the vision of Abu DhabiPolice by developing training curricu-lums in accordance with highest pro-fessional standards so that we can getthe best qualified police cadres tohandle their assignments efficiently.We abide by improvement and devel-

Waleed Al Shamsi

30


opment standards in basic policeoperations and services and strive toupgrade police performance and toprovide quality services. Continuousefforts to improve the levels of effi-ciency of police cadres are a basic ele-ment in our work, including the devel-opment of personal skills and trainingmethods”, explained Col. Al Shamsi.

He added that the Police Schoolsadministration has been working on acontinuous basis to develop its train-ing programmes to catch up with thelatest police training practices.

“We have a highly qualified train-ing team in various fields. The teamincludes local and foreign experts aswell as administrative and technicalstaff providing best quality services”,he said.

The approach of the administration,he emphasised, focuses on making the

student the “core” of the trainingprocess. Students are given the oppor-tunity to learn from interactive meth-ods and to solve problems in a sys-tematic manner. “This enhances thepractical side of the training and pre-pares students for real-life assign-ments”, stressed Col. Al Shamsi,adding that the training approach hasbeen developed with the assistance ofa British agency. Assessment of stu-dents is based on fundamental ele-ments including communication,problem solving, knowledge, personalresponsibility, team work and profes-sional key performance indicators.

Col. Al Shamsi said the administra-tion develops its curriculums in thelight of Abu Dhabi Police’ vision andits tenets like the protection of humanrights, interaction with the public,crime prevention policies and the neu-

trality and honesty of police work. Heunderlined that efforts were alsobeing made to enhance the role ofcommunity policing and to fullyunderstand the needs of society.

The administration of PoliceSchools takes part in exhibitions andconferences in the country. Its partic-ipation has been lauded by variousinstitutions. It also publishes aware-ness pamphlets on various occasions.

Col. Al Shamsi said the role ofUAE women in police work has beenintrinsic. “Policewomen have provedtheir capabilities, including in shoot-ing skills, and they contribute to thesecurity of the nation greatly in manyfields. Their role in police work isregarded as a major achievement ofUAE women, and Abu Dhabi Policehave been giving them all support”,he concluded.

32


Focus

Donations by Muslims to non-Mus-lims in need is an intrinsic humanduty, and this is evident in Islamicjurisdiction, Muslim scholars assert.

“Islam does not differentiatebetween a Muslim and non-Muslim intreatment, and is a tolerant religion”,said prominent Muslim scholarSheikh Ahmed Al Kubaisi in an inter-view with 999.

God Almighty says in the HolyQuran: “Surely, those who havebelieved, and the Jews, and the Sabi-ans, and the Christians — who sobelieves in Allah and the Last Dayand does good deeds, on them shallcome no fear, nor shall they grieve”.Surah Al-Maidah, 69.

Sheikh Al Kubaisi said Islam is acall for peace and tolerance, andProphet Mohammed (PBUH) says heis “an adversary of any (Muslim) whocauses any harm to people of thebook. This is a kind of tolerance…

that is why there is no harm in extend-ing a helping hand to non-Muslims inneed because benevolence is a charac-teristic of Muslims”.

Salem Sultan Al Suweidi, Head ofthe Humanitarian Relief Division ofthe UAE Red Crescent Society, saidRCS has always been working toenhance human relief effort locallyand internationally and to promote theprinciples of international humanitari-an law on a wide scale.

“The RCS supports official authori-ties at times of peace and war inaccordance with article 26 of the First1949 Geneva Convention”, he said.

During peacetime, the work scalefocuses on awareness programmes,first aid, prevention of diseases, socialissues, and provision of humanitarianassistance, among others. Duringwars, the work is extended to takingcare of the wounded in the frameworkof the Geneva conventions, relief

effort, provision of first aid to victims,protection of civilians and providingshelter to uprooted civilians.

“The RCS is the connectionbetween donors and beneficiaries, soit depends in its response on theaction of the local community”, hepointed out.

There are conditions for beneficiar-ies to receive assistance, said AlSuweidi.

“The person who wants assistanceshould provide us with photocopies ofthe residence visa, a salary certificate,rent contract and the national identitycard, in addition to the papers thatprove his or her need for money. Forexample, a divorced woman shouldpresent her divorce document and awidow must present her husband’sdeath certificate”, he explained. “If aperson wants financial assistance formedical treatment, hospital docu-ments should be presented to the

Hands of BenevolenceDonations by Muslims to non-Muslims in need is a human duty

By Lara Al Zarasi

33


34


RCS”, he added.Assistance is given to Muslims and

non-Muslims in different forms. Al Suweidi said “medical and cash

assistance is given to deserving appli-cants. Assistance is also provided toprisoners, students, establishmentsand (charity) projects”.

Last year, the value of medicalassistance totalled Dh13.9 million, ofwhich 1,317 medical cases benefitted.The figure also included assistance topatients who needed surgeries and theprovision of medical equipment andmedicines.

“Medical assistance has contributedgreatly to improving the health ofmany poor patients who cannot bearthe costs of medical care, especiallythose suffering from serious ailmentsthat require prolonged treatment”, hesaid.

Financial assistance totalled Dh29.9million last year. It included assis-tance in cash and in kind, provided tofamilies in need and those with limit-ed income. “There were also cases of

individuals who faced financialcrises, included people stranded in theUAE who were given air tickets to flyback to their countries. RCS alsohelped widows and divorced womenas well as the wives of patients andprisoners”, Al Suweidi said.

People facing financial difficultiesand imprisoned for trivial money-related offences received RCS assis-tance. The value of financial assis-tance given to this category last yeartotalled Dh7.8 million, from which463 prisoners benefitted.

The Humanitarian Relief Divisionalso provides financial assistance to

students in need. The assistanceincludes tuition fees, developmentcourses and the rehabilitation of peo-ple with special needs. The value ofassistance for this category totalledDh27.6 million last year, from which7,744 male and female students bene-fitted in the UAE.

The RCS also supported varioushumanitarian establishments, govern-ment-run and private schools andhealth centres, in addition to HolyQuran and new Muslims centres. AlSuweidi said 151 establishments ben-efitted from RCS assistance thattotalled some Dh3.3 million.

‘Seasonal projects’ are the onlyprojects solely aimed at Muslims asthey are a purely Islamic humanitari-an effort, like the Ramadan foodassistance (during the fasting monthof Ramadan), support of pilgrims toHoly Mecca, Iftar feasts (breaking thefast), Zakatul Fitr alms and distribu-tion of the meat of sacrificed animals.

“These projects are purely for Mus-lims and they are the only exception

Ismail Al Aghbari

35


in RCS activities”, said Al Suweidi.The cost last year stood at Dh32.7million.

Zakatul Fitr and the Ramadan foodassistance are aimed at Muslims,while distribution of the meat of sac-rificed animals includes non-Mus-lims, though poor Muslims have thepriority.

Ismail Abdah Al Aghbari, ReliefEffort and Project Coordinator at theRCS, said the nature of the RCS assis-tance work outside the UAE coversall targeted categories without anydiscrimination in terms of gender,colour, ethnic background, religion orcultural or sectarian backgrounds.

“Being an international organisa-tion, we carry out our initiatives with-out any discrimination. Our projectsinclude humanitarian and medicalassistance as well as construction ofinfrastructure”, he pointed out.

Last year, the Al Hilal (Crescent)programmes were carried out in anumber of countries at a cost of morethan Dh450 million, said Al Aghbari.

“There are principles for emergencyresponse in any part of the world. TheRCS as an international body underthe umbrella International Federationof Red Cross and Red Crescent Soci-eties (IFRC) provides services to thewhole of humanity”, he said.

The RCS operates in 36 countriesthrough regional offices and local rep-resentatives under the supervision ofUAE embassies in those countries.

The UAE RCS has had a great rolein relief effort in Haiti after its recentdevastating earthquake. The RCS wasamong the first relief organisations toreach Haiti. Similar assistance wasprovided to disaster areas in India,Greece and Turkey and the Tsunamidisaster that hit large areas in SouthEast Asia.

The RCS also provided multi-mil-lion dollar assistance in the form ofshelters and basic necessities to thou-sands of families in war-tornAfghanistan on the Afghan-Pakistanborders. In the recent past, the RCSprovided help to the Balkans people,

as well as to civilians affected by warsin Yemen (Al Mizraq region).

RCS assistance projects alsoreached those in need of modern resi-dential units in Palestine, Yemen,Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia andAfghanistan. One of the projects wasthe Jenin refugee camp in Palestine,the Sheikh Zayed City in the GazaStrip, the Sheikh Zayed County inJerusalem (for Arab teachers’ residen-tial units), the Sheikh Khalifa City inSri Lanka and two others inAfghanistan and Pakistan, and theSheikh Khalifa City in Hadramout inYemen for residents affected byfloods that hit the region a couple ofyears ago.

In addition to ‘seasonal projects’,the UAE RCS provided meats fromsacrificed animals to over 25,000 peo-ple in more than 60 countries aroundthe world. Sponsorship of orphanedchildren has also been a key area, andmore than 56,000 orphans benefittedfrom RCS programmes in a numberof countries.

36


In Pakistan there are drownedhomes and millions of lives set adriftby floods, in Russia wheat crops havebeen shrivelled by drought anddevoured by fire. Some scientiststhink the floods and the fires could belinked.

This time it seems the culprit is notclimate change, but a persistent pat-tern of waves in the high-altitudeflows of air called jet streams.

Yet Harry Hendon, of the Centrefor Australian Weather and ClimateResearch, and a member of the globalpanel of scientists on monsoons, saidhe was not sure that the changes in thejet streams alone could have causedthe quantity of rain dumped on Pak-istan - the panel was in discussion andwould release its assessment.

Here is what some scientists havesaid.

The jet stream link

Jet streams play a fundamental rolein the earth’s weather and are used byforecasters to predict storms andcyclones and their intensity, says the“Understanding Weather” section onthe website of the British Broadcast-ing Corporation (BBC).

Jet streams move from west to east,and can also move north and south,pushing excess heat from the equato-rial regions towards the poles, “and inturn bring cold polar air southwards”.

In the northern hemisphere summerof 2010, meteorologists picked up apersistent pattern of waves in the jet

stream, which had also formed duringthe preceding three summers.

“This jet stream pattern led toflooding in the UK during June andJuly 2007, and to further wet summersover western Europe in both 2008 and2009,” said Michael Blackburn, aresearch scientist at the National Cen-tre for Atmospheric Science at theUniversity of Reading in the UK,whose suggested links between theRussian drought and the Pakistanfloods appeared in the New Scientiston 10 August.

“We do not know the origin of thepersistent pattern of waves in the jetstream this summer,” he said. “Suchpatterns are part of the natural vari-ability of the atmosphere that lead toweather variations over weeks,

Global Issues

Fire, water, air and earth

months and seasons.”The waves “appear as a succession

of northward and southward mean-ders of the jet stream. The northwardmeanders are ridges of high pressurethat give cloudless skies and, in sum-mer, hot temperatures at the ground.Conversely, the southward meandersare troughs of low pressure that givecloud and rain.”

Meteorologists picked up a “largeand persistent northward meander ofthe jet stream” over western Russia,which drew warm air far northwardfrom the Mediterranean Sea andformed a “so-called ‘blocking’ anticy-clone, with record high temperaturesacross the region,” said Blackburn.

Cyclones are regions of low pres-sure in which the winds spin anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphereand clockwise in the southern hemi-sphere; an anticyclone is a high pres-sure system in which the winds circu-late in a direction opposite to

cyclones.In the eastern half of the northern

hemisphere, meteorologists foundthat cold air had been drawn south-ward towards the Asian monsoonregion. “This has moved the jetstream further south than normal, in atrough that has crossed the mountainsover northern Pakistan, intensifyingthe monsoon rains there,” said Black-burn.

The trough strengthened in the lastweek of July, at the same time that “amonsoon depression moved westfrom the Bay of Bengal, taking mois-ture-laden air across northern Indiaand into northern Pakistan, beneaththe jet stream trough,” he explained.

“It appears to be this conjunction ofevents that led to the intense rain overnorthern Pakistan on 28-30 July, andthe subsequent flooding that hasspread south along the Indus River.”

Not just the trough

However, Hendon noted that “theblocking ridge and associated troughto the north of Pakistan was wellestablished before the floods.” Hesaid he felt that a combination of anunusually warm Indian Ocean - LaNiña - with an active monsoon and an“episode of the monsoons known asan ‘intraseasonal variation’, causedthe rather heavy downpour in Pak-istan”.

An intraseasonal event originates asa “region of large-scale enhancedconvection over the equatorial IndianOcean”. It then moves into the mon-soon and causes the rain to fall insome parts, while simultaneously sup-pressing it in others.

This event, known as a MonsoonIntraseasonal Oscillation (MISO),usually moves between 20 and 25degrees north, but this time it movedto 30 degrees and even further north,said Hendon, agreeing that this couldhave been caused by the “blockinganticyclone” identified by Blackburn.

Hendon said it was not yet clear“how well we can predict such events,and ... how such events are precondi-tioned on such things as La Nina, andeven the enormous ridge causing theheat wave in Russia - this is what ourpanel wants to assess.”

Blackburn said the “weather inother regions has also been affectedby the disturbed jet stream; further

east, intense rain over parts of Chinaat the start of August appears to havebeen associated with the ‘next’ troughin the pattern, while earlier hot weath-er in Japan was associated with aridge still further east,” he pointedout.

“West of the Russian anticyclonethe trough over western Europestrengthened and extended to theMediterranean in early August, lead-ing to intense rain and flooding overeastern Germany on the 6th[ofAugust]”.

Climate change

Scientists are cautious in theirresponse to suggested links betweenthe atmospheric anomalies and cli-mate change. “It is not possible toattribute individual extreme weatherevents such as the Russian heat-waveor Pakistan floods to global warm-ing,” Blackburn said.

Nevertheless, higher temperaturesmean warmer air, which holds morewater vapour, so peak rainfall can beexpected to increase as temperaturesrise.

R. Krishnan, a scientist at the Indi-an Institute of Tropical Meteorology,who has been studying the impact ofclimate variability on the Asian mon-soon, said a long record of heavy rain-fall events over Pakistan would haveto be examined before any conclusionabout the role of climate change couldbe drawn.

Floods

Factors on the ground must also betaken into account in any assessment.“In the case of Pakistan, hydrologistshave drawn attention to changes inriver management and water use overtime,” Blackburn said.

“These affect the severity of flood-ing resulting from any given amountof precipitation - in addition, the scaleof human impact, and therefore thescale of the emergency relief andlonger-term recovery, increase withincreasing population,” he pointedout.

“Pakistan, in common with manydeveloping countries, has seen itspopulation double over the last 30years, following annual increases ofaround 3 percent in the 1970s.”

- IRIN

It was a somehow quiet working day for Corporal AliHamad Mohammed. Nothing seemed to ruin therefreshing spring weather in Ras Al Khaimah. The

winds were a bit stronger than in the previous day, and thesea waves were smashing the rocks on the beach in theireternal roar. Ali felt, deep down, that something nasty wasabout to happen, and his intuitive powers proved true!

It was 3pm when a call from the Operations Room came,asking the security point personnel to move immediatelyto the beach in Al Jazeera Al Hamra area to save two per-sons faced with the danger of drowning.

Ali still remembers all details of those critical moments.“We received the orders from our immediate supervisorand rushed to the beach”, said Ali.

There, the police patrol team found a man lying on thesandy beach. The other man was still in the sea, about todrown. He could not swim to the beach as the sea waveswere high.

“We had to act fast to save the man in the sea, after teammembers were sure the man on the beach was out of dan-ger. I threw a rope to the sea so that the man fighting forhis life could catch. However, the waves were too strong

and my attempts were unsuccessful”, Ali said.Time was running too fast. “We could not afford to

waste any more time. I had to take the risk and jump intothe water, swimming against the current to reach the man.After a tough time with the violent waves, I was able to gethold of the man and pull him with me to safety”, recalledAli.

Exhausted, Ali reached the beach with the man who wasin a coma. First aid was administered and an ambulancetook the man to hospital.

“The rescue operation took a very short time that did notexceed 15 minutes. But we felt the 15 minutes were like alifetime”, said Ali.

High ranking police officers were very impressed byAli’s courage. He was honoured by Colonel AhmedGhanem Ahmed, Director of Operations at Ras AlKhaimah Police, following instructions by Maj GenSheikh Taleb bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Director General of RasAl Khaimah Police.

“The honouring was a great gesture by Ras Al KhaimahPolice, which gives me additional boost to exert moreeffort and excel in my work”, said Ali.

People

Lara Al Zarasi

38


Brave heart

Ashraf Jassim Al Baluchiinsists that that to be physi-cally challenged is not an

obstacle that hinders one’s progress.He works at the AdministrativeAffairs Section of the Naturalisationand Residency Department inFujairah.

Ashraf was born in Fujairah in1983. He says his creative talent cameout of his enchantment by the beauti-ful nature of the emirate of Fujairah.He has five brothers and sisters.

In 2002, Ashraf lost his fingers in atraffic accident. He was 18 years old.

Losing his fingers made him unableto do things he used to do before theaccident.

“My parents were shocked. I wasalso depressed beyond description.My state was very complicated, butmy parents helped me a lot and gaveme all support to pass through the ini-

tial phase after the accident. I passedthat critical period and got out of itwith optimism and determination, so Istarted to think about developing myskills”, said Ashraf.

He said he started looking for a jobbut he could find any. “I thenapproached a Ministry of Interior’sdevelopment centre for the physicallychallenged and managed to undergosix months of training in designs. Myprevious degree in accounting hashelped me a lot in my new study at thecentre. Transportation and accommo-dation were made available for me atthe centre”, he said.

The six months were a great learn-ing time for Ashraf, which also pavedthe way for him to get the job that hewas waiting for.

“After graduation from the centre,I joined the Administrative AffairsSection of the Naturalisation and

Residency Department in Fujairah.All officers and staff welcomed meand encouraged me, and that hascontributed to my morale and boost-ed my enthusiasm to create and servemy country”, said Ashraf. “Joiningthe Naturalisation and ResidencyDepartment in Fujairah and gettingmarried and having my first child,Mohammed, are among the mostbeautiful things in my life”, headded.

Ashraf loves marksmanship andswimming. He says he finds greatdeal of enjoyment practising thesesports in his leisure time.

“I want to tell every person who isphysically challenged that his or hercondition should not be regarded as abarrier on the way to creativity andachievement”, asserted Ashraf, whois now waiting for his imminent pro-motion.

Jumping over barriers

People

To be physically challenged is not a barrier against creativity, saysAshraf Jassim Al Baluchi

By Khalid Al Dhahnani


40

He is obsessed with perfection,balance and diversification.His obsession has opened the

doors of success in his professional life,and in his leisure time.

His is a passion for the beauty ofnature, and he has been attached to thehobby of interior design since a youngage. However, he graduated from uni-versity with a degree in computer sci-ence.

Major Faisal Mohammed Al Shim-mari, 35, joined Abu Dhabi Police in1994. He received promotions thatbrought him to the rank of major. Dur-ing his service, he succeeded in pursu-ing higher studies and received his mas-ters degree in 2004, after benefittingfrom a 2002 decree by His HighnessLieutenant General Sheikh Saif binZayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Min-

ister and Minister of Interior, to sendhim abroad to pursue higher studies.

Al Shimmari currently holds the posi-tion of manager of the office of HisExcellency Major General AhmedNasser Al Raisi, Director General ofCentral Operations at the Abu DhabiPolice Headquarters, in addition toassignments in many development ini-tiatives and projects. He is also one ofthe officers selected and trained to han-dle media interviews, becoming an offi-cial spokesman during times of crisis.

Despite various assignments, Maj. AlShimmari practises his hobby thatrequires constant updating.

He started his hobby in interiordesigns after family friends asked himto rectify some beautification worksneeded to correct some design errors ina new home. Sometime later, he set up

his own company that has become asubcontractor. To him, one of the mostimportant work he has handled was theinterior design and constant improve-ments in his own family home in AlAin.

“Interior design is a basic element ofany project, complemented by attentionto detail and integration of aesthetic ele-ments from the initial design through tosupervision, accurate execution andprecise detail”, said Al Shimmari.

He added: “The harmony among alldesign elements is an intrinsic factor inbeautiful designs, and that is enhancedby high professional standards”.

Al Shimmari stressed that his hobbyhas contributed to improving his skillsin managing priorities and monitoringcustomer satisfaction levels and super-visory skills.

People

By Amani Al Yafei

42


‘My Hobby has honed my skills’Al Shimmari’s passion for perfection in the world of interior design has openeddoors of success on the work front

44


Culture

Using foreign words in daily vernacular speech: loss of identity or show-off trick?

By Nawal Salem

The riotous mixture

Alocal radio station starts itsearly morning broadcastwith the voice of an Arabic

speaking broadcaster using a numberof English words in her Arabicspeech. If the listener does not speakEnglish or French, he or she wouldfind difficulties in understandingwhat’s being said. Even if they speakthese foreign languages proficiently,they would be feel perplexed and irri-tated when they hear friends, col-leagues or acquaintances using for-eign words in their Arabic vernacularspeech.

Language carries the basic identityof any nation. It is the medium thatfacilitates dialogue, and each nationfinds in language the ideal carrier of

its culture and heritage. With the many languages and

dialects existing in different coun-tries, we find that each country has alexicographical tradition which for-eign words have penetrated. Theremay be many question marks on thisissue, but can we call it ‘the third lan-guage’? Does it represent a danger tothe culture of society and future gen-erations?

The ‘third language’, if we go forthis term, is a mixture of the mothertongue and the second languagewhose words are in use in dailyspeech. The third language opens thedoor for other words from variouslanguages to enter. UAE society, likemany societies around the world, has

opened up to progress and develop-ment. The development process,according to some people, involvesnegative aspects. The term ‘third lan-guage’, in this sense, becomes dam-aging to culture and a threat to thenation’s culture and future genera-tions.

A general belief spread amongsome categories in society that usingthe ‘third language’ is a form ofcivilised form, mixing native dialectsand a semi-formal language with for-eign words. Questions arise aboutwhy people tend to use the ‘third lan-guage’; is it for bragging, or lack ofconfidence in the mother tongue?

Fatimah Al Muamari is a teacher,and she believes that using the ‘third


45

language’ comes from the lack ofconfidence in the mother language.She asserts that some people use for-eign words in their speech to bragabout mastering foreign tongues.

“The solution should start atschool, highlighting the importanceof the Arabic language and that it is asource of pride as the language of theHoly Quran. As a teacher, I foundsome students speaking more thanone language, but their use of foreignlanguages is only for bragging, think-ing wrongly that they succeed indelivering the meaning if they use theforeign language. They fail to under-stand the danger of foreign languageson Arabic and that Arabic could besupplanted by other languages”, shesaid.

To May Suleiman, a university stu-dent, “English is a necessity in the eraof globalisation. The use of morethan one language in the era of open-ness and liberty is a prerequisite, andI do not see any damage that couldhappen… we use English at the uni-versity because it is the medium ofour studies, and we use it in our dailyspeech on and off the campus”.

Mohammed Khalid, a media spe-cialist at a local television channel,said media people should preserveArabic and “there is no need to useforeign words. The media has a majorrole in educating society. In my work,I interact with Arabs, and my missionis directed at my society and environ-ment. So how would I insert bizarrewords in my language and dialect?We are facing threats against ourfuture generations”, said Mohammed.

He added that many people sendtheir children to foreign schools,affecting their proficiency in Arabic.

“Where to are we heading? I am anEmirati, and Arab and a Muslim, andthis sense of belonging is reflected inmy daily life and speech. I use for-eign languages only when I need tospeak to non-Arabic speaking peo-ple”, he added.

Foreign words have also enteredNabati (traditional colloquial) poeticheritage of the Arab region. Accord-ing to some poets, foreign wordshave added aesthetic touches to poet-ry, but others believe these words dis-torted poetry. An Emirati womanpoet, Mariyam Al Naqbi (nicknamedSajaya Al Rouh), said: “I am not asupporter of using foreign words inpoems, but there are some experi-ments that have been successful inemploying foreign words beautifully.Nevertheless, the majority of poetshave distorted the poem structureunder the pretext of change andmodernity, or to gain popularity atlight’s speed. I never experimented inthis field, and I do not intend to do so.I want to keep the Nabati spirit in mypoems”, she said.

Abdullah Gharib al Ahbani, a poetknown as the ‘poet of the seven lan-guages, said his poems represent a‘qualitative transformation’.

He added: “When I wrote thesepoems, I never thought that theycould get this major response fromthe public. A poem (with foreignwords) is one of an attitude. I admitthat it could be exaggerated, but Iliked to make my poems distin-guished by using words from sevenlive languages, bringing the pointhome. I could not stop doing that asmy poems became so popular”.

According to Dr. Khalifa AlSuweidi, professor at the UAE Uni-

versity, said the issue of using foreignwords in daily speech has ‘a numberof aspects’.

“One aspect is legal. We have twotelecommunications companies; Eti-salat and du. Etisalat is an Arabicword and du is a foreign word. Peopleuse both words without referring totheir origins. Since we live in an Arabsociety, the names of local companiesshould be Arabic names, reflectingthe culture and heritage of thenation”, he said.

The other aspect is cultural. “TheArab world rarely has new inventionsand discoveries these days. In thepast when Arab civilisation was in itsgreatest years, inventions were givenArab names, like algebra. Thesedays, Arabs are forced to use namesof foreign inventions in their originalform, with some modification”, heexplained.

The third aspect is family-centred.“Some parents force their children tospeak other languages like English.That adversely affects the upbringingof Arab children and their commandover Arabic and dents their confi-dence in their mother tongue. Somefamilies insist on sending their chil-dren to schools using foreign lan-guages as a medium of learning,thinking, mistakenly, that govern-ment-run schools are primitive”, saidDr. Al Suweidi.

The economic aspect is important,said the professor. “The fifth aspectrelates to the job market whichrequires foreign language skills, giv-ing Arabic a marginal position. Thisis a grave mistake, allowing a foreignculture to manage a country’s econo-my”, explained Dr. Al Suweidi.

Using foreign words and a riotous

46


Mohammed Khalid Abdullah al Ahbani

mixture of different languages showan unstable personality, as “somepeople use foreign languages in theirdaily Arabic speech to show off theirlinguistic aptitude. Such a trend stripsthese people of their identity”, hewarned.

The sixth aspect has to do with lin-guistic aptitude. “In the media realm,we find some people use foreignwords or expressions to show their

skills and knowledge, for a multitudeof reasons”, he said.

Solutions to this dilemma are pos-sible, said Dr. Dr. Al Suweidi. “Forinstance, legally speaking, when acommercial advertisement is written,the Arabic version should be takencare of, to be presented in the bestway. Secondary importance shouldbe given to other languages if neces-sary”.

On the educational front, reasonsbehind the status quo should beinvestigated and diagnosed. “If theteaching methods of Arabic to blame,these methods should be revisited.Books and curriculums need to berevised to make them more interest-ing to students. This is the responsi-bility of the educational authorities inthe country”, he emphasised.

Dr. Khalifa Al Suweidi


47

48


Flashback

Abu Dhabi Police Knights at a show on a national occasion.

Abu Dhabi Police brass band performing during a celebration.

Police cadets in a training session at an Abu Dhabi Police training centre.

Perspectives

Ali [email protected]

Al Jahili Fort, a cultural edificeI have been greatly pleased by the news that Al Jahili Fort of Al Ain in the emi-

rate of Abu Dhabi has won the prestigious 2010 International Architecture Award.The award was announced by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architectureand Design and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Stud-ies in July. Al Jahili Fort was selected from a cross-section of 95 distinctive andrecently built buildings and urban planning projects from around the world. Thecompetition has attracted hundreds of designs from more than 45 countries, spreadover five continents.

The organisers said the selection process took into account many factors. Thesefactors were considered by a jury of top architects. The competition was strongwith many designs and architectural firms, and included skyscrapers, museumsand cultural establishments, as well as arts exhibitions, stadiums, hospitals, metrostations, buildings of banking corporations, bridges and flyovers, theatres, airportsand universities. Places of worship and entertainment centres were also part of thecompetition.

Al Jahili Fort is considered a landmark architectural and heritage monument,particularly after the restoration and renovation by the Abu Dhabi Authority forCulture and Heritage (ADACH). The Fort was re-opened to visitors in December2008 to mark the National Day of the UAE and became a permanent museum andexhibition centre, attracting visitors and tourists to Al Ain.

Winning the prestigious award came as a reward for the efforts of the ADACHto rehabilitate heritage monuments in the emirate, in general, and in the oasis cityof Al Ain, in particular. The efforts also came as part of the strategy to preservethe cultural heritage of Abu Dhabi as explained by Mohammed Khalaf AlMazrouei, Consultant for Culture and Heritage at the Crown Prince of Abu DhabiCourt and the Director General of ADACH.

The attention given to historical sites in Abu Dhabi and other parts of the UAEcomes at the right time to reflect the cultural face of the country, whose image wasdominated for a long time by the materialistic side that deepened stereotypes aboutArabs in general and the GCC people in particular. These stereotypes only existthese days in the bedtime stories of ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ and ‘Sinbad’.

The authorities should continue to shed light on historical and cultural monu-ments through the media. These sites should not only be promoted among visitorsto the UAE, but also among UAE citizens and expatriates living in the UAE whohave the right to know the history of this country. The authorities should also makeit easy for them to visit these monuments; visiting these sites will prove moreenjoyable than shopping malls and entertainment centres.

The 2010 International Architecture Award won by Al Jahili Fort poses a majorchallenge for our cultural, heritage and tourism foundations to preserve thisachievement and further project the cultural image of the UAE. This is importantfor us to remove stereotypes associating us to tents, camels and wells of oil thatone day will run out. Only cultural monuments will remain as evidence of the civil-isation of the UAE people and culture.

999 - وزارة الداخلية · renewal in jeddah, ksa. 6 issue (477) september 2010 h.h...

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