Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Thursday, July 3rd 2014 [ME NewsWire]
United in Prosperity; Modern Infrastructure was the topic of discussion of the Ramadan council hosted by businessman Mohammed bin Nasser Al Shafi Al Hajri in Abu Dhabi. The council, which is part of the initiative launched by the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Law Respect Culture Bureau, the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, was attended by a number of dignitaries and local departments’ officials.
Participants at the council congratulated the higher leadership on the occasion of Ramadan, wishing them many blissful returns.
The council’s opening speech was delivered by Mr. Ali Al Amoudi, Al Ittihad newspaper journalist. Al Amoudi congratulated the audience on the advent of the Holy Month of Ramadan. He called upon Allah Almighty to bestow his blessings upon all Muslims, and more achievements, progress and prosperity to the country. He also prayed to Allah Almighty to bestow health and wellness upon His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, in order to pursue the achievements for the sake of the country and the happiness of each citizen, and resident in the UAE.
Al Amoudi added: “We are delighted to meet here on this day at this council, which emphasizes the well-knit ties and compassion that the UAE society is keen to reflect. It is also a top priority for the higher leadership, which is committed to meeting with citizens for the sake of the country and citizens. The council is held within the framework of the UAE Vision 2021, which in turn, embodies the ambitions and aspirations of our wise leadership to make the UAE one of best countries in the world by 2021, when the UAE will celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Union. The vision aims to achieve its integral four themes; United in Ambition and Responsibility; United in Destiny; United in Knowledge; and United in Prosperity, which is the topic of discussion of our council, tonight.”
In conclusion, he noted that the UAE Vision 2021 includes a large portfolio of infrastructure projects, which will soon see the light; the Etihad Rail project.
Adel Al Rabia, Marketing and Corporate Communications Director at Abu Dhabi Municipality, spoke about the infrastructure services, which are crucially essential to economic and social aspects as well as economic diversity. This would help promote commercial activities, international trade, and living and environmental improvement standards. They would also allow the country to create job opportunities for many people, and to maintain and qualify the national cadre.
Al Rabia went on to explain that the infrastructure projects will include energy production, water desalination, gas storage and distribution, sewage treatment, railroads, marine ports, airports, bridges, tunnels, schools, universities, residential units, industrial zones and cities, ministries and logistic facilities.
He said: “Many of the planned projects have distinguished features and are considered as unique investments. They would allow fixed revenues and enable infrastructure assets to leverage exclusive privileges, and long term purchase contracts, ultimately leading to fixed profits.
Adel Al Rabia pointed that the municipal system in the emirate of Abu Dhabi includes the Municipal Affairs Department, the Abu Dhabi City Municipality, Al Ain Municipality, and the Western Region Municipality. The municipality is in charge of overseeing projects related to infrastructure, with the support of partners like the Department of Transport (DoT), Musanada Company, as well as the private sector and many other institutions. He added that Abu Dhabi has significant infrastructure projects that position the emirate at the forefront of Middle East and North Africa countries. These projects contribute to establish the city of Abu Dhabi as a global city, according to security and safety standards and requirements.
He explained that the city of Abu Dhabi has started attracting investments; the expected cost of these infrastructure projects will amount to more than AED 368 billion by 2020, and will rely on allocations by the government of Abu Dhabi. It is expected that the government of Abu Dhabi will lead the investments in the field of infrastructure in the Middle East and North Africa, as investments are expected to reach USD 4.3 trillion by the year 2020.
He said that the Abu Dhabi Government has injected huge financial allocations amounting to AED 330 billion last year, to help fund capital projects during the coming five years. They include upgrading and expanding the vital infrastructure in the emirate, building new facilities for the health, housing and education sectors. As well as ongoing infrastructure projects; which include building an integrated clean energy sector, expansion of land, marine and air transport networks, railroads, and expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Al Rabia added that the most important infrastructure projects underway is the scaling of the roads network in the emirate, for example the widening project of Al Mafraq – Al Ghwaifat road, which stretches on 328 kilometers and will cost AED 5.2 billion, and is expected to be accomplished by the year 2017.
In conclusion, Adel Al Rabia noted that the Abu Dhabi City Municipality has established the Investment Management Office at the municipality four years ago. Several projects have been submitted to investors in order to attract investments and activate projects, such as community markets or market-related compounds, as well as developing the Abu Dhabi Corniche. Last year, the Municipality launched an recreational project at Khalifa Park called the “Six Continents” Festival, which attracts families from October until March. The Municipality also conducts marketing and advertisement campaigns to attract visitors and tourists.
Abdul Wahab Al-Diwani, Director Maritime Safety and Environment, Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, highlighted the importance of shipping. “Maritime shipping supports about 90 percent of the volume of global trade, and 98% of the UAE economy is based on maritime transport, other transport means are less important,” he explained. Moreover, he pointed out that the UAE is a maritime country par excellence, and is home to 20 ports compared to two ports in other big cities. The UAE is a major oil producer and exporter. Oil can only be shipped through maritime transport. “Each tanker ship has a 250 - 300 tons capacity and is 1250 feet long,” he indicated.
Abdul Wahab Al Diwani noted that maritime transport is a major conduit of international trade and needs to be constantly developed and modernized, but people still underestimate its importance,” added Al Diwani. Furthermore, he pointed out that the UAE has built modern and world-class sea ports and we take pride in this achievement. “The Jebel Ali port for example is the world's fifth largest port, and handles about 15 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) last year. This number is expected to reach 19 million TEUs of container units this year. Moreover, in Abu Dhabi we have the Khalifa port, which complements Jebel Ali port.”
Al Diwani added: “The 2,177-km-long GCC rail network, which will link all six Gulf States by rail for the first time, will provide an alternative to air or sea travel for both goods and passengers in the region will be fully operational in 2018. Abu Dhabi is leading the GCC rail network with its Dh40 billion Etihad Rail project. The 1,200-km line, planned to be completed in 2018, will link major industrial zones, cities and ports in the UAE, and will eventually connect with the GCC railway in 2019.”
For his part, Major Muslim Al Junaibi, Chief of the Engineering and Highways Section at the Traffic and Patrols General Directorate at Abu Dhabi Police GHQ, noted that Khalifa Port has won many international award for its efforts to protect the unique Ras Ghanada coral reef, adjacent to the onshore port areas. He also noted that, “transporting goods via trucks using roads causes traffic jams and road congestion, not to mention that it poses a risk to the safety of road users. To this end, the Etihad Rail project will be a pioneering national freight and passenger railway network that contributes to reducing the number of trucks. It will ultimately enhance traffic safety and increase shelf life of internal roads, because trucks reduce roads shelf life. When completed, the Etihad Rail project will be a quantum leap for land and maritime transport across the UAE.”
Mohammed Butti Al Qubaisi, Member of the Federal National Council, underscored the importance of family cohesion and social communication between family members and the extended family as well. “Since the inception of the UAE, we have been blessed with strong family ties; however, with the recent boom of business and preoccupation with work, family relationships have been affected. Therefore, we must dedicate significant attention to family communication and strive to find ways and methods to communicate with our children,” said Al Qubaisi. Moreover, he pointed out that the UAE Government has endeavored to strengthen family communication, stressing that the Al Bateen council is a meaningful and efficient experience that should be applied across the emirate. The council is open to the public throughout the week, and endeavors to meet the demands and needs of citizens and solve their concerns. “The UAE Government has proactively provided the necessary solutions to people’s problems before they are even brought to the knowledge of the Federal National Council,” noted Al Qubaisi.
Mohammed Butti Al Qubaisi called for solidarity and social networking, “Unfortunately, social interaction is now limited to communication through “WhatsApp” and “Instagram”, which are the main reason for poor social interaction. It has become difficult to communicate through the phone. Families and extended families recognize that rapid technological developments have contributed to weakening family ties and communication.
Colonel Saud Al Shafi Al Hajri stressed the importance of these councils, and their role in promoting communication and interaction between community members.
For his part, Colonel Tariq Al Ghoul Al Salami, Head of Department of Transport at Abu Dhabi Police stated that the number of passengers using buses in the emirate of Abu Dhabi has amounted to 67 million passengers, while 64 million other use taxis. “A total of 87 thousand passengers have used ferries as a means of transport; these substantial numbers of passengers have created the need for a security system that provides distinguished security services to users of these modern means of transportation. Moreover, the big capital injected in these huge projects and infrastructure assets needed to be protected and preserved from damage,” he said.
He also noted that the UAE government is committed to enhancing security and safety all over the country, particularly on board means of transport. To this end, the police leadership has ordered the establishment of a police department that ensures protection for users of modern means of transportation. He added: “The Department of Transport has three major roles; a preventive role, through motorbike patrols and mobile patrols in facilities and buses, which ensure safety and peace of mind for passengers. As part of tes preventive role as well, the DoT uses the different means of transport to educate passengers and residents and to deliver community-based legal and security messages. These awareness messages are displayed in several languages on large screens that are available inside the buses. We are also committed to setting up policies during emergency and crisis situations and taking legal actions in any crime that may occur on board transport means; then the case is referred to the competent authorities. We are committed to providing distinguished services for land, air, and maritime means of transport; as well as Etihad Rail and trams.”
In the same context, Adel Al Rashed, Managing Editor of Emarat Al Youm newspaper-Abu Dhabi tackled the topic of education and media, especially the radio and television. He said, “The way I see it, the future challenge would be the unique way of skillfully handling population and culture diversity while maintaining social peace. However, the major challenge is the migrant workers that work at a lower occupational level. And even though we have the utmost respect for these workers, for their valuable contribution to the country’s development, they have negative impacts on society due to their different cultures.”
He added that another major challenge is related to the rebellious youth who misbehave in the streets and lack knowledge as to the proper way of dealing with facilities.
“We must develop programs to enhance community-based awareness, which is instrumental in inculcating positive values to young people at an early age, for example they should learn at home to not throw garbage on the streets,” said Al Rashed.
According to Lt. Colonel Jamal Salem Al Ameri, Chief of Public Relations Section at the Traffic and Patrols Directorate, Abu Dhabi Police, and the Executive Director of the Saeed Society to Reduce Traffic Accidents, there are nearly 2,314,000 vehicles in the UAE of different categories. In the emirate of Abu Dhabi, there are 1,200,000 vehicles, while the number of individuals who hold driving licenses at the countrywide level amounts to 3,900,000 drivers, while in Abu Dhabi alone, the number is estimated to be 900,000 drivers.
He added that the UAE is home to over 200 different nationalities, “we have managed to organize awareness programs and reach these nationalities within their environment through radio and TV, in coordination with the Security Media Department at the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. These efforts are constant and exerted around the clock.”
Lt. Colonel Jamal Al Ameri indicated that the UAE has allocated 100 square meters lot south of Al Shamekha to establish the traffic village. The Executive Board has injected more than AED 100 million to the project, scheduled to be completed during the coming five years.
He also added that the project has been submitted to the police leadership, which gave instructions on the need to not use the traditional approach in the execution process. Individuals should learn to do the activity by themselves using safe skills inside homes; they should also learn to preserve the infrastructure; as well as learn the basic life skills within the traffic village.
For his part, Captain Hamad Khalifa Al Zaabi, Director of Engineering and Roads at the Traffic Coordination Department at the Ministry of Interior, indicated that there is cooperation between Traffic Coordination Department and the Ministry of Education to include traffic rules and regulations in academic curricula. “We are currently planning another initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, aimed at choosing the best school in terms of traffic safety,” he added.
Participants at the Council recommended the need to continue organizing Ramadan councils, for their valuable and efficient role in enhancing social communication between community members; increasing awareness of the law respect culture; including the Law respect culture in the academic curricula; as well as acquainting tourists with the Law Respect Culture.
At the conclusion of the Council, Mohamed bin Nasser Al Shafi Al Hajiri extended his heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Interior for this generous initiative. He also expressed his thanks to the Law Respect Culture Bureau for organizing this council and thanked everyone for attending.
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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.
Contacts
The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department
Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media
Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317
E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com
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