Ramadan Work Hours Announced ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Wednesday, June 1st 2016 [ME NewsWire]
The Ministry of Interior called upon the public to abide by the general safety requirements while driving vehicles; to observe the designated legal speed limits; to avoid speeding as Iftar approaches during Ramadan, and to follow the relevant parties’ recommendations and instructions for setting up tents. The ministry also stressed the need to abstain from crowding at accidents’ sites to allow ambulance and civil defense teams to get to their destination without delay.
The ministry assured that it will take a host of preventive measures in a bid to protect the public and preserve their safety, in addition to providing them with efficient and rapid police services during Ramadan to cater to their needs and fulfill their requirements. It also urged the public not to hesitate to request assistance whenever necessary by dialing the allocated numbers.
The Naturalization, Residency and Ports Affairs Sector at the Ministry of Interior has announced that the working hours for their nationwide departments are to be divided into two separate shifts: 9 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm at all service centers. This aims to ensure the timely delivery of customer transactions, and to avoid work pressures and an overcrowding of customers during the holy month of Ramadan.
Major General Khalifa Hareb Al Khaiaili, Acting Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Naturalization, Residency and Ports Affairs, explained that the amended work hours during Ramadan are in response to the higher leadership’s directives to enhance the level of customer service, reinforce comprehensive quality concepts, and alleviate the burden on customers, so as to ensure a smooth workflow. This also embodies the Ministry’s strategy in providing distinguished services with a view to boost public trust and increase customer satisfaction regarding the services provided in accordance with the best international standards.
Civil Defense: ‘Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility’ Initiative
With the advent of Ramadan and the summer season, the General Directorate of Civil Defense at the Ministry of Interior launched a safety awareness initiative titled ‘Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility’. The initiative aims to spread a culture of prevention and safety among members of society through awareness messages that focus on home safety and on protecting families, children, and vehicles.
Major General Jassem Muhammad Al Marzouqui, Civil Defense General Commander-in-chief, said: “The outreach campaign aims at utilizing the various media and social networking sites to promote safety awareness amongst members of society. Awareness brochures and leaflets will also be distributed to the public to spread a culture of home safety. Civil Defense teams across the country will meet with the public in various gathering places, such as shopping malls, Ramadan tents and sports clubs to distribute these leaflets.”
The ministry also announced the schedule for the campaigns included within the initiative; notably ‘My Safe Home’, ‘My Safe Kitchen’, ‘My Safe Child’, ‘My Safe Tent’, and ‘My Safe Car’. It also includes campaigns to acquaint community members with ‘Dangerous Substances’, the ‘risks of falling off high places’, and the ‘Dangers of Swimming Pools and Open Spaces’. Major General Al Marzouqui also encouraged members of the public to cooperate with Civil Defense personnel and to avoid crowding areas where incidents occur. He called upon them to dial 999, 998, or 997 to report cases of emergencies.
The Traffic and Patrols Directorate at Abu Dhabi Police Launches “Ramadan Safety” Campaign
The Traffic and Patrols Directorate at the Abu Dhabi Police announced a comprehensive traffic safety campaign during the Holy Month of Ramadan titled “Ramadan Safety”. This step aims to maintain traffic safety and to reduce all traffic accidents during the holy month.
Brigadier Khalifa Mohamed Al Khaiaili, Deputy Director of the Traffic and Patrols Directorate at the Abu Dhabi Police, said that the directorate and the Al Ihsan Charity Association have jointly agreed, as part of the “Ramadan Safety 5” initiative, to distribute 103,500 Iftar meals in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi throughout the holy month as follows: 3,450 daily meals, of which 1,700 meals in the capital, Abu Dhabi; 1,000 meals in Al Ain; and 750 meals in the Western Region. The meals will be distributed by around 2,000 volunteers: 1,200 in Abu Dhabi, 700 in Al Ain, and 100 in the Western Region.
He said: “The Traffic Safety Plan aims to maintain the remarkable improvement in traffic safety achieved over the past few years (2010 – 2015), mainly during the Holy Month of Ramadan, thanks to the efforts in preparing plan and strategies throughout the year, increasing penalty notice charges and automated surveillance equipments, installing CCTV at crossroads, as well as intensifying traffic awareness in order to reduce traffic accidents.”
According to Brigadier Al Khaiaili, the main achievements during the above-mentioned period were to reduce the number of accidents by 38.6%, casualties by 32%, and accidents leading to casualties by 22.7%. Run-over accidents mainly happened during times preceding Iftar, Isha and Tarawih prayers. Accidents also increase Saturdays and Thursdays throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan.
He added that the main causes of traffic accidents during the Holy Month of Ramadan were due to negligence, failure to pay attention, sudden swerving, excessive speeding, red light jumping, failure to leave sufficient following distance between vehicles, merging onto a major road before ensuring adequate space, and bursting tires.
Brigadier Al Khaiaili stated that the traffic safety plan includes intensifying traffic supervision on all roads, mainly before the call to Maghrib prayer, and around markets and mosques during Taraweeh prayers. The plan also bans trucks weighing more than 2.5 tons from entering Abu Dhabi during peak hours during the Holy month of Ramadan, as this will provide smooth flow of traffic. It also revises working hours at the customer service centers in Abu Dhabi, to facilitate customers’ procedures. It also calls for intensifying field awareness campaigns on traffic safety, in collaboration with the “Tathqeef” education patrols in high-traffic areas, such as mosques and markets following the Isha prayer time. Staff members from the directorate will provide advice to motorists during this period of time and distribute awareness-raising brochures.
Additionally, Brigadier Al Khaiaili called upon all motorists to drive carefully and to not speed in order to arrive to their destination before the time of Iftar. He urged them to fasten their seatbelts, to avoid using their cell phones while driving, to pay attention to traffic signals, to not run red lights, to use the turning indicators of the vehicle, and to be mindful before turning left or right.
He also urged pedestrians to cross the roads at the designated areas and to use the bridges and passageways. He called upon motorists to pay attention to pedestrian movement, which tends to increase after Iftar. He urged them to give priority to pedestrians so they may cross safely via the designated crosswalks, and to reduce speeds in residential areas and popular places where people tend to gather.
“Should those who are fasting begin to feel faint or tired while driving, they should immediately pull their vehicle over to the right shoulder of the road,” he said. “This is especially necessary during the month of Ramadan and for those with high blood pressure or diabetes, where the attention levels of drivers tend to decrease due to the physical changes that occur in the body as a result of fasting. They should adhere to the traffic law, reduce their speeds, fasten their seatbelts, avoid the use of hand-held phones while driving, leave a sufficient space ahead, and stay aware of any surprises across the roads while driving.”
In conclusion, he urged motorists to benefit from the spiritual values of the holy month by ensuring the rights of others who share the road. He called upon the public to not park their vehicles randomly during the Taraweeh prayers and to avoid blocking entrances or other vehicles by parking directly behind them. He also urged community members to follow the instructions of traffic policemen, especially in front of malls and crowded commercial areas.
Al Ain Traffic
The Al Ain Traffic Section completed its preparations to welcome the Holy Month by establishing a set of plans to maintain public safety, by intensifying and deploying patrols in the different streets and on main roads in the city of Al Ain.
Lt. Colonel Salah Abdullah Al Hemairi, Head of the Al Ain Highways Traffic section at the Traffic and Patrols Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police, stressed that the Section will be intensifying patrols in the different areas in Al Ain, around crowded places, mosques and markets in order to supervise traffic flow with high efficiency on the roads; reduce the incidence of traffic jams that tend to increase during the Holy Month; and curb negative behaviors of some drivers, especially around iftar time and in late-night hours.
Lt. Colonel Al Hemairi urged motorists and members of the public to cooperate with the traffic police for the benefit of the community. He pointed to the importance of reinforcing ties of cooperation with members of the public, and encouraging them to report any wrongdoing or illegal behaviors that are in violation of traffic laws and regulations to the Operations Room before Iftar time and in peak hours.
Abu Dhabi Community Police to Distribute 30,000 Iftar Meals in Cooperation with Abdul Jalil Al Fahim & Family Endowment
Abu Dhabi Police GHQ, represented by the Department of Community Police, will be distributing 30,000 Iftar meals to customers who visit the different police service sections that are open for business at all hours of the day throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan. The department will also hand out Iftar meals to drivers travelling on internal and external roads in the emirate of Abu Dhabi at the time of breaking fast. This approach is part of the Iftar Meals initiative implemented by Abu Dhabi Police in collaboration with the Abdul Jalil Al Fahim & Family Endowment.
Lt. Colonel Abdullah Mohammed Awad, Deputy Head of the Community Police Department, explained that the initiative is in response to the directives of the police leadership to foster partnerships with every community segment. He also stressed that this initiative has been carried out by the Abu Dhabi Police throughout the holy month of Ramadan each year. “It is an expression of social cohesion, which is a feature of UAE society,” he said.
He added: “The Community Police Department will be distributing meals to customers, who are compelled by circumstances to be outside of their homes at the time of breaking fast; as well as to members of the public and motorists who are on the road during the Maghrib call to prayer”. The Iftar meals will also be distributed by the department at the different land border ports in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
For his part, Isa bin Abdul Jalil Al Fahim, Secretary General of the Abdul Jalil Al Fahim & Family Endowment, noted that the initiative kicked off in 2007 and still continues to this day. “This initiative reflects the cultural values that late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan has instilled in us - may God rest his soul,” he said. He also explained that the endowment is coordinating with the Abu Dhabi Police in line with the collaborative partnership based on the principles of benevolence and giving back to the country.
Working Hours Announced
Abu Dhabi Police announced the working hours at the Vehicles and Drivers Licensing Department and the Traffic and Patrols Directorate during the holy month of Ramadan. The working hours at the service centers of the Licensing Department in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region will be from 8:00 am till 6:00 pm, while the working hours at Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Technical inspection centers will be from 7:30 am till 12:30 pm. Working hours at the Western Region Drivers Inspection Center will be from 8:30 am till 1:30 pm.
At the Traffic and Patrols Directorate, the Violations Department will be open for customers from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Sunday through Thursday. The Customer Service Center will receive community members from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, while the Investigations and Major Accidents Section will be working around the clock, in order to make it easy for customers to finish their paperwork during the holy month.
The Punitive and Correctional Institutions Department at the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ has announced the visiting hours for inmates at the Al Ain and Al Wathba centers, the Remand Section, and the Al Mafraq Juvenile Care Center during the holy month of Ramadan.
Inmates at Al Wathba and Al Ain Section will be able to sit with members of the prosecution office and their lawyers (for all cases) on Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm, throughout the month of Ramadan.
Female visitors will be received on Mondays between 9 am and 1 pm and from 2 pm to 4 pm for all cases except drug-related cases. Female visitors will be able to visit inmates imprisoned for drug-related cases on Tuesdays between 9 am and 1 pm. Diplomatic staff will be able to visit inmates in cooperation with embassies on Wednesdays, between 9 am and 2 pm.
As for visits to Ward No.9, male and female visitors can visit inmates every week on Tuesdays, from 9 am to 1 pm, alternately between men and women.
Foreign male visitors can visit male inmates on Fridays from 8 am to 11.30 pm (for all cases except drug-related cases); and from 1 pm to 4 pm (for drug-related cases).
Arab visitors will have the chance to meet inmates on Saturdays, from 9 am to 12.30 pm (for drug-related cases) and from 1 pm to 4 pm (for all cases except drug-related cases).
As for the Remand Section (detainees), visiting hours have been assigned from 9 am to 1 pm as follows: Sunday will be assigned for members of the prosecution office and lawyers; Monday will be dedicated for female visitors; Tuesday for male Arab visitors; while Wednesday is assigned for diplomatic staff visitors.
Visiting hours for inmates at the Juveniles Care Center will be on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays between 9 am and 4 pm. Mondays will be dedicated for female visitors, Fridays for non-Arab male visitors, and Saturdays for Arab male visitors.
Visitors should bring their ID cards to submit them at the time of visit. As for lawyers, they must hold a valid power of attorney and a permit issued by the Prosecutor’s Office. Non first-degree relatives and friends wishing to visit the inmates must first obtain a permit from the Prosecutor’s Office.
Fight Begging Campaign
With Ramadan around the corner, the Ministry of Interior launched a nationwide campaign against beggary, which tends to increase during the Holy Month. The ministry has directed its key relevant sectors and different police general headquarters in the UAE, to implement this comprehensive awareness campaign, under the theme ‘Fight Begging’, aimed at stamping out this objectionable occurrence and boost security awareness amongst members of the public, on the risks of sympathizing with beggars.
The MoI urges community members not to hesitate to report beggars in residential areas and buildings, by calling the Aman service on the free-toll number 8002626 or by SMS to 2828.
Police teams and relevant security authorities at the countrywide level will be intensifying patrols and increasing their presence in public places. These efforts will be complemented by a comprehensive awareness campaign implemented by the Security Media Department, at the General Secretariat of the Office of HH Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, via various media. The campaign is based on an elaborate plan to address this societal scourge and promote the proper ways to eradicate it.
The MoI’s campaign will be supported by media efforts, which include intensifying awareness activities and messages through media outlets (TV, radio and print), and social media.
Safety and Prevention Guidelines for Iftar Tents
The General Directorate of Civil Defense at the Ministry of Interior has provided a set of protection and safety requirements for tents of various kinds and sizes as follows: All tents should have flexibility in their space, width and height, and must provide the necessary safety requirements for occupants. Tents may not be used for storage. Heat-producing equipment such as ovens, heaters and cooking stoves should not be used inside the tents. Air conditioners must be at least 1.5 meters away from the tent; air processing units must be placed outside the tent, and the air conditioner unit must be dedicated to this purpose. Electric bulbs should not touch the fabric of the tent; the distance between them should not be less than 50 cm. Electrical cables must be placed inside plastic hoses; automatic electric circuit breakers should be installed, taking into account the electrical loads. The tent's interior decorations, especially fabrics, must be sprayed with a flame retardant liquid. Sufficient numbers of handheld fire extinguishers should be kept inside the tent. Sufficient emergency exits must be allocated and a clear passage in case of an evacuation, marked clearly in Arabic and English; in addition to other technical specifications.
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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)-50-666-4891
E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com
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