Information on the new UAE Visa Visa System
Starting August 1 of the current year, the UAE will enter into force a new system for issuing entry visas, which are now identified 16 types. The UAE Ministry of Internal Affairs is introducing a new system of visit visas, which is significantly different from the existing one and meets the realities of today.
The previously valid basic visit visa for a period of 60 days with the possibility of renewal up to 90 days has been abolished. Short-term visit visas for 30 days will cost 500 drx, and cannot be updated. If there is a need to stay in the UAE for a longer period, you will need to again receive a full visit visa for a period of 90 days.
All arriving on business visas to the UAE must be insured. A security deposit of 1000 drx will be charged before issuing a visa. UAE residents can only request visas for their immediate family. An invitation to a visa visa of other relatives or acquaintances of residents of the country requires special permission from the leadership of the immigration service. Inviting friends to visit the UAE on a visa is allowed only to citizens of the country. The cost of tourist visas valid for 30 days has remained unchanged. It can be updated once for 200 drx.
A new type of visit visa - a multiple entry visa (Multiple Entry Visa) worth 2000 drx will be issued for a period of 6 months with the possibility of staying in the country no more than 14 days per visit.
Student visas will cost 1000 drh. To obtain this type of visa, the applicant must be accepted for training at one of the educational institutions of the UAE and have a valid medical insurance in his hands. A deposit of 1000 drx will be charged upon receipt of such a visa, and returned after the expiration of its validity. This type of visa can be updated.
For those who wish to undergo treatment in the UAE, a special visa is valid for a period of 90 days and a cost of 1000 drx - Visit Visa for Treatment Purpose. If necessary, the visa can be updated for an additional 500 drx.
Participants in exhibitions and conferences will have to receive a special visa - Visit Visa for Conference and Exhibitions - costing 100 drx.
A temporary work permit (Mission Visa) will be issued according to previously established rules, and will cost 200 drx. There are no changes in the procedure for issuing transit visas, the cost of which is set at 100 drx.
The list of new types of visit visas of the UAE:
- Short-term (1 month) visit visa - 500 drx
- Full visit visa (3 months) - 1000 drx
- Multiple entry visa (multivisa) - 2000 drx
- Student visa - 100 drx
- Student visa renewal - 500 drx
- Entrance visa for treatment - 1000 drx
- Renewal of an entry visa for treatment - 500 drx
- Entry visa for participation in exhibitions and conferences - 100 drx
- Entrance tourist visa - 100 drx
- Updating an entry tourist visa - 200 drh
- Temporary work permit (Mission Visa) - 200 drx
- Transit visa - 100 drx
The "Best in Dubai 2008" People's Competition Concludes with a Predictable Finale
The contest "The Best in Dubai 2008", the nominees and winners of which were chosen by the residents and guests of Dubai, this year was not surprising with the results: really "popular" places got the prize, the popularity of which is visible to the naked eye.
The Dubai Publishing House ITP (Time Out Dubai), which has been conducting the competition over the past few years, was pleased with the results. Despite the fact that many nominees were actively campaigning and asked all their friends and acquaintances to vote for them, the really best were the best.
However, in some nominations the products of high-quality PR won, which remain interesting for residents and visitors of the city not so much in their content as in the status of attractions.
Winners of the "Best in Dubai 2008" contest:
- Best Hotel - Sail Burj Al Arab
- Best Shopping Center - Mall of the Emirates
- Best Restaurant - Al Qasr at Madinat Jumeirah Hotel Complex
- Best Bar - Barasti at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi
- Best Night Club - Chi @ The Lodge
- Best Radio Station - Channel 4 (104.8 FM)
- Best Community Club - Aviation Club
- The best attraction is the man-made island of The Palm Jumeirah
- Best Health Club / Spa - Cleopatra's Spa at Wafi City
- Best Event - Dubai Shopping Festival
- Best Museum / Gallery - Dubai Museum
- Best Concert Venue - Dubai Festival City
- Belhasa Driving Center Driving School Special Prize Received by ITP
Emirates Airlines Ready to Launch A380
Dubai-based Emirates Airlines has confirmed its readiness to open the Dubai-New York route, which will be operated by the Airbus 380, the largest passenger airliner in the world and the first in the airline's fleet.
The first Emirates flight on the double-deck Airbus 380 will fly from Dubai to New York International Airport. John F. Kennedy on August 1 of this year. The 14-hour flight will also be the first commercial flight of the A380 in the United States.
The A380 will serve one of Emirates’s two daily flights between Dubai and New York. An additional flight will be opened during the break-in period of the new liner. The management of Emirates is confident that the new airliner will enjoy the same popularity among passengers.
Recall that the A380 can make non-stop flights at a distance of up to 15,200 km. The capacity of the giant airliner is 555 passengers in a cabin of three classes. Among the large airliners, the A380 is the most economical - 3 liters of fuel per passenger per 100 kilometers, and environmentally friendly.
Emirate airline Etihad Airways will start flying to Minsk from August 5
UAE's national airline Etihad Airways will be the first airline in the Persian Gulf region to operate scheduled flights to Belarus, with the opening of the city of Abu Dhabi - Minsk direct flight on August 5 this year.
The opening of the route is timed to the visit of a delegation of senior UAE officials to the Belarusian capital to conduct negotiations and explore investment opportunities. Etihad will fly to Minsk twice a week - on Tuesday and Thursday. The third daily flight on Saturday will be added in October this year. The route will be serviced by the new Airbus 319, designed to carry 104 passengers: 20 in business class and 84 in economy class.
Flight EY061 will depart from AbuDhabi at 9.45 in the morning and arrive in Minsk at 14.25. The return flight EY062 will leave Minsk on the same day at 15.15 and arrive in the UAE capital at 21.40, the airline’s press release reports.
For the first time, plans to open the Abu Dhabi – Minsk flight were spoken after the meeting of the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, which took place last year in the UAE.
The new air route should spur the development of bilateral relations between the UAE and Belarus, primarily in the business sector. At the moment, the volume of trade between countries is more than US $ 30-40 million per year.
Emirate Ajman Adopts New Real Estate Law
The new law "On Real Estate", adopted by the emirate Ajman, a member of the UAE, promises to be fertile ground for further growth in the sector, the activity in which has grown significantly over the past few months.
The law was signed by His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, ruler of Ajman and member of the UAE High Council, in early June. It consists of two decrees numbered 7 and 8 of 2008 and includes 34 articles.
The main task of the new law was to legitimize the full ownership of land and real estate (freehold). In accordance with the law, only UAE citizens and member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as companies wholly owned by them, are entitled to own volumes of real estate in Ajman on a freehold basis.
Expatriates will be able to purchase housing with full ownership in specially designated areas, or in areas with leasehold for 50 years.
All processes for registering real estate and land should also go through the local Department of Land Use. In the absence of securities from it, the transaction will be considered unfinished.
Museum of Contemporary Middle Eastern Art to Open in Dubai
The first Museum of Middle East Modern Art in the region will open in Dubai as part of the Culture Village project, which covers most of the historic Al Jadaf district on the shores of Dubai Bay.
The museum, the creation of which was personally announced by the Dubai head, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will feature works by artists of the region, both famous and young talents. In several dozens of rooms will present works by artists, graphic artists, sculptors, calligraphers, craftsmen and others. The futuristic design of the museum building, which plays the traditional Dubai theme of the sea and navigation, was developed by an art studio from Holland. Now in the Dubai administration there is a discussion and selection of the most suitable version of the project.
According to the plan of Sheikh Mohammed, the "Village of Culture" should correspond to its name and become the cultural center of the region. It will occupy an area of about 40 million square meters. In addition to the Museum of Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, an amphitheater, exhibition centers and a shipyard will be opened here, which will demonstrate the skill of creating traditional wooden Dhow boats.
Russia and Sharjah will expand partnership in the field of culture
Russia activates cultural ties with Sharjah. It is expected that she will expand her participation in local art exhibitions, concerts and film festivals, show Russian young talents in the emirate, and continue cooperation in the field of printing in Russian and Arabic.
The Russian Consul General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, Sergey Krasnogor, discussed the development of cultural relations between Russia and the most advanced emirate in the UAE, a member of the UAE state, with Sharjah Abdullah al-Oweis, Director of the Department of Culture and Information.
The Emirate’s representative noted the interest of the ruler of Sharjah Sheikh Sultan al-Qasimi in building cultural exchange with Russia and spoke in favor of expanding the channels of interaction in this area. Sergey Krasnogor praised the achievements of Sheikh Sultan in the field of education and culture and made suggestions aimed at enhancing cultural cooperation.
The Russian and Emirate sides will soon prepare and agree on specific proposals, according to which Sharjah will be able to get acquainted with the work of masters of Russian theater, cinema, painting, literature and musical art.
Emirates will clean up old cars
From January next year, a ban on registration of cars older than 20 years and import of cars older than 5 years comes into force in the Emirates.
According to Colonel Gate Al Zaabi, Director General of the Federal Department of Traffic and Patrol at the UAE Ministry of Internal Affairs, the decision to impose bans was made in order to reduce stress on the country's roads and reduce the negative impact of cars on the environment. A ban will also be imposed on the transfer of rights to use cars older than 10 years. This means that their resale will be impossible.
From January 2010, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will cease to update the registration for cars manufactured between 1988 and 1993. An exception to the rule will be only vintage, classic cars, the technical condition of which is not satisfactory.
The number of traffic violations in the UAE has significantly decreased
The number of traffic violations in the UAE has significantly decreased since the adoption of the new Federal Law "On Transport" in March this year, which provides for tough sanctions against violators.
According to statistics from the Abu Dhabi police, in March 2008, 31,715 traffic violations were registered, which is almost three times less than the last year - 90,117 violations.
April of the current year was marked by 29,610 registered violations, which looks extremely profitable against the background of 90,680 violations in April 2007. According to police, motorists in the UAE have become more cautious, since the sanctions provided for by the new law are much more stringent than previously existing ones. This applies not only to increasing the amount of fines, but also the introduction of a system of "black marks", which provides for the confiscation of driver's licenses.
Police also expect that this year, for the first time, the death rate on roads will decrease: in 2007 it increased by 20% compared to the year 2006, when 1,056 people died in accidents. In 2007, 878 people died on the roads, in 2006 - 829.
Emirate Sheikh goes to Russia to prepare for the Beijing Olympics 
The first Olympic champion in the history of the UAE, Sheikh Ahmed bin Khasher Al Maktoum, will prepare in Novosibirsk for the Beijing Olympics. The world record holder named after the street in Dubai will hold two-month training camps in Siberia to adequately prepare for the upcoming Beijing Olympics.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Khasher Al Maktoum, the nephew of the director of the Dubai Information Department, set an Olympic record for trap shooting in Athens in 2004, hitting 194 targets. The high-ranking athlete said that after two months of training in Russia, he intends to “achieve a 100 percent hit on goals” in this sport in the Chinese capital.
"I do not give promises that I can’t fulfill, but I assure that I intend to confirm my Olympic title," said Sheikh Ahmed. The achievement of Sheikh Ahmed bin Khasher Al Maktoum is considered to be "historical" in the country. He became the first UAE citizen to bring his country a gold medal in the history of her participation in the Olympics since 1984.
Sheikh Ahmed was the first in the history of the UAE, for whom shooting, horsing and swimming are traditional sports, was awarded the Russian Order of Peter the Great of the first degree, which was awarded by the Russian Academy of Security, Defense and Law and Order and the National Committee of Public Awards.
UAE - Arabian Ice Hockey Champion
The UAE team became the first champion of the Arab countries in ice hockey. She beat the final match of Kuwaiti hockey players with a score of 4: 1. Emirate Minister of the Interior Sheikh Safe bin Zayed Al Nahyan handed a goblet of pure gold to the local ice squad. Kuwait team awarded a silver cup. During the tournament, the Emirate hockey players, who have been coached by a Belarusian athlete for eight years, former Dynamo Minsk player Yuri Faykov, have not lost a single match. The teams of Morocco and Algeria participated along with the UAE and Kuwait in the first Arabian hockey cup. The Moroccans defeated the Algerians in the semifinals with a score of 6: 4 and took third place, receiving a bronze cup.
All participants in the competitions held at the skating rink of the Sheikh Zayed sports complex in the emirate capital will be paid cash rewards, the amount of which has not yet been announced. The venue for the next Arab Ice Hockey Championship has not yet been determined. Most likely, the Arab Hockey players will play the next cup in Kuwait, where much attention is paid to ice hockey.
The composition of the Arab teams were many "Varangians" from France, the Czech Republic and Canada. The Emirate team was more represented by local athletes. A 40-year-old Yuri Faykov, a playing coach, was a foreigner in it.
Virgin Galactic will fly into space from the UAE
Virgin Galactic has confirmed plans to create a base in the UAE for commercial space flights. Perhaps the first ship with space tourists will leave the Emirates two years after the main base of Virgin Galactic in New Mexico begins to function.Virgin Galactic President Will Whitehor said the UAE’s government agencies themselves are taking the initiative to launch a space base project in the country. At the moment, Virgin Galactic plans to conduct negotiations with government agencies in the UAE, primarily aviation.
Virgin Galactic believes that the Emirates are an ideal place to create a base not only because of favorable weather conditions but also the landscape. According to Whitehor, in the region there is a high demand for tickets for a commercial spacecraft, and it is from the regions of the Middle East, Asia and the Indian subcontinent that the vast majority of space tourists are expected. Virgin Galactic also plans to build its base in the UK, Spain and the Asia-Pacific region.
To date, a total of 254 space tickets have been sold and deposits worth more than US $ 36 million have been made. A ticket for a commercial space flight costs US $ 200,000. Virgin Group owner Richard Branson will fly into space with the first group of tourists.
Brad Pitt will become the architect of a new Dubai hotel
The handsome Hollywood father with many children, Brad Pitt, will be directly involved in the development of the architectural concept of a five-star hotel with 800 rooms, which will be built in Dubai according to all the canons of green building.
The general developer of the project, the Dubai-based company Zabeel Properties, announced the appointment of a team from the Los Angeles-based architecture firm Graft, which included renowned actor Brad Pitt, as design consultants.
According to a press release published by the developer, Mr. Pitt joined the team, as he was interested in the project with its eco-concept and the opportunity for the first time to prove himself as an architect. “Actor is my profession, architecture is my passion,” a press release quoted Pitt as saying.
The hotel, the name and location of which has not yet been made public, is already positioned as a place where "the most glamorous events and ceremonies" will be held. Details of the project will be announced in the coming months.
UAE economy among leaders in the Arab region
The volume of gross domestic product in the UAE this year will amount to 800 billion dirhams (about 220 billion dollars), exceeding almost 15% last year. The inflow of foreign investment in the country's economy reached $ 19 billion.
According to estimates by the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the country, non-oil sectors will account for more than 60 percent of GDP, which in monetary terms is 495 billion dirhams ($ 135 billion).
The growth in this sector compared to the previous year exceeds 15 percent. The country's leadership pays main attention to the further development of the fields of real estate, tourism, small and medium industrial production.
The UAE economy has become one of the largest in the Arab region. According to the Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan, which the local press calls "unprecedented," it is planned to concentrate the efforts of the public and private sectors to create the most modern infrastructure in the country.
Billions of dollars will be invested in the construction of hotels, resorts, medical and educational institutions, residential and commercial real estate, a new seaport, the modernization of roads and the construction of a light metro.
Dubai BurJuman Shopping Center Introduces Parking Fee
Dubai's BurJuman Mall has pioneered the introduction of parking fees among Dubai's malls.
From June 1 of this year, those wishing to use the parking complex at the shopping center must pay 20 dirhams (US $ 5.5) for each hour in the interval from 6.00 to 18.00. Between 12.30 and 14.30, as well as after 18.00, parking will be free, as, however, on weekends and holidays. Customers presenting checks in the amount of more than 100 drx will be exempted from paying for parking. According to a BurJuman representative, the introduction of the board will significantly relieve the parking complex, and those who come to the center for shopping and not just leave the car in the free parking lot will not have to look for a parking space for a long time.
Other Dubai malls, including Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Center, are not going to follow the example of BurJuman.
Russian language courses are open to all comers
On June 21, 2008, the first professional Russian language courses were officially opened at the Safa Public Library in Dubai. The courses were opened as part of a joint project implemented by the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, the Office of the Libraries of Dubai and the Department of Finance of the Dubai Municipality, aimed at popularizing Arabic and Russian languages.
Among the guests of honor at the opening ceremony were Mohammed Al Aridi, Director of the Dubai Libraries and Mohammed Ahli, Director of the Department of Finance of the Dubai Municipality. Sergei Krasnogor, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, who opened the courses in a festive atmosphere, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech in which he noted the importance of this project on the development of cultural relations between Russia and the Emirates. In particular, he said: “Language in the modern world serves not only as a means of communication, but also as a means of studying other cultures. Knowledge of languages promotes mutual understanding between nations.”
The guests who attended the opening of the language courses were also welcomed by the representative of the Office of Dubai Libraries, Mr. Issa, who, in turn, also noted the importance of this initiative and wished everyone success in their studies. Spouse of the Consul General of the Russian Federation in Dubai Larisa Krasnogor read a poem by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, first in Russian, so that everyone present could feel the harmony of Russian speech, and then in Arabic.
The official part ended with a small buffet table, on which, according to Russian national tradition, bread and salt was served. The guests liked the loaf, especially when they heard that first you need to eat a pound of salt, so that later life would be happy and sweet. Then everyone began to diligently dunk pieces of loaf in salt.
Among other traditional treats were pies with mushrooms and apples, cheesecakes with cottage cheese, pancakes with red fish and, of course, fragrant strong tea from a real Russian samovar.
That very evening, the first lesson was held by Elena Tarilova, a professional teacher of Russian as a foreign language. Surprisingly, the number of people wishing to learn Russian exceeded 40 people. And the level of future students of the courses is also impressive. Among the first students of Elena Tarilovy are managers of leading Dubai hotels Burj al Arab, Grand Hyatt, Movenpick, as well as heads of major companies - Limitless, Rawad and others.
30 sharks delivered to Dubai Aquarium at Dubai Mall
The Dubai Aquarium at Dubai Mall became the owner of 30 sand tiger sharks, which were brought under the careful supervision of the Oceanis Australia Group.
Dubai Aquarium, one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world, will open its doors to the public on August 28, 2008 along with the grand opening of Dubai Mall itself.
Of the 33,000 representatives of the water world that will be represented in this aquarium, sand tiger sharks will be one of the largest, because their sizes reach up to 3.5 meters. However, they are obedient and non-aggressive species.
Mr. Yusif Al Ali, general manager of Dubai Mall, said: “With rapidly growing standards in the world, Dubai Aquarium will meet all your expectations. Moreover, it is, to some extent, a training tool for our visitors, because now we can see with your own eyes how and underwater the world lives. "
