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999Society and Security Monthly

email:[email protected] Free 8009009

Tel.: +971 2 4194488Fax: +971 2 4194499

P.O.Box :38999Abu Dhabi - UAE.

Contacts

Ministry of Interior United Arab Emirates

Consultative Board

Maj.Gen. Khalil BadranLt.Col. Thani Al-Shamsi

Editor-in-Chief

Major Awad Al-Kindi

EditorIssam Al Sheikh

Associate EditorsBassel SourayaOmar Hamza

Art DirectorsMuhannad Salem

Hisham Abdul Hameed

CONTENTSIssue (487) July 2011

Cover Story................................................Arrogant, edgy and dangerous..................Novel approach..........................................‘I have 33 great years with the police’...........Infatuated by children’s theatre! .............5000 B.C. .................................................

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999Society and Security Monthly

email:[email protected] Free 8009009

Tel.: +971 2 4194488Fax: +971 2 4194499

P.O.Box :38999Abu Dhabi - UAE.

Contacts

Ministry of Interior United Arab Emirates

Consultative Board

Maj.Gen. Khalil BadranCol. Thani Al-Shamsi

Editor-in-Chief

Lt.Col. Awad Al-Kindi

EditorIssam Al Sheikh

Associate EditorsBassel SourayaOmar Hamza

Art DirectorsMuhannad Salem

Hesham Abdul Hameed

CONTENTSIssue (478) October 2010

International accolade for police service.......................E-crime lab in Abu Dhabi.................................................Prevention is better than cure......................................Reckless on the road......................................................Time to pay up...............................................................Policeman’s courage......................................................Novel inside out..............................................................

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The advancement in information technology in the UAE is a feather in the cap of our young nation. The “remote trials" project, given the go-ahead by Lieutenant General His Highness Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, will be among the latest projects to see the light soon, envisaging a virtual link between courtrooms and prisons throughout the UAE.Out of 138 countries, the UAE is ranked 24th in the Global Information Technology Report’s Networked Readiness Index 2010/2011 version, continuing its remarkable performance in the previous editions of the index, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF).The advancement in IT sector gives unlimited potential to launch projects in which it can be leveraged by the eGovernment. The “remote trials" project, the region’s first, is the outcome of cooperation between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice. It is expected to reduce unnecessary shuttling between prisons and courts for inmates throughout the country. Detainees will be able to attend court trials using close-circuit video conferencing technology whenever they are required to appear before the court.The keen interest of Sheikh Saif in the successful completion of this project since its early stages shows the level of attention given to the achievement of justice and reflects the government’s robust commitment to reach higher levels of advancement.Government commitment to IT advancement and leverage can also been seen in the Ministry of Interior’s effort to provide hi-tech gadgets in the Cyber Crime Laboratory at the Criminal Investigation Department of Abu Dhabi Police.Sheikh Saif recently visited the lab and urged officers to keep pace with the latest technologies in solving crimes. He lauded the support of the UAE leadership to boost services in accordance with international standards, and called on police personnel to develop their capabilities through training to keep pace with latest technology.The utilisation of social networking to serve security has also been on the rise in the UAE. Sheikh Saif, through a post on Twitter and Facebook, thanked the efforts of the community members who reported a suspect allegedly broadcasting a video of himself threatening people and claiming to be able to abuse people without being caught by police. He responded to the calls of young people and residents using social forums and BlackBerry Messenger in the UAE to take action against the suspect, after the video clip showing the so-called ‘Danjoor' threatening people by singing in rap style. A team from Sharjah Police examined the footage before setting a trap, culminating in the arrest of the suspect and his sister who confessed they had staged the footage.Sheikh Saif said in the post: “This shows the solidarity among different groups of the society and police to maintain social stability and security. The contents of the video clip are made up, blind imitation and childish”.The Ministry of Interior’s drive for excellence is unceasing. Early last month, Sheikh Saif received a number of police officers who recently obtained their PH. D. and MA degrees, highlighting the government’s strong support to Emiratis who pursue higher studies to serve the country better in all sectors.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Issue (487) July 2011Issue (487) July 2011

76

Mohammed Bin Rashid promotes police officersVice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has ordered to promote 524 police officers and other staff at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners' Affairs in Dubai in recognition of their efforts, efficiency and excellence in the performance of their duties.Sheikh Mohammed signed a decree promoting seven officers to the grade of lieutenant colonel including Khalaf Ahmed Rashid Al Ghaith, Khaled Ali Mohamed Salemein, Mohammed Ahmed Bin Suroor, Ali Shaaban Al Tayer, Marwan Abdullah Al Jumairi, Dr Omar Ali Saeed Al Shamsi and Talal Ahmed Shanqeeti.

Attends MBRCLD graduation ceremony His Highness Sheikh Moham-med bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Min-ister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai attended the gradu-ation ceremony of the Lead-ership programmes of Mo-hammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development (MBRCLD). Also present were H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Moham-med bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.The ceremony was also attend-ed by Humaid Obaid Al Qat-tami, Minister of Education, and Chairman of the Human Resource Federal Authority, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Reem Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of His Highness the Ruler of Dubai’s Court along with a number of Sheikhs and heads of government departments and senior officials in the state.

Honoured three batches of 315 young leaders.Young Leaders program is a level of Mohammed Bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development that aims to qualify young leaders through training programs and workshops in line with the strategic plans and long-term aspirations of Dubai.

News

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan returned home safely, following a private visit to the Republic of Seychelles.He was received at Al Ain International Airport by the Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, , H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed Foundation for Charity and Humanitarian Works, H.H. Sheikh Dhiyab bin Zayed Al Nahyan, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council, other Sheikhs and senior officials.The UAE President was accompanied by H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Eastern Region, H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President and Ahmed Jumma Al Zaabi, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs.

President His Highness Sheikh Khali-fa bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone conversation with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdul-lah bin Abdul Aziz, on the bilateral relations and the latest developments in the region.

Sheikh Khalifa returns home

President, Saudi King discuss latest regional developments


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Receives head of Libya's NTCHis Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Chairman of Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) Mustafa Abdul Jalil took stock of the latest developments in Libya.The meeting, which convened at Al Mina Palace in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan,

Ruler's Representative in the Western Region, and H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Foreign Minister, explored ways of fulfilling aspirations of the Libyan people.Results of the third meeting of the Libya Contact Group which was held recently in Abu Dhabi were also reviewed.

Mohammed bin Zayed holds talks with Malaysian PMHis Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces has emphasized on the importance and strength of the bilateral relations be-tween the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia which is continuously witnessing more and more developments due to the special attention and patronage by the two countries at the highest level. His Highness also praised the efforts of the Prime of Ma-laysia Datuk Seri Mohammed Najib bin Abdul Razak in supporting and activating the mutual cooperation between the two countries, and his continual endeavour towards ce-menting the already strong relations and connections be-tween the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia which fur-ther enhance the cordial relationships and achieve mutual

benefits for the two friendly peoples. During a round of talks held with the Malaysian Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed said: “ Our special and dis-tinct bilateral relations have greatly contributed - due to the efforts exerted by His Excellency the Prime Minister of Malaysia - to expanding the scope of cooperation and provision of a wide range of joint-investment opportuni-ties with which we look forward to more joint initiatives and projects in all areas specially in the economical, in-vestment, industrial, tourism, and medical tourism fields, as well as renewable energy which is an area of interest of both countries.” The Malaysian Prime Minister said the UAE, under the wise leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan , had achieved a huge progress that enabled it to become a modern country.

Lt. General H.H Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minster and Minster of Interior, affirmed the keenness of UAE upon directives of President His Highness Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to provide care and support to the talented emeriti nationals, which will contribute to boost their expertise.Developing the services provided to the public and upgrading the capabilities and skills of police personnel are top priorities, said Sheikh Saif.These remarks were made as he was honoring 17 winners of

Abu Dhabi Police personnel in the Police Creativity Award in its fourth edition.He urged the winners to work even harder to develop creativity and innovation, believing that the human element plays an essential role in the maintenance of security.While handing out certificates to the honored personnel, Sheikh Saif called upon them to keep coming up with creative ideas and projects that contribute to boost efficiency of the police work.

Saif bin Zayed honors winners of Police Creativity Award

News

H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior has been briefed about the hi-tech gadgets in the Cyber Crime Laboratory at the Criminal Inves-tigation Department (CID) of Abu Dhabi Police.He praised the support of higher leader-ship to boost services in accordance with the international standards, stressing the importance of continuing efforts to pro-mote the police and security authorities’ performance.Sheikh Saif called on the personnel at the CID to develop their capabilities through training to keep pace with the latest tech-nology.

Inspects Cyber Crime Lab at Abu Dhabi Police


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Major General Khalifa Harib Al Khaili, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Resources and Support Services recently chaired a meeting aimed at discussing matters related to the Actuate Team at the Directorate-General of Strategy and Performance Development affiliated to the Secretariat- General of the Office of His Highness Deputy Prime Minster and Ministry of Interior. The meetings were attended by the directors and heads of departments working under the Resources and Support Services.A number of topics were reviewed including methods of indicator assessment at the Ministry of Interior’s organisational structure level.The meeting organised by the Organisational Performance Development and Assessment included all the Ministry of Interior departments. The Actuate team will hold field visits to the police headquarters across the UAE.The meeting was attended by Brigadier Ali Abdul Aziz bin Darwish, Director General of Human Resources, Colonel Adel Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Acting Director General of Finance and Support Services and department heads, Colonel Aziz

Humoud Al Ameri, Director of Strategy and Performance Development at the Ministry of Interior, Captain Ali Ghanem Al Taweel, Head of Organisational Performance Assessment and Development and representatives from Actuate Company.

Police News

Al Qatami lauds Sharjah Police efforts

Al Khaili chairs ‘performance management indicators’ meetings

The Permanent Higher Committee of Finance and Assets at the Ministry of Interior held a meeting recently, chaired by Major General Khalil Dawood Badran, Director General of Finance and Services at Abu Dhabi Police and Chairman of the Committee.The meeting was attended by Brigadier Salem Ali Mubarak Al Shamsi, head of the Privatisation Committee and the Co-ordination Committee with the Ministry of Finance, Brigadier Saad Saif Al Nuaimi, head of the Purchases and Warehouses Committee, Brigadier Juma Al Qubaisi, head of the Perma-nent Vehicles Committee, Colonel Anwar Mohammed Al Mulla, head of the Practices Committee, Colonel Adel Abdul Rahman Abdullah, head of the Budget and Financial Plan-

ning, Colonel Saif Mohammed Abed, head of the Finance and Accounts Committee and Colonel Abdullah Ahmed Juma, Director of the Department of Purchases and Warehouses at the Ministry of Interior, in addition to a number of ministry officers and civilian members of the committee.Maj. Gen. Badran underlined the importance of specialised accountants to link the different departments and director-ate together. The meeting discussed the recommendations of field visit teams aimed at inspecting purchases and ware-housing systems at the Ministry of Interior. Several reports were discussed in the meeting.The meeting highlighted the necessity to engage the vari-ous departments in strategic budgeting.

Badran chairs Finance and Assets meeting

UAE Minister of Education, Humaid Al Qatami, recently opened the ‘Learning Output’ exhibition organised by Al Manar School for Girls in Sharjah. The event was at-tended by Murad Abdullah Al Baluchi, Director of Gov-ernment Communications, Aesha Saif, Secretary General of the Sharjah Education Council, Mohammed Rashid bin Tamim, Director of the office of the Education Minister, Colonel Abdullah Sultan, Director of the Office of the

Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police and a number of education professionals and parents of students.Mr. Al Qatami visited the pavilion of Sharjah Police at the exhibition and was briefed on the services provided to stu-dents in all schools in the emirate of Sharjah. A particular emphasis was laid on the ‘security education’ programme being implemented by Sharjah Police at the emirate’s schools.

Al Shaafar signs agreement with consultancy company on mystery shopper project The Ministry of Interior signed an agreement recently with an international consultancy company on the ‘mystery shop-per project’.The deal was signed by Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Shaafar, Undersecretary of the Ministry and Robert Kai, Executive Director of the Consultancy Company. The agreement aims to implement the mystery shopper project in the sectors of the ministry to enhance performance lev-els for all services provided by the ministry to customers. Al Shaafar said the deal was signed upon the directives of His Highness Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, to achieve the objectives of the ministry to win the trust of the public in the services provided by the ministry.Kai said the agreement represents a bridge for communica-tion between the company and the Ministry of Interior to achieve the strategic objectives of the ministry in the provi-sion of services to the public. The signing ceremony was at-tended by a number of officials.Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Al Shaafar attended a workshop on the development of services at the ministry. The workshop was on Serving the Public and the Mystery Shopper project.


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French President Nicolas Sarkozy has awarded the Ordre national du Merite (National Order of Merit) to Major General Sheikh Talib bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Commander-in-Chief of Ras Al Khaimah PoliceThe Order was presented to Sheikh Talib by Superinten-dent Raphael Juge, Regional Security Attaché at the French embassy in the UAE. The French official delivered a mes-sage from President Sarkozy to Sheikh Talib thanking him for his constructive cooperation in the service of mutual security interests.Sheikh Talib expressed gratitude to the French head of state for conferring the Order on him, which he said he was hon-oured to accept it.He highlighted the depth of bilateral ties in various fields, noting to the longstanding cooperation between the French Police and UAE Ministry of Interior in areas of training and exchange of expertise.

A total of 3,850 companies implemented the midday work ban in 2010, while 73 violations were detected, according to Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Merri, Director of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai.He recently chaired the second periodical meeting of the Permanent Committee for Labourers Affairs that includes members from Dubai Police, State Security, Labour Cases Section at Dubai Courts, Dubai Municipality, Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, Ministry of Labour and the Human Rights Department of the Community Development Authority in Dubai.Maj. Gen. Al Merri lauded the efforts of all committee

members, and instructed them to continue inspection campaigns and intensify awareness workshops in various languages.A large number of inspectors have started random visits to construction sites to ensure compliance with the mandatory work ban from 12:30 pm to 15:30 pm. The Ministry of Labour is expected to conduct at least 60,000 inspection visits of outdoor work sites during the three-month ban period and to organise 90 awareness workshops.The ban, which is enforced annually, began on June 15 and will end on September 15 in line with a cabinet decision endorsed years ago to protect outdoor workers from sun strokes and other heat-related risks.

Firm commitment to apply midday work ban

Dubai Police chief inspects ‘Environmental Neighbourhood’H.E. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Command-er in Chief of Dubai Police, inspected the ‘Environmental Neighbourhood’ project which Dubai Municipality is imple-menting in residential areas of Dubai. H.E. met Salem Al Mesmar, Assistant Director of Dubai Municipality for Health, Safety and Environment Monitoring Sector, and the meeting was attended by Brigadier Mohammed Saad Al Sharif, Direc-tor of the Organisational Office of Dubai Police HQ.Lt. Gen. Dhahi was briefed on the ‘Environmental Neigh-bourhood’ plans, aimed at spreading the culture of envi-ronment protection in terms of proper dealing with wastes, rationalising the consumption of water and electricity and

improving environmental standards in the neighbourhood. He highlighted the importance of collective work and vol-unteering.Al Mesmar said: “The objective is to improve cleanliness in neighbourhoods and parks and to enhance the aesthetic values of the neighbourhood, as well as to protect the en-vironment…”.Dubai Police have reiterated their commitment to imple-ment global best practices and environmentally friendly initiatives.There have been many pilot initiatives undertaken by the Dubai Police to protect natural environment.

Sheikh Taleb bin Saqr Al Qassimi awarded French order of merit

Two police batches graduate in FujairahTwo police batches graduated after attending courses in the local training plan of 2011. The graduation ceremony was attended by Brigadier Mohammed Ahmed bin Ghanem Al Kaabi, Fu-jairah Police chief and a number of officers and cadets.The first training course was on ‘Performance Excellence’, aimed at providing policemen with basic skills for improvement of individu-al performance. The second training course was on ‘Quality Management’, aimed at educating the par-ticipants on quality and excellence drives and providing them with the skills to reach high quality levels in order to achieve the strategic objectives of quality and excellence.

A retired officer from Ajman Police has been honoured for his distinguished services to the police force. A ceremony was attended by Brigadier Ali Abdullah Alwan, Ajman Police Chief.Retired Lieutenant Colonel Saif Ahmed Al Hamrani was honoured for his long service and great efforts in the police force. The initiative by Ajman Police to honour retired police staff has been hailed as a gesture of gratitude to those who exerted extraordinary efforts in the service of police and the community.

Brig. Alwan lauded the efficiency and dedication of Al Hamrani. He said: “We stress our keenness to enhance our bonds with all retired police staff, in recognition of the efforts they made in the service of the country’s security at Ajman Police”.Al Hamrani thanked Ajman Police for the kind initiative. He said: “Our leadership always recognise the efforts of retired military personnel and is always keen on appreciating their contributions in serving the police force”.

Retired officer honoured in Ajman


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Issues

Experts have been fathoming ways to put brakes on the behaviour of ar-rogant and impatient motorists who are putting the lives of road users and their own at risk. The phenom-enon of impatient drivers flashing lights to force you to clear the way has become an everyday observable fact. Added to it is an angry look from the unexplainably edgy driver.Driver arrogance has turned people driving normal or old cars into ‘es-capists’, wanting to leave the fast lanes for some drivers of luxury and fast cars who break the law and en-danger the lives of other road users.Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Salah Obeid

Arrogant edgy..

and dangerous

,

Driver arrogance is putting lives in danger

By Nawal Salem

Al Ghoul, Director of Law Respect Culture Bureau at the General Secre-tariat of the Office of His Highness Deputy Prime Minister and Minis-ter of Interior, said: “We at the Law Respect Culture Bureau have been working to simplify the laws and leg-islation for all people, and we give special attention to traffic rules ap-plied on motorists and pedestrians. Traffic rules ensure safety for all, and our aim is to always inculcate the principles of traffic safety in the minds of people through traffic me-dia campaigns carried out by Abu Dhabi Police”.He added: “In the last AGCC Traffic

Week, we brought out a booklet for children with visual contents under the title ‘Colour Your Way’, present-ing traffic concepts in a simple man-ner. We have also been cooperating with civil society associations and institutions to enhance traffic edu-cation, like the Heritage Club, Abu Dhabi Education Council and others. The bureau has also allocated a spe-cial section on traffic legislation in the ‘Comprehensive Legal Diary that will be published soon”.Dr. Al Ghoul said the bureau was tak-ing part in the driver skill rehabilita-tion programme for drivers who ac-cumulated the maximum number if

traffic fines for the third time. The programme was implemented re-cently in cooperation with the Com-munity Service Department of Abu Dhabi Police. “Our aim is to trans-form aggressive driving into sound driving behaviour”, said the official. The bureau will also publish a driver guide containing traffic rules and regulations.Dr. Al Ghoul said the aim of the bu-reau in traffic issues was to uncover violations. “We simplify rules and explain them to the motoring public. The Ministry of Interior has created the bureau to help explain the rules to the public. The law have been pro-mulgated in the interest of the people to protect their lives and property, and this is a key element of the stra-tegic plan to create a culture of law respect”, he underlined.According to Nasser Al Zaabi, 35, a government department employee, driver arrogance has become a phe-nomenon.“Undesirable driver behaviour by some youths has become a daily

thing; they drive luxury cars, and when I see one of them in the rear-view mirror, I immediately think an objectionable action is going to hap-pen. In addition to overspeeding, these drivers commit reckless acts like abrupt turning. They also park their cars in front of shops blocking

the path of other cars and use the horn… there should be more police patrols to check the behaviour these young drivers”, he said.Nadia Aziz, 28, a school teacher, agrees. “It was a lucky escape for me once, when a car in front of me abruptly

Our aim is to transform aggressive driving into sound driving behaviour - Al Ghoul

Undesirable driver be-haviour by some youths has become a daily thing– Al Zaabi

Issue (487) July 2011

16

reduced its speed. The same car was being driven close to my car but at a very high speed. The driver of that car then used words of abuse against me, and I had to seek police help”, she said.Abbas Faradallah, another motorist, said he takes all precautions in driv-ing. “I expect other drivers to behave in a reckless manner so I take my pre-cautions… many people driving lux-ury vehicles try to attract the atten-tion of road users”, Faradallah said.He added: “Driving is an art… it is a skill that we acquire. Reckless driv-ing brings death and destruction, and the victims of accidents are mostly youths”.For a young man using Al Ain – Abu Dhabi highway, a speed monitoring device gave him a lesson in life. M. Al Dhahiri uses the highway on weekdays to go to work, driving a luxury car with a distinguished co-lour and a customised plate number. “The job I have necessitates that I re-spect the law at all times. I was driv-ing on the highway (on a mission) at a high speed when I was caught by the speed monitoring device. After I finished my mission, and on my way home, I felt bad that I violated

the speed limit… my job necessitates that I should always respect the law”, he said.According to Dr. Mohammed Al Mutawa, sociologist, said drivers showing off suffer from an inferior-ity complex. “This phenomenon has become a danger to the lives of drivers and other road users. Reckless young drivers should change their negative attitude”, he said.He added: “Some youths, unfortu-nately, have no sense of responsibil-ity, and this may be attributed to an inferiority complex in some of them. Arrogant drivers hurt themselves and

others. I feel that a law is necessary to permit the confiscation of vehicles belonging to such drivers in order to teach them a lesson to refrain from undesirable driving behaviour”.Sheikh Mohammad Al Shahhat, preacher at the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Awqaf in Umm Al Quwain, said that the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has stressed the importance of respecting the rules of the road.He added: “We should give the road its rights… each individual should be responsible for the comfort of the community… we should not be ar-rogant. God Almighty says: ‘And the servants of (Allah) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant ad-dress them, they say, "Peace!" – Al Furqan 63”.He said traffic safety is of great im-portance in society. God Almighty said in Al-Ahzab - 58: “And those who annoy believing men and wom-en undeservedly, bear (on them-selves) a calumny and a glaring sin”.Sheikh Al Shahhat said a Muslim should follow Islamic principles and contribute towards traffic safety to make roads a safer place for all.

drivers showing off suffer from an inferiority complex - Al Mutawa

Abbas Faradallah Dr. Mohammed Mutawa


1918

Born in Egypt, 1974, and lived the early years at Sayeda Zainab neighbourhood in the Egyptian capital. Her family migrated to the US when she was four years old. Her father worked as an engineering researcher at the University of Wisconsin.

Studied business administration and chemical engineering, and has had a keen inter-est in research about the image of Muslims in US society. One of her most significant contributions was a co-authored book entitled “Who Speaks for Islam?”, brought out by Gallup Centre for Muslim Studies.

Is the Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies. Is the only Muslim on the White House Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Advisory Council to US President Barak Obama.Married and has two children.

Interview

Dalia Mogahed, in her role an advisor serving on the White House Faith-based and Neigh-

borhood Partnerships Advisory Coun-cil to US President Barak Obama, seeks to put to rights the image of Islam in the Western world, particu-larly in the United States, bridging the gap between the East and the West. In 2009 President Obama appointed her to serve on the Advisory Council. 999 spoke to Ms. Mogahed about her im-portant role and also on the new Arab revolts which, she said, has changed the equation in the Middle East.

Excerpts: Q. Being close to the decision-mak-ing circles in the United States, how do you see decision-makers’ look at Arabs and Islam?A. Most people in the West don’t know a lot about Islam, Muslims and Arabs, and consequently, they don’t know the reality about Arab and Muslim society. They have stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims, based on terrorism. The negative image these days is worse than what it was decades ago, and this is because of the various terrorist at-tacks that happened in recent years in countries around the world, claimed by hard-line groups that don’t have to do with the religion of Islam.Q. How do Arab and Muslims view the West today?A. Arabs, generally, are infatuated by the Western world in many respects, including the scientific and techno-logical advancement, civilisation, de-mocracy, freedom and other human values and principles that Arabs lack in their own countries. However, this does not take away from the fact that there is tension, or hatred to Western, and particularly US, policies towards Arabs, especially the stance regarding the Palestinian question.Q. Many Arab and non-Arab think-ers attribute these conflicts to the Islamophobia and the rise of Islam

Altered calculationsAdvisor Dalia Mogahed believes Arab revolts have changed the equation in the Middle East

By Khalid Al Dhanhani

around the world. What do you think?A. Yes, Islamophobia exists, because the understanding of Islam in the West is shallow, and thus, there is disrespect of Islam and Muslims in Western soci-ety… people in the West, though they read and hear about Islam’s tolerance, see things that are in diametrical con-tradiction with what they read and hear. Their idea will not change unless their look at Muslims as individuals and so-cieties change. That’s why I believe sci-entific advancement and cultural devel-opment represent the key to open up to Western society and influence it, though I can stress the continuity of Western distrust towards Islam even when the desired progress has been achieved… I can give you an example; in the after-math of World War II and the US rise as the greatest country in the world, most countries were in chaos, but some coun-tries were able to take the challenge and succeed, making the US and the West in general respect them.Q. How can the two sides, the Mus-lim world and the West, recon-cile and live in mutual respect and peace?A. I think dialogue is important and should be continued. There should also be strong conviction between the two sides that the dialogue will improve relations between Islam and the West. More importantly, Arabs and Muslims should pay attention to their policies to achieve advancement in all fields; in politics, economics, education, society and people’s lives. When Arabs suc-ceed in developing their capabilities and competing with the West in these

areas, they will automatically win the respect of the West.Q. What are the efforts being exert-ed to bridge the gap between the two sides, and are they at the same level of our ambitions?A. First, the word ‘cooperation’ should replace the word ‘conflict’ between the two sides. As to the efforts being exerted, there are many initiatives be-ing launched by various international institutions, building dialogue… to bridge the gap between peoples and civilisations. Some organisations were set up after 9/11 terrorist attacks… the effect of these efforts remains weak and is not up to the required level.Q. What’s your role as an advisor in enhancing the dialogue between the East and the West?A. My main role is a researcher and executive director of Gallup Centre that conducts studies on Muslims, how they think and what they want… I give the exact and real information on Ar-abs and Muslims to opinion leaders in American society. This can abort the attempts of religious fanatics to distort the image of Islam in the West. I try all my best to correct the image of Mus-lims in the Muslim world in general and in the US in particular. I find that my role has been received positively.Q. Being the executive director of Gallup Abu Dhabi Centre for Mus-lim Studies, how do you view the im-portance of the centre and its role in the dialogue between Islam and the West?A. Gallup Centre for Muslim Studies is a neutral centre, specialised in anal-yses, advisory services and education,

based on data collected from Muslims’ feedback. It also presents the opin-ions of Muslims about various topics including business, co-existence, edu-cation, religion, culture, democracy and the media. The Gallup Abu Dhabi Centre will focus on local matters and direct its investments towards specific priorities… it represents the commit-ment of the emirate of Abu Dhabi and Gallup in serious research and concen-trated study in a number of vital issues in the world.Q. How does the West view Arab re-volts, and how do they affect US for-eign policy towards the Arabs?A. More than 80 per percent of the American people sympathise with Arab revolutions, especially the Egyp-tian revolution. Americans told me af-ter February 11: ‘We have learnt from the Egyptian people the truth about values and democracy and we are all Egyptians’. These revolutions have actually brought the Arabs closer to the Americans as both defend free-dom and democracy. As to US policies towards the Arabs, there is a state of confusion and tension dominating the US administration emanating from the new state of things, and that’s why the US administration is revising its cal-culations. These altered calculations are not restricted to the Americans but also apply to Israel: it’s been men-tioned that the Netanyahu government changed their mind about military action against Iran after the collapse of the regime in Egypt. Therefore, the Egyptian revolution has actually changed the equation in the Middle East.

Porfile


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Cover Story

Both parents of any physically-challenged child suffer with children’s disabilities. The

challenge requires limitless patience, and boundless love.Mothers, though, shoulder the bigger responsibility in taking after physi-cally-challenged children. There are many moving stories of great mothers and sacrifices at the Abu Dhabi Cen-tre for Special Needs.Fida Swuaidan, 38, has four children. One of them is four-year-old Yara suf-fers from Down's syndrome.“In the Arab world, children suffering from Down's syndrome are referred to as Mongolian. It is a harsh word and

Inspiring triumphs

Mothers go the extra mile to help their physically-challenged children

By Lara Al Zarasi - Photos: Eisa Rashid

does carry any weight of sympathy. Whenever I meet new people, I insist that Yara is not Mongolian but suffers from Down's syndrome, even if oth-ers do not see a difference between the two descriptions”, said Fida.She told the story of Yara. “I dis-covered the physical challenge two months after her birth. She looked normal… beautiful like the rest of my children. But when I took her for vac-cinations, the doctor said she could be suffering from Down's syndrome”, said the mother. She was in a state of shock and terribly sad. “The future looked bleak”, she said.After a while, Fida gathered strength

and decided that she would double her efforts in taking care of her daughter. “I am aware that my responsibility is colossal… that I should fight to make my little child live as normal a life as possible… that I should exert all ef-forts and offer limitless love. For all that, I decided to quit my job and ded-icate my time and efforts for Yara”.Fida resigned from her job as a com-puter programmer, and spent a long time learning on the Internet about Down's syndrome and its treatment.“I researched a lot through the world’s most important hospitals and read lat-est research on Down's syndrome to treat it or minimise its effect. I know

many distinguished foreign doctors and specialised treatment centres”.Fida’s arduous effort has yielded re-sults. She said: “In my research, I found a vitamin for young children. This vi-tamin helps stimulate the cells and was suitable for my daughter’s case. I managed to get the vitamin through the Internet… Yara’s condition im-proved noticeably”.Good news continued. Fida said the decision to integrate children with Down's syndrome in schools was a great development. It gave children like Yara the opportuni-ty to learn, depending on themselves. “Yara’s behaviour became normal… she speaks, hears and plays normally. However, her comprehension is mod-erate… I repeat the information too many times before she could memo-rise details. I am happy when my daughter responds. Yara loves me and trusts me, and I will continue to sup-port her for the rest of my life”, Fida said.Zikra Ahmed Qasim, 37, has five

children, the youngest of whom suf-fers from Down's syndrome. She de-scribes her son as “my little hero”.The sad news came out inside the hospital where Zikra gave birth to her fifth child, Abdul Aziz. On the follow-ing day, she knew that her three-year-old son has Down's syndrome. “In the beginning, I did not believe it… I faced many difficulties and pains and spent sleepless nights. I felt that if I slept, Abdul Aziz could need me during my sleep”, she said, with tears in her eyes. Zikra then started her journey of searching for a treat-ment.The solution she had was provided by the Abu Dhabi Centre for Special Needs.

“Abdul Aziz gained the love of ev-erybody and integrated like a nor-mal child. Specialists told me he was smart, funny and a smiling child. My son has overcome most problems but his main problem was the inability to talk. He understands everything but finds difficulty communicating with others”, Zikra said.Doctors told her Abdul Aziz’s condi-tion will improve further.“The key things are time and pa-tience… that is what I have got to help my son. He does not need my tears… he needs my dedication”, an optimis-tic Zikra stressed.The first thing Zikra taught her son was patience. “I am particularly keen on teaching


22

Abdul Aziz… classes (at the centre) have been very useful to him and spe-cialists emphasise that cognitive pro-cesses will improve further and that Abdul Aziz’s comprehension is nor-mal”, she said.Nora Yousuf Al Ahmed, 25, has two sons and two daughters. Her younger daughter, Mazna, suffers from Down's syndrome. “After giving birth to Mazna, I heard the doctor asking the nurse to con-duct a Down's syndrome test on my daughter. A month later, we knew for sure Mazna had the condition. Mazna looked normal”, Nora said.She lamented the way society views Down's syndrome patients. “The problem is that doctors or nurses do not give us the necessary advice when children are born physically-chal-lenged.“We try to help our children to enable them to deal with the outside world. There are laws and legislation that guarantee the rights of the physically-challenged. However, some people make these children introvert”, she said.Nora gained confidence in her daugh-ter’s abilities as a result of a piece of advice from a young woman doctor. “One day, Mazna fell sick and I took her to hospital for treatment… a doc-tor there saw me crying and she told me: ‘The more you loved her, the bet-ter she will be’. I’ve found that what the doctor told me is very true. Mazna

According to Haya Abdallah, Direc-tor of Abu Dhabi Centre for Special Needs, the centre provides many ser-vices to physically-challenged chil-dren and their families. The services include family counseling, early inter-vention measures (receiving newborn to five-year-old children) and others.“Our responsibility is not restricted to

now is four years old, and there is a high hope that she will be able to be accepted in school”, Nora explained.Mazna watches children programmes on TV and can identify animals and learns fast. “I love her so much and I am helping her so that she would not need anyone. I want to be proud of her instead of being sad and depressed about her future”, said Nora.

teaching and training children of spe-cial needs; our services are extended to families, and mothers in particu-lar”, she said.There are some 300 students at the centre which receives children with hearing and visual impairments, men-tally-retarded, and children with other physical challenges.

In the beginning, I did not be-lieve it… I faced many difficulties and spent sleepless nights - Zikra

Umm Mozna Umm Yara Umm Abdalaziz


2524

Issues

The menace of drugs is a com-plex issue in the Palestinian Territories, adding to the prob-

lems from which Palestinian society suffers under Israeli occupation. Palestinian circles accuse Israel of alienating a large segment of the Pal-estinian youths by encouraging them to take drugs to escape the harshness of reality and anxiety. According to local reports, drug abuse has assumed large and alarming pro-portions, and this poses questions on the effectiveness of measures to com-bat the phenomenon.A report issued by the Supreme Na-tional Authority to Curb the Spread of Drugs and Social Evils, drug abuse in the Palestinian Territories is posing a real danger from sociopolitical and socioeconomic perspectives. Palestin-ian officials say local and foreign par-

The menace of drugs is a serious threat to Palestinian society

ties were working to flood the Pales-tinian Territories with drugs.Statistics by the Ministry of Health and the Anti-Drugs Authority in 2010 show that there are some 80,000 nar-cotic drug users, including 10,000 ad-dicts. In Jerusalem, there are around 20,000 drug users, including 5,000 drug addicts.“The number of drug users is bigger than that, as the Palestinian Territo-ries are flooded with large quantities of drugs at low prices”, said Issam Juwaihan, Director of the Social Sec-tion at Al Maqdese for Society Devel-opment. “Official efforts to fight the menace of drugs remain limited in the face of organised crime that is invad-ing the Palestinian Territories”, he added. The situation in Jerusalem is more dangerous as authorities give a blind eye to efforts to combat the drug

menace.A study by the Central Census Au-thority conducted at the request of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has shown that drug menace was continuing to spread in the Pales-tinian Territories.A report by the Supreme National Au-thority to Curb the Spread of Drugs and Social Evils also has shown that the Palestinian Authority is unable to fight the menace, and that the court authorities have hundreds of cases to look into, including drug abuse, trafficking, plantation and smuggling cases. The authority said this situation was the result of the lack of a crimi-nal law on drugs and narcotics. The Palestinian Authority does not have a criminal laboratory that is an im-portant asset in investigating drugs-related cases. The Israeli authorities

also impose obstacles in areas B and C under Israeli control in the West Bank that hinder the implementation of anti-drugs policies.The Supreme National Authority to Curb the Spread of Drugs and Social Evils also attributes the deteriorating situation to the failure by the Palestin-ian Authority to pay attention to the problem of drugs and what it called the ‘negative competitiveness among the agencies involved in the fight against drugs’, in addition to the ma-jor pressures faced by the Palestinian people as a result of Israeli blockades, unemployment and poverty.But Brigadier Jaber Asfour, Director of Criminal Investigations and Anti-drugs Division, denied the existence of organised gangs involved in drug trafficking in the areas under the ju-risdiction of the Palestinian Authority.He said recent months had seen major efforts to boost the capabilities of the anti-drugs officers.“The source of the problem of drugs is Israel, as the West Bank is geographi-cally sieged. Anything that comes to the West Bank comes from Israel, even if it comes from Jordan”, he said. He said hashish (or bango) is the most common narcotic, while planted nar-cotics are usually meant for personal use. The Criminal Investigations Depart-ment in the West Bank has 500 po-licemen, while the Anti-Drugs Divi-sion has 250 policemen, according to Brig. Asfour. He said the Canadian government had donated a criminal laboratory to the Palestinian Author-ity at a cost of $20 million. It will be constructed in Ramallah and will need sometime to be operational.

“This laboratory will help curb the phenomenon of drug abuse and traf-ficking in Palestinian society after years of efforts in combating the men-ace”, said Brig. Asfour.A study by the Palestinian Central Census Authority published last year showed that the youngest drug user was 14 years old. Official reports say 120 death cases were registered in the last two years, resulting from drug abuse. The head of the anti-narcotics unit in the Hamas government in Gaza Strip, Lieutenant Colonel Amjad Sarhan, said drug smuggling cases in Gaza de-clined significantly in the recent past.“Criminals involved in drug smug-gling use smart methods and have the ability to work clandestinely”, he said. However, recent reports by local agencies indicate that drug smug-gling was still continuing in Gaza and large quantities enter the strip through smuggling tunnels with Egypt.But Lt. Col. Sarhan said anti-narcot-ics operatives exert great efforts to eradicate drug smuggling operations through the tunnels. He added that a large portion of smuggled drugs come

through the coastal areas close to the borders between Gaza and Israel.“There is a big role played by Israel and its agents in drug trafficking oper-ations in Gaza. Many incidents show the confirmed role of Israeli agents in bringing narcotics to the Gaza Strip”, Lt. Col. Sarhan underlined. He added: “Suspicious people spread drugs to destroy our society, to facili-tate the attempts of Israel in breaking the will of the Palestinian people”.The anti-narcotics unit in the Hamas government in Gaza Strip last year aborted what it called the largest drugs smuggling operation when five kilogrammes of crack cocaine were seized.Last summer, the Hamas government launched an anti-narcotics campaign and said 167 traffickers and drug abusers surrendered to the authorities and declared their repentance.As part of its efforts to curb drug abuse and trafficking, the Hamas gov-ernment in Gaza started the applica-tion of the Egyptian law in dealing with traffickers and people involved in drug abuse, years after the applica-tion of the Israeli law.According to the Egyptian law, pun-ishment could reach the death penalty for drug traders. However, the Hamas government has been working on the enactment of legislation tougher than the Egyptian law in dealing with drugs criminals.Hundreds of detainees are in prison pending trial in trafficking and drug abuse cases. Many of them are bailed out after the payment of amounts ranging from $3,000 to $5,000, ac-cording to the Al Maqdese for Society Development official.

the menaceuprooting

By Tamer Ibrahim

Esam Goehan Amgad Sarhan


2726

Focus

Hi-speed ServiceBy Lara Al Zarasi - Photos: Eisa Rashid

The E-Infrastructure Depart-ment operating under the General Directorate of Elec-

tronic Services and Communica-tions (ESC) at the Ministry of In-terior is now capable of completing 50,000 transactions per hour, said

E-Infrastructure Department at the Ministry of Interior completes 50,000 transactions per hour

Major General Matar Al Niyadi, General Manager, ESC.The department services the general directorates at the ministry as well as the general public coming to the ministry to have their transactions processed, Al Niyadi added.

The department has three sections: Communications, Operations and Networks.Major Yaser Al Wahabi, Director of the E-Infrastructure Department, said that the department has been preparing the strategic plan and

department policies as part of the strategy of the General Directorate of Electronic Services and Commu-nications and the ministry’s strat-egy. It has also been supervising the preparation of operational plans and programmes for communication networks and work policies.He said the department’s speciali-sations include the supervision of technical reports on faults, organ-isation of automated library, prepa-ration of statistics, proper use of equipment, suggestion of strategies on network operations, securing da-tabase, among others.Maj. Al Wahabi said there is a de-velopment plan being implemented, which includes 20 to 30 new sites for the application of the programmes of the Ministry of Interior. The plans also include modernisation efforts and obtaining quality certification ISO 9001:2008, as well as the intro-duction of virtualization, technical improvements at the main data cen-tre and the preparations to set up IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL).He said the ‘unified database’ sys-tem that completes 50,000 transac-tions per hour to serve the general directorates at the ministry as well as the general public coming to the ministry to have their transactions processed.“The security information network is the backbone of all systems at the

Ministry of Interior… we imple-ment the latest security and safety measures and the world’s best prac-tices”, Maj. Al Wahabi said.Major Mohammed Al Shamsi, head of the Communications Section, said “the section proposes the strategy of various communications networks at the ministry’s level in line with the strategy of the General Directorate”.Major Sulaiman Abdallah Mubarak, head of the Operations Section, said the section has many specialisa-tions. They include the operation of the main systems and protecting their performance. The section also prepares reports and periodical sta-tistics on performance indicators and the actual use of equipment and accessories. It organises the auto-mated library and its contents and secures data.Major Saif Al Mazroui, head of the Security Information Network at

the Ministry of Interior, said the net-work is one of the most modern and fastest in the world. “It has around 200 sites spread at vital installations like airports, police administrations, government agencies and others. They work round-the-clock and employ the latest technologies”, he said.Maj. Al Mazroui said the section handles the management of the se-curity information network at the ministry, the evaluation of the net-work’s performance, troubleshoot-ing, the preparation of technical reports and proposing development and expansion projects. The section, added Maj. Al Maz-roui, also identifies annual and emergency requirements of infor-mation and communications sys-tems, and receives the requests of various agencies. The section sets mechanisms for monitoring and di-

Major Yaser Al Wahabi Major Saif Al Mazroui Major Sulaiman MubarakMotar Al Niadi


2928

Focus

Police operations Abu Dhabi received a major boost fol-lowing ministerial decree no.

452 of 2009 issued by His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior , setting up the Strategic Planning Section at the General Directorate of Police Operations at Abu Dhabi Police.Strategic Planning derives its pe-

Novel approachin police operations

By Amani Al Yafei

Strategic planning leads the way in police modernisation drive

culiar importance from its being a modern way in police and security work, according to Major Moham-med Hussain Al Khouri, Head of the Strategic Planning Section.He said: “The section follows up the implementation of the strategic plan of Abu Dhabi Police through setting priorities and the execution of initiatives and projects. It holds regular meetings with the Depart-ment of Strategy and Performance

Development, initiative managers, coordinates modernisation and fol-low-up reports as well as efforts to obtain the quality certification, ISO 9001:2000, and ensuring its validity. The section also works to spread the culture of quality and excellence”.Maj. Al Khouri said employees at the section have advanced capabili-ties to offer the services needed to meet various requirements.The section was set up in 2009 to

catch up with the grand develop-ment in the programmes of the General Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police, said 1st Lieutenant Saeed Abdullah Al Ghaithi, Head of the Branch of Strategic Planning in the Western Region.The branch, he said, implements the strategy of the police headquarters through a 39-point programme under the jurisdiction of the police director-ate in the Western Region. He said the branch executes the tasks of following up and supervising the strategic plans and initiatives launched at the level of the General Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police under the command of Brigadier Hamad Saeed Al Dhahiri, Director of the Western Region Police Directorate. The official said the branch provides support to police employees taking part in various competitions. It also follows up complaints and sugges-tions. Al Ghaithi said: “In the branch, we have employees who specialise in the media, law, computer program-ming and others. Emiratis make up 50 per cent of the staff at the branch”.The section cooperates with all po-lice departments and it is associated with the management of ‘strategy and performance development, cov-ering 52 initiatives and 20 projects in the fields of the fight against crime, making roads safer and win-

ning the trust of the public. The initiatives include cooperation with the General Directorate of Cen-tral Operations in the implementa-tion of the Geographic Information System (GIS), and with the General Directorate of Security Affairs and Ports in the implementation of a DNA database.Al Ghaithi said his branch is closely linked with the Strategic Planning Section at the General Directorate

of Police Operations at Abu Dhabi Police. “We are exerting efforts to spread the culture of quality in the Western Region, with the help and direct supervision of the director of the Western Region Police Di-rectorate. We succeeded in receiv-ing the quality certification ISO 9001:2008”, he said.Maj. Al Khouri said the basic ele-ment in the strategy being imple-mented is to increase the levels of security and safety. Other objectives include spreading the culture of quality and excellence and attract-ing best talents to join the section. 1st Lieutenant Al Ghaithi said an im-mediate objective was to modernise the police stations in the Western Re-gion to a level enabling them to obtain quality certification. Other objectives include spreading the culture of qual-ity in the Western Region and the po-lice stations in the area.

Maj. Mohammed Al Khouri. 1st Lt. Saeed Al Ghaithi

A meeting of police officers and experts


30

Vocationalor Academic?

Traditionally policing had always been one of those jobs about which you will hear people say, “...right from when I was a small child all I ever really wanted to be is a...”

Many years ago people joined the police service because they ‘wanted to make a difference’ or they ‘wanted to contribute to society’ and so on, but in the brave new world of today, things may have moved on a little?If we look at the situation in the UK the police have been around as a recognized and accredited body for nearly two centuries, and for most of that time have fulfilled a popular stereotype as the iconic peacemaker in whom the people can trust, but equally the last person you want knocking on your door! However, during the last fifty years or so there has been a radical shift from the traditional uniformed police officer patrolling on foot (the bobby on the beat), to the more contemporary image of the deskbound ‘computer jockey’ (the bobby on the byte), trying to fight the rising tide of crime with what may be seen as a rather more cerebral approach. Initiatives such as Intelligence-led policing, the targeting of persistent and repeat offenders, crime pattern analysis and the like may be driven by noble intentions, but do they impinge upon that valuable opportunity to commune and interact with the public, i.e. the customer whom we serve?Does a tendency towards more proactive analysis and concentrated direction of resources detract from customer focus itself in that direct links with the community are sacrificed in the interests of measurable efficiency?And does this shift from the simple vocational mindset of the past to the more complex academic approach of today mean that the pendulum has swung too far? Working with middle managers in Abu Dhabi Police I have noticed a strong and laudable propensity for academic achievement. Many of those whom ‘I teach’ are actually more qualified in academic terms than I am; I have been impressed at the number of ‘high octane’ degrees including doctorates from some of the most vaunted and prestigious academic institutions of the world. Such individuals can bring a considerable wealth of strategic analysis, a highly educated and holistic view of the causes and effects of crime and disorder and anti-social behaviour to the forum. Meanwhile the police officer of yesteryear can contribute an equally valuable input in terms of ‘hands on’ community policing, being out there, being visible, being accessible, ‘feeling the collar’ of the local villain, wrapping the public in a warm blanket of perceived safety and reassurance. So then, I am suggesting there is room for both the old and the new, perhaps a blend of the best qualities that both have to offer. As ever, balance is the key.

Tim Maycock*

Tim's Corner

* Mr Maycock is an independent training consultant based in the UK.


3332

Global Issues

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, (GAVI) has succeeded in raising more than

enough money to fund its programme for the next five years.The organization had asked donors for US$3.7 billion, enough to immu-nize more than 250 million children in the world’s poorest countries, a pro-gramme which would, it estimated, save more than four million young lives. In the event donors - both gov-ernmental and private - pledged $4.3 billion, at a meeting in London hosted by the British and Liberian govern-ments and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The new pledges included a billion dollars from the Gates Foundation, and 1.33 billion from the British gov-ernment. Norway will give $677 mil-lion, and the USA overcame its reser-vations about multi-year financing to offer $450 million. The administrator of USAID, Raj Shah, said making a multi-year pledge was what he called a “challenging step”, but recognized that this kind of five-year commitment meant GAVI could drive a harder bar-gain with the vaccine manufacturers and so get better value for money.Bill Gates told a news conference after the meeting that they had hoped do-nors would push themselves to be gen-erous, and that was exactly what had happened. He particularly welcomed new donors, such as Brazil (which contributed 12 million dollars), and Japan, which he said still wanted to be part of the project, despite the particu-lar challenges it currently faced. Four hours was a long meeting, he told jour-nalists at the end of the session. “But if you can save four million lives in four hours, it’s well worth every minute.”The funding means GAVI can support qualifying countries (those with a per capita gross national income of less than $1,500) to maintain their current vaccination programmes and, in addi-tion, start rolling out vaccination pro-grammes against two of the leading

Saving lives killers of small children, pneumonia and diarrhoea.Nineteen countries have already been approved for GAVI funding for the vac-cine against pneumococcal disease, and five for a rotavirus vaccine to prevent the most deadly form of diarrhoea.

HPV vaccine for SenegalSenegal’s health minister, Modou Di-agne Fada, told IRIN he was eager to introduce the two new vaccines, and also wanted to have the vaccine against HPV - the Human Papilloma Virus, which can lead to cervical can-cer in women - available by 2015. He said patterns of disease were changing in Senegal: “Malaria is no longer our biggest killer. Now we have problems of chronic disease, and non-transmissible diseases like cancer. Among those there is one very deadly cancer, cancer of the cervix, and we believe that if we can get the HPV vac-cine, we will be able to save the lives of our women.” At a time when the global financial crisis is putting a squeeze on aid bud-gets, vaccination programmes clearly remain popular with donors. Partly it is the magic of the thought that - as the UK’s Secretary for International Development Andrew Mitchell put it - you can save a child’s life for the price of a cup of coffee. But it is also because vaccinations can be counted, targets can be verified and outcomes measured in the form of reduced inci-dence of disease.Asked by IRIN about the attraction of this kind of aid for donors, Mitchell said: “The British government set up an examination of all 43 multilateral agencies through which taxpayers’ money is spent in development. From some we removed money and with others we froze money, but GAVI is one of the best… It’s absolutely bril-liant value for money… 80 percent of its funding is spent on vaccines… It’s very cost effective. And we owe it to taxpayers in Britain to ensure that ev-ery penny we spend is really used to secure these brilliant results.”

Middle income countries - a poten-tial problem? Paradoxically, this enthusiasm can have its drawbacks if vaccination be-comes too closely identified with inter-national donors. Last week one paper in a special vaccination edition of the

medical journal, the Lancet, identified a potential problem as more nations pass the threshold to become classed as middle-income countries, and then the slightly higher threshold for GAVI funding.One of its authors, Orin Levine of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, told journalists that this had big implications for vaccination pro-grammes. “Most of the world’s poor people are now living in middle-in-come countries. Those countries have some means; they are not poor enough to qualify for GAVI support and gen-erally don’t qualify for the preferential pricing arrangements of the kind an-nounced by drug companies last week. This is going to be an increasing chal-lenge to tackle in the years ahead.”GAVI does in fact have a system of co-financing by which eligible countries have to buy some of their vaccines themselves, paying the equivalent of 10-30 US cents per dose, gradually increasing as their national wealth in-creases. GAVI said that as part of this pledging round, developing coun-tries had committed themselves to maintain or increase the co-financ-ing of their vaccine programmes. Beyond compulsory vaccination The other risk is that vaccination be-comes not just something international donors do for you, but something they

do to you. Another Lancet author, Heidi Larson of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, has studied the reasons why some parents resist having their children vaccinated. When she visited the very marginal-ized areas in northern Nigeria where the revolt against polio vaccine started in 2003 she found people bemused and suspicious about why outsiders kept coming and insisting on this particular intervention, when they were reluctant to help with things people really felt they needed: “Why are they always giving us this polio vaccine, they said, “when that’s not our big problem?” Scientific explanations clearly do not address this kind of feeling. Larson stresses that resistance to vaccination, right from the very early days, has been as much, or more, about compulsion than about the vaccine itself. “And no health intervention,” she says, “is so government regulated as vaccination”. To those who understand it, the virtues of vaccination are so self-evident that pressure to vaccinate is justified. In Ethiopia, vaccinating your children is compulsory. In India vaccination teams pursue travellers with babies even on to trains and station platforms. Science continues to advance, and thanks to today’s replenishment, funding is now assured, but people have to be involved and their concerns listened to if vacci-nation is to achieve its fullest benefits.

for the price of a cup of coffee

Rotavirus, which causes severe diarrhoea, kills more than half a million children a year

Vaccination programmes are popular with donors


3534

With his high security sense that he acquired through training, dedication and hard work, 1st

Sergeant Faisal Mohammed Saleh Al Hamadi had his suspicions about two men standing in front of a bank in Abu Dhabi. He kept watching, ready to intervene at the right moment.He was right.The two men, from an Asian country, were roaming around, watching bank clients. An Arab customer in his 40s left the bank with a big envelope. He opened the door of his car by remote control, placed the envelope on the front passenger seat and got ready to enter the vehicle. At that moment, one of the two men hurried to him and indicated with his hand that there was something strange under the car, as if he was warning the bank client that a car tyre was flat. As the vic-tim was busy checking his vehicle, the other man snatched the envelope after opening the other door of the car.Faisal was ready to act.He took off his shoes, put his wallet and personal belong-ings in his car and followed the second Asian man discreet-ly. As the second man was in the process of snatching the envelope, Faisal attempted to tie the thief’s hands from be-hind and catch him red-handed. However, the thief resisted and a fight ensued. Faisal sustained injuries but was able to control the thief and arrest him.

Faisal was honoured by His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior for his courageous and timely ac-tion.Faisal works at the Security Information Department at Abu Dhabi Police. “The honouring is a great accolade for me, and I will al-ways work hard to protect my country”, Faisal said.He added that the leadership had provided police men and women with all support to enable them to carry out their duties perfectly. He urged all his colleagues to exert all efforts in the service of the homeland and its security.

People

‘I have 33 great years with the police’

By Amira Al Raisi

In 1978, the first batch of policewomen in Abu Dhabi graduated, and Leila Gharib Al Shamsi was one of them

Leila Gharib Al Shamsi, Director of Policewomen’s Division at Al Ain Police, was among the first batch of policewomen who graduated at Abu Dhabi Police

in 1978. The batch included 24 women, and Leila was the younges.“The recruitment committee rejected my application several times, but I was determined to join police training”, she said.Now, Leila has been in the police force for some 33 years.“I read an ad in local newspapers about an opportunity for police training in Abu Dhabi. I told my family about it, but they totally rejected the idea as the idea of women working in the police was not accepted socially at the time.“But I insisted, and my family finally agreed. Then I applied, but the committee in charge of recruitment rejected my applicant several times. However, my insistence was strong and I was finally accepted in a four-month training course at the Policewomen’s School in Abu Dhabi”, she explained.Leila received theoretical and practical training and graduated with the rank of sergeant. She joined the force at Al Ain Central Prison, and moved on to other departments including the Licensing Department, Fingerprints, Security Affairs and an officer for police women in the force.One of the remarkable moments in her services was when she was promoted in an order by Major General (retired) Hamad Saeed, who was the General Director of Abu Dhabi Police at that time. The promotion came after the uncovering of the mystery of a crime in which a woman killed her husband and she was assigned to investigate it. “I succeeded in getting the evidence that led to the killer’s conviction. The wife collapsed and confessed to the crime”, said Leila, proudly. In addition to her work, Leila pursued higher studies at the UAE University and obtained BA degree in Shariah and Law. That led to successive promotions, and she is now a lieutenant colonel.

Leila said there are 114 policewomen at Al Ain Police handling various tasks at the police stations in the oasis city. She has also received accolades including the Long Service Medal, and she was honoured during the Golden Jubilee celebration of Abu Dhabi Police. "It's been 33 great years for me with the police, and I look forward to serve my country more".

‘Quick action nabbed the culprits’1st Sergeant Faisal Al Hamadi has been honoured for his nippy action

By Amani Al Yafei- Photos: Eisa Rashid Al Yamahi

Name: Faisal Mohammed Saleh Al Hamadi Date of birth: 1978 Education: High school Marital status: Married Job title: Detective Participated in several training courses Hobbies: hunting, swimming, horse-riding, acting and

reading.

In brief


36

People

By Lara Al Zarasi

For 1st Warrant Officer Fadhil Saleh Al Tamimi, the theatre is an infatuation.“I loved the theatre since early childhood. In prepara-

tory school, I was keen on attending all children’s plays that gave me a lot of happiness and a sense of surprise”, said Fadhil, who works at the City Police Station, Com-munity Police. He joined police 15 years ago. “I am still in love with chil-dren theatre”, he declared. Fadhil is the manager of Zayed Children Theatre, an NGO.He still remembers Laila Theatre which was the first chil-dren theatre in Abu Dhabi, opened in 1983. He said the time he spent at the theatre then was the most pleasant in his life.“It is a great art and I learnt theatrical tastes, living in cre-ative imagination and inspiration mixed with artistic enjoy-ment”, he said.In 1991, Fadhil attended several workshops held at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (formerly the Cultural Complex). He also read many plays to discover creative writing and be able to select

the best artistic ways to deliver dramatic messages to the public.The most important plays that influenced him and made him love children’s theatre were Abu Naway and Ruler of Baghdad. “I entered this great world from the gate of acting. Among the most famous plays I took part in were ‘He Said Yes / He Said No’, directed by Ouni Kroami, and Mandali and Banu directed by Jawad Al Asadi, which are from the World Theatre”, explained Fadhil.Fadhil delved deep into the world of theatre. Despite the fact that he worked in big drama stars and entered the world of television for a period of time, Fadhil returned to children’s theatre, prompted by his nostalgia for the art he loved since childhood. “Theatre teaches us honesty with one’s self to deliver our ideas to the public directly and spontaneously. The audi-ence has a spontaneous reaction, and if they did not believe you, you would not succeed”, he underlined.Fadhil directed several children’s plays including Genera-tions’ Heritage, Clown and the Puppets and Abu Gha-noum Stories.

Infatuated by children’s theatre!Fadhil Saleh Al Tamimi has been in love with theatre acting since he was in preparatory school

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Culture

By Khalid Al Dhanhani

As you explore the many sites of ruins in various parts of the UAE, you pass through differ-

ent eras of human civilisations, from the Stone Age to the late Islamic Pe-riod. Many questions emerge on the man who lived on this land.The antiquities that surfaced after nu-merous excavations show the great-ness of the human civilisation in the lands of the UAE throughout history. Zaki Nusseibeh, deputy chairman of the Abu Dhabi Authority and Culture and Heritage and advisor at the Min-istry of Presidential Affairs, described

5000 B.C.Antiquities in the UAE tell the story of ancient, great civilisations

them as the “time container that em-bodies the cultural values of nations and countries spanning thousands of years”. On Seer Baniyas Island, I met sev-eral archaeologists including Dr Jo-seph Elders, Dr Elizabeth Popescu and John Percival, who told me about a Christian monastery and church, discovered in 1992 and believed to have been settled around 600 AD by a community of 30 to 40 monks. Partial excavations were conducted between 1993 and 1996 by the archaeological team in charge of Abu Dhabi Islands.

The site is one of the most significant archeological finds in the UAE and the region. It sheds light on the human settlements on the island. Scientists believe the monastery was built in the 7th century.Archaeologists have so far discovered 15 types of pottery at the complex, in addition to glass items utensils. They say Seer Baniyas was continuously inhibited for more than 7,500 years. Thus far, more than 36 archaeologi-cal sites were discovered since works started on the island.A cemetery that goes back to about 4,000 years was found, in addition to a surveillance tower, a mosque and evidence of the pearling industry on the island.I bid farewell to the archaeologists and headed to the various sites, starting with Al Hili, through to Al Jahili Fort, Al Rumaila and Hafeet Cemetery that goes back to the 3rd millennium BC, that is more than 5,000 years.At Al Rumaila, I met Dr Walid Ya-sin al-Tikriti, Manager, Department of Historic Environment of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heri-tage. He said the excavations carried out by the AGCC team in Al Rumaila had shown that the site is the first be-longing to the Iron Age in the UAE, and is regarded as the main site at the regional level.Years after an archeologist inspected the site in the late 60’s and discov-ered the ruins of a house, a local team found similarities with houses found in Al Hili-2. In the early 80’s, ma-jor excavations were conducted by a French team and discovered more homes.At Hafeet cemeteries, we go back in history by 5000 years. The cemeteries are located on plains or in rows above

mountains. They were discovered on the caravan’s roads. Some 5,000 years ago, the people of the region chose the northern cliffs and eastern steep areas of the moun-tains to bury their dead. More than 5,000 graves were found in these ar-eas. Though most of the graves on the northern side disappeared as a result of modern construction works, the graves on the eastern side are pro-tected.Archaeologists discovered a lot of facts about Hafeet cemeteries, also known as Mazyad Cemeteries. Ma-zyad is the name of the village that is close to the eastern graves. Over four decades, a large number of graves were excavated and archaeolo-gists found similarities among them.

Bronze tools and utensils made of stone were found in the graves.Hafeet Cemeteries were built of heavy stones. The walls are very thick and have smaller stones in a ceiling, and can be accessed through a large tun-nel. A single grave had one or more bodies, probably from the same fam-ily.After Hafeet Mountain, I arrived in Dubai at the ‘Sarooq Al Hadeed’ site, on the south-eastern side of the emirate, going back to the Stone Age (7000-4000 BC).At that site, archaeological expedi-tions found many antiquities showing the people of that time were on the move, living on vegetation growing after rain falls, in addition to fishing.In other areas of Dubai deserts, I vis-

Hafeet cemeteries in Al AinCave painting in Wadi Khab, Fujairah

A monument in Hili, Al Ain

The façade of Al Hili fortress in Al Ain

Waleed Al TakreteZiki Nassibeh Mohammed Al Hamde Karmin Del Serao Slah Hassan


40

Among the outstanding antiquities I saw during my trip is the ornamented pottery. Researcher Mohammed Abdullah Al Hamadi said the archaeological excavations in the UAE in the last 50 years had yielded a huge quantity of pottery at various sites and settlements, covering historical periods between the 5th millennium and the 1st millennium BC, showing the great civilisation of the region.Other antiquities that attracted my attention were Al Madabis (the dates-making plants). They were discovered in many excavations around the country. According to Andrew Peterson of the University of Wales, these Al Madabis belong to the pre-historic times up to the late Islamic era. The discoveries show the relationship between human settlements and their local environments.

Pottery ornaments

ited Al Ashosh site. It is a small set-tlement going back in history to the Umm Al Nar era (the second half of the 3rd millennium BC). Hundreds of bronze and iron tools were recovered from the site, in addition to imported accessories and potteries.In neighbouring Sharjah, at Al Mad-am-1 area, I visited a unique building at a human settlement from the Iron Age discovered recently by a Spanish archaeological team. Carmen del Cer-ro of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain, spoke to me about the building discovered by the Spanish team at A Madam area. “Though the building is very simple, it showed a difference from other structures in the village of Al Thuqaiba. The material used in the structure were not found in other areas of the settlement… it could be the place of a small commu-nity”, Carmen del Cerro said.From Sharjah, I travelled to Ras Al Khaimah passing through Ajman and Umm Al Quwain. At Al Muairedh Mountain, Christian Velde, resident archaeologist of the Ras al Khaimah National Museum, told me about the red onyx and the white onyx in pre-historic times in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah. He said Muairedh Mountain was discovered in the 80’s by German geologists, and that it is the source of rare onyx.In the emirate of Fujairah, I visited Wadi Khab. I was received by Salah Ali Hasan of the Fujairah Authority for Tourism and Antiquities. He told me about the ‘rock art’ in the UAE, includ-ing Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Hatta, as well as in other parts of the Arab world. Engravings in the rocks, he said, represent a national treasure.

Tools made of stone found in Sarooq Al Hadid in Dubai

Forged metal tools found in Al Ashosh, Dubai


42

The faceless flaw

Once more, facts are before us, face to face.Despite all programmes that we read or learn about, and all efforts that we witness about consolidating our national identity, we continue to see a face-

less flaw. In a field study conducted by three Emirati media and mass communications stu-dents at Zayed University, covering a group of private schools, 79 per cent of stu-dents could not distinguish the UAE flag when displayed among other national flags. More than 82 per cent of the students don’t know what the colours of the UAE flag represent, and a number of schools don’t play the national anthem at all while others play it once a week!Shocking, isn’t it?The three female students of Zayed University launched an initiative at schools to explain about the UAE flag, its history and colours. It called upon authorities to make it mandatory to play the national anthem at schools every morning. The initia-tive included a plan launched on social networks (facebook and twitter), distributing UAE flags and gifts carrying the image of the flag and bringing out a brochure on the flag and its history and distributing it to shoppers at various malls. However, the biggest shock to these students was that they failed to get support from government agencies and private entities, so they decided to fund the campaign themselves.The results emerging from the study conducted by the three students should prompt us to reconsider the contents of our curriculums and to study the commitments of privately owned schools to teach national curriculums and giving them due atten-tion. It is a known fact that most of private schools give little attention to Arabic, Islamic education and social studies that include contents on the national identity, whereas the focus is always on other subjects. This affects the student’s focus that gets shifted to certain subjects.Efforts to enhance national identity have been greatly supported by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the year 2008 was dedicated to that objective. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development has been launching many programmes to consolidate national identity. It may be said that most of private school students are non-Emiratis and they are not supposed to know the colours and history of the UAE flag, nor are they supposed to listen to the UAE national anthem every day. This is wrong. Many Emirati parents prefer to send their children to private schools. This is another problem, but let’s skip it for now.Even if there’s one Emirati student at a private school, he or she has the right to lis-ten to the national anthem and know the country’s flag. We also believe that people residing in the country should know about the nation’s history and identity as part of the knowledge students receive at school.In a country like Germany, for example, efforts to always stress the identity of the country can be seen in many respects. Any one applying for German citizenship should know spoken and written German and pass tough tests on German history, arts and national icons. We believe that if these rules have to be applied on our sons, many of them would fail to achieve the minimum score!Despite the bleak results of the study conducted by the three students of Zayed University, the campaign launched by them gives us hope that some young people have the awareness to work hard to inculcate the principles of national identity in the minds of the people of the land. In the meantime, the national identity dossier remains open, till further notice.

Ali [email protected]

Perspectives

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4544

v

History

A leader in hard timesIt was not smooth sailing for Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum when he became ruler of Dubai in 1912

He is the late Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Hasher bin Maktoum bin Butti.

Maktoum bin Butti is considered the founder of the emirate of Dubai since he started his rule in 1833. He is also the great grandfather of the Al Mak-toum oasis. Sheikh Saeed bin Mak-toum assumed leadership succeeding his cousin Butti bin Suhail bin Mak-toum bin Butti in 1912.Saeed bin Butti became ruler in hard times the emirate was pass-ing through. In 1910, during Sheikh Butti’s rule, the British authorities

accused the ruler and the people of smuggling weapons. They sent a bat-tleship, HMS Hyacinth, to the emir-ate’s shores and demanded that the weapons be handed over to them. The ruler said there were no weapons, and the reply was a bombardment against the city, while an infantry unit landed on the shores and was confronted by the people who inflicted losses on the attackers. A number of defenders died.The incident sent panic waves among the population, causing a recession in business and big losses in the pearl

diving industry. The emirate was de-pendent on revenues from the pearl trade at the time.Sheikh Saeed’s accession reinvigo-rated hopes as this ruler had gained business expertise from his father, Maktoum bin Hasher, who opened the doors of commercial activities to immigrant traders from Lengeh on the Persian coast which was the capital of Al Qasimis and surrounded by a number of small Arabian settlements along the Persian coast.

Back to divingIn 1899, Iranian marine forces led by Ahmed Khan occupied Lengeh and announced the demise of the ruler there, Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Qasimi, and that of Al Qasimi rule in that town. The fall triggered fears among the traders of the town and the adjoining areas. When Sheikh Mak-toum bin Hasher knew about the fall of the town, he allowed immigrant traders to come to Dubai and to use the creek as a port for import and export operations. In 1903, commer-cial activities gained momentum and vessels entered the city waters. In the diving season, there were 300 ves-sels belonging to the people of Dubai ready to start pearl-diving operations. Sheikh Saeed, when became ruler in 1912, worked hard to revive the pearl diving business and domestic trade. The emirate’s economy was based on an equation between Al Tawaweesh (the big pearl traders) and the ruler who represented the executive power

Dr. Faleh Hanzal

in the state. By that equation, the trad-ers presented one fifth of their harvest to the ruler, and became advisors to him. The ruler was responsible for ad-ministration, defence and other tasks of the state. This equation meant that the financial power is in the hands of Al Tawaweesh, while the executive power is in the hands of the ruler.Things remained the same and the prosperity created by the diving sea-son meant a boom in national income. However, the collapse of the pearl trade started in 1924 when selec-tions of cultured pearls produced in Japan arrived in Dubai and were sold at cheap prices compared to natural pearls. Traders did not pay a lot of at-tention to the new threats first, but a trend by some Indian traders shunning natural pearls sent alarm bells ringing in the emirate and in the whole of the Gulf region.Signs of a new economy were loom-ing in the distance. The discovery of oil at Burgan field in Kuwait in 1913 by the Anglo- Persian Oil Company opened a new chapter, and interna-tional oil companies started coming to the region to look for new oppor-tunities and met many of the region’s rulers including Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum. British authorities were worried as they wanted discussions to be under their supervision.The chief political resident in the Gulf, Mr. Trevor, toured the emirates, carrying a piece of paper in which ev-ery ruler would undertake not to give oil concessions to any company with-out the knowledge and consent of the political resident in Bahrain.Within these developments, King Ab-dul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia gave a concession to Standard Oil of California (Socal), al-lowing the company to explore Saudi Arabia for oil and enabling the Amer-icans to reach the Gulf. The British became more concerned about their areas of influence in the Emirates, and in 1925 the oil company, Bapco, was set up.The potential of discovering oil in the Emirates increased dramatically, prompting the Anglo- Persian Oil Company to send two employees to meet the rulers of the Emirates, in-


46

cluding Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum. The two employees were Haj Abdul-lah Williamson, a British Muslim, and Major Holms. However, no agree-ment was reached.Economic conditions worsened in Dubai and other emirates of the Gulf because of the Japanese cultured pearl farms and the economic crisis sweep-ing the world at that time. Some glimpses of hope appeared when the British government decided to open an air route from London to India. Planes at the time were small and their range was short, and they had to stop at various airports to refuel before taking off again. Military and civilian aircraft were ‘flying boats’ landing on and taking off from wa-ter. These planes, when they arrived in Basra, Iraq and refueled, they still had to stop twice on the Arabian coast of the Gulf, and Dubai was one of the stops thanks to the creek serving as a landing facility for big-sized aircraft. Next to the creek was a small airport for other planes, whereas the origi-nal airport, called Al Mahatta, was in neighbouring Sharjah.In November 1933, Sheikh Saeed signed an agreement with the British authorities allowing them to use the facilities for 800 rupees monthly, in addition to five rupees for each plane landing at the airport. The British also agreed to give him a financial support of 500 rupees monthly. For the first time, the ruler’s treasury had financial re-

sources not generated by the pearl trade revenues. After two years, in 1935, a new Bahrain-based oil company, Tru-cial Coast Development Oil Company, was established, and it was originally part of the Iraq Oil Company. The pur-pose of establishing the Trucial Coast Development Oil Company was to get concessions in the Emirates. On May 22, 1937, Sheikh Saeed signed an oil concession agreement with the compa-ny, giving it the rights in all areas of the emirate except Hatta and an area close to the creek, for 30,000 rupees annu-ally, till oil was discovered in commer-cial quantities. The Sheikh later signed aviation agreements in the same month for 15,000 rupees annually, bringing the emirate’s revenues to 45,000 rupees a year. The amount was considered very high and served to revive the emirate after the decline of the pearl trade.However, the new revenues caused problems for the ruler; he did not have a financial plan to spend the money. The revenues, naturally, increased the ambitions of the people and posed questions about the economic trans-formation and the methods needed to build a modern emirate. These ques-tions were posed by Sheikh Mana bin Rashid bin Maktoum bin Butti when he set up a panel, called the Council, in 1938 with members of the emirate’s business community. Some people called it the ‘Reformist Movement in Dubai’. A house was used as a head-quarters and letters were exchanged

with the ruler. The letters demanded financial and social reforms, most of which were approved by the ruler. Nevertheless, things got more compli-cated and differences surfaced, turn-ing the Council to a government with-in the government. There was a need to end the dualism of authority and the threats to national unity. The son of the ruler, Sheikh Rashid, realised that he had to protect the reformation of society through unification of the authority, an objective that all agreed on. The Council was then dissolved and its political role was ended on March 29, 1939, a day that was called ‘Youm Al Wahila’ (Day of the Sur-prise). Dubai government regained its status and Sheikh Saeed, aided by his son, Rashid, started drawing the new economic future of Dubai. Despite the fact that the Second World War was about to start, the sheikh continued his reformist plan and pardoned members of the Council who did wrong.Economic activities in Dubai contin-ued despite the Second World War that lasted till 1945. During the peri-od, the gold trade operations with In-dia started, becoming the cornerstone of Dubai’s economy. In 1950, Dubai imported gold worth £45 million.The development was not restricted to the economy; the ruler spread educa-tion in the emirate. During the war, there were five schools. When the war ended, and the crisis with neighbour-ing Abu Dhabi on border issues was resolved, the ruler gave another oil concession, to the US oil company, Superior. He opened Al Maktoum Hospital and the established the Cus-toms Department. The ruler also set up a regular police force and estab-lished the Cultural Club. One of the most important establishments was the Traders Council in 1957 that be-came the ruler’s best council of con-sultants where major economic deci-sions were taken. Sheikh Saeed knew that the prosperity of business in gen-eral always depends on the prosperity of the merchant.Sheikh Saeed was married to Hissa bint Al Merr and had three children, Rashid, Khalifa and had another son, Ahmed. On September 1958, Sheikh Saeed died, and was succeeded by his eldest son, the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the founder of modern Dubai.

A group photo of Abu Dhabi Policemen on the conclusion of a training course.

Abu Dhabi Police handball team during a match.

Two traffic policemen in Abu Dhabi organising traffic on a highway.

Flashback


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50

Maysa RashidMember of the UAE Federal

National [email protected]

Former Member of the Federal National Council (FNC)

[email protected]

Crisis stains UAE name

The decision taken by the Sharjah Executive Council to close down 82 petrol sta-tions of Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) in the emirate was not a surprising move for many reasons.

That decision was preceded by several steps taken over a period of four weeks to deal with the crisis, created by the failure Enoc and Emirates Petroleum Products Company (Eppco) stations to provide customers with their need of petrol to run their vehicles. Long queues have been a common sight at stations run by other retailers in various areas, and there have been other problems surfacing as a result of the crisis.The closure of the petrol stations in Sharjah will undoubtedly increase the moral and economic losses of Enoc and Eppco. The Sharjah Executive Council earlier asked the retailers to explain their failure to resume petrol pumping services, but did not get any answers or explanations.The deadline given by the SEC passed without any positive results, prompting Sharjah Government to do away with the services of the retailers and to put a stop to their opera-tions that involve the sale of other products, in a tough response to their failure to leaving customers in the lurch and giving deaf ears to their complaints. Enoc and Eppco did not even bother to find alternative solutions to a crisis whose causes remain unknown. What we know for sure is that the crisis has stained the UAE’s reputa-tion in a big way, politically and economically, at a time when crises of this sort are not supposed to surface in an oil-producing country like the UAE.The fuel crisis has shown an administrative deficiency in the companies, and their inabil-ity to deal with internal and external factors affecting productivity conditions, leading to a loss of their credit of achievements. These companies are supposed to have accumu-lated long years of experience which would help them overcome crises wisely to protect their reputation and the name of an oil producing country. These companies should not ignore the losses incurred by individuals and businesses alike as a result of the crisis.Today, we are in a state of shock in the UAE. Since the 80s, the fuel crisis has often been associated with high prices prompting people to call for a reduction or keeping the prices at existing levels in order to prevent prices of other commodities from soaring. However, none of us ever thought that such a development could take place, where 82 petrol sta-tions fail to supply customers with the fuel they need. We did not expect retailers to give a blind eye to all criticisms; neither did we expect the current crisis to affect some regions in the UAE while other regions are not affected, as if we don’t live in the same country. Equality should be there in the services provided, especially when these ‘services’ are not provided for free!The regions affected by the current crisis had suffered from another crisis in the recent past – the water and electricity crisis. It was resolved following the intervention of Presi-dent His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who ordered the provision of necessary support to affected areas from the Abu Dhabi Electricity and Water Authority. These days, the very same regions are reeling under the ‘petrol pump’ crisis, making us bemoan a situation caused by corporate managements that do not seem to comprehend the risks of their actions that affect our political and economic interests, and do not un-derstand that crises exist in all places and at all times but wise actions provide the tools to deal with them. What we need are short-term and long-term solutions that protect achievements and do not stain the UAE reputation.It is hoped that the ‘petrol pump’ crisis will give us lessons to learn from; the interests of our local establishments should not negatively affect the interests of the UAE federation.

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