Nothing Opec can do....

..to tame the oil price rise.

“Demand is very robust. The major crashes were supply-driven crashes. The prices we are witnessing now are supported by robust demand. At what level will demand start to get sluggish? I really don’t know, but it will at some point.” US crude climbed towards $68 a barrel on Thursday. Opec, which accounts for over half the world’s oil exports, has been pumping almost flat out for months. But prices remain stubbornly high because of robust demand, supply disruptions in Nigeria and Iraq and worries over the security of Iranian flows.

That'll be more dirhams to line the coffers. Here's the full article

The edited element of Syriana

George Clooney won an oscar for Syriana, but the first Hollywood flick to be shot in Dubai was edited to remove parts of the film that showed the labour camps. Now, an Indian Film maker hopes to focus on this element when filming starts in September. If South Indian director Lal Jose is able to tell the story, then the reality of sacrifice will be spelled out to those who intend to follow and to those who are trying to understand the lives of these poor chaps. Between now and then, there will undoubtedly be objections to the film being shot, but I assume, if that is the case, Jose will tell the story from elsewhere, and we'll be watching it on a DVD from Karama market.

Village Mentality

The time is coming where Dubai will be officially split into the city and the burbs. It will be too expensive to live in prime estate and people will live far out in the "suburbs" and commute into their job, much as you are seeing now. And as the balance between quality of life and cost of living starts to shift, people will start to congregate around certain areas, and villages will be created where people will work and live, to support the village that supports the city that supports the emirate. Tribes will eventually be in competition with one another and we will become neaderthals with village mentalities. The return to the dark ages is upon us.

du jobs

Does the fact that so many people applied for a job at du mean that it is the employer of choice? Or does it mean that people are tired of their current job and want a change, thinking du will be their saviour?

I think the latter.

Competition to arrive soon

"The UAE is coming under increasing pressure to remove certain restrictions as this deadline looms. While a prelude to UAE's full WTO compliance will be its forthcoming free trade agreement with the US, central to the new scenario is its commitment to abrogate the current commercial agency law that establishes foreign ownership limitations on business operations in the UAE," legal exerts point out.

Worth keeping your finger on this one as the environment changes.

UAE gets 350 thousand pound discount

Everyone hates the congestion charge in the UK, but everyone has to pay it. The UAE has up til now had not paid anything citing that they shouldnt have to and thus becoming the largest debtor. But holding out on payment, has given the UAE embassy a discount with its original figure of gbp452,000 slashed to 99,950. Obviously the experience in the souks has paid off!

Arla's inroads

Further to Keefieboy's announcement a week ago, the butter is officially back on the shelves. It will affect Arla's bottom line by 64 million dollars this year! Although it was unfortunate that Arla saw the brunt of the cartoon controversy, it was ingenious how they linked up with charitable organisations to buy back trust.

Good News for the UAE Blogging Community

While growth is slowing at most top Internet sites, it is skyrocketing at sites focused on social networking, blogging and local information.

This would seem particularly true in the UAE, where substitutes to the mainstream sites on specific UAE issues are minimal. There does seem to be any portal of sorts which amalgamates content, discussion and news in a suitable format. Where social networking is more or less banned in the UAE net space, there seems to be an increasing number of bloggers who are taking to the blogwaves to share views and opinions. An interesting trend and worth reviewing with the actual article.

Poor cross-cultural communications and cultural misunderstandings

One of the better bits of analysis from the region concerning stereotypes, miscommunication and the like:

THE chaos spun from the Dutch cartoons of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) I believe largely developed due to Western and Islamic nations’ poor cross-cultural communications and cultural misunderstandings. This miscommunication has led to a growing gulf of misunderstanding between Western and Islamic nations and distrust in the other side. The West does not fully understand the outrage of Muslims and the subsequent violence that has ensued. And Muslim nations don’t fully understand Western democracies’ ideals/constitutions and the non-religiosity of many Western nations.

This is a must read in understanding the conflict that exists between western cultures and those that are Islamic in nature.

Attending the Majlis

Confluence of Occidental and Islamic belief systems, UAE remains an enigma for most people.

"I attended a meeting at the majlis in Abu Dhabi with the top brass of the Sheikhdom. I was more a witness to such a discussion. The Arab greeting is warm and loud - they kiss on the cheeks. Formal visitors like me had to be content with a mere handshake."

Read more from Mirage in the Desert

What's behind the hijab?

An interesting article about how indo-west fashion is penetrating the Middle Eastern Clothing Market.

"It's not exactly worth losing your head for, but a glimpse of a wealthy sheikh's coiffeured wife under her hijab can lure even Adam away from Eve. This life-threatening peep may get you a charming smile from the doe-eyed beauty or a punch. But it may also give you the answer as to where our designers are selling their "West-inspired clothing."

Minimum Salary

The UAE Labour Ministry has fixed Dhs3,000 as the minimum salary for a UAE national with no qualifications. Those staff with a secondary school certificate will be paid a minimum of Dhs4,000 a month, while those with degrees will get Dhs5,000 by law.

This is all well and good, but with recent events being highlighted in the news, steps need to be taken to create humane living standards for all staff, irrespective of nationality. At the very least, minimum salaries should be set for the lower paying industries and positions.

A Single Currency is a Good Move

As you know, when it comes to the single currency proposition, I am vehemently for the motion. The time is upon the region to consolidate which is just what they are doing. This article begins to put the benefits into context.

Etihad are playing the field

It looks like Etihad enjoy the dating game in the UK. It would be a smart move if they were to capture either Manchester United or Liverpool as part of a sposnorship deal. The brand awareness created by Emirates with Chelsea and Arsenal has rubber stamped the brand as high end and top quality. If Etihad are able to capture that in a short period of time, then good on them. Next, it will be to sort out teh product offering. I look forward to Emirates V Etihad on the pitch next season.

Sharjah Airport Makes Your Life Easy

More flogging reports for D&D

A court sentenced the Estonian sergeant major to a one month jail sentence for drinking and had him choose between either three months in jail or 80 lashes with a whip (which could be fatal). His lawyer says Korol chose flogging. He has already spent more than a month in a local jail.

Can you imagine what a hellhole the jail must be for him to risk his life against returning?

Shiver me timbers!

Pirates hijack UAE tanker with Filipino crew off Somalia: IMB

A dozen heavily armed pirates have hijacked a UAE-registered oil tanker along with 19 Filipino crew members off the coast of Somalia, an international piracy watchdog said.

Do they really think the UAE will pay? There's more chance that their parrots will learn Arabic. Well, officially anyway.

Short termism?

AMEInfo ably cover the eternal question of dream disloyalty to the greenback.

"the discussion among GCC central banks about diversifying away from the US dollar comes at a time when the greenback has already devalued significantly against the euro"

My concerns lie less with the short term. Preventing slippages in the implementation of a common currency is crucial to the region. To be fickle now, and move away from the hand that held fluctuation relatively securely since the Dirham graced our pockets would be a short termist act. Convergence criteria is more important.

a lack of information, a lack of understanding

DP World's CEO, Mohammed Sharaf lets loose without mentioning racism:

"We understand the American peoples' concerns - because they have been misinformed about us. We have lacked the part of the equation which is communicating with the American people."

Diplomacy at this late stage is still a good thing.

Big Brother on the Roads

While a car tracking program in the UAE could have certain preventative benefits in restructing speed and ultimately deaths, I have a sneaky feeling that this will be used more to experiment with a proposed toll system. And I bet that if you kick up enough of a fuss, and have a bit of wasta, they won't install the black box. Let's see how this pans out. If it installed across the board and is used to prevent speed, I will tak back any criticism. However, I would still go with a harsher system of penalising with insurance points, ultimately leading to a ban. The British system imposed in the UAE would make those who speed think twice if there was a risk that they could not drive. In a land where monetary fines do little to thwart those with it, taking away the bread and butter of their lives is the only way to go. And let's be real - the death rate from car accidents is more like a war than anything else.

Dubai Driving School

Original at Metacafe

UAE woos the Media in Cannes

In steps to manage the image amongst the moguls of media, the UAE, in various guises will attempt to repair the image of the UAE that was destroyed by the recent Ports Controversy. In an attempt to make the UAE a regional hub, this is a further move to create opportunity for both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. According to Dr. Anwar Gargash, who is highly respected in both government and business:

"We want to make others understand that the Middle East and the Arab world is basically a tapestry," he added, "and you cannot come to a tapestry and have one judgment and put everyone in the same shade of black."

My concerns are this: If the UAE wants to portray itself as media friendly, then there should be more freedom of speech in actual terms; and censoring Syriana, the first international film to come from the UAE is not the way to do this.

UAE is Switzerland

In this article, the U.A.E. is referred to as the Switzerland of the Middle East. It's a good overview article on what to expect from the UAE, with Abu Dhabi as the focus.

The analogy is somwhat fitting, and despite what goes on internally, the UAE has secured a reputation of international diplomacy.

To be Dubai'd

A new word is born from the Ports controversy:

Sami Merhi was "Dubai'd"--that's when you are demonized by unfounded allegations spread by opponents seeking political advantage and then dumped by so-called friends who fear defending you. It is a kind of political terrorism that mixes fear, character assassination, and crass politics.

Dengrous Boy has fans.....

....from the offroading community.


‘I am Kebab 4 u‘ blends the themes of motorcars, desire and food with forceful and graphic imagery.

The idea of the lover spinning, locked between the flames of the grill, awaiting slicing, the addition of tahini sauce, some pickles and flat bread is seductive – and possibly unique in poetry either ancient or modern.

The Conflict of Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi will be a business haven but will not allow any foregners to own property freehold.

This is what was said in the news today, which I believe to be a little in conflict. After all, the world goes crazy over freehold opportunities, and less so over leasehold. People would love to be able invest in themselves and their heirs as well as invest in the Emirate. If this had followed Dubai, there would be more investment in Abu Dhabi, which is ultimately the Emirate's goal, for when the oil runs out.

Let's take the flipside. If Abu Dhabi was to only offer freehold, the whole world would be queuing up for a piece of the action, and Abu Dhabi would be cemented on the worldwide stage for business, leisure and investment.

The decision to only offer leasehold will not result in any negative sentiment, but compared to other options, it will not result in the speed of growth that Abu Dhabi requires.