Dunkin’ Donuts, the world’s largest coffee and baked goods chain announced the regional launch of a new beverage - the Hot Chocolate -

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In every country there are basic rules which everyone should follow, yet move abroad and it’s a whole new ball game. Things you thought were acceptable back home can land you in a lot of trouble and even jail if you dont know all the ins and outs. The issue bought to light this week is roaming the streets in Dubai or to be more specific walking from the car to your appartment after 12.00 am.  An annonymous person this week described their unforgettable experience of being taken to the police station, without reason for being out at 2.30 am. The crime - the person had dropped their friend off at the airport for their night flight, had returned home, parked the car and was walking to their appartment. He/ she was stopped by police and without reason told to get in a police van and go with them to the police station where he/ she was held for 3 hours.  Upon arrival, there were 200 other people there, all sat on the floor, all caught for being out ‘past midnight.’ When asked why they were being held, they were told that they should not roam the streets after midnight and that if caught again they would be put behind bars for a month.

Is there a rule to say people in Dubai can’t go out after midnight? Is there a curfew in Dubai and if so what is it? Why do places like the cinema / shopping malls and bars close after midnight then if people cant get home without being stopped by police? And more importantly why have we never heard about this rule before?

SOURCE: 7-Days - Read story here

Whilst the thought of importing you favourite friend, I mean dog, sounds difficult, it really isn’t. All you have to do is follow the rules and make sure all the paper work is in order. Yet, forget to do something and you could be in for a real shock. A recent article, Importing your dog? Be careful, it could end up dead, revealed the shocking conditions quarantined animals are forced to live in.  A puppy that was recently brought over to Dubai from South Africa was unfortunate enough to have to spend several days in  quarantine as its owners didnt have its health certificate. Several days later the dog was found dead in its quarantined cage. The poor pup spent its last few days in a confined space in a ministry building in Al Awir. Its cage was filled with flies and ants, hardly any food or waer and a wired  door that was broken.  It had choked to death  after its collar got caught on a piece of broken wire in its cage. One piece of advice, think twice before importing your animal and if you do, make sure you have everything in place before you leave, your dog’s life could depend on it.

 SOURCE: Khaleej Times - Importing your dog? Be careful, it could end up dead. Read article here

A recent letter in 7-Days brought up an issue commonly discussed amongst newcomers to the Gulf, why is my hair falling out?  The concerned individual complained of hair loss since arriving in Dubai and expressed extreme concern about what to do. With so many possible causes it can be hard to know what to do. Hair loss, or alopecia as it is often referred to, is often said to either be genetic or caused by excessively tight ponytails or braids, diet and in some instances iron deficiency. Yet, what is hardly ever mentioned is the water we use. For newcomers to Dubai, washing your hair every day may seem like the best solution for your luscious locks but it may in fact be the one thing that is making your hair fall out. The culprit: Desalinated Water. Whilst desalinated water is fine to drink, its effects on the hair are said to be dire. For someone who is washing their hair every day with desalinated (chemically treated water) it may be time to try an alternative and see if you get any results. Whilst washing one’s hair with bottled water is hardly the solution, there are filters that can be attached to the shower that will filter out all the harsh chemicals. In addition, using a filter with a shampoo and conditioner that is natural and organic will limit the amount of chemicals on the hair and may help further reduce hair loss. At the end of the day, every one is different and what works for one person may not work for another - as for me buying a shower filter from Carrefour and an organic shampoo stopped my hair falling out and was well worth the AED 100.

SOURCE:

Gulf News - The mane attraction - click here to read story

In an article published in the National, the idea that children who are obese could in fact have a shorter life expectancy than their parents was nothing more than a serious wake-up-call.  With 60% of New Yorkers overweight or obese, the article focuses on Manhattan and new ideas that may be introduced to tackle the obesity epidemic, such as taxing sugary drinks. Although the Government has already banned smoking in public places, prohibited restaurants from using trans fats and forced fast-food restaurants chains to post calorie counts on its menus, the idea of the government imposing further regulation on businesses has provoked mixed reactions amongst businesses. In the UAE, obesity levels are just as alarming with 12% of the country’s children overweight and another 22% susceptible to obesity due to a lack of exercise and poor diet. In recent months, a three-month publicity drive, The Fat Truth, was spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, the wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Who is to blame for the high levels of obesity? The Media for portraying images of stick thin celebrities, The Government, Businesses, or is it us? Are we to blame for putting the high fat, low calorie junk food into our and our children’s mouths day after day?

SOURCES
The National - Teachers and Doctors call for obesity screening in schools read full article here
The National - City to dish out second helping of food reform read full article here

With the recent deaths of three young children from food poisoning in the last few months, concerns about eating out are on the rise. Although the Sharjah Muncipality has already closed down hundreds of restaurants on the grounds of failing to meet basic food hygiene, out-of-date food and mouldy kitchens, people are continuing to panic.  Whilst these cases have captured the attention of the media, how many other cases have gone unnoticed?  Unless the leftovers of the eaten food can be tested, which is often very unlikely, there seems little one can do to prove ones case.

YOUR COMMENTS / OPINIONS
Have you had food poisoning recently? How safe do you think the UAE’s restaurants are? Do you think enough is being done to prevent food poisoning? Has the recent food poisoning cases influenced your decision to eat out?

SOURCE
Business Intelligence Middle East - Nearly 500 Sharjah restaurants closed for hygiene violations  Read article here

Whilst most of Europe and the UAE enjoy favourable temperatures around this time of year, living in the Gulf can be quite literally compared to living in a sauna. With temperatures ranging from 40 to 46 degrees and humidity levels of up to 90, not only is it unpleasant for several months but it can cause several heat related hazards.
In an article published in 7-Days, Dubai Municipality announced that it has launched a public awareness campaign to prevent heat- related hazards this summer. The ‘Safe and Healthy Summer’ campaign which is being organised for the second consecutive year, aims to raise awareness and to offer advice to all sections of society, especially workers, beach-goers and visitors to the country about heat exhaustion this summer. With lectures, seminars, film shows and safety supervisors training it is hoped that the number of heat related incidents will go down this summer.

YOUR THOUGHTS / COMMENTS
What temperature is too hot for you? How do you cope with hot humid weather? Do you think that there is enough awareness about heat related illnesses? Have you ever had heat stroke? Will you be leaving the Gulf this summer to escape the heat?

SOURCE
7-days - Campaign to beat the heat read the full article here

In line with its commitment to provide the best and latest in the world of entertainment, Al Qasba Development Authority announced that it will be organizing “The Big House of Fun” from June 25th to July 25th in which a series of summer activities and competitions will be held.
Within this frame, Al Qasba invites outlets, toy and stationary shops to participate in this special summer event, which is a continuation of the success of last year edition of the “Big House of Fun” registration is open until June 23rd. Read the full story

Abu Dhabi, June 8, 2009
Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production, the first established dairy in UAE and a leading producer of dairy products, received today the prestigious Emirates Quality Mark Award by the Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (ESMA).The award was handed to Al Ain Diary in a ceremony held at the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development in the presence of Mr. Waleed Bin Falah Al Mansouri, Director General of ESMA, and Mr. Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production, Acting directore Gneral of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, along with other representatives from both sides.
During the ceremony Al Suwaidi praised the Al Ain Farms’ team for their continuous strive to meet worldwide standards and stressed the importance of the award in strengthening the position of Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production in UAE and the region, saying:
“Receiving the Emirates Quality Award is a true testament to the company’s continuous efforts to provide its customers with the best quality products which meet the highest national and international standards. We are confident that with the improvement of our product lines and introducing new technologies, we will be able to set the standards for the industry in UAE and the region and best serve our customers.”
Mr. Al Mansouri congratulated Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production for the award and praised the Authority’s endless efforts to support local companies in elevating their standards to worldwide calibers. The ceremony was later concluded by the award signing and trophy handing and a final thank you note by Mr. Abdullah Khamis, Board member and Acting CEO, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production’s.
ESMA approved on granting the award to Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production after all the requested processes were finalized including checking the conformity of the milk and juices products with the approved standards, availability of an efficient system for quality assurance and quality control, technical discussion by experts, gap analysis, conformity evaluation inspection, testing & Calibration and submitting corrective actions.
Consequent to the Federal Law number (28) to the year 2001 to establish Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology, ESMA is considered as the authorized body in the United Arab Emirates to grant Emirates Quality Mark. The Quality Mark was issued to ensure the products comply with the approved standards and to give consumers confidence in the products that carry this mark and are circulated both locally and in external exports markets. The goal is to secure that those products are approved by an impartial body according to the producers issued in this system and approved by ESMA board, which makes them 100% healthy for consumption.
Most recently, Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production announced an 18 per cent growth in sales for the first quarter of this year and gross profits of 23 per cent in the same period compared to that of the previous year. Today, the farm owns three cow farms and one camel farm, in which the animals are raised, treated and milked using the highest techniques and through well trained, highly experienced professionals. The farm is constantly supplying raw milk products to provide the nation with a wide range of locally produced safe, hygienic and high quality dairy products. Furthermore, continual investment in technology and machinery are considered a key factor in ensuring that Al Ain Farms for Livestock Production has the most modern and efficient processing plant with a high volume capacity for production

If you ask any Gulf leader their three main priorities for government, they will answer: diversification, diversification, diversification. Of course, what they really mean is ‘globalisation, globalisation, globalisation’. They have built so that people will come, not just from elsewhere in the Gulf, but from the US, Europe, and Asia. Dubai, in particular, has Read the full story