Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, chairs the Executive Council meeting. In attendance were Executive Council members Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Vice Chairman, Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, Chairman of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon, and Dr Ahmed Al Mazrouei, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority and secretary-general of the Executive Council. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court – Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, chairs the Executive Council meeting. In attendance were Executive Council members Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Vice Chairman, Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, Chairman of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon, and Dr Ahmed Al Mazrouei, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority and secretary-general of the Executive Council. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court – Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, chairs the Executive Council meeting. In attendance were Executive Council members Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Vice Chairman, Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, Chairman of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon, and Dr Ahmed Al Mazrouei, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority and secretary-general of the Executive Council. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court – Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, chairs the Executive Council meeting. In attendance were Executive Council members Sheikh Hazza b

Abu Dhabi approves merger of universities and billions in projects


  • English
  • Arabic

ABU DHABI // Billions in development projects and the merger of three universities in the capital were approved by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council on Thursday.

The decision to unify Khalifa University, Masdar Institute and the Petroleum Institute was made during a meeting headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Chairman of the council.

The move is aimed at marshalling resources more efficiently while building on the universities’ achievements and setting the unified institute among the world’s best, the council said.

The council did not say when the merger would take effect and further details were not provided.

Faculty members have said they hope the decision leads to an improved educational structure in the country.

“This will the unite the country’s resources into one strong university where the young generation of the country will get the best education in the world,” said Dr Fahad Almaskari, a mechanical engineering professor at Petroleum Institute.

“It may be hard to start with, but it will have a long-lasting impact on the nation’s development, especially in the education sector.”

About 4,508 students will be affected by the decision. Masdar Institute, which focuses on advanced energy and sustainable technology, has 456 students from more than 50 countries, while science-focused Khalifa University has 1,875 students and Petroleum Institute has 2,177 students studying in different faculties of engineering.

Zubair Khan, an engineering technician at Petroleum Institute, said that there could be concerns on campus about the new development, but he hoped it would benefit students.

“The news was already in the air since many weeks, but no one was expecting that this would happen so soon,” he said.

“I sincerely hope that it will be a good decision for the institute and its students.”

Other projects include the disbursement of housing loans and the development of residential and business districts, schools, roads and infrastructure.

The council approved housing loans worth Dh2.3 billion for 1,250 Emiratis in Abu Dhabi, for building or completing homes in the emirate.

The awards of a Dh1bn business district project in Madinat Zayed and a Dh687 million residential project in Al Hayer, near Al Ain, were also approved. A total of 300 residential units and 30 land lots will be allocated for the Al Hayer project, which will also include road work, infrastructure and services.

The council said it had also approved the transfer of a Dh249m development project in Al Zahiya area that will involve that redesign Al Ferdaws and 10th streets, and the provision of pedestrian and bicycle lanes.

Car park areas and road lighting will be changed, and street entrances and exits surrounding the hotels, Abu Dhabi Mall and residential buildings will be improved or reconstructed.

“The project keeps pace with the growing urban development of Abu Dhabi City, in order to contribute to the provision of integrated solutions for this lively area, provide a safe environment for pedestrians, and improve traffic,” the council said.

Other road projects in Abu Dhabi were also given a green light. These include a Dh254m project in Al Shawamekh area to build a 28-kilometre internal network of lit roads, car parks and networks for rainwater drainage, telecommunications and sewerage.

In Baniyas East 11, a Dh160m project will include a 17.5km network of roads and 34.8km in sidewalks, as well as parking areas, lighting and drainage networks. And in an area referred to as Eastern basin 25, in Abu Dhabi city, a Dh146m infrastructure project will serve 400 residential and public lots.

The council said the projects were approved to help achieve the targets of the Abu Dhabi Plan and ensure a decent life for the community.

“The plan also seeks to establish integrated urban areas that fulfill the needs of the community, and provides it with a high quality of life, in order to guarantee social stability and suitable accommodation, in accordance with the highest specifications and standards.

Improvements will also be made to 140km of roads from Al Fayah to Al Razeen and Al Qua’a, at a cost of more than Dh377m. Roundabouts, sidewalks, lighting, rainwater drainage and fencing will be built, and the road will be upgraded to carry heavy trucks.

For Shakhbout City, a second and third cycle girls school with a capacity for 2,100 pupils has been approved in a Dh129m project.

And In Al Ain, three primary electricity transfer stations will be built for Dh190m to feed new development projects and improve the management of power demand. A total of 20km of electric cables and 12.5km in fiber-optic cables will be provided or extended, and existing compact stations will be reused in other parts of the city.

The council also reviewed the progress of the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum as well as Al Ain Zoo and Water Parks.

newsdesk@thenational.ae

*Additional reporting by Amna Khaishgi

The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo

Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000

Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm

Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km

TCL INFO

Teams:
Punjabi Legends 
Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan

Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The five pillars of Islam
Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

Jewel of the Expo 2020

252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome

13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas

550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome

724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses

Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa

Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site

The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants

Al Wasl means connection in Arabic

World’s largest 360-degree projection surface

Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule

Thursday December 27

Men's quarter-finals

Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm

Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm

Women's exhibition

Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm

Friday December 28

5th place play-off 3pm

Men's semi-finals

Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm

Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm

Saturday December 29

3rd place play-off 5pm

Men's final 7pm

The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe


Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km

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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
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Types of bank fraud

1) Phishing

Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.

2) Smishing

The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.

3) Vishing

The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.

4) SIM swap

Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.

5) Identity theft

Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.

6) Prize scams

Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.

The%20specs
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SPECS
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The%20specs
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Sheer grandeur

The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.

A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.

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Expo details

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

It is expected to attract 25 million visits

Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.

More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020

The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area

It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South

The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

The biog

Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.

It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.

They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.