Etihad to Start Daily Abu Dhabi-Amsterdam Flights

EFT Report, Abu Dhabi: The national airline of the UAE, Etihad Airways will launch daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Amsterdam starting May 15, 2013.

James Hogan, president and CEO of Etihad Airways, said: "We are delighted that Amsterdam will become a part of Etihad Airways' global network from May 15."

"The Dutch capital joins a group of 17 leading European cities that Etihad Airways flies to including Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, London and Paris."

Etihad Airways will also launch flights to Sao Paulo, Washington D.C. and Ho Chi Minh City in 2013.

Etihad Abu Dhabi-Amsterdam Flights

The new destinations are part of a 10-year network growth plan that will see Etihad Airways fly to more than 100 destinations with a fleet of more than 150 aircraft by 2020.

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Kim Kardashian on Cover of Arabian Women's Magazine

EFT Report, Los Angeles: American reality-show star Kim Kardashian has done a cover shoot for Arabian luxury women's magazine ‘Hia’ wrapping herself in a series of veils in a daring plunging gown by grand couturier Stephane Rolland.

The 32-year-old, who is pregnant with boyfriend rapper Kanye West child, recently visited Kuwait and Bahrain to promote the ‘Millions Of Milkshakes’ chain.


'I’m excited to share my cover of Hia Magazine!' Kim tweeted on social networking site Twitter.

Kim Kardashian on Cover of "Hia"

Kim Kardashian on Cover of Arabian Women's Magazine Hia

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International IT Conference in Abu Dhabi From March 31–April 1

EFT Report, Abu Dhabi: The capital city of the United Arab Emirates will host an international conference on information technology supported by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The conference "Towards the 21st Century Innovations" will be held from March 31–April 1, 2013 at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr Hotel.

The Chartered Institute for IT and the Al Khawarizmi International College are also part of the organizing committee.

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi

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Al Jazeera Acquires US-Based Current TV

Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network has acquired the US cable channel Current TV.

Set up by former vice president Al Gore seven years ago, Current TV is available to some 60 million homes with cable or satellite television in the US.

Al Jazeera plans to establish a US-based news channel, Al Jazeera America, to be headquartered in New York City. It plans to open additional offices at key US locations in addition to its existing news bureaus in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago.

Though Al Jazeera did not disclose the purchase price, but sources said that it was around $500 million, with $100 million paid out to Gore, who owned 20 percent of Current.

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Jet Airways Starts Mangalore-Dubai Flight From Jan. 3

India's leading private carrier, Jet Airways will start a daily flight from Jan. 3, 2013 for six days in a week, from Mangalore in coastal Karnataka to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 170 economy seats will fly six times a week to Dubai and back.

The flight (9W532) will depart from Mangalore at 8 pm and arrive at Dubai at 10.30 pm (local time) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Departure on Tuesday will be at 7.40 pm and arrival in Dubai at 10.10 pm (local time).
On Friday, the flight will, however, take-off from Mangalore at 7 pm and land in Dubai at 9.30 pm (local time). Return flight will depart from Dubai at 10.30 pm and land in Mangalore at 3.30 am on Saturday.

On the return leg, the flight (9W531) will depart from Dubai at 11.30 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and arrive in Mangalore next day at 4.30 am.

The airline currently operates daily direct flight to Dubai from New Delhi and four services a day from Mumbai.

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Janet Jackson Engaged to Qatar’s Billionaire

American singer and actress, Janet Jackson is engaged to 37-year-old Qatari billionaire boyfriend Wissam Al Mana. Wissam gave Michael Jackson's sister a big, expensive ring earlier this year.

The twice-wed Jackson, 46, is reportedly ready to marry her love of two years. She wants children and if she can't have them, she'll adopt.

She is planning a spring wedding and the Qatar wedding is expected to cost millions of dollars.

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UAE Firm to Build $40-Million Healthcare City in Morocco

A real estate company from the UAE will build a health care city in Marrakech, Morocco, at a cost of $40 million.

The project by the UAE-based Tasweek Real Estate Marketing and Development will be the largest health and tourist project in Morocco and will be completed in 24 months.

It will include a 160-bed hospital, a 40-room boutique hotel, 56 residential apartments, gardens and a swimming pool.

The hospital will receive around 5,000 patients annually.

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AIG Launches CyberEdge, Middle East’s First Cyber Insurance

American International Group (AIG) has launched CyberEdge—a product offering business risk and insurance cover to negate the threat of cyber-attacks to a company—a first of its kind in the Middle East.

CyberEdge helps protect organizations from the millions in losses that can result from cyber threats. The average cost for crisis services such as IT forensics, legal counsel, notification are $983,000 per event.

A key feature of CyberEdge is the Data Crisis Response Team, which provides the policyholder with direct assistance from specialist legal experts and public relations advisors in the event of a data crisis event. This team will look to protect the company’s reputation and provide crisis management services.

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Dubai Shopping Festival 2013 From Jan. 3–Feb. 3; SRK to Perform on Jan. 17

Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan will kick off the world premiere of his tour—"Access All Area"—with a performance at the ensuing 18th Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) 2013.

Khan's special show is expected to be tentatively scheduled on Jan. 17, 2013—midway during the DSF which commences on Jan. 3 and ends on Feb. 3.

This year, the DSF is being marketed as "Dubai At Its Best" and the month-long event promises to be the biggest ever in its history since 1996, bringing the best across its sectors for locals and visitors alike.

The major highlights this year include the world's highest catwalk at 442 meters at the iconic Burj Khalifa, and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, a PGA European Tour sanctioned event with a $2.50 million prize pool with big names like Tiger Woods in attendance.

Besides Shah Rukh Khan's concert, DSF 2013 will feature various mega-events like Layali Dubai, street carnivals, street and midnight fashion shows, sporting attractions and cultural events from different countries.

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Etihad Airways to Start UAE-Guinea Service

Etihad Airways, the national airlines of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has announced to establish air links between the UAE and Guinea in west Africa.

It will be done by extending Etihad's existing codeshare agreement (an aviation business arrangement where two or more airlines share the same flight) with Royal Air Maroc, the national airline of Morocco.

The expanded agreement, which comes into effect on Dec. 12, will allow passengers to travel between UAE's capital city of Abu Dhabi and Guinea's capital city of Conakry, with Etihad Airways between Abu Dhabi and Casablanca in Morocco, and to/from Guinea via Royal Air Maroc's non-stop service between Casablanca and Conakry twice a week.

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Abu Dhabi to Get World's Biggest Sculpture 'Mastaba'

American sculptor and experimental artist Christo Javacheff’s latest project 'Mastaba'—the world's largest permanent sculpture—will be built in Abu Dhabi. The sculpture will be much bigger in scale and rival Egypt's pyramids.

The sculpture has been inspired by Islamic architecture. The flat-topped pyramid, estimated to cost pound 212 million, will be 492 feet high—just taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza and three times the height of Nelson's Column.

It is intended to be a landmark for Abu Dhabi in the desert, in the same way the pyramids are for Egypt and the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, with two million visitors expected annually.

Construction of Mastaba will take 30 months, with hundreds of laborers involved. A German company has been commissioned to supply the colored barrels.

The United Arab Emirates rulers have approved a site near Liwa oasis close to the border with Oman in the south-east of the country.

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6th Sharjah Islamic Bank National Carnival Kicks off

The Sharjah Islamic Bank has organized the 6th Sharjah Islamic Bank National Carnival from Nov. 28–29, 2012.

The carnival will take the form of a national village that will showcase an exhibition for families in collaboration with the Sharjah Economic Development Department.

It will also feature a traditional food tent featuring Emirati bakers, and a photo program that will take photos upon request and deliver them with a background and frame that are in line with the theme of the UAE National Day.

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L&T Bags $250 Million Order From UAE’s Dolphin Energy

UAE group Dolphin Energy has awarded a $250 million contract to Indian group Larsen & Toubro to upgrade a gas plant in Qatar.

Larsen & Toubro will install three new Rolls Royce Trent gas turbine compressors and related facilities at the processing plant at Ras Laffan by end-2014, Dolphin Energy said.

Dolphin — the only cross-border gas supply line in the Gulf — carries 2 billion cubic feet gas per day from Qatar's North Field to the UAE coast. Much of the gas is burned within meters of its arrival in the UAE, with some sent to Oman.

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Etihad Named Best Airline in Middle East

Etihad Airways has been recognized as "Best Airline in the Middle East" for 2012 by the readers of Premier Traveler magazine in the US.

The award was presented during Premier Traveler's "Best of 2012" awards ceremony held in Los Angeles. The winners were determined on the basis of a survey of over 10,000 readers.

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Dubai Hosts World's Biggest Bentley Workshop

Al Habtoor Motors has organized the world's biggest Bentley workshop in Dubai Industrial City (DIC) on Oct. 8, 2012.

Al Habtoor Motors, Bentley Motors' long-standing importer for the UAE, has invested Dhs300m in the new 3millon sq. ft. site, of which 189,000 sq. ft. is dedicated to the British brand. The state-of-the-art centre is air-conditioned from the moment customers step out of their vehicle and walk into the luxurious reception area.

The new workshop also has a 12-car showroom area that will allow customers to view the brand's entire model line-up, with more space than the three showrooms in the UAE. This will be complemented by an extensive range of pre-owned vehicles.

For parts availability, customers will not have long to wait as the extensive parts department houses over $2.4m of parts stock and has a daily resupply from the Bentley factory in Crewe.

For owners of heritage models, the Bentley workshop has the expertise, capacity and equipment to restore classic models. The body repair, restoration and heritage area of the business is now even better placed to look after customers from all over the UAE. Cherishing cars as enthusiastically as owners themselves, the skilled technicians and craftsmen will deliver the finest results.

Bentley Motors' technical apprentices from around the globe will also be joining the workshop on a regular basis to carry out training at the dedicated training facilities on the site.

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UAE to Organize International Medical Consultants

The United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Health will receive a number of medical consultants from hospitals and health centers around the world as part of the overseas consultants program.

Mostafa Al Sayed Al Hashemi, deputy director of Dubai Medical District in the ministry of health, said the ministry aims for improving the capabilities and skills of all the employees in the ministry's hospitals and benefiting from these doctors qualifications.

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UAE to Build 7 Hospitals in Pakistan

A UAE project to help Pakistan will help build seven hospitals in Pakistan's northwest tribal region along the border with Afghanistan.

A foundation stone has been laid for the Sheikha Fatima Charity Hospital in South Waziristan.

The two countries had signed an agreement in December 2011, under which the UAE will help construct and maintain seven hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at a cost of 63 million dirhams ($17 million).

The Sheikha Fatima hospital will primarily treat women, children and the elderly.

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Wipro to Provide IT Solutions to Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has inked a long-term partnership with leading Indian IT company Wipro to develop new technological solutions.

The agreement was signed in Doha by Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker and Wipro chairman Azim Premji.

Under the new arrangement, a lot of the software development will be carried out by Wipro in South India.

Qatar Airways will be able to tap into Wipro's pool of technical resources, as well as research and development centers to explore and take advantage of new technological solutions.

The airline is currently operating a fleet of 111 aircraft to 118 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

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Zee to Launch New Arabic Channel in Dubai on Sept. 12

India’s leading media company, Zee Entertainment Enterprises will invest $ 100 million in Zee Alwan, the second Arabic channel by the television provider, which will be launched in Dubai on September 12, 2012.

With Zee Alwan, the company is creating a new platform for talent collaboration between the Arab world and India, Zee Entertainment Enterprise LLC CEO, Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, Mukund Cairae said.

Zee Alwan has received overwhelming response from Arab audiences across the Gulf region, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, following its soft launch, he said.

Zee Alwan follows the launch of Zee Aflam, a dedicated movie channel beaming Bollywood movies dubbed in Arabic.

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40 Indian Firms to Participate at GITEX Dubai 2012 From Oct. 14–18

40 Indian ICT companies will participate in GITEX Dubai 2012, which will be organized from October 14–18, 2012.

GITEX is the largest and the most impressive ICT event of its kind in West Asia and is now ranked as one of the top three ICT exhibitions in the world.

The Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council has taken several steps to ensure major participation by Indian IT service exporters at GITEX.

ICT products on display at the pavilion will include almost all kinds of computer software, power supplies, inverters, UPS, telecom cables, a range of telecom products and computer hardware products.

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