CONTENTS Society and Security Monthly Issue (478) October 2010

999 CONTENTS Society and Security Monthly Issue (478) October 2010

18 16

Ministry of Interior United Arab Emirates 20 Consultative Board Maj.Gen. Khalil Badran Lt.Col. Thani Al-Shamsi 26

Editor-in-Chief Major Awad Al-Kindi

Editor Issam Al Sheikh Associate Editors 32 Bassel Souraya Omar Hamza Art Directors Souliman Hajer Hisham Abdul Hameed Cover story...... 20 International accolade for police service...... 12 Contacts E-crime lab in Abu Dhabi...... 16 Tel.: +971 2 4194488 Prevention is better than cure...... 18 Fax: +971 2 4194499 Reckless on the road...... 26 P.O.Box :38999 Time to pay up...... Abu Dhabi - UAE. 32 Policeman’s courage...... email:[email protected] 38 Toll Free 8009009 Novel inside out...... 44 News Sheikh Khalifa returns home

Among those who were present to Chairman of the Board of Trustees Representative in the Eastern receive the President were H.H of the Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Region, H.H Sheikh Mansour Bin Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Charitable and Humanitarian Foun- Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in dation, H.H Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Minister and Minister of Presidential the Western Region, H.H Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Affairs, H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Presidential Aviation, H. H Sheikh Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of the H.H Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Department of Finance, Sheikh Sul- Nahyan, National Security Advisor, Chamberlain of the Diwan of the tan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Advisor H.H Sheikh Saeed Bin Zayed Al Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and a to President, Sheikh Nahyan bin Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative, Lt. number of sheikhs and senior state Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of General H.H Sheikh Saif bin Zayed officials. Higher Education and Scientific Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister The President was accompanied Research and Ahmed Juma Al and Interior Minister, H.H Sheikh by H.H Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zaabi, Deputy Minister of Presiden- Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mohammad Al Nahyan, Ruler’s tial Affairs.

Receives Rulers, Crown Princes, Deputy Rulers and well wishers

President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan return of Sheikh Khalifa to homeland, praying The received at Al Rawda Palace Their Highnesses Supreme Almighty to grant his good health and protect him as the Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, Crown steward of the march of progress and prosperity. Princes and Deputy Rulers, who came to congratulate him The meeting was attended by a number of Sheikhs, min- on his safe return home from a successful treatment trip isters and top officials. abroad. Sheikh Khalifa hosted a luncheon in honour of the well- The visitors expressed their profound delight at the safe wishers.

Issue (478) October 2010

4 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid inspects readiness of schools

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed the academic year, to inspect the the tour, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-Presi- readiness of these schools for receiv- expressed his cabinet’s keenness to dent and Prime Minister of UAE and ing students for the academic year provide all needed educational Ruler of Dubai made a field tour to a 2010/2011. requirements to promote and number of government schools in Sheikh Mohammed visited schools advance the education system in the Dubai and Sharjah at the first day of in Dubai and Sharjah. Concluding country.

Approves organizational structure of Ministry of Education

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, The new organizational structure identifies the min- Vice President, Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of istry’s tasks in providing education for all citizens of the Dubai has approved the organizational structure of Min- country along with developing educational plans, istry of Education, which aims to strengthen role of the preparing curricula and examination systems and adult ministry during the next phase and develop the work in education programs in addition to establishing schools the educational field. and institutes and monitor their performance.

Issue (478) October 2010 5

5 Mohammed Bin Zayed receives UAE Olympic team

H.H General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al clear vision and well-studied scientific plan that will help Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme the UAE to harvest victories in various sports on region- commander of the UAE Armed Forces stressed that al and global levels. UAE, under the leadership of President H.H Sheikh Sheikh Mohammed was speaking while receiving the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is in an endeavour to Olympic football champions of the GCC’s second cham- achieve comprehensive sports renaissance. pionship tournament for teams under-23 which was held He added that to achieve this goal, the country has a in Doha last August. Visits heritage contest show

H.H. Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin ties and landmark sites in a creative Sheikh Mohammed credited the Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of style to preserve local heritage. He efforts the Abu Dhabi TV, ADACH Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme attended the last minute preparations and other stakeholders made to sup- Commander of the UAE Armed before the show went on air. port such useful programmes that Forces, got first hand information Sheikh Mohammed was accompa- seek to safeguard indigenous her- about a heritage competition aired nied by Mohammed Khalaf Al itage and history of the UAE in line by the Abu Dhabi TV Channel dur- Mazrouie, Advisor of Culture and with government policies to protect ing the holy month of Ramadan. Heritage at the Crown Prince’s national treasures and pass them to While visiting the show, Sheikh Court and Director General of Abu the present and future generations. Mohammed was briefed about the Dhabi Authority for Culture and Valuable prizes in form of pure- theme of the show which features Heritage ADACH, which sponsored bred Arabian camels were given to history of forefathers and personali- the show. the winners.

Issue (478) October 2010

6 Saif bin Zayed launches new UAE Mobile Planetarium

The Deputy Prime Minister, Minis- scope with huge capacities. It works eral Department of Central Opera- ter of Interior HH Lt. General Sheikh with solar energy and consumes less- tions at Abu Dhabi Police, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan launched er energy. The planetarium avails Saif said the higher leadership was new environment friendly Green Emi- opportunity for public to monitor and keen to support all the projects that rates Mobile Planetarium. follow up closely the astronomical contribute to service of the country Sheikh Saif was briefed about the researches and results. and citizens, commending the inven- observatory, which includes the Briefed by inventor of the observa- tion of environment driven and clean advanced high-tech astronomical tele- tory, Nazar Hazam Salam, of the Gen- energy project by a police element. Receives Omani ambassador

Deputy Prime Minister ‘&’ Minister of Interior H.H The meeting at the premises of the Ministry discussed Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan has received matters of common interest to the UAE and Oman. ambassador of Oman to the UAE Mohammed Abdullah In remarks at the meeting, Sheikh Saif hailed, in par- Al-Qatabi. ticular, police and security relations with Oman.

Issue (478) October 2010 5

7 Police News

Al Sha’far hails role of ZU in preparing specialists, experts in all fields

The Ministry of Interior and Zayed University (ZU) signed Memorandum of Understanding to raise standard of scientific research, training and development of cadres of the ministry. Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Sha’- far, undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior signed (MoU) on behalf of the ministry, while Dr Suleiman Al Jassim, vice president of ZU, signed on behalf of ZU. The MoU aims to strengthen joint relations regarding development of human resources and boosting cooperation between the two parties in all fields, especially in the areas of education and training. does not disregard training and educa- He stressed that Sheikh Nahyan bin As per the MoU, ZU will provide the tion of staff”. Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of modern scientific methodology to pre- Dr Jassim commended the vision and Higher Education, Scientific Research pare specialists, technicians and experts keenness of the Deputy Prime Minister, and President of ZU, to make ZU a in all areas. Minister of Interior HH Sheikh Saif bin bridge for transfer of knowledge to Sha’far lauded prestigious position of Zayed Al Nahyan, on development of community. He added that the signing ZU, citing that it is on developing the human resources in different police of MoU would enable opportunity for higher education system in the UAE. sectors, citing the ranking of the UAE the staff to get degrees or training cer- “The ministry prioritises security, but Police fourth worldwide in reliability. tificates.

Finance & Assets committee reviews Civil Defence training budget

The Supreme Committee of Finance and Assets at the Lt Gen Badran received several suggestions from Ministry of Interior held a meeting chaired by Lieu- attendants, and these suggestions were submitted at the tenant Colonel Khalil Dawood Badran, Director-Gener- end of the meeting to the management of the Supreme al of Finance and Services at Abu Dhabi Police and Committees for final decisions in the near future. head of the committee, to review a number of topics The training and development programme for Civil including suggestions regarding the budget of training Defence personnel includes officers of operations and development of the General Directorate of Civil teams, protection and safety engineers, cadets, safety Defence. inspectors and others.

Issue (478) October 2010

8 Ministry of Interior to promote ‘project management’ culture

The Coordination Committee of the This came in the first meeting of agement will be developed and best Ministry of Interior, tasked with proj- the committee, chaired by Major practices will be adopted”, said Maj ect management at the General Direc- Hamad Al Nuaimi, Director of the Al Nuaimi. torate of Strategy and Performance Project Management Office. He high- He urged participants in the meet- Development, has started the imple- lighted the importance of the strategy ing to enhance joint actions and mentation of a new programme to of the Ministry of Interior at develop- develop potentials to become com- promote the culture of ‘project man- ing programmes and activities. patible with the strategic objectives of agement’. “The methodology of project man- the Ministry of Interior.

Ministry of Interior, ESMA to enhance cooperation

The Permanent Supreme Committee for Standardisation and Metrology at the Ministry of Interior held a meeting recently presided over by Major General Matar Salem bin Mseiad Al Niadi, Director General of Electronic Services and Communications at the Ministry to discuss cooperation with the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA). A proposal was submitted to ESMA regarding applications at the Ministry of Interior. ISO 27001 and Sigma 6 were reviewed and the results of the review will be submitted to the Supreme Committees as the next step before implementation. work and enhancement of cooperation with local and inter- “The security performance has been upgraded signifi- national bodies in the fields of standardisation and metrol- cantly and that will reflect positively on the standards of ogy”, said Maj Gen Al Niadi. Delegation of Media Zone Authority – Abu Dhabi visits police HQ

Major General Mohammed bin Al Owadi, Director General of Human Resources and Acting Deputy Director General of Police Operations at Abu Dhabi Police, met a delegation of the Media Zone Authority – Abu Dhabi recently, headed by Mubarak Ghadir Al Dhahiri, Director of Government Ser- vices. The visiting delegation was briefed on the operations of Abu Dhabi Police and the achievements scored in the recent past. Captain Rashid Abdullah Al Dosari of the General Directorate of Strategy and Performance Development stressed the importance of cooperation with local institutions and departments in the exchange of expertise and knowledge. He explained the Abu Dhabi Police journey to get the Abu Dhabi Award for Excellence in Government Performance since 2003.

Issue (478) October 2010

9 Abu Dhabi Police marks 32nd anniversary of first policewomen graduation

The General Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police marked the 32nd anniversary of the first policewomen graduation which took place in Sep- tember 1978. The celebration kicked off in Mari- na Mall in Abu Dhabi. Women police staged a military parade accompanied by the police brass band. Policewomen presented a show of police and sports skills, including firearms handling. A competition was held for the public and prizes were handed over to winners at the end of the function. The public lauded the role of women police in community service. Abu Dhabi Police have been encour- aging national women to join the force, reflecting Emirati women’s ability to excel in many fields. Lt. Salma Al Kaabi, from the k9 division, the first Emirati dog train- er, presented a show for police dogs pating in the 32nd anniversary cel- wise leadership. Other events which were used to search for sur- ebration, adding that the achieve- marking the occasion were held on vivors in disaster areas. Al Kaabi ments of police women were due to other locations of the capital as expressed her happiness in partici- the encouragement of the UAE’s well.

UAE Search & Rescue Team completes EU drills The UAE Search and Rescue Team Nuaimi, Director of Emergency and channels of cooperation and the have returned to the country after General Safety at the Abu Dhabi Police exchange of expertise”. successfully taking part in the Euro- HQ and commander of the team, said: A total of 52 search and rescue per- pean Union (EU) search and rescue “Nine European countries took part in sonnel from the UAE took part in the drills that started last month. The the drills. The UAE team was the only drills. training is necessary to keep the team team from the Middle East”. In the drills, the UAE team, said in ship shape to provide assistance to He added: “The participation Col Al Nuaimi, managed to take out friendly countries at times of disaster. received a lot of media attention in six people from underneath the rub- Colonel Mohammed Abdullah Al Europe. It has also strengthened ble of collapsed buildings.

Ambulance patrols stationed near Abu Dhabi, Al Ain schools

The Emergency and General Safe- Head of the Ambulance Section in Abu dents’ campaign aimed at reducing ty Department of Abu Dhabi Police Dhabi, said preparations had been com- road accidents. He urged parents to said they’re ready to deal with any pleted to ensure ambulances are avail- educate their children on traffic safe- emergency in the new academic year able at certain points near schools. ty to avoid mishaps and on avoiding with ambulance teams constantly Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed unacceptable behaviour. stationed close to schools in Abu Ibrahim Al Ameri of Abu Dhabi The official also urged motorists to Dhabi and Al Ain. Police said the state of preparedness abide by speed limits on highways as Lieutenant Colonel Sultan Al Hosani, is part of the ‘Schools without Acci- well as internal arteries.

Issue (478) October 2010

10 Dhahi Khalfan praises world accolade scored by UAE police

Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan continue its drive to achieve excel- ing a healthy investment, economic Tamim, Commander in Chief of Dubai lence, in the framework of UAE strate- and social environment”, Lt Gen Police, has praised the achievement of gy “that has made the country an oasis Dhahi underlined. UAE Police, after the UAE was named of security and safety”. He discussed with the attendants the recently the world’s 4th best country in He said this classification, the strategic plan of the Ministry of Interi- 2010 in terms of reliability of police Enabling Trade Index (ETI) developed or and the federal government, as well services in the Global Enabling Trade within the context of the World Eco- as the security situation, traffic issues, 2010. nomic Forum’s Industry Partnership anti-drugs campaigns and performance He presided over a meeting of police Programme for the Logistics and indicators. Among the topics discussed chiefs at the UAE level in Dubai, fol- Transport sector, came as a direct and was also the mechanism to implement lowing decree no. 207 of 2010 issued an indirect result of security and safety police operations at the Ministry of by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior levels achieved by the UAE under its Interior. Minister, Lieutenant General His wise leadership. He particularly mentioned the Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al “This was also supported by the decline in road accident fatalities in the Nahyan. The meeting also attended by country’s economic legislation enacted first eight months of the year, which high-ranking officials from police, to achieve sustainable development… saw a 26 per cent decline compared to Naturalisation and Residency and security and development are interre- the same period of the previous year. other security agencies in the country. lated, and the achievement shows the The police chiefs’ meeting is held Lt Gen Dhahi said the UAE will efficiency of police services in ensur- regularly once at least every month.

Three police batches graduate in Sharjah

Three police batches graduated recently at Sharjah Police. The graduation ceremony was attended by Colonel Abdullah Mubarak Al Dukhan, Deputy Head of Sharjah Police. The three courses were on administrative skills, emo- tional intelligence and first aid. A total of people took part in the courses and they included representatives from government departments in the emirate of Sharjah. The courses were organized by the Planning and Devel- opment Department as part of 2010 annual training programme. “Specialised courses reflect the keen interest of Sharjah Police to develop the skills of employees. They reflect the success of the strategic plan adopted by the General Direc- torate of Sharjah Police that is also in line with the Min- istry of Interior’s strategy”, said Col Al Dukhan.

Issue (478) October 2010

11 Focus International accolade for police services The UAE has become the world’s 4th best country in 2010 in terms of reliability of police services

By Lara Al Zarasi

he United Arab Emirates has Brig Al Mazroui said police admin- scored an international acco- istrations always seek to improve Tlade, adding another attain- their services to bring about more ment to the country’s impressive list achievements and support overall of achievements. The UAE has been strategy, backed by a strong infra- named the world’s 4th best country in structure, to secure sustainable devel- 2010 in terms of reliability of police opment. services, according to the Global Lieutenant Colonel Hasan Al Enabling Trade 2010, released by the Shamsi, Director of the Anti-Nar- Ali Al Mazroui Hasan Al Shamsi World Economic Forum. cotics Division at the Ministry of Inte- The Enabling Trade Index (ETI) rior, said the achievement is another was developed within the context of accolade for the UAE and shows the the World Economic Forum’s Indus- support given to the security services try Partnership Programme for the by the government and the vision of Logistics and Transport sector and Deputy Prime Minister and Interior was first published in The Global Minister, Lieutenant General His Enabling Trade Report 2008. Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al The structure of the Index reflects the Nahyan. main enablers of trade, breaking them Colonel Hammad Ahmed Al Ham- into four overall issue areas, captured madi, Director of the Criminal Inves- Hammad Ahmed Izza Al Qubaisi in the sub-indexes that are in turn tigation Department (CID) of Abu grouped into nine pillars, namely; Dhabi Police, said the achievement Domestic and foreign market access, was the result of joint efforts of all First Deputy Chairman of the Abu Efficiency of customs administration, police administrations in the UAE Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Efficiency of import-export proce- which worked together with the sup- Industry, said UAE police have been dures, Transparency of border admin- port of Lieutenant General His High- successful in adopting all new securi- istration, Availability and quality of ness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al ty and safety applications. transport infrastructure, Availability Nahyan. “The police role has not been and quality of transport services, “This drive for excellence started restricted to security and safety; it has Availability and use of ICTs, Regula- some 10 years ago when the quality been extended to include dealing with tory environment and Physical securi- commission was set up. It has been society at many fronts… there is a ty. The index has showed police effi- focusing on police performance, and great trust in policemen and that has ciency in providing a safe socio-eco- was the beginning of the development enhanced the great reputation of UAE nomic environment. process. We are currently reaping the police around the world”, he said. “The scoring of this accolade is a fruit of these efforts”, he said. Izza Al Qubaisi, a business woman, new source of pride for the UAE”, Col Al Hammadi said police admin- said: “Security is the way to stability, said Brigadier Ali Mohammed Al istrations always seek to catch up with and investment requires security and Mazroui, Director of the Air Wing at the march of development. The CID, freedom to proper”. She added that the Ministry of Interior. “Excellence he explained, has set up a laboratory the UAE has been attracting invest- in our work is our target, and that’s for electronic crimes to curb the phe- ments from around the world thanks attainable with hard work and the sup- nomenon. to its security and high safety stan- port of our wise leadership”, he added. Businessman Khalfan Al Kaabi, dards.

Issue (478) October 2010

12 Issue (478) October 2010

13 Interview

Supreme in protection of human rights

UAE Federal Supreme Court is protector of human rights and guarantor of the supremacy of the law

By Hamed Mahjoob

he UAE Federal Supreme Wahab Abdool, President and Chief dence of litigators in the UAE judicial Court has set in motion a Justice of the Federal Supreme Court system. Tlarge number of judicial and in an interview with 999. Dr. Abdool said that the Ministry of legal principles that seek to protect In the interview, the chief justice Interior is one of the most important human rights, and enacted constitu- called for the setting up of a UAE strategic partners of the Supreme tional codes aimed at preserving the court of cassation that can look into Court. Channels of cooperation rights of individuals and guaranteeing libels filed after verdicts by local and include the electronic link-up, particu- the supremacy of the law. federal courts of appeal in the country. larly in cases related to state security. This was stated by Dr. Abdul This, he said, can enhance the confi-

Issue (478) October 2010

14 Excerpts: not regarded as valid; withholding a present Islamic Shariah as a legal system worker’s passport by the sponsor after that is at bar with other major legal sys- Q. What are the tasks and objec- the end of their work relationship is tems in the world. In March 2008, the tives of the Federal Supreme Court? regarded as a violation of the right of Federal Supreme Court held an interna- A. The Federal Supreme Court looks mobility and when the arrest or inspec- tional conference in which the heads of into the disputes referred to it to be tion order is implemented, the inspec- 32 supreme courts representing all legal dealt with by it constitutionally and tion officer shall not continue to look systems in the world took part. Islamic legally. The verdicts given by the court for what is regarded as a crime to be Shariah was among the main topics. The are final and biding to all parties, in detected, and the procedure is deemed court also hosted the first conference of accordance with the Constitution of the null and void. The second mechanism is Supreme Court heads in the Arab world country. The court’s objectives are represented in libels having to do with in March this year, and the final commu- many, and they include the unification the constitutionality of local and federa- niqué stressed that Islamic Shariah is a of judicial effort and legal thought, the tion legislation. The court has been global legal system. I personally dis- setting of the principles exclusive to the dealing with these cases, in accordance cussed the global nature of the Islamic UAE legal system and enhancing the with article 99 of the Constitution, since legal system in a lecture at the Media relation between the local judicial sys- 1973, and adopted constitutional princi- Centre of His Highness Sheikh Sultan tems and the federal judicial system. ples that protect human rights and guar- bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in addition to spe- antee the supremacy of the law. These cial articles on the Islamic legal system Q. What is the future vision of the principles are at bar with what is fol- in some periodicals. Federal Supreme Court? lowed in Western democracies. Among A. The vision is in strategic planning. these principles are the submission of Q. What is your vision regarding This vision involves the future ambi- all authorities to the supremacy of the the existence of several supreme tions of administrative and organisa- Constitution; the right of all peoples of courts in the UAE, and the negative tional unity. Within this strategic con- equal legal status to lodge a complaint impact resulting from that? cept, the Supreme Court’s vision aims and defend their rights, and the federal A. As our political system is a feder- to provide high quality judicial servic- law is respected in all regions of the ation, the dual nature of the judicial es. We are planning to increase the UAE federation. system is a natural thing. It is actually a number of Emirati magistrates, to emi- necessary thing. There is no harm in ratise all administrative units of the Q. How do you describe your having local supreme courts and a fed- court and to achieve financial and efforts to highlight Islamic Shariah eral supreme court. I think that to unify administrative independence. (law) as a global legal system? the legal and judicial thought in the A. There are many legal codes around UAE and to enhance the confidence of Q. How do you assess the judicial the world, all aimed at achieving justice. litigators in the UAE legal system, a experience in the UAE? Islamic Shariah is one of these codes supreme court of cassation should be A. The judicial system in the UAE and it provides a comprehensive system established to deal with libels resulting started a long time ago, and took vari- of legal principles that delineate rights from verdicts by courts of appeal, ous forms and shape, before having its and duties and define what is allowed whether they are local or federal. Provi- local and federal levels with the cre- and what is prohibited. Islamic Shariah sions of the Constitution give the con- ation of the United Arab Emirates. The also defines means of evidence, appoints stitutional possibility to establish such a UAE judicial experience is unique at the courts tasked with looking into vari- court. the Arab level; probably the judicial ous disputes and shows the procedures system in Iraq is the second of its kind of litigation and the issue and implemen- Q. What are the channels of coop- that came into existence after the col- tation of verdicts as well as libel proce- eration between the Federal lapse of the former regime. In the UAE, dures. This comprehensive code is Supreme Court and the law enforce- the local and federal judicial systems known as the ‘Islamic legal system’. It ment agency? complement each other within the has met the needs of all Muslim commu- A. The Ministry of Interior with all framework of the UAE Constitution nities throughout the ages and is contin- its departments and divisions are and federal laws. uing to meet the requirements of Arab among our strategic partners. The chan- and Muslim countries which implement nels of cooperation are many and they Q. What is the role of the Federal its tenets, totally or partially. However, include the electronic link particularly Supreme Court in protecting the this system is not recognised by some in cases related to state security, which rights of individuals and guarantee- legal systems. The UAE legal and judi- are exclusively looked into by the Fed- ing the supremacy of the law? cial system is based on Islamic Shariah eral Supreme Court; cases filed by A. The Federal Supreme Court plays tenets in accordance with the provisions prison inmates to overrule verdicts by this role in two mechanisms; the first is of the Constitution and the basic judicial cassation; coordination in the field of through legal supervision of the correct- rules. Through these rules, Islamic judicial paper announcements and in ness of verdicts issued by lower federal Shariah is implemented in a way that the exchange of legal, judicial and courts. Through this role, the court has takes into consideration Islamic fixtures, security studies. The Federal Supreme set in motion a large number of judicial the requirements of development in the Court is also ready to receive Police and legal principles aimed at protecting country and the UAE’s external rela- Academy students to acquaint them- human rights, and among the principles: tions and international commitments. selves with the judicial system at the a confession obtained under duress is Through a balanced application, we court.

Issue (478) October 2010

15 Focus

E-crime lab in Abu Dhabi

A newly opened laboratory with many qualified and efficient female officers seeks to unravel mysteries of cyber crime

By Amira Al Raisi

he e-crime laboratory affiliat- “The setting up of the laboratory at ment at Abu Dhabi Police. ed to Abu Dhabi Police was Abu Dhabi Police followed instruc- He added: “The instructions also Tset up in August 2009, fol- tions from His Highness Lieutenant involved the activation of the e-crime lowing instructions from His High- General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al law No. 6 of 2006, meeting the ness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and requirements of the judicial system bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of Interior, in line with the and boosting police work as well as Minister and Minister of Interior. strategy of the Ministry of Interior to assisting the public and private sec- The new facility has attracted high- ensure a secure community and tors”. ly qualified UAE talent, particularly implement best practices in investi- The official said the laboratory con- female university graduates who have gating e-crimes”, said Colonel Ham- fronts e-crime in the country and pres- been successful in uncovering many mad Ahmed Al Hamadi, Director of ents its reports to various departments electronic crimes. the Criminal Investigation Depart- including the courts, police stations

Issue (478) October 2010

16 Hammad Al Hamadi Ali Al Rahbi Ghaida Ali Khadija Al Faqih

by HE Major General Mohammed bin money to use them for a few days”, he Al Awadhi Al Menhali, Director- explained. General of Human Resources and The laboratory current has seven Acting Director-General of Police experienced female staff in the field Operations at Abu Dhabi Police. of computer technology and informa- Col. Al Hamadi said the laboratory tion and network security. UAE cooperates with agencies inside and nationals make up 100 per cent of the outside the UAE. He said special laboratory staff. cooperation channels have been Capt. Al Rahbi expects the labora- established with Germany represented tory’s technologies to be completed by Hamburg Police’ e-crime laborato- by the year 2013, in three phases. The ry. Female officers have been attend- first phase has already been complet- ing training courses in Germany. ed, and the second phase will involve A special development programme the formation of the e-network has been chalked out for the laborato- inspection unit in the last quarter of ry. A three-year road map to expand next year. The third phase includes the operations of the laboratory is the expansion of the laboratory’s being implemented, and 50 per cent of capabilities in 2011. By the year the plan has already been executed. 2013, all established units will be aug- The plan includes a unit to test audio mented with a substantial increase in and video contents to be opened this the technologies in use. year, and the laboratory has been Lieutenant Ghaida Ali from the lab- seeking to obtain international certifi- oratory said: “An important part of and relevant police sections. A com- cation from accredited global bodies. my professional dream has been ful- prehensive synopsis of the investiga- Captain Ali Saeed Rashid Al Rahbi, filled by joining the laboratory. We tion is given to the authority con- Director of the e-crime laboratory, have been lucky to have attended cerned. said the laboratory is regarded as a training courses inside and outside the “We cannot confirm that e-crime is ‘neutral’ agency in the investigation country to catch up with the latest in a phenomenon in the country, but this process. “It provides its precise results the field”. type of crimes has assumed large pro- but imposes no opinion regarding a Lieutenant Khadija Al Faqih said: portions as they are easy to commit”, conviction or a declaration of inno- “Working at the laboratory reflects said Col. Al Hamadi. cence. The laboratory has so fat dealt the challenge of working with elec- The employment of qualified with 18 cases including electronic tronic devices and applications. cadres, said the officials, follows a fraud, money counterfeiting and intel- Female employees will pursue higher special procedure. The most impor- lectual property cases”, he explained. studies at universities to obtain their tant elements are the specialisation in He added: “There is a difficulty in Master degrees”. Information Security, the ability to identifying a timeframe for comple- Lieutenant Wafa Nasser views her deal with disturbing material includ- tion of investigations in a given case. work at the university as a challenge. ing pornography and full adherence to Some cases involve the inspection of “I was one of the first female employ- orders and instructions. Most suitable a large number of computers; in one ees to start working at the facility. It’s candidates, particularly female uni- case related to intellectual property a new facility that has given us great versity graduates, have been hired for rights, we inspected 32 computers. opportunities to achieve their ambi- the job. Sometimes, it takes 30 days to com- tions”, she noted. The official lauded the support plete our investigations”. Lieutenant Enas Abdul Rahman has given to the contribution of women Capt. Al Rahbi said the most ram- encouraged women graduates to work employees by His Highness Lieu- pant e-crime is fraud by emails. in this field. “It is a very enjoyable tenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed “Many people fell victims to these work that enables one to catch up with Al Nahyan. The implementation of crimes, stealing credit card numbers the latest in the world of technology”, the employment policy is followed up from banks and selling them for little she underlined.

Issue (478) October 2010

17 Focus

Prevention is better than cure

Civil Defence’ Preventive Safety Division contributes towards comprehensive development in the UAE

By Mahmoud Hamad

‘Prevention is better than cure’ is a enhancing safety and prevention catch up with the rapid pace of devel- key tenet in the strategy of the Pre- efforts to include all buildings and opment on many fronts, we needed to ventive Safety Division operating establishments in the country”, said use advanced technologies to under the jurisdiction of the Dubai Major General Rashid Thani Al enhance safety in various buildings, Civil Defence Department (DCDD). Matroushi, General Director of and to monitor compliance by con- The department has been successful DCDD. tractors, consultants and owners of in offering comprehensive services He said the Civil Defence General buildings in Dubai. We have also and making ‘customer satisfaction’ a Headquarters has been implementing been working to develop cooperation main objective, as part of its contri- plans and programmes to transform and sustainable partnerships with rel- bution towards comprehensive devel- most Civil Defence services to elec- evant local and federal government opment plans in the emirate of Dubai. tronic services to ensure control and departments”. “The main mission of the Civil monitoring. The Preventive Safety Maj Gen Al Matroushi said the Pre- Defence includes prevention of Division undertakes the responsibili- ventive Safety Division has five inte- mishaps and enhancement of safety ty of implementing highest interna- grated sections; Company Accredita- levels. Achieving this goal means tional building and operational stan- tion, Engineering Plans and Projects, minimisation of the need for fire- dards in the in the construction works Prevention Against Hazardous Mate- fighting, rescue and ambulance serv- in Dubai. rial, Inspection and Licensing and ices. The Civil Defence General Maj Gen Al Matroushi added: “To Customer Service. Headquarters has been keen on achieve strategic objectives and to The official said that there are

Issue (478) October 2010

18 Document submission at the DCDD

development plans and programmes that results from a mishap in build- contributing towards the improve- ings that do not comply with safety ment of performance and the quality measures. “That is why the comple- of services. “There is a programme to tion of prevention infrastructure is approve engineering plans by email one of our strategic goals”, said Maj and another to prepare prevention Ibrahim. procedures information online, in He added that the use of the elec- addition to upgrading company tronic system, (x7dcd 24), is intended accreditation forms and the imple- to protect all buildings in Dubai, with mentation of ‘My Laboratory Is Safe’ the exception of private homes. A project that includes inspection visits total of 10,530 buildings had been to all laboratories at government and linked with the Civil Defence Opera- private schools in the country”, he tions Room, from the start of the Rashid Al Matroushi said. implementation of the system in In 2009, the Company Accredita- August 2008 to April 2010. tion Section handled 1,279 transac- Electronic surveys included 27,802 tions, Engineering Plans and Projects buildings and establishments as a first (11,363 transactions), Prevention step to link them with the Civil against Hazardous Material (1,768 Defence Operations Room. To facili- transactions) and Inspection and tate customer service at the DCDD Licensing (3,742). The Customer and the Department of Economic Service Section is the umbrella of all Development, the two departments Jamal Ibrahim services provided by the department. have been linked electronically to Major Jamal Ahmed Ibrahim, Head save time and effort and achieve of Preventive Safety, said that the higher standards of customer satisfac- cost of prevention is less than the loss tion.

Issue (478) October 2010

19 Cover Story

Issue (478) October 2010

20 Green-handed!

Environmental crime in the UAE can bring the death penalty or life sentence to perpetrators. Fines can reach Dh10 million

By Lara Al Zarasi

nvironmental crime has ment, health and the economy. They become an international take different forms. And are not lim- Eissue, and committing one in ited to perpetrators polluting the air, the UAE can land the perpetrators water and land and pushing commer- behind bars for up to 20 years. cially valuable wildlife species closer Uprooting a tree or killing an animal to extinction; they can also include is a serious crime, and some environ- crimes which speed up climate mental violations could bring the death change, destroy fish stocks, annihilate penalty or force the perpetrators to pay Majid Al Mansouri forests and exhaust essential natural fines to the tune of Dh10 million. resources. The experts also say these Some could view these penalties as crimes can have a harmful impact on harsh, but the law in the UAE is strict massive in scope and diversified in the economies and security of multi- in protecting the country’s flora and nature. ple nations. fauna. These crimes have serious negative His Excellency Majid Al Mansouri, Experts say environmental crime is impact on human beings, the environ- Secretary General, Environment

Issue (478) October 2010

21 Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), said ‘We Love Food but Hate Waste’ and UAE nationals and residents have voting for the Bu Tinah island as one impressive knowledge about environ- of the seven wonders of nature”. mental issues that we face today. Al Mansouri said the environmental “Many awareness campaigns were law has a set of official rules, deci- launched all over the UAE to reduce sions and procedures related to envi- carbon emissions, encourage recy- ronmental quality, natural resources cling, rationalise the use of scarce and sustainability. water resources and other environ- “Environmental crime has many Dr. David Blackmore mental issues”, he said. forms. The crimes include hunting He said that the UAE is one of the endangered species of animals and most advanced countries in terms of trading in them, improper disposal of “There is a big range of offences, environmental awareness. “We have waste, methodological destruction of from environmental errors committed been cooperating with our partners to wetlands, oil leaks, improper use of at the administrative level to the ille- support environment-related issues, pesticides and other toxic chemicals, gal disposal of pollutants”, he added. and that cooperation includes a list of burning of wastes, over-fishing, The most recurrent crime involves initiatives that we are currently in the improper disposal of asbestos, dump- environmental wastes. “There are process of implementing, like ‘Paper- ing of wastes in oceans, lakes and wastes that pollute the air, water and less Day’ (which will be international rivers and smuggling of toxic chemi- land. Some of these wastes are haz- in the near future), preserving Arabi- cals, in addition to violations of envi- ardous and damaging to the environ- an Oryx, an environmental competi- ronmental laws in Abu Dhabi. These ment. They include solid, liquid and tion for school students, as well as are very serious crimes as they have gas-like pollutants, in addition to ani- other initiatives that includes efforts an adverse and long-term impact on mal wastes, wastes that can be disin- to stop the over-fishing of hamour, our environment”, he explained. tegrated, biological and medical

Issue (478) October 2010

22 Environmental crimes in the Arab world

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) held a conference in Beirut last year with various regional political and environmental bodies denouncing the “environment crimes” in the Arab world.

“Environment Crimes in the Arab States” was the title of this conference. The goal of the event was to condemn poor environmental practices in the region and to establish methods and programmes to encourage and aid governments to deal with these issues.

The conference was an effort to call on Arab governments to form “strategies related to combating environmental crime” and to implement international agreements and legislation on the issue.

The UNDP has worked to aid developing countries progress with minimal damage to the environment.

International crimes against the environment

The Gulf of Mexico oil disaster is an environmental catastrophe after the explosion and sinking of an oil rig belonging to British petroleum (BP) on April 22, 2010. It’s the worst oil dis- wastes, building demolition wastes, aster in US history, and it’s continuing. US Coastguards estimate agricultural wastes, food and home that 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil are spilt every day. wastes, toxic wastes, sewerage water and radioactive wastes.”, said the The Bhopal disaster in India in 1984 (also referred to as the Secretary General, Environment Bhopal gas tragedy) is the world’s worst industrial catastrophe. It Agency - Abu Dhabi. happened on the night of December 2–3, 1984 at the Union Car- One of the agency’s partners, the bide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Wastes Management Centre in Abu Pradesh, India. A leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other Dhabi, is currently working on a list chemicals from the plant resulted in the exposure of several thou- of licensed waste contractors to sup- sands of people. port them in curbing the impact of wastes on the environment, according The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986 (then in the to Al Mansouri. Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, part of the Soviet Union). Dr. David Blackmore, Director of The nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is Environmental Management Sector, considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history and said environmental dangers are those is the only level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale. which threaten the environment including pollution, natural dangers, The 1990 Kuwait environmental disaster is the largest ever dis- storms and earthquakes. Environmen- aster of its kind in the world. In August 1990, Iraqi forces invad- tal dangers are chemical, physical, ed Kuwait, starting the Gulf War. Iraqi forces set fire to more mechanical, biological and sociologi- than 700 oil wells before their withdrawal from Kuwait. cal/psychological. “The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi plans many campaigns to

Issue (478) October 2010

23 confront environmental dangers. more or by two persons with one of UAE nationals and expatriates have them carrying a weapon. The same become aware of their ability to make penalty is meted out to any person a difference and avoid any legal con- intentionally killing an animal, caused sequences (resulting from environ- damage to it or killed or poisoned mental violations)”, Dr. Blackmore fish. said. Subeh Atiya, legal expert at Abu He added: “Part of our mission is to Dhabi Police, said ministerial decree Hammad Al Hamadi Subeh Atiya help people change their environmen- no. 69 of 2009 had given some EAD tal behaviour and play an active role staff the status of a judicial detection in improving and protecting the envi- nation’s heritage and future. inspector to enable them to detect vio- ronment”. Colonel Hammad Ahmed Al Hama- lators of the UAE environmental Dr. Blackmore said the strategic di, Director of the Criminal Investiga- rules. Law no. 16 of 2005 relating to vision for protecting the environment tion Department (CID) at Abu Dhabi the re-organisation of the EAD gives involve the development of plans for Police, said the protection of the envi- EAD inspectors the right to stop the biological diversity in Abu Dhabi, ronment is a right guaranteed by the activity of any firm if it is a danger enhancement of sustainable develop- law. He said the law enforcement against human health and safety and ment and dealing with the dangers of agency is the authority tasked with the environment. climatic change. “The EAD has arresting perpetrators. Federal law no. 24 of 1999 regard- joined many strategic environmental “When the suspects are arrested, we ing protection of the environment initiatives to improve the quality of follow police legal procedures and imposes imprisonment and fines air, achieve a transformation in eco refer them to the public prosecution, between Dh150,000 and Dh1 million. awareness in society, develop the before they face their chares in the Penalties under this law (article 62 / ‘sustainable water’ strategy, protect court”, he said. 2) can be as tough as capital punish- natural reserves and contribute Col Al Hamadi said article 425 of ment or life imprisonment as well as towards the government environmen- the UAE’s Penal Code imposes prison fines of not less than Dh1 million and tal plan till the year 2030”, he said. and fines, or one of these penalties, on not exceeding Dh10 million. Crimes The EAD, said Dr. Blackmore, has persons committing a crime against include importing nuclear wastes, been cooperating with the authorities trees or plants. The imprisonment burying or dumping them in the sea, concerned to achieve the environmen- term shall not exceed five years if the storing them or disposing of them in tal protection strategy and protect the crime is committed by three people or any form in the country.

Issue (478) October 2010

Issues

Issue (478) October 2010

26 Reckless on the road

Policemen use advanced breathalysers to measure alcohol levels in motorists suspected of drink driving

By Rasha Fikri

riving under the influence drink driving registered with the traf- of alcohol is a serious traffic fic prosecution in Dubai in the first Dviolation whose penalty has five months of the year”, said Salah been stiffened by the federal traffic BuFarousha, head of Dubai Public law of the UAE. According to traffic Prosecution. The law of the UAE has experts, this violation is responsible stiff penalties against driving under for an increase in the number of seri- the influence of alcohol that includes ous injury cases in traffic crashes. fines and imprisonment. In case of People in the UAE have not forgot- Salah BuFarousha expatriates, courts of law can also ten some of traffic accidents caused impose deportation orders on the by intoxicated drivers, and some of offenders. the innocent victims were traffic another vehicle, and that second col- BuFarousha said that drink driving policemen performing their duty on lision also claimed a life. cases usually do not take more than roads. One of these accidents was A traffic case looked into by the three days to investigate and decide caused by a girl under the influence Dubai Court was of a drunk person upon. He said the biggest age group of alcohol returning from a party with who caused the death of five men involved in these cases is between the friends. While driving on a bridge on who were in a car in Zabeel area. age of 24 and 45, mostly male. her way from Bur Dubai to Deira, she Another case was of a drunk man Women involved in these cases num- failed to see a stationary police car, whose car fell into deep excavations bered only 37 in the 24-45 age group, hitting it and killing a policeman as he could not see the warning signs. said BuFarousha. instantly. Her car also rammed into “There are 494 traffic cases of “Driving while intoxicated is a very

Issue (478) October 2010

27 serious offence as drivers won’t have year, as he could not maintain a safe control over the car. All road users distance. are exposed to danger in these cases”, BuFarousha said Indians topped the the official said. list of drunk drivers in the said period The latest amendment to the traffic with 124 drivers, followed by Pak- law in 2007, implemented since early istanis (90). March 2008, imposes imprisonment He lamented the lack of adequate and/or a fine not less than Dh20,000 awareness campaigns to educate the on motorists driving or attempting to Mohammed Al Zafeen motoring public on the dangers of drive a vehicle while they are under driving under the influence of alco- the influence of alcohol. pended for at least one year from the hol. “These campaigns should be pre- “The latest amendment did not conviction date, and he or she should cise and its results must be measured. come up with anything new in terms be deprived from applying for a new They should be organised by a spe- of penalties as they are the same as in licence for another year. If the cialised team involving experts from the traffic law of 1995. The court can penalised motorists violates the rule the traffic department, public prose- reduce the penalty to a level below during the ban period, the penalty cution and the private sector”, con- imprisonment or fines”, he revealed. should be further stiffened”, cluded BuFarousha. BuFarousha opined that reducing BuFarousha underlined. Major General Mohammed Saif Al the penalty to beyond a certain level The official said drivers under the Zafeen, Director of Dubai Traffic should not happen. “The penalty influence of alcohol cause major Police Department, said a total of 817 should not be less than three months accidents as they lack all control over people were involved in driving imprisonment and a fine of their vehicles. He cited the example under the influence of alcohol in Dh20,000. The driving licence of the of an Asian driver who rammed into Dubai in 2009. Dubai Police earlier intoxicated motorist should be sus- a police car late at night in May this this year started the deployment of

Issue (478) October 2010

In 2009, the Traffic Prosecution in Dubai dealt with 1,188 drink driving case. The first five months of the year saw 494 cases, of which 37 cases were of women. In last year’s cases, 817 male drivers were involved and the Dubai Court issued deportation orders against 70 persons who committed serious traffic offences, most of which were drink driving cases.

police patrols near hotel areas, in System), and the vehicle is impound- police official. coordination with the Department of ed for two months. The driving After a court verdict is given, the Tourism and Commerce Marketing, licence would be suspended for three car involved in the offence is to educate alcohol consumers on the months on the first offence, six impounded for 60 days, and 24 black penalties of drink driving . Traffic months on the second offence and points are added to the offender’s policemen were also involved in pre- one year on the third offence. The traffic file in accordance with the venting drunk people from crossing licence won’t be returned to the driv- black points system. the streets. er till he or she successfully under- From January to early June, 30 “Those measures were aimed at goes a fresh driving test”, said Maj motorists driving under the influence curbing the problems. This violation Gen Al Zafeen. of alcohol were caught in the Deira cause fatal accidents. Roads and He revealed that the Dubai Traffic area alone. Transport Authority (RTA) has been Police Department launched a cam- “Training courses were organised proving a great service, sending taxis paign at the beginning of the current for the police (Criminal Investigation to take drunk people from any where year. The ‘Driving Under the Influ- Department) team members on the in the city to their homes, without ence of Alcohol’ campaign has been use of breathalysers”, explained Maj risking lives”, said Maj Gen Al aimed at reducing the number of Gen Al Zafeen. Zafeen. fatalities and serious injuries result- Dubai Police have provided the He said police in Dubai won’t tol- ing from accidents caused by drink police team with a number of erate this offence at all, revealing that driving. breathalysers to be used by police undercover policemen had stopped “A police team has been assigned patrols on duty. drivers on suspicious of drinking to arrest drunken motorists and refer “These breathalysers have been under the influence of alcohol. them to police stations. Investigators very useful in accurately measuring “In addition to the penalties use breathalysers to measure alcohol alcohol levels instantly. They are also imposed by the federal traffic law, 24 levels in motorists suspected of drink legal tools used against drink driving demerit points are added to the driv- driving. When drink driving is con- suspects”, said Maj Gen Al Zafeen. ing licence of the drunk driver (in firmed, the suspects are referred to “The campaigns will continue to curb accordance with the Black Points the traffic prosecution”, said the this fatal offence”, he added.

Issue (478) October 2010

Issues

Issue (478) October 2010

32 Time to pay up

Showing good intentions to collection departments by bank customers in financial distress is proving to be the best way to go

By Staff reporters

anking officials say people in Taking a loan that exceeds actual financial difficulty showing need should be avoided, and individu- Bthat they are serious in set- als should know their capability to tling their dues and discussing their pay back, compare debts with income situation with the collection depart- and avoid taking a loan that requires ments of banks and financial institu- too many years to pay back”. tions is helping overcome the crisis He added: “The person taking a that has hit major market sectors. loan should know that the money he Rescheduling, delaying the pay- Sulaiman Al-Mazrou or she had taken is that of the share- ment of installments or selling assets holders in the bank and that they are among the most important ways to should pay back. They should know that a constant income is necessary get out of the crisis that hit some sec- touch with their banks in writing so as tors like real estate and construction, for them to take the step of having a to keep the communication official, say the officials. This crisis was fol- bank loan”. lowed by financial difficulties showing their good intentions in doc- Al-Mazroui said bank clients encountered by individuals working uments. All communications should should carefully study the terms and in these sectors emanating from their be documented and kept. conditions as well as interest rates and inability to pay back loans to conven- Sulaiman Al-Mazroui, General the liabilities if they have difficulties tional or Islamic banks. Manager for Group Corporate Com- in paying back their debt. The individ- The crisis is worsened by the fact munications at Emirates NBD, said: ual takes the responsibility of his or that some employees in these sectors “It is very important to note that tak- her decision. have lost their jobs or had their ing a loan should only happen when “Individuals having difficulty in salaries slashed. The officials stress necessary, to carry out basic responsi- paying back debts because of factors that these individuals should get in bilities and not for unessential things. beyond their control should discuss

Issue (478) October 2010

33 Faisal Aqeel Amjad Nasr

their problems with the bank and explain their situations. If this happens, the two sides will reach a settlement, because it is in the interest of the bank to reach a deal directly with their customer rather than going to courts of law that consume time and cost money”, Al-Mazroui underlined. “What is the use of detaining an individual in financial distress if he cannot pay back debts?”, he wondered. “There are many solutions that would be presented to the bank customer that would be satisfactory to both parties, including rescheduling of debts or extension of the loan. There are other ways that have been created by banks for such cases, but the most important thing is that bank clients have to explain their situations to the bank’s collection department. If the bank is convinced by the client’s argument, they’d cooperate and find a solution. However, bank clients who fail to give a convincing argument, they would be subject to measures that they cannot stand”. Faisal Aqeel, Emirates Islamic Bank, Retail Banking Manager, said that bank clients should know the importance of managing their finance in entirety, whether or not there was a should be able to pay back their debts priate to reschedule and decrease the financial crisis. on a regular basis so that debts do not monthly payment, with the extension “Individuals should not put them- accumulate and become a burden”, he of the repayment period. selves in financial situations in which emphasised. The Emirates Islamic Bank’s Retail they cannot fulfill their obligations Bank clients having difficulty in Banking Manager said if the customer like payment of credit card dues and paying back loans should meet collec- wants to inquire about his account to others. The role of banks in general is tion department officials and discuss ensure no manipulation of his or her to give clients the tools to manage with them their situations, said Aqeel. finances is there, they can seek the their financial needs away from “Banks’ goal is to help customers assistance of the bank’s management. drowning them in debts they cannot meet their obligations without having If not satisfied, they can contact the pay back”, said Aqeel. to refer cases to courts, if customers UAE Central Bank. These inquiry A bank conducts a thorough study are willing to reach a solution”, he cases occur when a customer is of the financial and credit position of underlined. unsure about accumulated interest or a customer before issuing a credit He added: “There is no one solution fines. card, said Aqeel, but the customer that suits all customers; solutions dif- Amjad Nasr, a banking expert at a should not abuse the card in purchas- fer from one case to another”. local Islamic bank, said the financial ing things whose value is above his or He explained that if the customer’s crisis had created a new reality for her financial capability. “Customers income has shrunk, it would be appro- banks and imposed on them the

Issue (478) October 2010

34 necessity of dealing flexibly with cus- repayment period. That’s a solution finance and then ask them to pay tomers in a way that did not exist in that will prevent both parties from installments”, he said. the past. going to courts”. Nasr advised clients in financial “The impact of the financial crisis However, in the case of customers trouble to communicate with their has hit all sectors and put the banks having lost his job, banks have post- banks if they had their salaries slashed face to face with two options: either to poned the payment of installments for or lost their jobs so the two parties can seek courts’ help to get their dues three or four months till they find a find a joint solution. Failing to do so back, thus affecting their reputation new job, said Nasr. He called upon could force banks to resort to the judi- with clients, or to cooperate with the banks to scrutinise the cases of cus- cial authorities, which means cus- clients in difficulty to reach an amica- tomers in financial distress one by one tomers in these situations could face ble settlement”, said Nasr. and not to apply the same solutions to jail penalties, he said. He added: “The financial crisis is an all customers. “If a customer has He also said a guidance unit should exceptional case and solutions have to some assets like a car or other posses- be created at the Consumer Protection be appropriate. A loan should be sions, these assets can be used to Department of the Ministry of Econo- rescheduled in a way that suits the repay debts and then reschedule the my to educate people on the ways to client’s circumstances, by reducing remaining dues. Those who have a get out of the impasse created by the instalments and extending the credit card can be given personal financial difficulties.

Issue (478) October 2010

35 It makes me wonder…

A friend of mine working in 999 magazine and I met coincidently the other day, and he invited me to a glass of green Moroccan tea. I accepted his invitation and sat with him at a café. Our discussion, the minute we started talking, centred on why people, in general, do not interact, proactively and reactively, to the contents of the magazine, despite the improvements it undergoes on a continuous basis. “Readers rarely give their opinions about the topics in the magazine”, my friend said. His question was perplexing to me. “The issue here is cultural, and it has to do with people’s interest in what happens around them. Do not be pessimistic; what we do not achieve today does not mean it is unachievable forever”, I told him. He asked another innocent question, which showed me that he is a transparent per- Opinion son: “Did you like the recent improvements in the magazine? I nodded and said: “Change is the only stable thing that is dependable”. “The case is so, then”, he said, tongue-in-cheek as if what I said did not satisfy him in knowing my frank opinion. “I liked the new changes, specially its name, 999, and the many writers in it (in the Arabic version). It is a great idea bringing the readers closer to police work and its importance in society and it does not deprive them from other cultural and social topics”, I said. That was the summary of my answers to his questions. The friend, drying his sweat on the forehead with tissue paper as the temperature was going up on that summer day prompting us to end the open-air meeting prematurely, was silent about my answers, but I knew his silence did not mean satisfaction. As we were about to leave, I said: “I used to listen to a sports radio programme on 90 FM Abu Dhabi, and I often heard the Saeed Al Henki presenters complain about the public not attending sports events, except when there’s [email protected] a major event. Horse race organisers, to attract people to attend, created a large cash prize for people to win in a raffle draw. However, this did not work successfully for long… attendants at horse races were horse owners and few fans”. My friend kept silent. I had to add: “We have to present the best so that we can get people’s attention. People are the ultimate judge”. It was a hot discussion outside workplaces. Once I started my car’s engine to drive home, many ideas came to my mind. I remembered a television interview with renowned Syrian actor Duraid Lahham; when he was asked why he stopped acting on the stage at Arab world’s theatres, he diplomatically said that he had grown old and the rehearsals would be too exhausting for him. The TV presenter was not convinced, since actors and actresses older than him continue to perform on the stage. Pressed for an answer, Duraid Lahham said: “In my country, the theatre culture has not grown to be strong. Whether there was a theatre or not, it’s all the same”. Then, I was really shocked by what I heard from Duraid Lahham. I wondered whether what he said was some void philosophy from the famous actor, or the reality of things. Now, I am certain what he said is very true.

Issue (478) October 2010

People

Policeman’s courage

He chased a criminal who carried a knife and managed to control him single- handedly

By Amani Al Yafei

oing one’s duty in police work is a normal thing. “We went to the site of the quarrel and found that one of However, some policemen rise above that duty, the victims was stabbed with a knife in the heart. The per- Dout of their commitment for their job and loyalty petrator was about to run away when I chased him; the and love for their homeland. man still had the sharp knife in his hand and blood was all One of these extraordinary policemen is 31-year-old over the place. After a chase, I was able to get hold of him Eisa Abdullah Khalfan. and neutralise him”. He joined the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Khalfan said the honouring by the Director General of of Fujairah Police in 2001. He was honoured by Brigadier the police force in the emirate of Fujairah was an accolade Mohammed Ahmed bin Ghanem Al Kaabi, Director Gen- of excellence for him. He lauded the police headquarters’ eral of Fujairah Police. gesture. “I was honoured after I successfully stopped a criminal “This honouring will make me exert best efforts in the who was carrying a sharp instrument. The Operations service of my homeland”, said Khalfan. Room of Fujairah Police received a report that a quarrel He added that continuous training and development are was taking place at a labour accommodation in which important elements in helping policemen perform their injuries occurred. duties effectively in dangerous situations.

Issue (478) October 2010

People

A dream come true

Attention given by the UAE government to the development of physically-challenged individuals has transformed dreams of many into reality

By Hamed Mahjoob

he UAE is one of the coun- training centres. He has been working Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and tries that devotes special as administrative staff at the Criminal Minister of the Interior. Tattention to the development Investigation Department (CID) at Al “I joined the first batch of students of the skills of physically challenged Ain Police for the last seven years. in 2002 and studied computer, secre- individuals. There are many training He is regarded as a great example of tarial studies and typing. I also and rehabilitation centres for people people who defy obstacles and defeat attended cultural lectures. I came first with special needs in the country. The their handicaps. in typing and was honoured by the government has confidence in the “I had polio (also called infantile Minister of the Interior after having potential of the physically challenged paralysis) since birth. Treatment was secured top positions”, Al Baluchi to get integrated in society and to not a success and I had to use crutch- said. contribute towards the its develop- es. I completed my preparatory stud- The Ministry of Interior also pro- ment and stability. ies till grade 9. I started looking for a vided Ibrahim with a job opportunity. Many well-trained people with spe- job but was not successful, resulting Since March 2003, he has been work- cial needs have been successful in in big disappointment. I was in a very ing at Al Ain Police’ CID. proving their capability, particularly bad psychological state”, Al Baluchi Less than a year after starting his in police work. Many police employ- said. work, he got married and now he has ees now are graduates of the Ministry However, the Ministry of Interior’s three children. of Interior’s training centres for peo- training centres for people with spe- Al Baluchi practises his hobbies at ple with special needs in the city of cial needs provided a great help. Al Ain Club for the Physically Chal- Al Ain. These centres were the outcome of an lenged. They include basketball, Ibrahim Al Baluchi is one of the initiative by His Highness Lieutenant chess and painting. He also took part graduates of Ministry of Interior’s General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al in local competitions.

Issue (478) October 2010

People

Podium ambitions A civil employee at Abu Dhabi Police seeks to star in pan-Arab body building event next year

By Khalid Al Dhanhani

ohammed Adel Abdo, sports centres. ambition is to get the first position. 34, loved sports since he His first achievement was getting Mohammed is thankful to God Mwas a child, and his the second position at the Universi- Almighty, and to his parents, for the ambitions have been realized ties Competition for weight lifting achievements he has made so far. through his sports performance. organised by the University of Shar- “My late father encouraged me a lot, Though he practised many sports, jah in 2001. and always said one has to use his or body building has been his prime More achievements followed in her time in useful things. My mother focus. three weight lifting competitions has also been supportive, and so are “I used to play in the neighbour- organised by Abu Dhabi Police. He my wife and daughter. I derive so hood (in Al Ain where he was born) came second in the first competition, much strength and determination with my friends. We played all but got the first position in the sec- from them”, he underlined. sports games. However, I eventually ond and third competitions. In the He also thanks his coach, Saleh focused on one sport that is body sixth weight lifting competition, he Mohammed Saleh, who he described building. I love this sport and it has achieved a record in the 175kg cate- as “the person who gave me enthusi- been the best for me”, Mohammed gory above 110kg. He is currently asm and the love for the sport”. said. getting ready to take part in the Arab Mohammed works as a civil He took part in many competitions Physical Strength (Weight Lifting) employee of the Training Adminis- at the local level, organised by Abu Competition to be organised by tration. He is an IT specialist han- Dhabi Police Headquarters, sports UAE Federation of Physical dling technical analysis of training institutions and some specialised Strength in Abu Dhabi in 2011. His material.

Issue (478) October 2010

Culture

Issue (478) October 2010

44 Novel inside out

Why do we accept the magic realism of Latin American writers and look dis- trustfully at Arab writers?

By Khalid Al Dhanhani

ovelist Yehya Al Qaisi’s contributed to human civilisation, Q. Your novel has plenty of refer- newest novel, ‘Sons of whether they are from other creatures ences to places. What does a place NHeaven’, presents a totally that are more advanced, or the form in the text of the novel, and fresh approach and content in Arab prophets and saints sent to serve why did you diversify in terms of prose. It is the second novel of the human beings and teach them codes place, including Jordan, Egypt, Jordanian writer after ‘Bab Al Hira’ of conduct, as the characters of the Syria and others? in 2006 and two collections of stories; novel think. In any way, cutting the A. The characters in the novel are ‘Shattered Desires’ in 1997 and ‘Get- long story short would not do good to exposed to important existential expe- ting in the Water Age’ in 1990. the novel as it is of a complete archi- riences and try to find answers for He also wrote a book on dialogues tecture. It has to be read in full to them. Because these issues are major of men of letters ‘The Fever of Writ- deliver its message. The reader is free ones and have a universal dimension, ing’ in 2004 and produced some 25 to think whether this work belongs to I found it to be a reasonable choice to documentaries and television pro- fantasy and imagination or to contem- resort to some spiritual experiences in grammes. He has been active in the plate some references in it and to take adjacent countries. We in Jordan literary scene for the last 25 years. them in earnest. Western novels have almost ignore spiritualism or Sufism; 999 interviewed Al Qaisi to ask him been more advanced like the works of groups studying spirituality and para- psychology have been active in Egypt about his new novel. Paulo Coelho and Dan Brown. and Iraq in the seventies of the 20th Excerpts: century and not in Jordan, and there is Q. Is there a relationship between a vast Sufi experience in some cities the metaphysical and literary cre- Q. Your novel, ‘Sons of Heaven’, like Aleppo in Syria. Therefore, the seeks to explain the extraordinary ative world in its various genres? journey of the main Jordanian charac- and the secrets of the universe. A. There is always a relationship ter to knowledge has led to other Have you found an explanation, or between literature and the world of experiences to be integrated with your novel is purely based on imag- imagination and inspiration. A poet or them. The diversity in novel charac- ination? a creative person is more transparent ters has made them move in different A. I think the novel’s environs than others and has the ability most of places, and Jordan’s rich geography would seem a bit bizarre to Arab read- the time to grasp signals in the uni- appears to be a replacement of the ers in general. It deals with issues not verse. The result will be in the form of deep personal experience of its people commonly discussed, delving into the a creation. In the old days, Arabs in the areas I mentioned. unseen worlds around us, on the one spoke about the valley of Abqar hand, and the secret or spiritual sci- where from poets derived their Q. In the previous novel, ‘Bab Al ences, on the other. In the former, it’s poems. There was the famous poet Hira’, you introduced the reader to a re-interpretation of perplexing phe- ‘Deek Al Jin Al Homsi’ and some a strange world in which history nomena based on religious heritage Sufi poets who spoke of some sub- and Sufism exist. Is the new novel and modern sciences. The ‘Sons of lime spirits dictating to him the words an extension of ‘Bab Al Hira’? Heave’, in this regard, are those who of his literary creation. A. I can say that ‘Bab Al Hira’

Issue (478) October 2010

45 Nabataean culture. Who did not the voice of one literary person in the Arab literary scene get heard compared to his or her counterparts in other Arab countries? A. There is always some injustice relevant to the countries that are on the ‘edges’, for reasons having to do with the interests of the ‘centre’. For a long time, Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq have been at the apex of the literary scene. However, things have changed now; there are famous writers in the Maghreb region, the Gulf and Al Sham Countries (parts of the Arab region). In Jordan, there are important names in novel writing like Ghalib Halsa, Moenes Al Razaz, Tayseer Sabool… these all died early. We have a problem in the making of ‘literary stars’, the distribution of their works and the translation of their works into other languages.

Q. How have Arab novelists ben- efited from Arab heritage, in your opinion? A. Arab heritage is very rich and requires professionals to go deep in it. There are many treasures, but Arab enabled the reader to enter through 99 made is the result of a 10-year spiritu- heritage also has stuff that does not doors of knowledge to ‘Al Hira’ (Hira al journey, readings and meetings classify as sacred and well-cherished. means confusion). There were no suf- with many prominent specialists and Some novelists derived a lot of mate- ficient answers that satisfy the curios- teachers, in addition to my personal rial from heritage and used it in their ity of the main character looking for experience. The important thing, in own way. In fact, some of them just the truth. ‘Sons of Heaven’ may be a my opinion, is that this is the first time copied what they found or wrote continuation of these environs but I am awakened to the seriousness of something on the same lines. Howev- with different characters and with dif- the power of the word… that words er, others reject heritage in its entirety ferent story-telling techniques and have spirits like humans, or their own as part of the past that does not relate language. Some readers may find it a powers of light. I have been made to the present day. My opinion is that solution, and others may not. Sufism aware of the necessity that writing people who do not know their past and exotic environs, meanwhile, are should have a positive role in life as it would have no future. part of our heritage – part and parcel contributes towards spreading light of the tapestry of our life and the cul- amidst darkness. Writing should not Q. What is your dream as a nov- ture that we have been growing with. add misery to the world. The new elist? We often ignore that aspect and novel genre no more depends on the A. Writing for me represents a sub- unfortunately, we marginalise it and story alone, but also includes other lime mission which has a major role consider it as part of superstition and knowledge presented in a nice way to in adding beauty to this world. I hope fables. While we accept the magic the reader. What matters is the con- that my mission will be accomplished realism of Latin American writers and tent. through this novel to the Arab world, welcome their literary work, we sus- first, and to translate it into other lan- piciously look at the creative work of Q. Jordan is rich in heritage and guages. I also hope to be able to con- Arab writers! The effort that has been history and was the place of the tinue writing novels in the future.

Issue (478) October 2010

Flashback

ke down. hose vehicle bro ing a motorist w an in Abu Dhabi help A traffic policem Documents of a motorist who committed a traffic violation being inspected by a traffic policeman in Abu Dhabi.

A vehicle of the Criminal Laboratory’s Mobile Unit in Abu Dhabi.

Issue (478) October 2010

The shepherd and the connoisseur The story goes that a shepherd was surprised when he saw a new car parked close to his herd; a neatly-dressed young man got out of the car and asked him: “Would you give me one of your sheep?”. The shepherd answered in the positive. The young man took out his laptop, connected it to his mobile phone and accessed the internet to get to the website of NASA and utilise a GPS service. He, then, opened a database and an excel sheet. Within minutes, he obtained a 150- page report that he read carefully. Afterwards, he made some calculations and turned to the shepherd and said: “You have 1,647 sheep”. The figure was correct. Perspectives “Take your pick”, said the shepherd. The young man took his pick and put the animal in the trunk. The shepherd, inquisitively, asked him: “If I tell you what you do for a living, would you give me back my sheep?” The young man nodded. The shepherd said: “You are an expert or a consultant”. The young man was astonished and said: “That’s right. How did you know?”. The shepherd answered: “That was simple. You came here without being asked to, intervened in my work and you do not know anything about it and you sought to get a reward for your work in answering a simple, unnecessary question that you posed and whose answer you did not know, while I knew that answer. These are the characteristics of ‘experts and consultants’. Any way, please get my dog out of your car’s trunk; it is not a sheep!”. Doesn’t this story remind you of the large numbers of experts and consultants that you meet every day in many places? These connoisseurs are of two kinds: talk- ative ‘connoisseurs’ whose talk is flawed and are easily exposed, and taciturn ‘connoisseurs’ angering you by not saying any thing of substance. The latter kind is Ali Obaid more dangerous as you fail to know what their decisions will be like, and you cannot make head or tale of their output. [email protected] The ‘connoisseurs’ market is still active, despite calls to put an end to their hiring. The calibre of an expert is decided according to the nature of the assignment; if the assignment is simple, the expert would be a person with ‘extraordinary’ talent and ‘massive’ knowledge that ordinary people don’t have, and if the assignment is big and complex, it would be referred to a group of experts with a long track record of research and success. Services have different price tags, and prices are either high or too high. We are used to thinking of experts as being old, with white hair. However, in recent years, we have seen young experts, of almost the same age of newly graduated youth. I think these young ‘connoisseurs’ are the ones who cannot distinguish between a dog and a sheep. Unfortunately, no end to the issue of hiring inept ‘connoisseurs’ is looming in the distance.