Abu Dhabi: Obtaining a driving license in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become easier than ever before. Now expatriates in UAE can get license without a driving test.
While the majority of the population is required to undergo several tests before being granted a license, there are a few select countries whose license holders are exempt from licensing and allowed to drive in the country.
The Ministry of Interior (MoI) in the UAE has announced that expatriates from 43 countries are not required to have a driving license test in UAE.
The MoI has launched the ‘Markhoos’ initiative for this. Under the initiative, expatriates of these 43 countries will have the right to drive with their national driving license or exchange it with a UAE license if they hold a residence permit.
Abu Dhabi: United Arab Emirates (UAE’s) astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, has once again etched his name into the history books by becoming the first Arab astronaut to walk in space on Friday.
Al Neyadi exited the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday at 5.41 pm UAE time, along with NASA colleague Stephen Bowen, to begin a six-and-a-half-hour maintenance mission.
“Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi egresses the International Space Station (ISS) starting the first Arab spacewalk in history,” Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre (MBRSC) tweeted.
Al Neyadi and Bowen will perform several missions during their time outside the International Space Station.
These include retrieving and relocating foot restraints that astronauts can use for future spacewalks, preparing a portion of the station for future solar array installation and dismounting and retrieving a piece of communications hardware.
While spacesuits – officially known as Extravehicular Mobility Units – weigh 145 kg, astronauts cannot feel that much weight in space.
EMU spacesuit utilised for spacewalks can have up to 16 layers. Learn more about this suit that will be worn by astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi. The live coverage will begin at 4:30 PM. The mission will start at 5:15 PM (UAE time): https://t.co/tx0n331zSQ pic.twitter.com/fm6Mb2GuGS
Before exiting space, Al Neyadi tweeted, “Counting down the hours until we pass through the ISS airlock into space. Wearing the spacesuit and proudly bearing the UAE flag on my arm, I will soon be undertaking the Arab world’s first spacewalk. Wish us luck!.”
Counting down the hours until we pass through the ISS airlock into space. Wearing the spacesuit and proudly bearing the UAE flag on my arm, I will soon be undertaking the Arab world’s first spacewalk. Wish us luck! 🇦🇪✨ pic.twitter.com/nEkpPGZreK
Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi made history on March 2 by becoming the first Arab to join a long-term space mission that will last six months as part of SpaceX’s crew.
The mission is a historic landmark for the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavor, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, carried the Emirati astronaut along with two NASA astronauts, Mission Commander Stephen Bowen, Pilot Warren Hoburg, and Roscosmos Cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
Abu Dhabi: A 28-year-old United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Bhutanese barista won the guaranteed raffle prize of one million Dirhams (Rs 2,22,62,648) in the latest Mahzooz draw.
The winner of the draw Tandin Wangchuk– matched five out of the six winning numbers during the weekly Mahzooz draw held on Saturday, April 22.
Tandin, who works at a coffee shop in Al Ain, is also the first expat from Bhutan to win such a prize with Mahzooz. He has been living in the UAE for the past five years.
“I will be using some of my prize money for the wedding expenses. I may also make a few investments back home in Bhutan and help a few of my friends who have been supporting me during my time here in the UAE,” Tandin told The National News.
How to participate in Mahzooz draw?
To participate in the draw, people have to buy a bottle of water for 35 Dirhams (Rs 779) and receive a ticket with it.
People can participate by registering at Mahzooz’s official website.
Those who match six numbers will share a cash prize of not less than Dirhams 50 million (Rs 1,11,40,53,028). Winners who match five numbers will be able to claim a stake of Dirhams one million (Rs 2,22,81,060), which may increase depending on the number of players present.
People who match four numbers will get a cash prize of Dirhams 1000 (Rs 22,280) and players who match three numbers will get Dirhams 35 (Rs 779) or play free.
Participants have to match seven numbers to win the grand prize of Dirhams 100 million (Rs 2,22,80,51,824), the biggest prize on offer in the UAE. No one has won the first prize yet.
Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Friday appointed two deputy rulers of Dubai, the Dubai Media Office (DMO) reported.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, issued decree appointing Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai.
Decree No. 21 of 2023 annuls Decree No. 5 of 2008. The new Decree is effective from its date of issuance and will be published in the Official Gazette.
Sheikh Maktoum has held the position of Deputy Ruler of Dubai since 2008 and held this position alongside the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who was also the UAE Minister of Finance until his death in March 2021.
Sheikh Ahmed is currently the Chairman of the Dubai Media Council.
Abu Dhabi: Bollywood actress Chrisann Pereira, who was arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on charges of drug-smuggling case, has been reportedly released from Sharjah Central Jail on bail, her brother Kevin Pereira confirms.
In a Instagram story on Thursday, Chrisann’s brother Kevin Pereira wrote,” While Chrisann is set free, we still don’t have an exact date or how long it take for the legal process, signing of papers etc for her to be back on Indian soil.”
27-year-old actress was detained at Sharjah Airport on Saturday, April 1 after authorities found drugs hidden in a trophy she was carrying.
Chrisann Pereira dug case
As per media reports, Chrisann was allegedly tricked by two men into traveling to the UAE to audition for a ‘Hollywood’ web series being filmed in Dubai.
She was asked to hold the award trophy minutes before the flight from Mumbai to Sharjah took off.
My sister Chrisann (Indian citizen) was scammed and sent to Sharjah after which she got arrested in Sharjah on 2nd April as per the consulate general of India. She is unreachable and our family has not been informed abt her status. HELP #Horroratsharjah
Her distraught family in Mumbai had told IANS on Tuesday that Chrisann is innocent and they have planned to appeal to the PM and MEA for help to secure her early release.
On April 24, the Crime Branch registered a case and the main accused in the case, 35-year-old Anthony Paul, a baker in Borivali, and his associate 34-year-old Rajesh Bubhate alias Ravi, a banker, were arrested.
They have confessed to handing three persons the award trophies with drugs concealed in them and two others with drugs-laced cakes before they flew to Dubai, ostensibly as vendetta against the Pereira family.
While two, including Chrisann, unwittingly walked into the trap, three others managed to evade the authorities in Sharjah.
Paul, said to be the brain behind the revenge con, apparently nursed an old grudge against the Pereira family, especially Premila (Chrisann’s mother), and even got into fisticuffs with her son Kevin.
The police have found that Paul had used the same modus operandi with some other wannabe actors, assuring them of plum roles in global webseries, though one person declined to carry the trophy, which Chrisann later agreed to take with her.
Chrisann Pereira recounts her prison life in Sharjah
On Thursday, Kevin Pereira took to Instagram and shared a letter of Chrisann recounted the harrowing time she went through.
“Dear Warriors, It took me three weeks and five days to find pen and paper in jail. After I washed my hair with Tide and made coffee using toilet water, I watched Bollywood movies, sometimes with tears in my eyes knowing my ambition brought me here. I sometimes smile at our culture, our movies and the familiar faces on TV. I feel proud to be an Indian and belong to the Indian film industry,” the letter read.
The actress thanked her family, friends, the police, churches, the media and everyone who believed in her innocence for giving her hope.
“You are the real warriors while I am just a pawn in this dirty game played by these ‘Mansters’. I am forever grateful to everyone who tweeted and reshared my story to arrest the real criminals facilitating international organised crime. We are a great powerful nation and I cannot wait to return home,” she said in the letter.
“Thank you for saving my life and the lives of other innocent people who fell prey to this scam. May justice always prevail,” she concluded.
India is planning to link its power grid through undersea cables to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), local media reported.
India’s Ministry of Energy has circulated ministerial notes for inter-ministerial consultation to expand access to reliable energy and improve energy security in the country.
The bilateral agreements will be signed with Saudi Arabia and the UAE for the mega projects, once the Cabinet approves the decision, Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh told Mint.
“The India-UAE agreement is in its final stages,” said the minister.
In January 2023, India and the UAE announced plans to conduct a feasibility study for connecting their power grids via undersea cables as part of the One Sun, One World, One Grid initiative.
On the other hand, the interconnection with Saudi Arabia is currently being reviewed, Singh stated.
Abu Dhabi: Following the death of a 38-year-old expat from Kerala in a vessel capsizing incident, police in Sharjah have charged the management of the tourist boat company for negligence and arrested onboard staff members on duty, a media report said.
According to Khaleej Times, authorities in Sharjah have also launched a crackdown on several other tourist boat operators violating security and safety procedures.
Abhilash had gone boating with his colleagues when the accident took place off Khor Fakkan beach last week, killing him and injuring four others, including a seven-year-old child.
“The management of the tourist boat company behind the fatal accident has been charged with negligence and referred to the public prosecution,” the Khaleej Times reported, citing Sharjah Police.
Maj-Gen Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police, said that following the incident, an emergency response team was dispatched to the site, and a probe by them revealed that overloading was the cause of the accident.
There were 16 passengers on the boat when the accident took place, whereas the vessel could accommodate a maximum of 10 people.
Multiple rescue teams, including the police and paramedics, rushed to the spot.
The investigation showed that the company took in more people to make higher profits, the Khaleej Times reported.
Following the probe’s outcome, the boat’s management and all staff on duty were arrested.
Police, meanwhile, have issued a warning to all other boat operators in the Emirate to carry out safety checks.
Maj-Gen Al Shamsi ordered the boat operators to strictly follow safety and security guidelines.
Abhilash’s body is presently being kept at the mortuary in Khor Fakkan Hospital.
He is survived by his wife and daughter.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ranked first in the Arab world and 20th globally for economic opportunities offered to residents and investors.
This came according to a report issued by the World Citizenship Report 2023 in ‘Economic Opportunity Rankings’ list of 128 countries, positioning it higher than Iceland, Malaysia, China, Qatar, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey and others.
UAE has announced a number of initiatives to make it easier to do business such as introducing a new long-term visa regime, 100 per cent foreign ownership for foreigners, zero income tax, very low corporate income tax, and signing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with a number of of countries to facilitate and facilitate trade with major economies like India, Israel, etc.
Globally, Singapore, the United States, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Japan are among the top five countries with the best economic opportunities.
Abu Dhabi: US space agency NASA has released an animated video that shows how United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi will perform on his first spacewalk on Friday, April 28.
Sultan Al Neyadi, is due to venture outside the International Space Station (ISS) with NASA colleague Stephen Bowen on a six-and-a-half-hour maintenance mission.
On Monday night, NASA released an animated video detailing how the duo will perform the EVA (extravehicular activity).
They will begin their spacewalks around 5:15 pm GST and will be streamed live on NASA’s website, with Bowen referred to as ‘EV-1’ and Al Neyadi as ‘EV-2’.
“We’re super excited about the crew’s spacewalk,” said Dina Contella, Operations Integration Manager, International Space Station Programme.
“Steve Bowen — an extreme veteran. This will be his eighth spacewalk,” she adds.
“And also Sultan Al Neyadi. Excited about his first EVA and also the first for the UAE in general,” she added.
What would a spacewalk involve?
Al Neyadi and Bowen will perform many tasks during their 6.5 hours spacewalks.
Their first major task will be to restore the foot restraints that are scattered over various parts of the station’s exterior.
These restraints will be stored away or placed in other parts of the station so that astronauts can use them on future spacewalks.
They will also complete a series of preparatory tasks for the installation of solar panels, as these panels will be installed during a subsequent mission in June.
Al Neyadi will also retrieve an radio frequency unit that will eventually be sent back to Earth for repair.
Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Finance has announced a new UAE Cabinet decision relating to ‘qualifying public benefit entities’, whereby Public benefit entities are exempted from the corporate tax.
It’s noteworthy that the Corporate Tax Law provides the legislative basis for the introduction and implementation of a Federal Corporate Tax in the UAE and is effective for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023. The Federal Decree-Law No. (47) of 2022 on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses was issued by the United Arab Emirates on 09 December 2022.
The exemption is designed to reflect the significant role played by public benefit entities, which often include organisations with a focus on areas of religion, charity, science, education and culture.
These entities must continue to comply with all pertinent local, state, and federal laws and notify the Ministry of Finance of any changes that may affect their status as Qualifying Public Benefit Entities in order to be eligible for UAE Corporate Tax exemption. These entities must also meet the requirements under Article (9) of the Corporate Tax Law.
On the Finance Minister’s recommendation, the Cabinet may change, add, or remove entities from the list of Qualifying Public Benefit Entities.
Any change that affects the business’s ability to continue meeting the requirements outlined in this Decision and the Corporate Tax Law must be reported by an entity that is identified in the schedule attached to the decision.
Qualifying public benefit entities are subject to a number of reporting requirements, mostly to ensure that they continue to meet the requirements for approval.
With regard to their deductible expenses under Article 33 of the Corporate Tax Law, taxpayers now have more clarity and transparency thanks to the Cabinet’s decision, as donations and gifts will be recognised as deductible expenses for corporate tax purposes if they are given to one of a qualifying public benefit entity listed in the Cabinet Decision.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
