Holiday

Het is weer enige tijd geleden dat er een officiele vrij dag was. Donderdag heeft iedereen een vrije dag en kunnen we genieten van een lang weekend. UAE private sector holiday on July 31 to mark Isra Wal Meraj

Abu Dhabi: The private sector in the UAE will get a one-day holiday on Thursday, July 31, to mark Isra Wal Meraj - Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) ascension to heaven - it was announced on Sunday. According to a circular issued by the Ministry of Labour, private sector employees will get a holiday on Thursday, July 31, to celebrate the glorious occasion. The ministry congratulated President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice- President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, and the UAE government and people on the occasion. The ministry also congratulated the Arab and Muslim nations on the glorious occasion.

Hot weather

Hot and humid climate to continue for a while in UAE says forecaster

Dubai: It will continue to be very hot over the next couple of days, but it will also be very dry, which will make it not too uncomfortable outside, according to the Dubai met office.

The mercury touched 45 degrees Celsius in Dubai and a degree higher in Jebel Ali. The temperature at Al Minhad Air Base touched 50 degrees and could go beyond 51 degrees, said Dr S. K. Gupta, duty forecaster.

The temperature this time of the year has gone up about four degrees compared to a couple of years ago. The met office blames it on the increasing number of cars spewing hot gases and the rapid development and construction where concrete towers hold the heat for longer.

Temperature is practically the same everywhere with Sharjah registering 45 degree Celsius and Abu Dhabi 43 degree Celsius. It will remain in this range over the next couple of days. Humidity is ranging between 10 to 12 per cent. "It is comfortable when the temperature is high and the humidity is low," said the forecaster, noting that the Comfort Index is at 3 at the moment. The index is graded from 'comfortable' to 'high stress'. The higher the humidity, the higher the stress level.

Source: Gulf News July 28

Afgelopen week heb ik rond het middaguur de temperatuur op de Airport gemeten, het was 55,5 graden in de zon en 45,5 graden in de schaduw!!

In de media vermeld worden lagere temperaturen vermeld/aangegeven aangezien bij temperaturen boven de 50 graden er officieel niet meer gewerkt mag worden.

Sharks @ Dubai

30 Sharks arrive to Dubai Aquarium at the Dubai Mall.

Dubai Aquarium, one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world, will open to the public on August 28, 2008, alongside the mall opening.

The Sand Tiger sharks form part of the 33,000 expected population of aquatic animals in Dubai Aquarium. Also known as Grey Nurse sharks, Sand Tiger sharks are large bodied animals, reaching up to 3.5 metres. They are a docile, non-aggressive species. These sharks can grow up to 30,000 needle-like teeth in their lifetime which they use to grab small prey. They are found in warm or temperate waters throughout the world’s oceans, except the eastern Pacific and have a tendency towards shoreline habitats.

Yousif Al Ali, General Manager, The Dubai Mall, said: “With the largest viewing panel in the world, Dubai Aquarium is a fascinating attraction that will appeal to visitors. Apart from its leisure aspect, the aquarium will also educate visitors on the fascinating array of aquatic life. The Sand Tiger sharks are among the 85 species to be hosted in the aquarium.”

Public bus transport

Vanaf 1 juli zijn vrijwel alle de bustarieven aangepast naar 2 Dirham. Voor een aantal bestemmingen is deze tariefaanpassing gunstig echter voor de kortere ritten betekent dit vaak een tariefsverhoging.

Khan Murjan Souq

Afgelopen vrijdag zijn we naar de nieuw geopende Souk "Kan Murjan" gegaan.

A close copy of an ancient Arabian market has been poured into a 50,000-square-feet hole off Shaikh Rashid Road in Dubai.

An underground shopping mall themed after the legendary Khan Murjan souq in Baghdad of the 1300s was officially opened by the Queen of Syria – actually an actress playing her role – in Wafi City on Sunday.

Though the Dubai version of the original Khan Murjan is dimly lit – it is two floors underneath Wafi Mall – and air conditioned, it follows the traditional styles of Egypt, Turkey, Morocco and Syria.

The modern Khan Murjan features hand-made decoration like marble floors and walls studded with colorful tiles and stone carvings.

Arabic perfume fills the cool corridors, while shopkeepers gesture to visitors to have a look inside.

Using only their bare hands and a few tools, craftsmen in many Arab countries worked for months on the souq’s interiors and architecture, especially the stained-glass ceiling. The mainly blue mosaic throws down a soft light on tourists below.

The stylish interior was built piecemeal, with individual parts flown in and assembled here.

Like the finishing, many of the goods at Khan Murjan are handmade – furniture made in Yemen, natural soap from Lebanon or gowns from Saudi Arabia, for example.
At least 70 stores have opened up already, with 80 others in the pipeline. All alleys lead to a central courtyard. A white canvas roof lets in natural light after filtering out the Sun’s heat. It is folded up later in the day – when its cooler – turning the courtyard into an open-air food and coffee feast.

The original Khan Murjan was an inn for visiting merchants in Baghdad. It had a 45-feet-high central hall and gardens. Though damaged, it survived wars and floods for centuries.