Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, who were recently married in Italy, pose during a reception in New Delhi on December 21, 2017. (AFP)

The wedding in Tuscany on December 11 ended weeks of speculation in the gossip pages of India's newspapers and on the airwaves of the country's excitable 24-hour news channels that the couple had recently got engaged. (AFP)

Kohli and Sharma, dubbed "Virushka" by local media, have generated the same sort of excitement and coverage in India as Britain's Prince Harry and fiance Meghan Markle have in the West. (AFP)

Photo: Twitter

Photo: Reuters

Photo: Reuters

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Photo: Instagram

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At least 37 people, including call centre staff from an American firm, are believed to have perished in a fire that tore through a shopping mall in the southern Philippine city of Davao, local authorities said on Sunday.

President Rodrigo Duterte, himself a Davao native, visited distraught relatives outside the burning building overnight Saturday but told them there was "zero" chance their loved ones had survived, witnesses told AFP.

The fire adds fresh misery for mainly Catholic Philippines at Christmas after a tropical storm killed at least 182 people and displaced tens of thousands in recent days, also mainly in the country's south.

The blaze started at the four-storey NCCC Mall on Saturday morning sending thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky over Davao.

The inferno was finally brought under control early Sunday but fire officials said they had yet to enter the section where the missing were believed to be trapped.

With low wages but strong English language skills, the Philippines is a popular destination for international companies to set up customer call centres.

The mall's top floor housed a 24-hour call centre for US multinational SSI, a market research company.

Jimmy Quimsing, a retired seaman, was one of the relatives desperately waiting for news.

His 25-year-old son Jim Benedict worked at the call centre and had not been in contact since the fire broke out.
Quimsing said he spoke to President Duterte and had been told to prepare for the worst.

"He told us zero, no one would survive under these circumstances," he told AFP.

Duterte's special assistant Christopher Go confirmed the bulk of the conversation to AFP.

Paolo Duterte, the president's son and the vice mayor of Davao, also wrote on Facebook that fire officials had told him there was "zero" chance of anyone trapped surviving the blaze.

- 'No ventilation' -

In a statement on its local Facebook page SSI Philippines Davao said it would set up a "command centre" for relatives of those missing.

"Please continue to pray for everyone's safety," the firm added.

Davao fire marshal Honeyfritz Alagano said the blaze may have started with a spark on the third floor of the mall, which boasted a furniture section.

"One of our firemen here has a kid who is an (call centre) agent in there. He told us some of them went to collect their stuff at their lockers and were trapped," Alagano told AFP.

"The mall is an enclosed space with no ventilation. When our firemen tried to enter they were pushed back by smoke and fire," she said.

Deadly blazes occur regularly in the Philippines, particularly in slum areas where there are virtually no fire safety standards.

"It's possible that while they were working, they did not immediately notice the fire spreading," Davao police officer Ralph Canoy told AFP, referring to the call centre workers.

Davao, with a population of about 1.5 million people, is the biggest city in the southern Philippines. It is about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) south of Manila, the nation's capital
The president served as mayor for more than two decades and continues to go home there on weekends from his work at the presidential palace in Manila.

Most of those killed by the recent tropical storm were also in the southern region of Mindanao.

There have also been horrific fires in bigger buildings and factories, where corruption and exploitation mean supposedly strict standards are often not enforced.

Seventy-two people were killed in 2015 when a fire tore through a footwear factory in Manila. Survivors of that blaze blamed barred windows and other sweatshop conditions for trapping people inside the factory.

In the deadliest fire in the Philippines in recent times, 162 people were killed in a huge blaze that gutted a Manila disco in 1996.

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The UAE has been ranked the world's largest donor of official development aid, relative to its national income, according to a data published on Saturday by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD.

The official development aid provided by the UAE in the year 2016 reached AED15.57 billion (US$4.24 billion), making up 1.21 percent of the country's Gross National Income, GNI. Over 58 percent of the development aid provided by the UAE was in the form of grants.

Bolstering its global lead in several fields, UAE continues to maintain its rank as the world's largest donor of official development aid, relative to national income, following the path of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in serving humanity by assisting brotherly and friendly nations to develop their economies or mitigate impacts of natural disasters.

Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Development Affairs, said the ranking is a fruit of the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and their wise approach of adopting humanitarian and developmental initiatives.

Norway came second, contributing 1.12 percent of its GNI, followed by Luxembourg (1 percent) and Sweden (0.94 percent).

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Bitcoin prices plunged by more than 20 percent on Friday as investors cashed out just before Christmas following the wildly volatile currency's stratospheric rise in recent weeks.

The precipitous drop came after a series of warnings by analysts and governments about a bubble that could burst at any moment as investors, many inexperienced, piled into the unit hoping to enjoy some of the eye-watering gains.

The controversial cryptocurrency, which is not backed by any central bank, stood at $12,840 near 1815 GMT from its Thursday price of $16,563.

That was a decline of more than 30 percent from its record high of $19,500 Monday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. After starting the year near $1,000, the digital currency soared to $10,000 in late November, and nearly doubled that just a couple weeks later.

The sell-off has bled through to other cryptocurrencies such as dash, litecoin and ripple, all of which were sent plunging.

Stephen Innes, head of trading for Asia Pacific at OANDA, said investors are having a "reality check."

"At the heart of the matter was a frenzied demand for coins with limited supply has now led to unsophisticated investors holding the bag at the top."

One of the largest bitcoin trading platforms, Coinbase, halted trading for more than two hours Friday, citing "today's high traffic." But the service was restored around 1845 GMT.

Some analysts attributed the plunge to profit taking, while others said the drop was just another sign of the inherent volatility in the asset.

"There's no catalyst in particular for the drop," said Alexandre Baradez, analyst for IG France. "But bitcoin is 20 times more volatile than trading the euro to the dollar."

At its height, bitcoin had soared almost 30-fold since the start of the year, helped in part by its debut on mainstream markets as two major US exchanges began trading bitcoin futures.

And the mania that has swept the bitcoin universe saw a New York beverage company this week announce it was shifting into cryptocurrency-related investments.

Long Island Iced Tea Corp of Farmingdale, New York - which says it currently produces the soft drink with a proprietary recipe - said on Thursday it was changing its name to "Long Blockchain Corp" and would explore investments in the technology underlying cryptocurrencies.

Shares in the firm rose 180 percent on the tech-rich Nasdaq following the news.

And Friday, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree legalizing bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and permitting "smart contracts" that run on the blockchain technology.

Central bank warnings

But bitcoin began looking shaky on Wednesday when it took a 15-percent hit following news South Korean exchange Youbit had been hacked, leading the firm to say it will close and start bankruptcy proceedings. South Korea and Japan are home to some of the largest number of traders in the currency.

The Youbit development came a day after US authorities suspended trading in a popular bitcoin-related stock, citing concerns about market manipulation.

The Crypto Company's share price had risen 1,700 percent between the end of September and Monday evening before the Securities Exchange Commission intervened to halt trades until January 4.

There have been numerous warnings about a possible blowout in the market.

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Thursday that the price surge of the virtual currency was "abnormal," while Singapore's central bank advised investors to "act with extreme caution".

European Central Bank officials also have expressed concern about the relentless rise in the value of bitcoin and the potential risk accompanying the trend.

US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen has said bitcoin is not money and called on banks to be certain their digital currency transactions adhere to anti-money laundering statutes.

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Gold rates for Saturday, December 23, 2017

Get retail Gold and Forex rates with Emirates 24|7 

Emirates 24|7 brings you the daily Dubai gold rate (22k, 24k, 21k and 18k), as well as currency exchange rates, including the Indian rupee, Pakistani rupee, Philippine peso, Sri Lankan rupee, sterling pound, euro and may more against the UAE dirham (US dollar).

The rates for 24 carat, 22 carat, 21 carat, 18 carat and Ten Tola (TT) Bar (11.6638038 gram) will be updated four times a day to keep them fresh and relevant for buyers of gold bars and gold jewellery in the UAE.

The update times for Retail Gold Rate in Dubai will be at 9.30am, 2.30pm, 5pm and 8pm (unless there is drastic fall or rise in the international rate).

On Saturdays, the gold rates will be updated at 9.30am and this rate will stay static through Saturday and Sunday until the international market reopens on Monday.

Please note that the retailers add making charges separately to the quoted rate of gold.

The Retail Gold Rate in Dubai is being supplied by the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group.

Foreign Exchange Rates

The Foreign Exchange Rates of major currencies will be updated twice each working day at around 8:30am and 3:30pm.

These will cover both the Remittance Rates [for sending money] and the Currency Notes Rates [for buying and selling of currency notes].

The Foreign Exchange Rates are being supplied by UAE Exchange.

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The Salman Khan-Aishwarya Rai clash is on. Unlike earlier reports where Anil Kapoor had tweeted a picture of the film Fanney Khan’s look without the release date of the film, the film’s producer Prerna Arora confirms that the Aishwarya Rai film's release date is on Eid. “Anil Kapoor feels that it is a very good date to release the film as Eid is the time when a film like Fanney Khan can do well. As a producer I want to release my film at the earliest and at the right time,” says Prerna.

So, it actually means that for the first time in his career, two Anil Kapoor films will release on the same date. Not only does Anil Kapoor feature in Fanney Khan in the lead role, but he is also an integral part of Race 3 which releases on Eid.

Prerna Arora – the producer of films like Toilet Ek Prem Katha, has pitched all her films opposite films starring big stars.  Her film Parmanu starring John Abraham which was pushed behind because of Padmavati twice over is still wary of Padmavati. “I am scared of Padmavati. I know Hichki is releasing opposite Parmanu. I love Rani as an actor and Sidharth (director Sidharth P Malhotra) is a dear friend. I am not concerned because we are different films and we will share theatres,” she says.

Prerna’s third release in 2018 – Kedarnath starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan and directed by Abhishek Kapoor will clash with Shah Rukh Khan’s film with Aanand L Rai.

“We are still coming on 21st December. We are still trying to talk to Shah Rukh sir and we will see which date is suitable.  Right now, it is 21 December, but we will see how we can move things around,” she says.

 “The point is that we are not getting any solo release date for any of our films. That’s not intentional. It is just that every two films have to come together. Everybody has accepted that happily,” adds Prerna.

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The Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sunday visited the Dubai Safari Park- an edutainment development sprawling over 12 million square feet at a cost of around AED1.25 billion.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed began his tour by visiting the monumental model of the park, accompanied by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, and H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed was briefed by Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, on the various departments and facilities of the park, which includes four villages: Arabian, Asian, African, and an open safari village.

The region's one-of-a-kind development also includes a Valley Zone adjacent to the African village. It provides the visitors with a safe and comfortable atmosphere and gives them the opportunity to enjoy a pleasant family picnic on the green yards along the animals living in the valley, which stands as a large edutainment centre for visitors, especially school students and families, to learn about wildlife and its diversity.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed, accompanied by a delegation of senior officials, toured the park's diverse sections and villages in eco-friendly vehicles run by solar energy.

The Arabian Village is considered a moderate desert environment embracing different species of Arabian oaks, deer and birds. All the components of life for these animals and birds are provided from sand, grass, water, lakes, artificial scales, air-conditioned umbrellas and others.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed then continued his tour to the Asian village, established as an incubator for animals and birds from Asia.

At the end of his tour, Sheikh Mohammed expressed his satisfaction with the completion of this educational cultural tourism project in a short period of five-six years. He commended the great efforts of the Dubai Municipality and its partners to implement this promising national project which is not serving families in the UAE only, but also tourists and visitors from different world countries.

The park features integrated services and facilities for People of Determination, an area dedicated for buying souvenirs, and classes dedicated for school students, in addition to restaurants and rest areas, which allow visitors to take short breaks in a comfortable and quiet family ambience.

Among those who accompanied Sheikh Mohammed were Mohammed Ibrahim AI Shaibani, Director-General of His Highness the Ruler's Court, Government of Dubai, Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Director- General of the Department of Protocol and Hospitality in Dubai, and other officials.

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Due to heavy fog forecasts in Abu Dhabi over the next few days, Etihad Airways has anticipated some flight delays and cancellations.

As a consequence, some return flights into Abu Dhabi are also expected to face disruption, according to the company's spokesman.

Guests holding bookings over the next few days are advised to check the status of their flights at etihad.com/flightstatus or through the Etihad Airways Mobile App before proceeding to the airport. Alternatively, guests can call the Etihad Airways Global Contact Centre +971 (0) 2599 0000.

The company will continue to monitor the adverse weather conditions in Abu Dhabi and have in place contingency plans in the event of further disruption to its operations, added the spokesman, reiterating that "the safety of our guests and crews remains our utmost priority."

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The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, TRA, has announced the initiation of IMT2020 technology, also known as 5G technology.

Licencees from mobile operators in the UAE will start the deployment of 5G networks in several phases starting from early 2018, allowing the use of harmonised spectrum bands and the development of the ICT infrastructure.

This development facilitates the implementation of the UAE's top strategic directives, including the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Artificial Intelligence, smart city, and the Internet of Things, IoT. It will facilitate handling big data transfer between machines, M2M, and IoT, as well as expanding the speed and capacity of multiple folds of Gigabits per second, providing new services that meet the requirements of the digital transformation and smart government.

The 5G technology initiation will enable the UAE to achieve its global competitiveness objectives, particularly its stated goal of achieving the first rank globally in the Online Services Index, OSI, and to be among the top ten ranks in the Network Readiness Index, NRI.

Commenting on the announcement, Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, the TRA Director-General, said, "We are proud to be among the first countries that apply 5G technology in telecommunications, which is in line with our leadership's directives and the UAE Vision 2021, placing our country in its deserved position among the top countries of the world. In the last few years, the telecommunications sector has been the main driver of all the progress in all development sectors. However, rapid global developments and the transition of humanity to the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution have enhanced the status of this sector, making it the main nerve of major digital transformations, and the incubator of evolution on all tracks including science, economy, education or other vital fields."

As part of its initiative to launch IMT2020 services in the UAE, the TRA has formed three committees working under the supervision of the UAE 5G steering committee. The committees work in a coordinated manner in the fields of spectrum, verticals and network aspects.

The UAE is among the first countries worldwide to conduct several advanced technological trials towards the development of IMT2020 since 2016 to experience ultra-broadband throughputs on mobility.

The TRA supports allocating and identifying certain harmonised frequency bands to IMT2020, and promote globally harmonised ecosystems that will best serve the UAE public interest and decrease deployment costs. Different frequency bands are considered to facilitate the deployment of 5G in the UAE for the purposes of coverage and capacity over wide areas, small areas, hotspots and indoor implementations. The deployment plans and venues are discussed closely with operators to ensure the successful launch of this technology.

The telecommunications authority will support the suitability of some of these bands and supports initiating 5G technology early deployment in the following bands for before the year 2020; 1427-1518 MHz, 3300-3800 MHz and 24.25 – 27.5 GHz.

"We are optimistic that we will be able to achieve the objectives of the next phase, building on our accumulated achievements in the telecommunications sector and on our strategic plans that take into account current and future global developments, and based on the efforts of licensed operators who have always demonstrated their support for our leadership’s vision for the future and their will to contribute in making it for the benefit of our future generation," Al Mansoori said.

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Newcomers to the UAE often ask old-timers for advice on whether tap water is healthy to drink. 

Surprisingly, opinions are not all the same on this subject. While some residents do not seem to have a problem drinking tap water at all, other would say it is only good for cooking, cleaning – or nothing.

Along with the advice come the warnings: ‘tap water would leave a brownish substance at the bottom of your glass’, or ‘it contains all kinds of harmful elements’, and ‘one should only resort to bottled drinking water’…

Some residents argue that even bottled water can contain harmful elements if you’re not careful with selecting the right brand.

Many residents feel urged to invest in bottles and jugs of drinkable water. The water cooler has become a common object in many households. But is it necessary?

Authorities have time and again stated that there is nothing wrong with tap water in the UAE.

But that does not mean that everybody should drink from the tap; the water tank storing the water can be breeding ground of elements that decrease the quality of tap water.

The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Authorisation (Esma) defines un-bottled drinking water as water suitable for human consumption supplied to consumers by a water distribution system, public or private, sourced from wells, springs, or any source of surface water that complies with UAE.S GSO 149 (Esma code).

In order for un-bottled drinking water to be up to the UAE standard, companies as well as techniques and material used are regulated and assessed by the concerned authorities.

Esma’s UAE Scheme for Drinking Water clarifies: “To insure safety of un–bottled water in all supply chain concerned authorities reserves the right to inspect and sample all supply points for testing and insure compliance with the relevant standards.”

Water storage tanks too are part of the scheme. The tanks are subjected to UAE standards and assessed. However, maintenance of the water tanks becomes a responsibility not of the supplier, but of the consumer.

“Tap water is completely safe to drink at the time of dispatch. But, the tanks must be cleaned systematically, at least once in six months, to ensure it is unpolluted. Commercial tanks are monitored by us, but not the residential ones,” said Bobby Krishna, Principal Food Studies Officer at Dubai Municipality.

When a tenant rents an apartment, (s)he would probably have little knowledge of the maintenance activities that have been done and have not been done in that particular apartment.

“I use tap water for everything (including cooking) except drinking. The main reason being is that as a tenant in a flat I have no control over the water tank located on the roof of the building,” writes a resident on an online forum where the topic is being discussed.

But property owners too would not immediately think of cleaning the water tank of their residence. As bottled water can be delivered to your doorstep for a reasonable price, this option seems more hassle-free for many residents.

“The water is fine but the water tanks in the villas/apartments are not maintained/cleaned as often as they should be (every 6 months), so it is recommended that you don’t. Buy bottled water instead,” recommends an expat on the forum.

“Don't even give it to the cats to drink,” is the opinion of yet another expat.

Residents with experience of a well-maintained water tank agree that the water is perfectly drinkable, and tasty.

“If the building management carries out regular cleaning work then it is perfectly safe to drink,” says Bobby. “The problem can only come from the tank.”

According to maintenance company Ultra, debris and other contaminants could build up over time within the water storage tank and provide a breeding ground for bacteria such as Legionella. “Other harmful bacteria may also be present and if left unchecked these can create a high risk environment for the entire building,” it states.

“Regular cleaning of the water tank would include a clean-up every 6 months.”

But according to Bobby the health hazards are not prominent. “We have never seen contaminated water,” he said. “But, in rare cases where the tank is not cleaned you will see sporadic cases of water-borne diseases.

Even then, it will not be contaminated, just plain dirt.”

“There’s no scope for sewage to come in the first place, because it is unrelated,” he assures.

(Home page image courtesy Shutterstock)

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth will pay tribute to her husband Prince Philip in her Christmas message, and praise his "support and unique sense of humour".

The 96-year-old prince, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, has been at the queen's side throughout her 65 years on the throne, and has regularly grabbed the headlines with his off-colour comments.

He retired from regular royal duties over the summer, but has continued to make occasional appearances, most recently walking to the Christmas Eve church service on the royal family's Sandringham estate.

The queen will also talk about the importance of home in her message, and the sense of community in London and Manchester after the capital's devastating Grenfell Tower fire and the militant attacks in both cities.

"We think of our homes as place of warmth, familiarity and love ... there is a timeless simplicity to the pull of home," she will say, according to excerpts from her speech released by Buckingham Palace.

"This Christmas, I think of London and Manchester, whose powerful identities shone through over the past 12 months in the face of appalling attacks," she will add in the message which will be broadcast at 1500 GMT.

Elizabeth, the world's longest reigning monarch, very rarely talks about her husband.

On their golden wedding anniversary in 1997, she said he did not take easily to compliments but had been her "strength and stay all these years".

Philip, who has carried out more than 22,000 solo engagements, developed a reputation for his comments, including his remark about "slitty eyes" on a visit to China in the 1980s.

In the following decade, he said "Aren't most of you descended from pirates?" to an islander in the Cayman Islands and asked a driving instructor in Scotland: "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?"

The seasonal royal message dates back to King George V in 1932 and was first televised 60 year ago in 1957.

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A Hong Kong woman jailed for six years for starving and beating her Indonesian domestic helper was ordered by a court on Thursday to pay more than $100,000 in damages for the "inhumane" abuse.

Law Wan-tung was convicted of grievous bodily harm, assault, criminal intimidation and failure to pay wages in 2015 and is still serving a jail term after losing an appeal.

The plight of her former helper, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, and pictures of the injuries she suffered made her the face of a movement determined to force change for Hong Kong's army of helpers.

More than 340,000 domestic helpers, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia, work in Hong Kong, often performing menial tasks for low wages while being forced to live in poor conditions.

Calling the abuse inflicted on Sulistyaningsih "inhumane, degrading and abhorrent", Judge Winnie Tsui ordered Law to pay around $103,400 (HK$809,000) as she delivered her judgment, reports said.

The court awarded Sulistyaningsih the full amount of damages she claimed for injuries, medical expenses and other losses, local media reported.

Sulistyaningsih previously described how for months she lived on nothing but bread and rice, slept only four hours a day and was beaten so badly that she was knocked unconscious.

The then-23-year-old was admitted to hospital in Indonesia in 2014, emaciated and in critical condition, sparking international outrage as pictures of her spread on social media.

Following a series of high-profile abuse cases, concerns over the welfare of Hong Kong's migrant domestic workers have grown.

Rights groups say unscrupulous employment agencies plunge helpers into debt and withhold their passports while the legal requirement for helpers to live with their employers makes it difficult for them to escape abuse.

Rights advocates have long sought reforms, including ending a rule where domestic workers must leave the city 14 days after they quit a job unless they can find other employment within that time.

Campaigners say the rule discourages workers from leaving abusive employers.

The government has shown no sign it plans to update the regulations.

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Gold rates for Saturday, December 23, 2017

Get retail Gold and Forex rates with Emirates 24|7 

Emirates 24|7 brings you the daily Dubai gold rate (22k, 24k, 21k and 18k), as well as currency exchange rates, including the Indian rupee, Pakistani rupee, Philippine peso, Sri Lankan rupee, sterling pound, euro and may more against the UAE dirham (US dollar).

The rates for 24 carat, 22 carat, 21 carat, 18 carat and Ten Tola (TT) Bar (11.6638038 gram) will be updated four times a day to keep them fresh and relevant for buyers of gold bars and gold jewellery in the UAE.

The update times for Retail Gold Rate in Dubai will be at 9.30am, 2.30pm, 5pm and 8pm (unless there is drastic fall or rise in the international rate).

On Saturdays, the gold rates will be updated at 9.30am and this rate will stay static through Saturday and Sunday until the international market reopens on Monday.

Please note that the retailers add making charges separately to the quoted rate of gold.

The Retail Gold Rate in Dubai is being supplied by the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group.

Foreign Exchange Rates

The Foreign Exchange Rates of major currencies will be updated twice each working day at around 8:30am and 3:30pm.

These will cover both the Remittance Rates [for sending money] and the Currency Notes Rates [for buying and selling of currency notes].

The Foreign Exchange Rates are being supplied by UAE Exchange.

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His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has received, in Qasr Al Bahr, the Emirati student, Fatima Al Kaabi, known as the UAE’s youngest inventor.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed was briefed by Al Kaabi about her 12 major and diverse inventions, including the latest, which is an experimental robot that can go to school, attend classes and interact with teachers when a student is unable to attend classes.

Sheikh Mohamed praised the efforts and passion of Al Kaabi in attaining excellence while expressing his pride of the country’s innovative students, and their hard work and scientific achievements, made for the higher good of their homeland.

"The UAE is relying on students such as her, who are seeking to prove their worth, capabilities and skills in science, inventions and advanced research," Sheikh Mohamed said.

Al Kaabi expressed her great happiness at exchanging talk with Sheikh Mohamed and stressed that the meeting with His Highness has doubled her responsibility to continue her efforts and attain excellence and more impressive success.

The meeting in Sheikh Mohamed’s Council was attended by Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of Federal National Council, FNC; H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler`s Representative in Al Ain Region; H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan; H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court; H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; and H.H. Sheikh Omar bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation.

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The Federal Tax Authority, FTA, has closed three commercial establishments for violating its excise tax laws, after an inspection campaign in cooperation with the Department of Economic Development of Dubai, DED, as part of their joint efforts to limit tax violations.

The FTA and the DED investigated cases of tax evasion by commercial businesses after a date was set for their joint inspection, which resulted in the apprehension of three retail outlets for violating tax laws. After the inspections were completed and various evidence examined, energy drink products were discovered that proved transgressions by a company while cases of tax evasion were discovered in commercial establishments that sold goods subject to excise tax. The FTA subsequently followed their procedures, confiscated the products, and decided to close the three shops until it could reassess the alleged tax violations.

Khalid Al Bustani, Director-General of the FTA, highlighted the importance of cooperating with local departments concerned with commercial compliance and consumer protection in the UAE, to apply the excise tax and enforce relevant laws. Businesses should not exploit excise tax as an excuse to raise their prices for consumers, he added, highlighting that the FTA has coordinated with relevant local departments to organise periodic inspection campaigns.

He also praised the cooperation of the DED’s Commercial Compliance Sector while highlighting their ongoing joint efforts to protect consumers and apply the tax.

Mohammed Rashed Ali Lootah, Executive Director of the Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection, CCCP, Sector, stated that cooperation and coordination with the FTA helps to protect the national economy from tax evasion and transgressions against the rights of commercial agents, according to existing commercial laws while highlighting the necessity of coordinating with the FTA in the field inspections of markets, to prevent violations of tax and commercial laws and protect the business sector and consumers.

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Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, who were recently married in Italy, pose during a reception in New Delhi on December 21, 2017. (AFP)

The wedding in Tuscany on December 11 ended weeks of speculation in the gossip pages of India's newspapers and on the airwaves of the country's excitable 24-hour news channels that the couple had recently got engaged. (AFP)

Kohli and Sharma, dubbed "Virushka" by local media, have generated the same sort of excitement and coverage in India as Britain's Prince Harry and fiance Meghan Markle have in the West. (AFP)

Photo: Twitter

Photo: Reuters

Photo: Reuters

Photo: Instagram

Photo: Instagram

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Instagram: Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone and Hollywood actor Vin Diesel sent fans in a tizzy soon after the actress shared a photo of them on social media in December.

Now 'xXx: The Return of Xander Cage' director DJ Caruso confirmed the news in a tweet during a chat session with his fans.

In December, the filmmaker had tweeted a picture and wrote: "Xander will travel this road #xandercagereturnsxxx #VinDiesel #Dominicanfiliming #DeepikaPadukone."

Vin Diesel/Instagram

He tweeted when a fan asked him about Deepika's shooting schedule: "@CyrineZanaib @6eyf__ we start in january. She (Deepika) starts sometime in February."

Jet Li, Deepika Padukone and Tony Jaa are joining the cast of Vin Diesel's xXx sequel. They'll join a cast that already includes UFC fighter Conor McGregor and Samuel L. Jackson.

Karisma Kapoor's divorce gets murky

Sanskriti Media and Entertainment

Adding to their long drawn divorce, actress Karisma Kapoor's husband Sunjay Kapur has filed an application at the family court for the custody of their children.

Just last month, the estranged couple's petition of divorce on the grounds of mutual consent was disposed, after both of them withdrew their consent.

The two children, daughter Samiera and son Kiaan Raj who are currently staying with Karisma.

File

Sunjay had filed the same application in the past, but later withdrew it as both the parties filed for divorce on mutual consent, which included the terms and conditions regarding the custody of the children.

But the same divorce petition on the grounds of mutual consent was disposed of last month after Karisma and Sunjay withdrew their consent to the petition.

The couple got married in 2003.

Karan Johar to launch Shah Rukh Khan's son?

Looks like filmmaker Karan Johar has set his eyes on Shah Rukh Khan's son, Aryan Khan.

Karan, who has launched talents like Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra, is keen on mentoring Aryan.

The director and Shah Rukh have worked extensively together and share great equations for over two decades now.

And Shah Rukh's 17-year-old son, who has off-late been in the party circuit surely has got all the makings of a Bollywood super star.

According to an interview with a leading daily, Karan stated that Aryan shall venture into the massive B-town only though his movie. While elaborating on his equation with SRK, the director said, "Working with SRK was and is something that I always cherish. I feel whenever there are two people who are strong and close to each other, there is a section of people who are never happy with their closeness."

He further said, "Shah Rukh is beyond family to me. In fact, my equation with him has moved from him to his kids now. I always tell him, "I am going to maintain my youth quotient only because I want to launch Aryan. No one else can launch Aryan but me."

Aryan is currently pursuing his studies in London and is often spotted partying.

Katrina trying to work things out with Ranbir

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There have been rumours doing the rounds about Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif's relationship being on rocky ground.

Her recent tell-all interview about not being happy with Ranbir working with Deepika, about not being close to his parents didn't help dwindle these rumours.

But a source close to the couple has actually told a website in India that there isn't really an issue between the two.

It seems all the issues hasn't affected Ranbir and Katrina's relationship. The reports of their break-up apparently didn't affect them since they don't pay too much attention to stories written about them.

While the rumours of their break-up may have worked for 'Tamasha's' publicity, it hasn’t damaged Ranbir and Katrina's relationship.

The actress is willing to iron out any possible friction. Katrina will be taking off to London for Christmas and New Year and she is taking Ranbir with her.

The couple sure need this vacation!

Katrina Kaif's 'Fitoor' intimate scenes

Twitter: @KatrinaAtCannes

'Fitoor', starring Aditya Roy Kapoor and Katrina Kaif has been embroiled in controversies since its inception.

Director Abhishek Kapoor is not entirely happy with the way things are going.

Twitter: @LOrealParisIn

He is disappointed with the way the film is shaping up and called for a re-shoot of a lovemaking scene between the film's lead pair Aditya and Katrina, which he believed wasn't good enough.

The passionate scene is just one of the scenes that will be redone, as per the report. 

Abhishek didn't like what he saw in the edit and has now decided to take out more time to do-over a few scenes which is normal.

Twitter: @KatrinaAtCannes

But all this has left Katrina miffed.

Katrina is angry with the director and strongly disagreed on the point of re-shooting the entire sequence.

Twitter: @KatrinaAtCannes

In fact, till the last moment, the crew had no clue if the shoot was happening at all. Eventually, the producers calmed the actress down and got her to agree to the scene again. But not before she threw a major fit.

'Fitoor' has already been delayed by months after Rekha decided to walk out of the project midway after shooting a few scenes. Tabu was then brought in and Abhishek resumed shooting.

When Ranveer Singh fell for Deepika Padukone

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Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone may never have confirmed the many rumours of the two being in a relationship with each other, but the two never hesitate when it comes to supporting or praising each other.

Ranveer has finally revealed when he fell for his ladylove for the first time and also said that he can not forget that first sight.

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In an recent interview, Ranveer and Deepika were asked what they thought about each other when they saw each other for the first time.

Ranveer revealed that he saw Deepika during the Zee Cine Awards which were held in Macau. He also said, "The first time I saw her, I almost went flat!"

File

The actor recalls that Deepika was wearing a silver dress at the event which happened in 2012 and when a fan asked him about how does he remember it so well. Here's what Ranveer tweeted: "how can one possibly forget that sight!?"

Genelia Deshmukh pregnant again?

Twitter

Riteish Deshmukh and wife Genelia Deshmukh are enjoying their parenthood with adorable little baby Riaan Deshmukh.

Riaan turned one this November when his parents threw a sailor-themed birthday party for him.

Twitter

However, buzz is that little Riaan will soon have a sweet little sibling to play with.

Bollywood circuits are abuzz that Genelia is pregnant with her second baby.

Twitter

The actress, who was planning to take on work after a long break, has put a stop to these new projects now that she is in the family way again.

Salman, Iulia Vantur caught in one frame

File

Salman Khan is one of the most good looking men in Bollywood and fans are aware of his string of affairs which never culminated into marriage.

The latest in the list is Romanian model Iulia Vantur. Rumours have been rife for a long time now that Salman and Iulia are going strong.

There have been buzzes of an engagement and a wedding too. However, Salman has never admitted to the relationship and has always laughed it off.

Recently, a source close to Salman mentioned that Iulia is busy with her work assignments abroad and therefore there is no question of them getting engaged or married.

Now few pictures have surfaced which shows Salman and Iulia driving away. While Salman is seated in the front, Iulia is seen sitting at the back.

Both Salman and Iulia are clicked in one frame and the two seemed aware of camera presence.

While it might still be some time before Salman Khan's relationship status is revealed to the world at large, these photos have added an all new dimension to the Salman-Iulia saga.

Katrina unhappy with Ranbir, Deepika

Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone during a promotion of upcoming movie 'Tamasha' at Hotel Holiday, Punchkula. (Getty Images)

Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone make a perfect couple on-screen. They have been the talk of the town and their chemistry on and off screen is way too palpable.

The two hottest co-stars of Bollywood were in the news during their aggressive promotional events and their movie 'Tamasha'.

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The movie itself was an intense, romantic and pathfinding story that even involved a passionate lip-lock between the two ex-lovers.

So what does Ranbir's current girlfriend Katrina Kaif think about all this?

Ranbir and Deepika Padukone dance during a promotion of their film 'Tamasha'. (AP)

Katrina said that 'Tamasha' is an outstanding movie and that Ranbir was superb in it. However, in a recent interview with GQ, Katrina put forward her actual thoughts on her handsome boyfriend working with his ex-girlfriend, Deepika.

Katrina said when asked about Ranbir working with Deepika, "I can't enforce my will on the people in my life. Their choices are their own. I may not be happy with them but I hope that as they mature or as they evolve, their choices will change!"

Well, that says it all, doesn't it?

Kareena Kapoor says no to Hrithik?

AFP

Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor Khan make a good Bollywood on-screen couple, despite that they have never worked together after Subhash Ghai's film 'Yaadein' in 2003.

It was their rumoured affair during the movie that saw the two actors walk away in different directions.

Reports suggested that Kareena and Hrithik might come together for Sanjay Gupta's next.

Sanskriti Media

The makers had approached Kareena but Hrithik's father Rakesh Roshan clearly said that Kareena is not in the film.

A popular entertainment tabloid recently reported that Hrithik will be working with his director father Rakesh Roshan once again and the film is set to kick start in February. It doesn’t have a title yet but the daily reports that it will be love story cum revenge drama directed by Sanjay Gupta.

AFP

Sanjay Gupta tweeted: "Ok guys its true that I am working on my next with Hrithik and Rakeshji. But we have not confirmed the lead actress as yet. We will soon :-)."

He continued, "It would be any director's dream come true to get Hrithik and Kareena together for a film. But we have not finalised our heroine yet."

Karisma Kapoor's divorce getting messy?

Actress Karisma Kapoor and estranged husband Sunjay Kapur had filed a mutual consent divorce petition in Mumbai's Family Court and were to end their 12 year old marriage before the end of 2014.

And since, they are unable to reach a consensus, both the parties decided to withdraw the joint petition for divorce.

The court will decide after speaking to Sunjay. Karisma, who was present in the court went through a long counselling session behind closed doors.

Mid Day reports that Karisma and Sunjay have been arguing about is the terms of a Trust being set up for the welfare of their two children, Samaira and Kiaan Raj Kapoor.

Sunjay doesn't want to handover the control of the Trust to Karisma. As a result, Karisma is not giving Sunjay access to their children.

Karisma and Sunjay tied the knot in September 2003.

Preity Zinta getting married... soon?

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In the latest wedding buzz, Bollywood's dimpled girl Preity Zinta is all set to marry, according to the reports.

Though the actress herself has denied the news, Times Of India has reported that sources close enough to the actress have confirmed that she's about to fly to USA in January 2016.

AFP

There, she'll be getting married to her American boyfriend, Gene Goodenough at a small and intimate ceremony.

The two have been going steady for a while now and it was Gene who stood by Preity throughout her problems with her ex-boyfriend Ness Wadia.

Katrina doesn't like talking about Salman

Salman and Katrina promote 'Ek Tha Tiger'. (Supplied)

Katrina Kaif, who is Ranbir Kapoor's girlfriend, feels that it would be disrespecting her 'existing relationship' if she talks in public about her ex-boyfriend Salman Khan.

During an appearance on Niranjan Iyengar's talk show 'Look Who's Talking with Niranjan', Katrina was asked about her relationship with the 'Dabangg' actor.

AFP

Katrina replied: "He is an amazing person and everyone in and out of the industry knows that. His parents and family treated me like a daughter always. But it does not seem respectful to my existing relationship if I talk about Salman or his family in the media; hence I choose not to mostly."

On being asked about her 'existing relationship' and her marriage plans with Ranbir, she said: 'Ranbir is my all-time friend'.

Shah Rukh to bring Parineeti, Alia together?

According to rumours Shah Rukh Khan is going to produce a female oriented flick starring Alia Bhatt and Parineeti Chopra in the lead.

The film is said to be directed by Farah Khan, who has been holed out in Goa for some time now working on her script.

 Farah is considering Parineeti and Alia to star in her two heroine drama flick.

Farah has also revealed that Shah Rukh will be producing her next project.

Parineeti had a rough 2014 with back to back flops like 'Daawat-e-Ishq' and 'Kill Dil' while Alia has been giving one hit after another until 'Shaandaar'.

The two girls have been often pitted against each other and it will be interesting to see how things work out in this chick-flick.

Salman talks about rumoured girlfriend Iulia

AFP

The grapevine has always been abuzz with talks of Salman Khan and Romanian TV personality Iulia Vantur being in a relationship.

And some time back, there was a rumour doing the rounds that Salman is secretly engaged to Iulia.

AFP

But later the actor rubbished all the rumours by saying, "There is a lot of buzz about a lot of things about me, which is never true. Yes, I read what is written, hear what is said, and my right answer to your question would be that I am indifferent to all of it. The small things don't bother me at all, but they bother my parents. And that really bothers me."

Salman has always been linked to leading ladies such as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Katrina Kaif.

But the actor is still unmarried and always laughs it off when he is asked about his marriage.

Yuvraj Singh, Hazel ready for marriage?

(AFP)

Before the dust could settle around the big fat Indian wedding of cricketer Harbhajan Singh and actress Geeta Basra, cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actress Hazel Keech's marriage rumours is creating a buzz in the gossip columns.

It is an open secret that Yuvraj and Hazel are a couple and the two attended Harbhajan's wedding together.

Indian media also reported that the couple will be formally engaged by the end of November and wedding will be held in February 2016.

Facebook

The cricketer's tongue-in-cheek reply to these rumours has put all speculations to an end.

The all-rounder took to Twitter to deny reports about his 'impending wedding'. He wrote, "So now my dear media has decided the venue and month of my marriage can u also tell me the dates so I can get ready well in time!"

Yuvraj had previously dated Bollywood actress Kim Sharma and was also linked with Deepika Padukone.

Shah Rukh Khan shows his 'love bite'

Twitter

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is back on the sets of Rohit Shetty's 'Dilwale' after his birthday celebrations and apparently the actor got into a bit of trouble.

The actor got in a 'pub brawl' which resulted in a bruise on his arm.

Shah Rukh posted a picture of his 'pretty and pink love-bite' explaining that since he is the 'romantic hero' and all that, even his injuries reflect the same.

Looks like the actor shot for a bar fight scene for 'Dilwale' and got this bruise.

He tweeted, "My love bite from a bar fight. Being a romantic hero even my injuries look…well…pretty & pink! From sets of #Dilwale."

Are Hrithik, Kangana avoiding each other?

Sanskriti

Rumours of a fling between Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut was the talk of the town till they decided to part ways.

The 'Queen' actress was rumoured to have ended the relationship as Hrithik was not ready to take it forward.

It was also speculated that perhaps they had a bitter break-up.

Sanskriti

The two actors, who worked together in 'Krrish 3', are till conscious of prying eyes. During the opening ceremony of ongoing MAMI film festival they avoided each other like the plague.

Though they had a common group of friends at the event, the two stars never mingled with them together.

Sanskriti

They did pose for a group picture and maintained a distance between them - much to their relief.

While Hrithik was seen chatting up with Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapoor, Kangana was seated far away. However, as soon as Hrithik left the gang, Kangana joined the others and chatted away.

Deepika trying to follow Priyanka Chopra?

In this file photograph taken on April 28, 2015, Indian Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone poses during a promotional event ahead of the forthcoming Hindi film ‘Piku’ in Mumbai. AFP

Deepika Padukone is keen on doing Hollywood films and wants to explore to work in the West.

During the ongoing Jio MAMI festival the actress said that she is interested in doing Hollywood films and is ready to explore work opportunities.

Deepika was earlier offered a role in 'Furious 7' which she had to decline due to her commitment to 'Ram Leela' promotions.

Priyanka Chopra poses for a photograph during the 'Star Guild Awards 2015'. (AFP)

As she gears up for two back-to-back releases, Deepika said if something interesting comes her way she will definitely take it up.

Actors like Priyanka Chopra and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have made appearances in Hollywood projects.

Priyanka is the first female actor from India to play lead in a US TV series. The actor is playing the role of Alex Parrish, a rookie FBI recruit with a mysterious past in 'Quantico'.

Anushka not ready to marry Virat

Last weekend, Anushka Sharma was spotted out with boyfriend Virat Kohli and her father on what was rumoured to be a house-hunting spree.

A report in mid-day quotes a source as saying, "Anushka and Virat have been open about their relationship because they are sure about taking it to the marriage altar. Their families will meet soon and decide the wedding date. In all likelihood, they will get hitched early next year."

But the actress isn't getting married any time soon, insists a statement on behalf of the 'Dil Dhadakne Do' star, seemingly impelled by reports in the press of a possible 2016 wedding to cricketer Virat Kohli.

The statement reads: "There is no truth to the stories/rumours about Anushka Sharma's impending wedding. Currently she is busy and happy with her work commitments. She has always been open about her life and would appreciate it and request everyone to wait for her to make announcements about her life instead of speculating."

Deepika, Ranbir's chemistry made Katrina insecure?

Actress Katrina Kaif has not asked filmmaker Anurag Basu to 'fire up' her chemistry with boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor in their upcoming comedy-drama film 'Jagga Jasoos', said her spokesperson.

(AFP)

Katrina is reportedly worried about Ranbir's chemistry with his former girlfriend, actress Deepika Padukone's in upcoming film 'Tamasha'.

"These rumours are clearly someone's imagination running wild. Though this makes fodder for gossip, it is categorically and entirely untrue. These stories are misleading to the audience and fans in general. Such idle gossip is really avoidable and childish," Katrina's spokesperson said in a statement.

Deepika and Ranbir are returning on the silver screen together after two years in filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's 'Tamasha', which is slated to release on November 26 in UAE.

Meanwhile, 'Jagga Jasoos', which is slated to release in June next year, will feature the couple after 2010's 'Raajneeti'.

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The Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sunday visited the Dubai Safari Park- an edutainment development sprawling over 12 million square feet at a cost of around AED1.25 billion.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed began his tour by visiting the monumental model of the park, accompanied by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, and H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed was briefed by Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, on the various departments and facilities of the park, which includes four villages: Arabian, Asian, African, and an open safari village.

The region's one-of-a-kind development also includes a Valley Zone adjacent to the African village. It provides the visitors with a safe and comfortable atmosphere and gives them the opportunity to enjoy a pleasant family picnic on the green yards along the animals living in the valley, which stands as a large edutainment centre for visitors, especially school students and families, to learn about wildlife and its diversity.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed, accompanied by a delegation of senior officials, toured the park's diverse sections and villages in eco-friendly vehicles run by solar energy.

The Arabian Village is considered a moderate desert environment embracing different species of Arabian oaks, deer and birds. All the components of life for these animals and birds are provided from sand, grass, water, lakes, artificial scales, air-conditioned umbrellas and others.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed then continued his tour to the Asian village, established as an incubator for animals and birds from Asia.

At the end of his tour, Sheikh Mohammed expressed his satisfaction with the completion of this educational cultural tourism project in a short period of five-six years. He commended the great efforts of the Dubai Municipality and its partners to implement this promising national project which is not serving families in the UAE only, but also tourists and visitors from different world countries.

The park features integrated services and facilities for People of Determination, an area dedicated for buying souvenirs, and classes dedicated for school students, in addition to restaurants and rest areas, which allow visitors to take short breaks in a comfortable and quiet family ambience.

Among those who accompanied Sheikh Mohammed were Mohammed Ibrahim AI Shaibani, Director-General of His Highness the Ruler's Court, Government of Dubai, Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Director- General of the Department of Protocol and Hospitality in Dubai, and other officials.

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The Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, visited the Dubai Frame, an award-winning cultural landmark, at Zabeel Park on Tuesday morning.

His Highness was accompanied by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, and H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid toured the ground floor museum of the building showcasing the UAE's history, heritage and the metropolis it has become. His Highness, then ascended one of the two towers, and crossed the 100-square-metre bridge where he viewed the historic and modern landmarks of the emirate.

The Dubai Frame is a 150-metre-high, 93-metre-wide structure built to resemble a huge picture frame, through which landmarks representing modern Dubai such as Emirates Towers and Burj Khalifa can be seen on one side, while from the other side, visitors can view older parts of the city such as Deira, Umm Harare and Karama.

During the tour, Sheikh Mohammed expressed his admiration for the project, and praised Dubai Municipality's efforts to achieve this cultural and global attraction, that represents a solid development for the tourism industry in the UAE.

He described the Dubai Frame as an elegant architectural feat. It was designed by award-winning architect Fernando Donis, who also designed Dubai’s Porsche Design Towers, and the Dubai Renaissance Tower.

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chief Executive of Emirates Group; Mohamed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director General of H.H. The Ruler's Court; Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality; Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, Director-General of Dubai Protocol and Hospitality Department, and Hilal Saeed Al Marri, Director-General of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, were also present during the tour.

The Dubai Frame will be open to the public in January 2018.

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