News, Qatar
Fueled by major infrastructure and real estate projects, Qatar’s construction sector is expected to grow by an average of 10 percent a year until 2025 – making it the strongest in the GCC, according to a new report.
In an industry trend analysis released this week,
BMI Research noted that the sector’s pace of growth slowed to 11.4 percent this year, down from 18 percent in 2014.
BMI Research
Construction growth forecast
However, the firm said it remained optimistic about the country’s prospects, despite recent challenges:
“We believe growth will continue to remain robust despite the re-emergence of corruption allegations surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the scaling back of some projects in light of the lower oil price environment.”
2022 World Cup
For the nearly five years since FIFA awarded Qatar hosting rights to the
2022 World Cup,critics have lobbied for a change in venue.
Others accused Qatar of corruption and obtaining hosting rights by bribing officials. Authorities here have repeatedly denied such allegations, but they continue to circulate.
BMI Research
Threat analysis
Despite recent developments, BMI Research said that even if the games were taken away from Qatar, it would still boast the fastest growing construction sector in the Gulf.
According to its report:
“With much of the country’s infrastructure pipeline not directly linked to the World Cup, while growth would certainly be slower as the government rationalises expenditure without the strict 2022 deadline, the majority of major projects would move forwards.
Doha’s metro network is still needed to alleviate congestion, albeit with fewer stations, Doha’s port will still need to be expanded to compete regionally and Qatar’s future economic growth will still need expanded power and water capacity.”
The report added that in the coming decade, it expects demand for materials and labor to increase throughout the Gulf, leading to price increases.
Another challenge facing Qatar in the coming years is disputes with contractors. Last month, a locally-based legal analyst
urged the country to “actively plan and manage project delivery,” or risk facing a host of issues that could endanger deadlines.
-Doha News
India, News
Dr Kalam, 84, collapsed at the Indian Institute of Management-Shillong while delivering a lecture to the students of the B-school. He was admitted to a private hospital in Shillong in Meghalaya in a critical condition.
This was his last tweet before leaving this world:
APJ Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931. A student of physics, he was obsessed with aerospace engineering. In a career that spans from scientific excellence to political heroism, he was India’s icon.
There is no word in the English language that can possibly praise Mr Kalam enough. A man of the highest integrity, he was revered and adored by one and all. He was someone who commanded respect with his deep knowledge. But in spite of his high intellect, Mr Kalam was soft-spoken, always pictured with a kind smile.
He spearheaded India’s missile development efforts. For 4 decades he played a pivotal role in the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). He also played a major role in the Pokhran-II tests. Scientifically, Mr Kalam put India on the map.
In 2002 he was elected as India’s 11th President. He was an icon who commanded respect from everybody, from across the political spectrum, as signified by the unanimous endorsement of his election by all political parties. In an age of a thousand scams Mr Kalam was the one ray of light for a disillusioned nation. After stepping down as President Mr Kalam wrote extensively on his vision for India, inspiring multitudes of youth along the way.
Today, India lost one of her most influential sons. We have lost a flame that inspired millions with a message of hope and excellence.
“I appeal to political leaders, religious leaders, opinion makers, media personnel and all Indian citizens to place a moratorium on all issues which are impediments to the development for the nation, from now and pledge ourselves to make the missions of developed India a reality.
This will be the greatest legacy that we can proudly leave behind for our next generation. Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow.”
-APJ Abdul Kalam.
News, UAE
The languages, in order to make services easier and more accessible to various nationalities, include Malayalam, Urdu, Tagalog, Russian and Mandarin.
The Emirates Identity Authority, Emirates ID, has announced that it will add five more languages – Malayalam, Urdu, Tagalog, Russian and Mandarin - to its website, offering information and guidance on procedures. This is in addition to the two languages already in place, Arabic and English.
The Emirates ID said the decision to add new languages to its website was part of its efforts to make its services easier and more accessible to the various nationalities residing in the country.
Abdulaziz Al Maamari, Director of Government and Social Communication at the Emirates ID, said the decision came as a result of surveys and studies on the number and types of visitors to the website, the departments and services most frequently browsed and the queries and clarifications most sought. “In the year 2014, nine millions visits from inside and outside the UAE happened on the website, by people speaking around ten languages,” he explained.
Al Maamari said the addition of the new languages would allow the customers to learn in their own languages about the procedures for registration in the population register, issuance, renewal and replacement of ID cards, necessary documents for getting the services rendered and the fee for each service. “The idea behind the initiative is to make our website and services more accessible and customer-friendly,” he added.
“This initiative came from our efforts to achieve the fourth objective in our Strategic Plan 2014-2016, which aimed at guaranteeing total satisfaction for our customers. We are introducing the new languages also as part of our corporate governance framework which focusses on creativity and innovation in all aspects of organizational work. There are large numbers of people who are not proficient in Arabic and English and we thought it was important to reach out to these segments with information in languages they are comfortable with,” Al Maamari pointed out.
Al Maamari said that the Emirates ID had already brought about a quantum leap in its communication efforts with its customers through the 14 channels of communication, including the website, social media platforms, and the round-the-clock call centre. “This new initiative, we hope, will bring us further close to our customers,” he concluded.
-Khaleej times
