Abu Dhabi has removed more than 20,000 requirements to set up businesses in the emirate as part of an ongoing overhaul of procedures led by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development.
The department, also known as Added, is seeking to attract more investment and improve the ease of doing business.
Twenty-six local and federal partner entities participated in the reductions programme, which amounted to 71 per cent of the total 28,788 requirements previously in place, Added said on Wednesday. The programme was first introduced in August.
"We are telling the world that Abu Dhabi will continuously seek to enhance its regulations, systems and services making up the ecosystem necessary for any businesses and investors to thrive," said Rashed Al Blooshi, undersecretary of Added.
"In Abu Dhabi, public institutions play a proactive role in providing an accommodating environment for business and investment, and this is something we will continue to do as we transform the emirate’s economy.”
Abu Dhabi has taken various measures – such as providing rent rebates, discounts on utility bills and loan guarantee packages – to support businesses and stimulate economic growth throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, Abu Dhabi slashed business set-up fees by 94 per cent in a move to strengthen its position as a destination for new ventures and boost foreign direct investment into the emirate.
The emirate's move to cancel thousands of business set-up requirements aligns its regulations with its priorities for economic growth, Added said.
The department reduced its own business licensing requirements for the 118 business activities that it regulates, cutting them by 77 per cent to 162.
"The government of Abu Dhabi’s decision to reduce the combined commercial activities licence requirements demonstrates its readiness to take practical steps wherever necessary to promote the emirate’s competitiveness regionally and globally," Mr Al Blooshi said.
Among the 26 government entities participating in the initiative led by Added, the Department of Municipalities and Transport’s Public Health sector reduced requirements by 95 per cent to 511, covering 1,215 activities. The DMT's Transport sector decreased its requirements by 78 per cent to 115.
The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority reduced its list by 74 per cent to 1,716 requirements, covering 288 activities. The Abu Dhabi Sports Council cut by 91 per cent, to 82 requirements covering 58 activities. The Department of Health slashed by 56 per cent, to 672 requirements covering 84 activities. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Police decreased by 79 per cent to 80 requirements.
The Securities and Commodities Authority made 40 cuts to 700 requirements.
"Our ongoing efforts toward facilitating an optimal business-friendly marketplace are testament to our goal of attracting innovative global talents from all sectors and industries, thus reinforcing a strong knowledge-based economy," Sameh Al Qubaisi, executive director of Added's Executive Affairs Office, said.
"Other incentives we introduced include fee reductions, and these efforts combined will strengthen Abu Dhabi's global position as a business-friendly destination," he said.
To boost its non-oil-economy and support businesses, especially SMEs, Abu Dhabi unveiled the Dh50 billion ($13.6bn) Ghadan initiative. It also introduced visa reforms geared to attract more investors.
In 2020, the government also detailed a plan to stimulate economic growth through strategic investments and 16 initiatives to support the private sector.
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
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Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
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WOMAN AND CHILD
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Rating: 4/5
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
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2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
Winner: Tabernas, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash.
2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m
Winner: Night Castle, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,400m
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Mutawakked, Szczepan Mazur, Musabah Al Muhairi.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Tafaakhor, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Cranesbill, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
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Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
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The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
In 2018, the ICRC received 27,756 trace requests in the Middle East alone. The global total was 45,507.
There are 139,018 global trace requests that have not been resolved yet, 55,672 of these are in the Middle East region.
More than 540,000 individuals approached the ICRC in the Middle East asking to be reunited with missing loved ones in 2018.
The total figure for the entire world was 654,000 in 2018.
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Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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Price, base: Dh399,999
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Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
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Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
Ammar 808:
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Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
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