NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies
Mail to be delivered to homes under new system
Dubai: Sep. 27 :Home delivery of mail will be possible in a few years' time as the authorities are working on developing a nationwide postcode system.
The issue came under discussion at a recent meeting between the members of the Dubai Street Naming and Numbering Committee and an Emirates Post official. Abdullah Abdul Rahim, Director of the Planning and Survey Department at Dubai Municipality, chaired the meeting.
The meeting discussed ways of introducing a country-wide postcode system, which will help facilitate door-to-door delivery of post. The system will be implemented in parallel with the street numbering project.
"The proposed postcode system is in its early stages and it will be developed along with the street naming and numbering system in the country," said the Emirates Post spokesman.
He said the system, once in place, would be implemented following the federal government's orders. However, he did not give a time-frame.
An official at the Municipality said it was time that people moved from a landmark-based address system to a proper address system.
"Every resident should know their residential and office address because it will be made mandatory in future to deal with public and private sector organisations," he said.
GULF NEWS
Seven students held on charges of taking drugs
DUBAI — Sep. 27: The Dubai police have arrested seven students of different institutes in Knowledge Village for allegedly using drugs on Sunday night, police sources confirmed to Khaleej Times.
The students, none of whom were named by the source, were detained from different parts of Dubai after a series of raids conducted by Dubai police following tip offs. However, the police released three students after interrogation. It is not clear what kind of drugs they had been using.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, a student, not named for legal reasons, who was released by police said, “I received a call from a friend insisting I should go to Al Qusais police station for some investigation. I did not understand anything initially. However, I decided to go to the police station where I was detained and questioned by the police. The police officials informed my parents also that they are interrogating me.”
The student disclosed that some people had given to the police false information about him. “But, when the police interrogated me they realised that I was innocent,” he said, further adding that the police released two more students after interrogation. He failed to give any details on the rest of the students taken for interrogation by the police .
“The police arrested some students on suspicion and my name was wrongly given by one of the suspects. But, now that I have been given a clean chit by the police, I feel a bit relaxed now,”the student said.
According to sources, the police arrested one student on suspicion that he was using drugs. The police interrogated him and collected information about the rest of the students. Later police conducted a series of raids to arrest the rest of the students. It is learnt that the charges against the students had no indication that they were selling drugs.
When Khaleej Times contacted a source from Dubai police said, “They received information that some students were using heroine outside their college. They used to meet in different places for consuming drugs.”
“Our mission is to find out the mafia who supplied the students the drugs. We will refer the arrested students to the public prosecution.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Three Indian workers killed in road accident
DUBAI — Sep. 27: Three unidentified Indian construction workers were killed near airport tunnel in Rashidiyah yesterday after a speeding car hit them while they were working on a road expansion project.
According to eyewitnesses, the three men died on the spot when the driver of the car lost control and after hitting a post and ran over the workers.
Police and rescue officials rushed to the spot and shifted the victims to hospital where they were declared dead.
“We could not identify the men as no identification cards were found on their body. But we were informed that they were Indians,” said a hospital source.
A source from Rashidiyah police station confirmed the accident but did not provide any details.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Times, they are indeed a-changing for etisalat
Dubai - Sep. 27: Etisalat clients have begun to feel a change in the way the telecommunications company has been dealing with customers ever since its establishment 30 years ago.
Customers said etisalat is more lenient now if bills are not paid on time. Earlier, some said, if the landline bill came up to Dh500, customers could pay Dh300 and ensure that the line was not cut. Today, residents can get away by paying Dh100.
Earlier, if bills were not settled, customers could not make calls, but could receive calls for 15 days. After that, the lines would be disconnected. etisalat also used to threaten to sue customers for unpaid bills. "It amounted to threats," said one resident.
But all this seems to have changed. Residents now say they receive alerts if they do not pay bills and the language is cordial.
Mariam, a resident, said the change of heart could be because competition is round the corner.
Raju, another resident, said he did not pay his landline bills for more than three months. "I was wondering what had happened and why they had not disconnected the lines. To my surprise, I received an SMS saying one of my telephone bills had not been settled and 'for further information kindly contact a number for assistance'."
Ahmad Bin Ali, Head of the Public Relations Department at etisalat, admitted the nature of the changes, promising people more features and services.
He told Gulf News that since there is a competitor in the market "we have to strive to keep our customers intact".
Bin Ali said this is the new philosophy of etisalat, which has started a non-stop development process to remain the key player in telecommunication services in the UAE as well as in the regional market.
"We will remain open to advice, suggestions and comments that will eventually post our products to the customers," he said.
GULF NEWS