Fujairah Homes and Businesses without Power Switch to Generators

Earlier I posted an article on the many apartment towers in Fujairah that were standing idle because of the lack of an electricity supply.

I spotted today around Fujairah a couple of generators, one outside a group of apartments and the other which was supplying power for a small business.

They are housed in robust, sound attenuated, waterproof casings.

Normally the generators run on diesel but an increasing number of models have the flexibility to burn landfill methane, agricultural bio-gas, and natural gas.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: “I spotted today around Fujairah a couple of generators.”

Le Meridien Al Aqah, Fujairah, Launches 14 Artificial Reefs

A project involving 14 artificial reefs designed to rehabilitate the natural reef ecosystems was launched today at Le Meridien Hotel reported Middle East Events.

General Manager, Patrick Antaki, said:
“The beauty of the Indian Ocean is a major draw card for Fujairah and we have been vigilant about protecting this natural wonder and keeping it clean. We regularly participate in clean-up projects, such as Clean Up Arabia in November 2008, and this project will go further by creating a sustainable marine environment.”

More details on the operation and celebration:
Middle East Events, 14 June 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Mango Festival Mania in Fujairah

Weekly Shop
I am just home from our weekly shop at the Lulu Hypermarket in Fujairah. What a rich social and cultural experience it is.

Mango Mania
It is that time of the year where there are mangoes a-plenty. They make more out of the annual Mango festival in Fujairah than they do with the Easter festival.

Last time when I wrote on the Mango Mania festival I diligently counted and discovered that there were over 120 varieties of mango in the supermarket from scores of countries in the world.

Sensational Fruit
After the groceries were put away today we treated ourselves to a mango each. It was sensational—the best I have ever tasted. The texture was smooth and not in the least bit stringy. Just the right blend of sweet and sour. With juice dripping down my chin I voted that mangoes are the best fruit in the world. Eating a mango is such a sensuous experience.

Versatility
This web site has posted hundreds of mango recipes that highlight the fact that this fruit has amazing uses. You can make an omelet mango for breakfast that you can have along with sugarless mango bread, with mango jam on your toast. Then there are recipes for mango soup, mango mousse, mango sorbet, mango ketchup, mango meat loaf, mango salad and mango cheesecake!!

What versatility from the one fruit.

History in the Fruit
Historians will like to know that when you are eating a mango you are doing what has given comfort and pleasure for thousands of years beginning in South-East Asian and then radiating throughout the world.

Diversity
Botanists might like to know there are over 1,000 varieties of mango. The one we had this morning was from India. Some say that the alphonso is the best.

Health Benefits
The web sites are telling me that mangoes have many nutritional qualities—they are rich in minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants. They sooth the stomach and aid the digestion. They have plenty of fibre to keep you regular, and properties that offer protection against cancer.

Religious Qualities
Mango groves have given tranquility to Buddhists and ordinary seekers of serenity.

Hindus believe that mango trees grant wishes and they hang the leaves around the front door of the house to gain a blessing.

Mango leaves are also hung around the front door of a newly married couple’s house to grant them fertility.

I have heard of old time orators and preachers who used to eat a raw egg before they had to speak but Sanskrit poets have reckoned for centuries that munching a mango bud lends sweetness to your voice.

The mango tree, so tradition tells us, has properties that guard against infection, asthma and they act as a contraceptive and an aphrodisiac!! All you need in the one tree and fruit. No wonder the mango is called ‘the King of fruits.

Sharing Mango Stories and Secrets
In this mango season in the UAE, have you got any mango stories and truths to share?

In particular tell me:

What is your favorite type of mango and which country has the best mangoes?

What is your secret in selecting a mango from the market?

Have you got a favorite mango recipe you can send me to add to my new mango recipe collection?

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Mango mania. I love the way these mangoes have been cut. Most of the uncut ones in the pictures are the alphonso.

It’s Boring in Fujairah but Sometimes It’s a Blast

My first venture into Construction Week Online revealed some interesting details and observations about Fujairah.

An article by Greg Whitaker takes a penetrating look at the quarrying that goes on in Fujairah’s Hajar Mountains.

If you think this is a boring article, you might be right but it drills down deeply into the core of this eastern emirate.

The UAE ‘Bread Basket’
Whitaker says: “The Emirate of Fujairah continues to be the region’s ‘bread basket’ for construction projects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. And, with many neighbouring Gulf countries banning quarry operations, its gabbro – based aggregates and rock armour for breakwaters are equally in high demand.”

It is good to mine this analogy for all its worth. The sparkling skyscrapers of the larger cities in the Emirates are what often creates the ‘Wow’ factor, not the foundations upon which they stand. Shunning the limelight, Fujairah provides the sturdy substance to make the glitzy towers stand upright on the desert sands. This image from the quarry is getting to the bedrock of the emirate’s stolid identity.

Hard Facts about the Hajars
Arabs have known for centuries the quality of the rocks they possessed long before geologists came with their fancy terminology. Hajar or Hajjar in Arabic means stone mountains (جبال الحجر).

Greg Whitaker’s article offers depth on these substantial issues:
* The type of rock—gabbro, one of the world’s hardest rocks.
* Blasting and how it is strictly regulated in Al Fujairah.
* The blasting procedures.
* The number of quarries.
* The drills, drill rigs and other rock tools.

Final Blast
The article asks what is on everyone’s mind: “Is it is better for everybody associated with a quarry to have 2-3 smaller blasts a day or a single major blast.”

This detailed report plumbs the depths to reveal the secrets of one of the major industries that provide the foundation for Fujairah’s life and economy.

Source:
Greg Whitaker, UAE’s Technical Drilling and Blasting Co Standardise on Special New Rock Tools, Construction Week Online, 10 June 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: A close up of gabbro rock.

New Oil Pipelines Threaten Fujairah Landscape

Peter Hellyer is a writer and consultant specialising in the UAE’s heritage and environment.

He wrote recently for The National about visiting one of his favorite wadis in Fujairah.

Usually it is a ‘magical place’ but now there is the threat of the Abu Dhabi-Fujairah oil pipeline coming near the wadi, destroying much of the landscape during the construction process and disrupting the peace.

Peter concludes his article this way:

“Already too much of the UAE’s mountains are a wasteland of quarries, dust and devastation. It would be nice to think that ‘my’ wadi, and many others like it, would be spared a similar fate.”

Hellyer’s conclusion demands an official response and the assurance that the landscape will be preserved.

Source:
Peter Hellyer, Lay Pipelines if you Must, but Don’t Ruin ‘My’ Wadi, The National, 8 June 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: A Fujairah wadi.

Slight Shaking and Quaking in Fujairah

WAM reported yesterday (8 June 2009):

Slight Tremor
“The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) recorded today an earth tremor measuring a magnitude of 3.9 on the Richter scale at 10:14 pm local time at the Strait of Hormuz near Ras Musandam.”

“The tremor, monitored by the UAE National Seismic Network, part of the NCMS, was lightly felt in the Emirate of Fujairah and tangibly felt in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.”

Shaking Sequence
This slight tremor follows a series of shakes in recent days.

Here are some links to earlier quakes reported in Fujairah:

Fujairah Residents Overcome Fear of Earthquakes, FIF, 11 May 2009.
Fujairah Feels Friday Earthquake, FIF, 8 May 2009.
Fujairah Feels Iranian Earthquake, FIF, 11 September 2008.
Fujairah Shakes in Earthquake Zone, FIF, 13 February 2008.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Fujairah, sandwiched between the mountains and the sea.

Fujairah Barbers Ordered to Wear Masks

Khaleej Times reports (8 June 2009) that the municipality in the Fujairah town of Dibba has begun a drive to ensure that all barbers are masked as a prevention against [H1N1?] influenza.

The same barbers have been directed to dry their towels under the direct sunlight as these are being used on several clients.

Furthermore, they have been ordered to increase the strength of their detergents with which they sterilize their shaving equipment.

But why just barbers? What about doctors and dentists?

Should clients and patients get issued with masks so that the barbers and medical practitioners don’t get infected?

This mask directive seems only to apply to Dibba, not to the rest of the emirate of Fujairah.

Dibba is the place to visit if you want a really clean shave.

Related:
Where Fujairah Men Go to Escape, FIF.
Hair Cuts and styling in the UAE, FIF.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: A married couple taking every precaution against the swine flu plague.

Looking Forward to a Recycling Service at Every Door in Fujairah

Probably the spate of articles has been stimulated by the recent (26-28 May 2009) Middle East Waste Summit held in Dubai.

Sharjah Recycling
The emirate of Sharjah appears to have been a forerunner in waste management in the UAE with plans to increase their capacity but are they mainly recycling industrial waste?

Dubai Recycling
Dubai has been featuring a recycling service initiated by Dulsco whereby a truck passes through neighborhoods in the city to pick up piles of waste.

The article states that “Recycling is being done in bits and pieces all over Dubai” but when is a comprehensive service going to be initiated?

Waste in the Emirates
The painful fact keeps on being reported that “The UAE generates the most amount of waste per person in the world. The average person throws away 1,000 kg of waste per year.”

Recycling in Fujairah?
So if waste is a ‘valuable resource’, why is there not a systematic recycling service available to householders right throughout the UAE and including here in Fujairah?

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: When are we going to see recycling rather than rubbish trucks in Fujairah?

Power and Water in Short Supply for Fujairah’s New Buildings

The building of a number of highrise apartment towers in Fujairah has not been able to keep pace with the demand from the numbers of people wanting to reside in the city.

Compounding the shortage is the lack of power and water supply for the new buildings.

All Types
According to statements reported in the Khaleej Times, these problems are affecting government and commercial buildings as well as residential towers.

Waiting Time
Khaleej Times reports on the size of the problem and the expected timetable:

“The Chairman of Fujairah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Saeed Khamas, said there are more than 25 buildings in the emirate which do not have power supply. A number of commercial projects, too, that were completed two years ago, are without electricity and water. None of the projects is expected to get power supply before 2011.”

No Rental Income
While the issue is a frustration to prospective residents wanting a roof over their heads, the situation is a great financial burden for the owners who have borrowed money to construct the buildings but their tenants aren’t able to occupy and start paying them rent.

Diesel Generators
Some households and industrial buildings have installed generators to provide one form of power while they await the electrical supply.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: A new residential tower by the fish roundabout on the Fujairah corniche.

Sheikh Al Sharqi Promotes Fujairah’s Tourism and Archaeology

New Structure
WAM Emirates News Agency reported:
“The Board of Fujairah Tourism and Archaeological Authority (FTAA), has been set up, according to Emiri decree number 3 of year 2009 issued by HH Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah.”

New Standards
“According to the law, the new body shall replace the Fujairah tourism office and archaeology and heritage department.”

“The FTAA shall seek to develop tourism in the emirate in par with the highest standards and compatible with local cultural and civilisation legacy and genuine community values in order to carve a place for the emirate of Fujairah in the regional and world map of tourism. While seeking to achieve its objectives and discharging its duties, the FTAA shall encourage, develop and regulate tourism in the emirate and devise tourism plan for the emirate guided by international recognised standards.”

Reaffirmation of Tourism Goals
This significant decision by the Ruler of Fujairah appears to be a reaffirmation of the October 2007 tourism targets that pledged to maximize the beaches and mountains of Fujairah and highlight the natural beauty of the emirate.

Since those goals were established the recognition of Fujairah’s Wadi Wurayah as the first protected mountain area in the UAE has bolstered the emirate’s standing in eco-tourism.

Coupling of Tourism with Archaeology
It is significant that His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi has continued to link archaeology with tourism under the one authority as Fujairah is one of the most significant emirates in the country in terms of its heritage treasures.

Al Fujairah’s historical and archaeological sites include a number of castles, forts, watch towers and places of worship such as the Al Bidya mosque that continues to operate after more than 550 years.

More than seven Arab and foreign archaeological excavation teams have worked in Fujairah to excavate important sites and treasures around Dibba, Al Bidya, Al Bithna, Murbeh and Qidfa.

New Archaeological Finds
It is fascinating that this announcement by the Ruler of Fujairah comes only a few days after a team of archaeologists discovered pieces of pottery dating back to the third millennium BC in the Al Dour area of the neighboring emirate of Umm Al Quwain and bronze spearheads which date back to the Iron Age in the first millennium BC.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: “…In order to carve a place for the emirate of Fujairah in the regional and world map of tourism.”

You Can’t Visit Fujairah Without Watching World Famous Bull Butting

Ben Smith read the articles on this site about bull butting and asked whether this sport was still playing during the summer months.

Yes, this bovine experience doesn’t stop for 45C degree heat as it is an historic Fujairah institution every Friday.

I asked Ben to share some reflections and he kindly put together this story and provided the excellent photographs:

Ben Smith Reporting
“A couple of weeks ago, a small group of us made a trip to the Fujeirah corniche to watch the bloodless local sporting attraction of bull butting. It was a great and interesting day out.”

“The bull butting arena was easy enough to find (if you are heading North from Kalba it is on the left, just before you get to Fujeirah town and next to the Maria cafe).”

“Quite a crowd had gathered by about 5pm, with hundreds of locals and workers gathering all around the arena. The local popcorn, Sprite and candyfloss vendors had a roaring trade. It was a male dominated crowd, and the few women who came along seemed to sit in their cars and watch through the blacked out windscreens of their Land Cruisers.”

“The bulls were tethered to posts around the arena and every ten minutes or so two were brought, often reluctantly, by their handlers into the centre of the arena. Some of the bulls had better things to do than charge at other bulls and were quite happy to mooch around not doing a lot. But others quickly got involved in horn grappling battles. The eager Arabic commentary added to the excitement (and confusion; we left none the wiser as to the rules or how the winner is determined).”

“A few of the more eager fans were bonkers enough to sit in the arena itself; every now and again a wayward bull would hurtle away from the centre of the arena and towards the crowd, who would jump and run off in every direction!”

“It was far less cruel and violent than the Spanish version of the sport.”

Gracias
Many thanks, Ben, for sharing the magic and the mystery of Fujairah’s free entertainment. Only a year ago there were no fences around the arena and bulls would frequently stampede through the crowd and add to the drama.

Further:
Visit Fujairah to Watch Bull Butting, Fujairah in Focus, 23 September 2008.
The photo that appeared in Boston’s Big Picture, 23 November 2008.

Bull Butting in Fujairah.

Check out Recent Articles on the Sister Site
Let Me Help You Write that Important Speech, ETE.
Sheikh Mohammed Shares Life’s Mission and Dreams, ETE.
To Polish His Speech to Arabs and Muslims Obama Should Watch Al Jazeera, ETE.

In the News
Experiencing the Emirates featured this week in Dubai's Gulf News re this article.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff Pound can be contacted at geoffpound(at)gmail.com or Facebook.

Image: The bulls, the handlers and the ice cream vendor.

Sheikh Mohammed Addresses Employment Concerns for Fujairah in First e-Session

Fujairah Dear to Our Hearts
In his first e-Session with the public the UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, spoke about employment issues relating to Fujairah.

Job Opportunities
This was the question posed by Sindiya Al Samahi, UAE:

“Your Highness, Sheikh Mohammed: There is a question that has been agonizing me and I hope that your highness would answer it for me. My question is about the years we have spent in achieving university education, our efforts, and the sleepless nights we spent trying to obtain honors degrees: why are the UAE nationals in the northern Emirates, and especially in Fujeirah, not provided with job opportunities?”

Employment Issues
Sheikh Mohammed responded:

“First of all, I would like to thank you for your honesty. I do understand the pressure borne by graduates who don’t find jobs upon their graduation. However, my daughter, you need to bear in mind that Fujairah, just like all other areas of the UAE is very dear to our hearts, and is at the center of the attention of His Highness the President, myself, and the Ruler of Fujairah.”

“The issue faced by the fresh graduates in the northern Emirates and the rural areas in the UAE, including yourself, is the imbalance between the number of graduates and the available job openings in their areas of specialization.”

“Another issue is the unwillingness of a major percentage of these graduates, especially females, to work in areas remote from their residence. These issues are not without solutions.”

“New projects in Fujairah will accommodate large numbers of graduates who are willing to work in them. Moreover, the Human Resource Development projects focus on building the skills of graduates who wish to acquire new skills that enable them to enter the competitive market.”

“Meanwhile, all the government entities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are open for all UAE nationals… even in my executive offices, there are employees from the Emirate of Fujairah as well as from other areas.”

Link:
Here is the link for the public’s questions and the PM’s answers:

Prime Minister’s First e-Session with the Public, The Official Website of the PM of the UAE.

Further:
Sheikh Mohammed Shares Life’s Mission and Dreams in First e-Session, ETE.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: The PM at his computer. (Photo courtesy of Official Website of the PM).

I Spoke Too Soon…Temperatures above 50C in Fujairah

Just when I was writing (or gloating) about Fujairah being cool or coolish, in contrast to some of the other emirates, two reports have been dispatched by the Gulf News and The National about the soaring temperatures in Fujairah on Sunday 31 May.

GN reported:
Temperatures in the UAE surged as high as 50.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology said.

The sweltering 50.2 degrees was recorded in Umm Zamool in Fujairah.

"The country's airports and harbours have been informed to take precautionary measures," a spokesperson for the centre said.

The spokesperson said the centre notified the Ministry of Labour to inform private companies and establishments to abide by the midday break rule to protect workers from heat stroke and exhaustion.

Humaid Bin Deemas, Acting Director General at the ministry, said instructions have been issued to tighten control at construction sites.

He called on companies to provide workers with shade, drinking water and first aid in cases of emergency.

"No cases of exhaustion or heat stroke have been reported. The temperature in Fujairah yesterday was unusual," Bin Deemas said.

A forecaster said humidity reached 100 per cent in some parts of the country on Sunday.

Today The National was providing some explanation for the heat, from meteorologists who were speaking of the type of wind:

"A forecaster at the Dubai Meteorological Office attributed the soaring heat in Fujairah to a 'föhn winds effect', in which dry air develops on the leeward slope of a mountain."

“Because Fujairah is on the east coast behind the Hajar mountains, we get drier air coming down and getting warmer,” he said. “The Shamal goes over the mountains and when the air comes down it gains temperature and heats up, and since it’s dry, it heats more quickly.”

This explanation makes greater sense as some earlier reports were predicting cooler shamal winds on Sunday. The föhn winds are common in summer times on New Zealand’s Canterbury Plains with rain or moisture being dumped on the western side of the Southern Alps and the winds being dried as they come down from the mountains to the east coast.

The National continued:
“The duty weather forecaster at Fujairah Airport said the current spell was the hottest he had experienced. “I have never personally been in 50-degree weather before,” he said. “The temperature reached 50 degrees at around one o’clock, but that only lasted for 2½ hours. As the wind direction changed it brought cool air from the ocean, bringing the temperature down to 30 degrees. Fujairah often sees large temperature variations in a matter of a few hours.”

Links for full reports:
Temperature Soars Past 50C in Fujairah, Gulf News, 1 June 2009.
May Bows Out at 50C to Usher in Summer, The National, 1 June 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: ‘Slow down’ is the advice from authorities for workers in the UAE heat. It is hot work for fishermen on the Fujairah beach.

Cool in Fujairah while They’re Cooking Eggs on the Streets of Dubai

The temperatures are predicted to drop today (Sunday) with meteorologists reporting a cooler shamal wind blowing in from Kuwait and Qatar but last week the mercury was climbing high across the UAE.

At the end of the week Al Ain residents were sweltering in 48C degree heat, Sharjah reached 46C while in Dubai’s temperatures that rose to 51C, a reporter was filmed cooking an egg on the street.

Fujairah was cool or cooler, at a mere 42C, which may highlight the benefits of living in a small city by the coast that enjoys the breezes from the Indian Ocean.

This has been an unusually hot period and summer has yet to arrive.

Further:
Egg-stremely Hot Weather, GNTV, 28 May 2009.
Play it Safe in the Sweletering Heat, GN, 30 May 2009.
May Heats Up Ahead of ‘Long Summer’, The National, 31 May 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: “Cooking an egg on the street.”

Most Popular Postings of the Week

Checking the most popular pages on my UAE blogs Experiencing the Emirates and Fujairah in Focus is a salutary experience which underscores the realization that most people want information and answers to the questions they are asking.

Top Pages Often On Functional Topics
The top page this week on Fujairah in Focus (and for many weeks) was the article Directions from Dubai to Fujairah.

Also of a functional nature is the third most popular article on Experiencing the Emirates this week—this golden oldie: What to Wear in the UAE?

Most Popular on ETE
The most popular page on ETE this week was:
Portsmouth Gets Profile of New Football Club Owner Sulaiman Al Fahim.

This was followed in popularity by an old article whose title contains some key words that are frequently searched:
‘Sex on the Beach’ Case is Tarnishing UAE as Holiday Destination.

Most Popular on FIF
After the top post seeking directions were these popular articles on FIF:
Fujairah Forging Ahead Despite Recession.
Fujairah Pictures and Photos.
How Do We Get to Wadi Wurayah?

Got a Story?
If you have a UAE and or Fujairah story about a new product, a new venture, a new service, some new rates etc., do let me know or ask for my guidelines. I charge for writing and or running stories on these sites that promote business ventures or are about selling a new product or service.

Dr Geoff Pound

I can be contacted on email at geoffpound[@]gmail.com and on Facebook.

Does Fujairah Hold the World Record for…

World Record
Unlike Dubai, Fujairah does not hold many records, in fact, I can’t think of one record it holds.

But does Fujairah hold the world record for having its international airport closer to the main street than any other city in the world?

I haven’t measured the distance but the Guinness Book of Records is bound to bring their measuring tape when they come to make it official. The distance can’t be more than one kilometer from the airport’s front gate to Fujairah’s main drag.

Excitement
Talking about Fujairah’s airport, there is a cautious excitement about the recent announcement that there will be three airlines operating in and out of the airport by the end of the year.

Once Bitten…
There is cautious excitement, because the last announcement from a CEO of a new airline operating from Fujairah never got off the runway. Worst than that, there are still many potential passengers bound for the Philippines who lost thousands of dirhams because the Kang Pacific Airlines went broke.

Curiosity
There is curiosity to learn which new airlines will be based at Fujairah and whether for instance, the huge Filipino, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and British contingents that live in and around the eastern emirate will be able to fly home directly from the Fujairah International Airport.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Does Fujairah Hold the World Record?

The Gulf Flower Bakery for Bread in Fujairah

A Fujairah Institution
If you’re looking for bread in Fujairah, the Gulf Flower Bakery is a Fujairah institution.

Even if you don’t need any bread it is fun going to look or just to inhale the smell of freshly baked bread.

The Gulf Flower Bakery is the first stop for bread among the Fujairah locals and expats in the know.

On Offer
To the left of the front door you can buy vegetable and meat samosas in the afternoon and evening.

To the right are a wide range of Indian and Arabic sweets and cakes.

In the centre of the shop there are basic grocery items.

Out the Back
The beauty of the Gulf Flower is that you can walk through the doorway at the back of the shop and select the bread that has most recently come out of the ovens.

The Gulf Flower Bakery has some of the best western-style loaves in the town that are nutritious and don’t taste like cardboard. There are different sizes of flat breads—Arabic, Lebanese, pita bread—packed in plastic bags.

Bakery Hours
The shop opens at 5.30 in the morning.

Regular loaves usually come out of the ovens and are available from about 6 in the morning.

The smaller runs of fancy bread are available later in the morning.

Directions
The Gulf Flower Bakery is located in the suburb of Al Owaid.

Coming from the Dubai direction down Fujairah’s main street (Hamad Bin Abdullah Road) you need to take a hard left (3rd exit) at the Perfume Roundabout (see pictured in the Fujairah collage at the top of this site). This takes you onto Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Rd. After 300 metres you will reach another roundabout at which you need to turn right (first exit), heading again in the direction of the beach.

Go slowly, as the Gulf Flower Bakery is about 30 metres on the left, after a block of shops and before you reach the Shahzad Wedding Hall.

The bakery is set back from the road, thus providing some car parking space.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: “It is fun going to look or just to inhale the smell of freshly baked bread.”

Fujairah Greeting Cards and Pictures are Popular UAE Souvenirs

Simon Niblock has come up with a great idea for Fujairah and UAE souvenirs.

He is a teacher and counselor at the HCT Men’s College in Fujairah but his hobby is sketching.

Having developed a love of drawing in his childhood, Simon now spends the odd evening or day off producing a range of greeting cards and pictures that have a distinct Fujairah flavor.

Cards
The cards bear familiar scenes from Fujairah and the Emirates and they are the normal size of a card you would buy to say ‘Thank You’, ‘Loving Sympathy’ or ‘Get Well’.

Pictures
The pictures are ideal for hanging on the wall at home or in the office.

Some Fujairah hotels, Colleges and businesses are snaffling these up and commissioning Simon to sketch their premises or their property so they can sell them or give them away to their guests and clients as gifts.

Prices
Here are the prices for Simon’s cards and pictures:

Box set of 10 blank greeting cards 60 AED
A4 size original commissioned sketches (including all rights to reproduce the artwork) 2500 AED
A4 size original commissioned sketches (no rights to reproduce these) 500 AED
A4 prints framed 150 AED
A4 prints unframed 75 AED
A3 enlarged prints framed 250 AED

Contact
To purchase some cards or commission a sketch you can contact Simon Niblock in these ways:
Email: skniblock@yahoo.co.nz
Phone: +971 50 4333173

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Simon and a sample of sketches. (Click to enlarge)

Fujairah Growing Rich in Copper Processing and Gold Refining

New Copper Plant
Vedanta, the large metals and mining company, recently announced it will establish a 100,000-tonne continuous copper rod (CCR) plant in Fujairah.

The London Stock Exchange-listed Indian company initially plans to invest $15 million (Dh55m) in the project and hopes to have the copper plant up and running by December 2009.

There is a great regional demand as the GCC alone will require 400,000 to 500,000 tonnes of copper rods annually to meet the demands of its power distribution infrastructure.

Expanding Gold Refinery
Vedanta already operates a 20 million-tonne gold refinery in Fujairah, which it plans to double to 40 million tonnes at a cost of $6m by early in 2010.

Source:
Business 24-7, 19 May 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Copper Processing and Gold Refining.

Abandoned Toddler in Fujairah Placed With Foster Family

A sad story emerged last week (18 May 2009) about a little girl who was found abandoned early last Monday morning in Merasheed, Fujairah.

After the public heard the news the Fujairah police was flooded with calls from families wanting to adopt the one year old toddler.

By Thursday of last week the police had placed the girl with a foster family.

While The National reported that the girl was Arab but not Emirati, few details have emerged about the parents of the child and the motives that led to her being abandoned.

Further:
Sympathy for Toddler Found Abandoned in Fujairah, GN.
Fujairah Police Flooded with Calls for Adoption of Abandoned Baby Girl, KT.
Toddler found in Fujairah is Unclaimed, TN.

Dr Geoff Pound