city:abu dhabi

Real Madrid’s Bernabéu stadium set to be renamed Abu Dhabi Bernabéu | Football | The Guardian
▻http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/28/santiago-bernabeu-abu-dhabi-bernabeu-real-madrid

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/1/28/1422439863747/Real-Madrid-v-Liverpool---012.jpg

The Santiago Bernabéu stadium will be renamed the Abu Dhabi Bernabéu, according to the Spanish sports newspaper AS. The report has not been confirmed by Real Madrid but their president, Florentino Pérez, was caught on camera admitting to a member of the regional government that the stadium will be called whatever the Abu Dhabi investment group Ipic wants it to be called.

Google camel view: Trekker camera documents Liwa Desert | Technology | The Guardian
▻http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/10/google-camel-street-view-trekker-camera-documents-liwa-desert

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/10/10/1412935246164/cb3f6d75-c086-4e5e-b3dd-824fd1f6aff6-1020x612.png

Raffia the 10-year-old camel has become the very first animal to help with Google’s mapping missions, using one of the company’s Trekker cameras to capture the landscape of the Liwa Desert in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Raffia and her guide took to the sand as early as 6am in the morning to ensure the best lighting conditions. The resulting film and still photographs show the desert’s rolling sand dunes, an oasis, fellow camels, scuttling sand and some gangly camera-and-camel shadows.

►https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pVCToDTbT4

Qatar no longer offering citizenship to Bahraini nationals: Bahrain interior minister « ASHARQ AL-AWSAT
▻http://www.aawsat.net/2014/11/article55338696

Qatar no longer offering citizenship to Bahraini nationals: Bahrain interior minister
Bahrain earlier accused Qatar of luring its citizens to switch nationality

Bahraini Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Bin Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Khalifa attends the consultative meeting of interior ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in the Bahraini capital Manama on April 23, 2013. (AFP Photo/Mohammed Al-Shaikh)

Manama and Abu Dhabi, Asharq Al-Awsat—Qatar has stopped offering Bahraini nationals Qatari citizenship, Bahraini Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Bin Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Khalifa said on Tuesday, in what may mark the end of a long-running dispute between the two states.

Sheikh Rashid said the understanding reached between the two countries on the issue reflected their “mutual respect,” and would help the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) remain united.

Controversy erupted earlier in the year after Doha allegedly began offering Qatari citizenship to Bahraini nationals from prominent Sunni families, many of them members of the military and security services, according to sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat in September.

Manama issued three warnings to Doha in August and September over the issue, and passed a law in August imposing fines on Bahraini citizens who took on the nationalities of other countries without the approval of the authorities.

Bahraini citizens are permitted to have dual nationalities, but only after seeking permission from the minister of the interior.

Sources speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat in September said the issue was one of the main sticking points in the months-long dispute within the GCC, which saw Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain accuse Qatar of interfering in their internal affairs.

The dispute was resolved on Sunday following an emergency meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, following efforts to mediate the diplomatic row by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Sheikh Rashid praised the work of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, in helping to resolve the dispute, saying it displayed the “importance of the role which GCC countries can play to bring about stability in the Arab world, especially during the unusual circumstances the region is currently experiencing.”

He added that these events “obligated us [GCC countries] to have a united outlook and to undertake concerted efforts” to ensure regional stability.

Meanwhile, King Abdullah received a message from the Ruler of Dubai and Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Gen. Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces—who both represented the UAE at Sunday’s meeting—thanking him, and the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al Sabah, for their mediation efforts.

Abu Dhabi to host ’Invest in Egypt’ conference next week - Economy - Business - Ahram Online

▻http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/116032.aspx

Les EAU placent les Frères musulmans, l’EI, l’UOIF (France), Al Nosra, les Houthis dans la liste des organisations terroristes - Reuters

▻https://news.yahoo.com/emirates-brands-muslim-brotherhood-terrorists-183959175.html

The United Arab Emirates designated the Muslim Brotherhood and dozens of other Islamist groups as terrorist organizations on Saturday, ratcheting up the pressure on the group by lumping it together with extremists such as the Islamic State group and the Nusra Front, al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria.

The federation’s Cabinet adopted the designations against the 83 groups, the official state news agency WAM said. They include Al-Islah, an Emirati group suspected of ties to the Brotherhood whose members have faced prosecution in the seven-state federation, which includes the cosmopolitan business hub of Dubai and the capital of Abu Dhabi.

The move follows a decision by Saudi Arabia in March to designate the Brotherhood a terrorist group along with al-Qaida and others. The Emirates voiced support for the decision at the time, and accuses Islamist groups of trying to topple its Western-backed ruling system.

Saudi Arabia and the Emirates have taken a firm stance against the Brotherhood since its ascendance in Egypt in the wake of the Arab Spring, and the oil-rich Gulf neighbors are strong supporters of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. He was elected earlier this year after leading the military overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Egypt labeled the 86-year-old Brotherhood a terrorist organization in December.

The Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the kingdom of Bahrain earlier this year recalled their ambassadors from fellow Gulf state Qatar to protest what they say as its failure to stop meddling in other nation’s affairs and for backing groups that threaten the regional stability. Analysts widely saw that as a swipe at Qatar’s perceived support for the Brotherhood and other Islamist groups.

The Emirates list includes the Islamic State group it is helping to bomb as part of U.S.-led airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. Among the other groups targeted are the Pakistani Taliban and the Yemeni Shiite rebels known as Houthis.

Also on the list are a number of Western Islamic organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the United States’ largest Muslim civil liberties group.

Labour abuse claims overshadow Guggenheim Abu Dhabi show - FT.com
▻http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/21a99dac-6342-11e4-9a79-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=crm/email/2014113/nbe/WorldNews/product&siteedition=intl#axzz3I8NiGnKz

But the Guggenheim, whose main museum in New York has also been targeted by demonstrations relating to its Abu Dhabi branch, has been criticised for failing to address protests against its expansion into the Middle East.
Gulf Labor, an international artists’ pressure group that includes Lebanese artist Walid Raad, has called on Abu Dhabi’s government to pay labourers working on the futuristic museum – designed by renowned US architect Frank Gehry – a living wage and allow them to form workers’ councils.
The artists’ body has also called on the company developing the museum on Saadiyat Island to award a one-off fee of $2,000 to help workers pay off onerous recruitment fees.
Mr Armstrong, during a preview of the exhibit to the press on Sunday, refused to answer questions about labour conditions in the UAE.
Criticism of inadequate labour standards throughout the oil-rich Gulf region has overshadowed its grandiose cultural and sporting projects. Neighbouring Qatar has come under intense pressure for the conditions faced by the labourers constructing stadiums for its controversial hosting of the World Cup in 2022, while Dubai has also faced sustained criticism for more than a decade over the working conditions of labourers, who are often from south Asia.

Le Real Madrid s’associe à Abu Dhabi - Eurosport

Mardi, le club espagnol a officiellement présenté son nouvel accord avec International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), un fond d’investissement détenu par Abu Dhabi, l’émirat déjà propriétaire de City.

Selon Les Echos, l’accord initial porterait sur trois saisons avec la possibilité de renouveler pour deux autres, et 3 millions d’euros par an pour le club. Il y aurait ensuite la possibilité de passer sur un engagement de 15 ans et 28 millions d’euros par exercice. À ce tarif, IPIC pourrait même avoir le droit de donner son nom au stade rénové des Merengue, qui deviendrait alors le « IPIC Bernabéu » ou « CEPSA Bernabéu. »

« C’est le début d’un long chemin et le début d’une puissante alliance qui peut être décisive pour mener à bien un de nos plus importants défis : convertir le Santiago Bernabéu comme le meilleur stade du monde”, assure Florentino Perez dans le communiqué du club.

دور إقليمي محوري لـ « الأزهر » | الأخبار
▻http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/216048

دور إقليمي محوري لـ «الأزهر»

Mise en perspective du rôle d’Al-Azhar, de plus en plus engagée activement sur la scène politique, en particulier depuis le coup d’Etat contre Morsi auquel elle a apporté son consentement. Désormais, il s’agit de lui faire accorder sa bénédiction pour la coalition armée en train de se mettre en place contre l’EI (petit cadeau de bienvenue, le financement par les Saoudiens de la réhabilitation de la mosquée).

Céline Alvarez, une institutrice révolutionnaire (LeMonde.fr)
▻http://www.lemonde.fr/festival/article/2014/09/04/celine-alvarez-une-instit-revolutionnaire_4481540_4415198.html

L’ancienne enseignante a démissionné de l’éducation nationale, mais n’a pas renoncé à diffuser les outils de l’école de demain

[…]

Et pourtant, c’est bien « l’effet d’une bombe » que l’on a pu ressentir en entrant, ce printemps, dans la classe multiniveau – mêlant petite, moyenne et grande sections – de Céline Alvarez. Pas seulement parce que les enfants savaient lire à 5 ans (parfois avant), maîtrisaient le sens des quatre opérations, comptaient jusqu’à 1 000 et même au-delà…

Pas seulement parce que la salle colorée regorgeait d’un matériel en libre accès (« lettres rugueuses », « cabinet de géographie »…) inconnu de la plupart des écoles, vers lequel les enfants pouvaient se tourner au moment précis où ils en éprouvaient l’envie, « pour ne jamais rater la fenêtre de tir permettant d’entrer dans les savoirs », expliquait la jeune femme lors de notre première rencontre. Non, c’est surtout l’entraide, l’empathie, la joie, la curiosité que manifestaient ces tout-petits qui retenaient l’attention.

[…]

« Tous ces jeunes que je trouvais intelligents mais qui n’arrivaient pas à se fondre dans le moule et qui décrochaient, ça m’indignait ! », se souvient-elle. Dans son cercle familial, aussi, cette fille d’une employée de banque et d’un ouvrier tourneur-fraiseur se forge la conviction que « l’être humain possède un potentiel inné pour penser, créer, partager… et que le système scolaire l’empêche d’émerger ».

#éducation #école #Montessori #innovation_pédagogique #système_scolaire #neurosciences

Slaves of Happiness Island
▻http://www.vice.com/read/slaves-of-happiness-island-0000412-v21n8

My message to the head of the Louvre would be to come and see how we are living here,” said Tariq,* a carpenter’s helper working on construction of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, a $653 million Middle Eastern outpost of the iconic Parisian museum. Set to be completed in 2015, its collection will include a Torah from 19th-century Yemen, Picassos, and Magrittes. Source: Vice United States

Better salaries and career progression draws Emiratis to Abu Dhabi and Dubai | The National

▻http://www.thenational.ae/uae/better-salaries-and-career-progression-draws-emiratis-to-abu-dhabi-and-d

UAE and Qatar compete as Saudi Arabia looks on - Al-Monitor : the Pulse of the Middle East
▻http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/saudi-caught-between-uae-qatar-feud.html#

Given that religion is a key factor in struggles for influence in the region, religion has become an arena for the “soft conflict” that is going on between the two capitals. While Qatar has stood in support of Salafist and Muslim Brotherhood religious currents, Abu Dhabi choose to support the traditional Sunni Islam current, historically represented by Al-Azhar. This latter current calls for religious scholars to not directly engage in politics.

Où l’on se met à parler de la politique étrangère des EAU (mis en cause par Doha-Jazeera dans l’actuelle guerre à Gaza).

Serbian village raises complaint about UAE purchase of farmland
▻http://farmlandgrab.org/post/view/23736-serbian-village-raises-complaint-about-uae-purchase-of-farmland

Farmers in Kula, Serbia have made formal complaints about an Abu Dhabi company, Al Rawafed Agriculture, which is trying to acquire land.

The majority of residents from the village of Sivac in Kula municipality work in agriculture and are afraid of losing their livelihoods if officials sign a contract with the UAE company.

In Kula town, farmers are seeking a termination of the contract, with Al Rawafed saying it is a breach of agricultural land laws

#Serbie #EAU #terres

UAE arrests three Qatari « spies »
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/uae-arrests-three-qatari-spies

Authorities in the #United_Arab_Emirates have arrested three Qatari “spies,” an Emirati daily reported on Wednesday in a new sign of mounting tensions between Doha and its Gulf neighbors. The report in #Al-Khaleej newspaper, which cited Emirati sources, was in response to a report in #Qatar's #Al-Arab daily that three Qataris had been subjected to “arrest and torture” in UAE capital Abu Dhabi. They were “Qatari intelligence elements operating on UAE soil,” Al-Khaleej wrote on its front page. “They were arrested and are being questioned.” read more

Arabtec Head of M&A Said to Have Been Fired Amid Staff Cuts -
The man who signed the contract with Sissi in Egypt for the construction worth of 40 billions of dollars has been fired
Bloomberg
▻http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-23/arabtec-s-m-a-head-said-to-be-fired-amid-staff-cuts-correct-.html

Arabtec Holding Co. (ARTC)’s head of mergers and acquisitions, Shohidul Ahad-Choudhury, has been dismissed following the resignation of Chief Executive Officer Hasan Ismaik, a person familiar with the situation said.
Hundreds of employees at the United Arab Emirates’ largest construction company, including a number of managers, have also been fired since Ismaik’s departure, according to three people familiar with the situation who asked not to be identified because the information is private.
Ahad-Choudhury, a former Deutsche Bank AG executive, joined Arabtec in March 2013. Calls to his personal mobile yesterday were not returned, while a number listed on his business card was out of service. A public relations executive for Arabtec in Abu Dhabi declined to comment on the dismissals when contacted by phone.
“This will be taken negatively by the market as investors will be concerned about the company’s future strategy,” Julian Bruce, the head of institutional trading at EFG-Hermes U.A.E. Ltd. in Dubai, said by telephone yesterday. The staff cuts will raise questions about “scaling down of projects and the direction of the company,” he said.
Former CEO Ismaik resigned last week after the company’s share price slumped amid speculation the builder was losing government backing. On June 5, the stock exchange revealed that he had become Arabtec’s largest shareholder, with a 28.8 percent stake. Abu Dhabi’s state-owned Aabar Investments PJSC, on June 11 confirmed it has reduced its stake in the firm to 18.85 percent from 21.57 percent. The stock fell 30 percent in the intervening four trading days.
Arabtec’s shares slid 9.9 percent to 3.84 dirhams yesterday in Dubai, the lowest level since March 18. The stock has plunged 48 percent since reaching a record 7.4 dirhams on May 14, yet remains 87 percent stronger this year. By comparison, Dubai’s benchmark stock index climbed 33 percent this year.
Ismaik, who was replaced by Arabtec board member Mohamed Al Fahim as acting CEO, said on June 18 that he would consider selling his stake in the company if he gets an offer.
Under Ismaik’s 15-month leadership, Arabtec aimed to become a top-10 global contractor, expanding into areas including oil and gas and infrastructure. Arabtec formed a joint venture with Samsung Engineering Co. to provide engineering, procurement and construction services.
Arabtec’s new management “needs to clearly outline its strategy for the company and let investors know what will happen to Ismaik’s stake in the company,” Bruce said. Investors will be concerned that such large stake may start making its way onto the market, pressuring the stock, he said.
(An earlier version of this story corrected the name of the acting CEO.)

’Arab Idol’ to FIFA Congress: Viva Palestine - Yahoo News
▻http://news.yahoo.com/arab-idol-fifa-congress-viva-palestine-214136222.html

Wearing a Muslim headscarf around his neck

N.Y.U. Crisis in Abu Dhabi Stretches to Wall Street - NYTimes.com
▻http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/dealbook/2014/05/26/n-y-u-crisis-in-abu-dhabi-stretches-to-wall-street

... the university’s much-heralded new campus in Abu Dhabi might have been the product, in part, of rights abuses of foreign laborers.

[The university’s president John] Sexton might have been trying to create distance between N.Y.U. and the contractor, but it is a red herring: The general contractor that helped oversee the construction of the campus isn’t some fly-by-night firm outside N.Y.U.’s purview. Quite the opposite. The contractor is run by a trustee of N.Y.U.’s board: Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, the chief executive of the Mubadala Development Company.

US$800 mil in Arab investments to build new city in Sinai | Egypt Independent

▻http://www.egyptindependent.com//news/us800-mil-arab-investments-build-new-city-sinai

An agreement has been signed with the Arab Women Investors Union to build a new city in Sinai on an area of ​​70,000 square meters and at an investment cost of US$800 million.

Tarek bin Obaid, secretary general of the Euro-Arab Environment Organization in Geneva and president of the Environment Development Bank in Abu Dhabi, said the city would offer integrated services of clean energy projects and medical tourism.

Nine #UAE “Qaeda members” go to trial
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/nine-uae-qaeda-members-go-trial

Nine suspected #al-Qaeda members accused of plotting attacks in the United Arab Emirates have gone on trial in Abu Dhabi’s state security court, newspapers reported Tuesday. A first hearing was held Monday, and the case adjourned until May 19 to allow for defense lawyers to be appointed, the reports said. The nine accused of forming an al-Qaeda cell, including one being tried in absentia, are Arab nationals, most of them from North Africa, according to Al-Khaleej newspaper. They are charged with “planning attacks damaging to the country’s security and (foreign) residents.” read more

#Top_News

C’est la crise…

Etihad Airways, des mini appartements dans ses Airbus A380 : prix, 25.000 dollars
►http://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/services/transport-logistique/20140504trib000828233/etihad-airways-des-mini-appartements-dans-ses-airbus-a380-prix-25.000-doll

http://static.latribune.fr/article_page/354901/the-residence.png

Sur ces appareils, la compagnie publique d’Abu Dhabi (Emirats arabes unis), va mettre en place des produits Premium jamais offerts à bord d’avion commercial, avec notamment la création dans les A380, d’un « mini studio » de 11,6 m2 (appelé par la compagnie the residence), disposant d’un lit double de 208 cm de long et de 120 de large, d’un coin salon, d’une douche privative et d’un majordome dédié. Le tout pour une ou deux personnes seulement, au prix de 25.000 dollars l’aller simple ! Les dirigeants de la compagnie ne le disent pas évidemment. Mais peu importe en fait qu’il y ait une demande ou pas sur ce produit. Avec un seul exemplaire à bord des A380 (commandés à hauteur de 10 appareils seulement), qui-plus-est dans un espace aujourd’hui inutilisé de l’A380 (au pont supérieur, dans l’un côtés de l’escalier), Etihad ne prend pas trop de risques. Surtout le transporteur fait un superbe coup marketing en "s’achetant" une signature qui le place comme la compagnie la plus luxueuse du monde.

Entre soi…

http://static.latribune.fr/article_page/354907/the-residence.png

Madame se repoudre…

http://static.latribune.fr/article_page/354902/the-residence.png

Le théâtre impérial de Fontainebleau, un bijou restauré par Abou Dhabi - France TV info

▻http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/scenes/le-theatre-imperial-de-fontainebleau-un-bijou-restaure-par-a

La salle du théâtre impérial du château de Fontainebleau était fermée au public depuis un siècle et demi. Restaurée grâce à un mécénat d’Abu Dhabi, elle rouvre ses portes samedi au public. On pourra la visiter mais elle n’accueillera que très exceptionnellement des représentations.

Le théâtre Napoléon III porte désormais le nom du Cheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, le président des Emirats Arabes Unis, a indiqué Jean-François Hébert, président de l’établissement public du château de Fontainebleau (Seine-et-Marne).

La Jordanie poursuit la mise en oeuvre de son programme d’énergie renouvelable, même si ses ambitions sont modestes dans ce domaine en comparaison des projets nucléaires et de pétrole de schiste
‘New wind power plant to cover electricity needs of 150,000 people’ | The Jordan Times
▻http://jordantimes.com/new-wind-power-plant-to-cover-electricity-needs-of-150000-people

Construction work on Jordan’s first wind power plant, an investment worth $292 million, will start in the next few weeks, the Jordan Wind Project Company (JWPC) said Monday.

The 117-megawatt wind farm located in Tafileh, 180km southwest of Amman, is expected to be commercially operational in the last quarter of 2015, JWPC Chairman Samer Judeh told The Jordan Times on Monday.

The project is co-developed with InfraMed, which has a 50 per cent share, Abu Dhabi’s Masdar with 31 per cent and EP Global Energy with 19 per cent, Judeh said.

JWPC awarded a contract to Vestas to install turbines for the project, he added, noting that the wind farm will not only be the first in Jordan but also the first in the Middle East.

The wind farm is projected to generate about 400 gigawatt hours of electricity per year, which is sufficient to provide power to 150,000 Jordanians.

The 38 wind turbines required for the project will be directly transported from the Port of Aqaba to the site over the coming months, according to a statement issued by Vestas.

“The first turbines will begin to produce electricity as from the first quarter of 2015, and the wind power plant will be fully operational by August 2015,” the statement said.

Vestas said the project will provide jobs to “150 people during construction and 30 during its operation”.

Under an agreement, JWPC will sell electricity to the government at a fixed price for the next 20 years after operations start, Judeh said, adding that it will help save millions of dollars for the country.

“Generating 117 megawatts using wind energy will save about $50 million annually, as using heavy fuel and diesel for power generation, which is the current situation, means much higher costs.”

#énergie #électricité #Jordanie #éolien #renouvelable

Your House Is Waiting to Be Turned Into a Projection Screen - Facts So Romantic
▻http://nautil.us/blog/your-house-is-waiting-to-be-turned-into-a-projection-screen

http://static.nautil.us/2990_f6b5f8c32c65fee991049a55dc97d1ce.jpg

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, illuminated by Obscura Digital’s projectionsObscura DigitalThe silver screen. Movie screenings. The big and small screens.Ever since 1879, when Eadweard Muybridge used the world’s first movie projector to display a loop of 13 images of a galloping horse, the preferred place to show motion pictures has been on a single, dedicated, approximately flat screen. The main reason is obvious: A flat surface doesn’t change the geometry of the projected image, making it easier to faithfully recreate images recorded by a movie camera. But there are also clear disadvantages to confining movies to flat screens—chiefly, that it segregates them from the vast majority of shapes, surfaces, and objects in the world around us. With that in mind, a number of (...)

Israel in first UAE visit since murder of Hamas al-Mabhouh - BBC News

▻http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25771311

Israel’s energy minister is to travel to the United Arab Emirates - the first such visit since the 2010 assassination of a Hamas commander in the Gulf state.
Silvan Shalom will attend a renewable energy conference in Abu Dhabi.
The visit could mark an improvement in ties between Israel and the Gulf states which share unease over Iran’s rising power in the region

Comment le fonds d’Abu Dhabi fait fructifier la manne pétrolière - Les Echos

▻http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-secteurs/finance-marches/actu/0203235454481-comment-le-fonds-d-abu-dhabi-fait-fructifier-la-manne-petroli

Avec plus de 400 milliards de dollars de capitaux, le fonds Adia fait figure de leader de la région.

#AbuDhabi