Page 11 - Dubai

Fugitive businessman Atul Gupta loses bid to get new S African passport

Atul Gupta, one of the three Gupta brothers now in self-exile in Dubai, has lost a high court bid to get a new passport from the South African government. Atul, Ajay, and Rajesh Gupta are accused of siphoning billions of rands from South African parastatals through their close association with former president Jacob Zuma. Atul and Rajesh are currently awaiting extradition to face charges in South Africa. The brothers and their families fled to Dubai after Zuma was ousted from the presidency in 2018 by his ruling African National Congress. They have also been blacklisted by the US and the UK. The Pretoria high court ruled on Friday that Atul Gupta did not qualify for a South African passport because he was a fugitive from justice. Gupta had approached the South African consulate in Dubai for a new passport in 2018. This was before he faced extradition charges. But the Department of Home Affairs had rejected Gupta's application after the National Prosecuting Authority confirmed tha

Dubai ends 30% tax on alcohol sales, fee for liquor licenses in sheikhdom

Dubai ended its 30 per cent tax on alcohol sales in the sheikhdom on Sunday and made its required liquor licenses free to obtain, ending a long-standing source of revenue for its ruling family to apparently further boost its tourism to the emirate. The sudden New Year's Day announcement, made by Dubai's two state-linked alcohol retailers, came apparently from a government decree from its ruling Al Maktoum family. However, government officials did not immediately acknowledge the decision and did not respond to questions from The Associated Press. But it follows years of loosening regulations over liquor in the sheikhdom, which now sells alcohol during daylight hours in Ramadan and began providing home delivery during the lockdowns at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Alcohol sales have long served as a major barometer of the economy of Dubai, a top travel destination in the UAE, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates. During the recent World Cup in nearby Qatar, Dubai's many bar

What makes GCC nations such a big draw for India's emigrant labour?

The deplorable conditions of migrant workers in Gulf countries, have been well documented across media reports over the last few decades

Snake found in AI Express plane's cargo hold; DGCA to probe incident

A snake was found in the cargo hold of an Air India Express plane after it landed at the Dubai airport on Saturday and aviation regulator DGCA is probing the incident, according to a senior official. The B737-800 aircraft came from Calicut, Kerala and the passengers were safely deplaned. The senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said a snake was found in the cargo hold of the plane on arrival at the Dubai airport and the airport fire services were also informed. It is a ground handling lapse. The incident shall be probed and suitable enforcement action shall be taken, the official told PTI. An Air India Express spokesperson could not be reached for comments. Details about the number of passengers could not be immediately ascertained.

1.24 million Indian tourists visit Dubai in first 9 months of 2022

At least 1.24 million Indian tourists visited Dubai in the first nine months of 2022, the highest among all foreign nationalities visiting Dubai.

Toshkhana controversy: Want to return Graff watch, says Dubai businessman

A Dubai-based businessman, who claimed that he bought a multi-million dollar luxury watch gifted to former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, on Monday said that he wants to return the prized possession to its rightful owner. The expensive Graff wristwatch, worth USD 2 million, was part of the gifts whose alleged sale landed Khan to the Toshkhana controversy, which resulted in his disqualification from contesting elections after he was charged with making "false statements and erroneous declarations". The businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor has claimed that he bought the watch from Khan through his trusted family friend, Farah Gig, after paying a hefty amount of money. However, he now regrets the decision and is willing to part with it to end the controversy surrounding the watch in Pakistan. As an ordinary Pakistani, and as a token of gratitude toward Saudi Arabia, if given the opportunity, I would like to return this watch to its rightful own

Abu Dhabi seeks Indian investments, invites start-ups to establish hubs

In its bid to diversify Abu Dhabi's business activity beyond hydrocarbons, the UAE's capital city is seeking more investments from India which will not only benefit the local economy but also allow Indian firms to use it as a platform to grow their footprints around the world. Abu Dhabi has identified priority sectors including agritech, tourism, healthcare, pharma and financial services, where Indian enterprises can invest. Abdulla Abdul Aziz Alshamsi, Acting Director General of Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) which is tasked with pulling the investments, told PTI that his office will facilitate all investment avenues for Indian companies and called this as a natural extension of the growing relations between India and the UAE. Alshamsi pitched for Indian companies to use Abu Dhabi as a platform to grow their footprints around the world, and added that their presence will benefit the local economy as well. At a time when Indian startups are scouting for better opportunities ...

Can India's new finance hub in Gujarat become the next Singapore or Dubai?

Gujarat International Finance ­Tec-­City, more commonly known as GIFT City, occupies 886 acres between Gujarat's capital, Gandhinagar, and Ahmedabad, its biggest city

Customs nabs flier from Dubai with gold worth Rs 48 lakh at Kochi

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs department seized 1192 grams of gold, worth Rs 48.5 lakh, at the Kochi airport on Sunday.On the basis of profiling done by the Kochi AIU batch, customs officers intercepted a passenger from Dubai at the Kochi Airport by flight IX-434.The accused was identified as Ali, a native of Kozhikode district.On examining the passenger, the customs officials found four capsules of gold in compound form, weighing 1010 grams, concealed inside his body.Three crude gold chains, weighing 182 grams, were also found concealed in his socks and seized.Further investigations are underway.Earlier, on Saturday, the customs department seized 2,219.94 grams of gold, worth Rs 94 lakh, in two separate incidents at the Kochi airport after intercepting two passengers.In one of these cases, the customs seized 1155.88 grams of gold worth Rs 47 lakh.The officers of the Kochi AIU batch intercepted a passenger from Dubai, identified as Shihab from Alappuzha district of ...

Dubai-based Coral Energy turns focus to Asia, halts trade in Russian crude

he trading house emerged as one of the key suppliers of Russian crudes to Asia after some western entities shunned purchase of Russian oil

You're not welcome! UAE bars entry for those with single name: Air India

Single named passengers will not be allowed entry into the UAE with immediate effect under the new guidelines

Over 80k delegates, 140 heads of state to attend COP28 in Dubai: Minister

Over 80,000 delegates, including over 140 heads of state and government leaders, would participate in COP28 which is scheduled to be held next year in the UAE, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, one of the country's ministers and special envoy for climate change, has said. Al Jaber, who is the minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the UAE's special envoy for climate change, highlighted the importance of the UAE hosting the Conference of the Parties and said COP28 will be an important global event coinciding with the country's national day and will be held at Expo City Dubai. "COP2, which will be hosted in the UAE in 2023, will welcome high-level participation including over 140 heads of state and government leaders, over 80,000 delegates, and more than 5,000 media professionals," Al Jaber said on Tuesday, He said the determination of the UAE, its strong diplomatic relations with global nations and its pragmatic position on climate action, underpinned by proven experience in the energ

Adani planning to open family office in Dubai or New York to manage wealth

Adani family is currently talking to consultants and tax experts about the plans; location of the office is still in flux, and may change based on the advice they receive and availability of resources

Indians travelling to Saudi Arabia no longer need police clearance for visa

The Saudi embassy in India tweeted they have removed the visa requirement for police clearance certificate for Indians

Wealthy Indians buying properties in Dubai, London, NY for better prices

Anuj Puri, chairman of Anarock Property Consultants links wealthy Indians buying abroad to their purchasing power

Top headlines: Morbi death toll at 132; India Inc eyes Dubai for investment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he could foresee that India would soon be manufacturing big passenger aircraft that would proudly bear the words 'Made in India'.

India Inc moves to Dubai in droves as emirate eases ownership rules

The CEPA aims to boost India-UAE bilateral trade to $100 billion in goods in the coming five years

Kerala-based IT firms secure business leads worth Rs 80 crore at GITEX

Over 2,000 business leads worth Rs 80 crore were generated by the IT companies from Kerala which took part in the recently concluded global IT exhibition (GITEX) at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Thirty IT companies from the three IT parks in Kerala -- Technopark, Infopark and Cyberpark -- showcased their products and service at the GITEX. "Nearly two dozen business deals have been finalised by various companies during the 5-day event," Kerala IT Parks said in a release. The pavilion of the Kerala IT parks at the expo was organised by group of technology companies (GTech), an industry body of IT and business process management (BPM) organisations in Kerala, it said. The event attracting the best IT talent and IT solution seeking entrepreneurs from around the globe was a perfect platform to network and partner up with a number of entities. CEO of Kerala IT Parks Snehil Kumar Singh said the IT sector in the State was witnessing fast-paced growth and

RIL to demerge subsidiary RPPMSL's EPC business, combine it with its own

The demerged undertaking, together with the existing EPC team of RIL, will create a focused EPC undertaking to cater to the needs of the group

Mukesh Ambani purchases beach-side Palm Jumeirah villa in Dubai for $163 mn

The billionaire has been snapping up properties overseas, increasingly looking westward for second homes