Category: Uncategorized

21/07/2013

It was by God’s will that we were born and brought up on this blessed land. God Almighty has blessed us with leaders who appreciate the value of this giving land as well as the people living on it. They ruled in justice; they loved us and we loved them.

The Emiratis have a special relationship with their leaders characterized by mutual everlasting love, brotherhood, parenthood, and Islamic and national values.. all under one united roof.

What I have said is not a kind of human fantasy or rosy dreams that will soon vanish; it is the reality that every Emirati lives and feels every day.

Moving from tents to compete with clouds? Is it possible? Yes, our country is prospering day after day making a modern boom on the international level. We say and we do. We work to build our future, and the future welcomes our words and deeds with a smile.

No wonder dear readers. Thanks to those loyal hands which loved their country and rulers thereby built faithfully, we are today reaping the fruits of our excellence and pursue for the first, and only first, rank.

Wondering how will this happen?

Have you heard about the elegant government services with 7 stars shining in one card? A transaction is completed in minutes with a smile that has always been for generations on the faces of the sons of Zayed.

May Allah bless those who have built this country and helped it flourish.

As we enjoy all these blessings, we should pray for our country and always ask Allah to “Keep this country safe and peaceful”.

02/07/2013

H.E. Dr. Eng. Ali Mohamed Al Khouri, Director General of the Emirates Identity Authority, emphasized that the verdicts announced today by the Federal Supreme Court against the members of the “secret organization” have strengthened our belief that Justice is the pillar of governance in the UAE. Those verdicts tell us that patience is the basis in treating those who unintentionally commit mistakes against the country and its symbols, values and principles. On the other hand, there is no compromise in applying the law against those who try to sabotage the structure whose foundations were laid by joint hard work of both the leaders and the people of our dear country who don’t spare any efforts in this respect.

Dr. Al Khouri said that the sentences announced against the members of the secret organization have proven how deeply the principles of justice, rights and equality in the UAE are rooted. They also reflected the keenness of the UAE leadership as well as its government, institutions and people to implement the law, achieve justice and maintain rights without being bias or unfair to people whoever they may be.

He commended the honesty of the Judiciary system in the UAE which is based on the provisions of Islam as stipulated in its constitution, highlighting the advanced and civilized levels of the legal procedures followed throughout the case. This has also proven that with Justice rights will be maintained, and that under the UAE prudent leadership presided by President H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, May Allah protect him, justice is a right that is secured for everyone in the country.

Dr. Al Khouri added that in the UAE, Justice is a symbol, and the rule of law is a guideline and an approach to renaissance and development. This is being achieved through a set of advanced laws and legislations that ensured rights and defined duties on the grounds that the honest and independent jurisdiction is the most vital element in building up a country, and that justice is one of the foundations of construction, progress and superiority.

He expressed his hope that the verdicts announced today will be a lesson for those whose sights and insights were blocked by the devil to an extent that they couldn’t see the big difference between the bright present and future of the UAE compared to the awful conditions and dark horizon in the countries that are experiencing difficult times looking for a glimmer of hope to achieve the minimum basics of decent life that preserves human dignity.

Dr. Al Khouri added that those who have common sense should deeply analyze the sufferings of the people of what is called “Arab Spring” countries and compare those to the graces Allah Almighty blessed Emiratis with. Emiratis are blessed with security and peace, and a wise, generous and fair leadership whose utmost priority is to maintain a decent and happy life for its people, develop the best government services worldwide, provide the highest level of health, social, educational and humanitarian care, and many other countless good matters.

He emphasized that the UAE was, still is, and will remain a paradise, not only in the eyes of its people but in the eyes of other nations as well, whether before or after the Arab spring, before or after the global economic crisis. He stressed that such a prudent leadership following the footsteps of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, May his soul rest in peace, deserves our gratitude and prayers to Allah to keep their nobleness, generosity and love in the hearts of Emiratis.

Dr. Al Khouri concluded that a good person will always ask himself about what he has done to his country before asking what his country has given him; because countries are being built and will prosper only by the loyal efforts of their people, noting that what the UAE has provided to Emiratis and residents is unique and has never been provided by any other country in the world.

13/06/2013

Realizing  that human beings are responsible before God for the things that have been done, as well as things that have not been done; one’s perception of some mathematical concepts will definitely change.

No doubt; reaching this belief and working based on it, will put human beings on a (new path) where “Collective Egoism” will take precedence over “Individual Egoism”, and hence will lead them to be more responsible concerning the social solidarity system which is considered a vital element in building individuals’ patriotism and instilling the concept of social responsibility deep in them.

Being honest to God in all deeds, automatically, leads individuals to excellence, because honesty means being conscientious and giving priority to the higher interest of the country over the personal interests.

Being faithful urges human beings to continuously look for means by which to give people their rights.

One can describe those “abstract people”; so to speak, as “Distinguished” people. However, they are, actually, (people who recognized the reality of their existence) and wanted to make a difference in their society.

We are sheer soldiers of this country.. and we will continue striving, like our ancestors, to give it what it deserves.

Nevertheless, I believe that every individual can make a difference in society by being faithful to God Almighty, and work on materializing the vision of our prudent leadership (God protect them).. This can happen through education, work, unleashing capacities, determination, giving priority to public interests, and serving people.

Life is interesting for those who work to facilitate people’s affairs! And I ask God to help us to do the same, and to be among those “Abstract Distinguished” people.

05/06/2013

In the name of Allah and Praise be to Allah, and Peace and Blessings be the Messenger of Allah.

Brothers and Sisters the employees of the Emirates Identity Authority

Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon all of you.

Two days ago, I was honored to accept the invitation from the honorable administration of the Higher Colleges of Technology to give a speech during the graduation ceremony of the excelling students for the year 2013, and to honor the distinguished graduates since the year 1991. I am also honored to have been graduated from this national scientific edifice among the graduates of 1998.

I thought that I should seize this opportunity of meeting this elite group of the nation’s youth to urge them into placing the contribution to the march of building our precious country and reinforcing its international competitiveness, at the top of their priorities and goals.

My message to the graduates revolved around working towards achieving a noble message, with giving back to the nation and its wise leadership forming the center of that message.

And working towards servicing a clear and ambitions national goal which is built on contribution to raising the name of the UAE and leaving a mark making this country among the best in the world.

And the keenness to reinforce authentic values, headed by perseverance, trust, continuous learning, accountability, innovation and creativity.

My message to the graduates included an invitation to identify clear personal goals and plans, and to have an established self-confidence, for that is a dept we have to pay back to the nation that provided us with so much and to our leadership that is rarely matched in this modern world, and because graduation is the beginning of the road and an opportunity to join the group that is working hard to upgrade the status of the nation, its reputation and leadership among the nations.

My message also included stressing that the nation awaits from its sons and daughters, and from the students and graduates in practical, to translate the knowledge they have gained during the learning years on the ground and in their practical lives, to contribute in the “Empowerment” phase lead by His Highness The President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to achieve the UAE Vision 2021…

The nation today expects from us more than it ever did, to be leaders in our determination, efforts, work, devotion, enthusiasm and integrity to achieve this noble duty.

My message to the graduates held a call not to stop gaining knowledge and science and not to stop the self development, for that is part of our responsibilities towards ourselves and towards our community… a call to be keen on continuing to learn, no matter how hard it was, as through learning, the human can raise and advance in life.

… and stressing on the fact that the excellence became a method in our country and one of its features, and the best phrase to refer to this fact is the what His Highness Lt. Gen. Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, Vice Chairman of Emirates Identity Authority, when he stressed that: “Excellence is not a luxury, it’s a national and moral duty”

Brothers and Sisters the employees of Emirates Identity Authority

I wanted to share my message with you, because it is the message of the Emirates Identity Authority to its employees.

As we are seekers of science… and pioneers of excellence…

And because the nation is waiting from us as officials, employees, graduates and students, to give back, and because advanced positions achieved by the UAE in the Global Competitiveness Indicator 2013, require us to double the effort and continue to improve performance in order to achieve the vision of our nation and the ambitions of our leadership, and to gain first places in the fields of competitiveness and leadership among nations.

Our Excellence … is our duty…

That is truly “An obligation and not a luxury”

19/05/2013

Many of government and private entities in different domains are not worried much about topics such as information security and cyber crime. This might be because of the fear workers and supervisors in this field feel when they think of hackers and those who might threaten, destroy or manipulate data and secrets inside their fortresses.

This fear seems logical in light of hundreds of incidents that happen every day around the world where hackers behind computer screen reach anywhere in the world. Authorities and entities in different domains remain in a race to face these challenges. It is a never ending battle as long as its field is the spacious cyberspace that is open to all human beings.

It is no doubt that cyber crimes have become a reality of undesirable repercussions from personal moral and social damage and its destruction of societal trust among people, to destabilization of security and stability up to the threat to economies of large enterprises or even countries and the effect of that on the global economy. There is a direct relation between development in the computer field and the increasing numbers of cyber crimes.

Cyber crimes vary between physical crimes such as stealing ATM machines to email messages asking for help in releasing money confiscated in foreign countries with a promise of a percentage from the amount, to messages telling the email account holders that they have won prizes and asking for their bank account details. Another type has a cultural side where the criminal steals the intellectual property rights and ascribes them to himself without the victim’s consent. These crimes are added to the political, economic and sexual crimes that spread extremism and looseness across the World Wide Web.

It is no doubt that the technological advancements in the UAE have affirmed the need to set laws to combat these crimes and safeguard against the manipulation of privacies or taking advantages of others’ physical or  intellectual  rights.

His Highness SheikhKhalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, issued a federal law regarding the combat of cyber crimes including many articles which offer legal protection for the privacy of what is published on the World Wide Web.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of the Executive Council, issued a decision regarding information security in Dubai Government aiming at developing an integrated strategy and a unified policy for information security and its systems related to the local government of the emirate.

One of the efforts that in the same direction is the international conferences hosted by the UAE, which gather key figures in cyber protection worldwide to exchange views and study ways to develop mechanisms that achieve top levels of information security, including the expected Gulf Information Security Expo & Conference that will be held in Dubai from 3 – 5 June 2013. It will be the largest event, in this regard, in the region.

However, we must highlight an important factor related to this kind of crimes that is self-awareness and raising one’s personal carefulness when using the Internet and other modern technologies. We all should have a degree of security culture that is enough to limit the access for those who want to reach secrets or important data that will harm their owners. In many cases, this only requires paying attention when adding sensitive information, using a more complicated password, using anti-virus programs and encrypting the most sensitive files. We should also refrain from making important financial transactions through public networks because they’re easy to hack. Extra precaution should be given when we reveal our electronic identities and personal information which should be used on trusted websites only.

16/05/2013

The UAE in particular and the Arab Gulf Region in general are two of the fastest markets in terms of adoption of modern technologies, considering that the sophisticated electronic infrastructure in the UAE is one of the most important tools for enhancing its economic competitiveness worldwide. This evolution reflects an official interest in adopting the latest information and communication technologies towards upgrading government performance in an unprecedented manner, achieving co-operation among government and private entities and providing pioneering government services and other products via the different means of communication such as  the Internet and mobile phone. Based on the prudent leadership’s awareness of the importance of the modern electronic technology, which is one of the most important features of change in the 21^stcentury, and the associated media information flows that will play a role in forming the public and private natures of the region, the UAE government started the electronic transformation of government services in 2001 by the Ministry of Finance launching the e-Dirham as an alternative to the conventional method used for collecting fees for government services. Since then, the e-transformation process is going at a rapid pace at the level of both the federal ministries and authorities and the local authorities in each emirate.

The above is compatible with the UAE Vision 2021 and the federal e-government plan 2012-2014, which is partly aimed at improving the competitiveness of the UAE by adopting world-class practices in all e-government areas, while its mission stipulates the establishment of an “innovative eGovernment, committed to contributing towards enhancing the competitiveness of the UAE, and providing world-class multi-channel services that are based on customer needs and expectations through a coherent and efficient government; taking advantage of an advanced digital infrastructure and highly qualified human resources within a smart and intelligent framework of governance.”

It is no exaggeration to say the UAE has made great strides in using technology in the field of government work and this has motivated it to seek technological and organizational readiness and secure an environment that supports the spread of information and communication technology such as the current laws and regulations and the provision of trained, qualified and skillful human resources as well as businesses that support the building of a knowledge-based economy.

Perhaps the success of the Emirates Identity Authority in completing the UAE population register at the beginning of this year, registering all citizens and residents in the smart ID card project and owning the world’s largest database of integrated civil biometrics as per the World Record Academy is the best testament to the level of progress that the UAE has achieved in this area, particularly that this achievement will contribute actively to enhancing the national and individual security in the UAE, supporting strategic decision-making and developing our government services at the same time.

In addition, such mega-projects help the community take part in improving government services and decision-makers to know customers, views and preferences.

The outputs of this government interest include preparing an integrated plan to carry out the “mobile government” project, which is aimed at providing all the services offered by the federal authorities and organizations to customers via the different kinds of smart phones and is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year for provision in 2014 in the light of the leadership’s directives to adopt the best international practices in the field of e-transformation.

13/05/2013

No one can deny, in theory, the importance of language and its role in maintaining the identity of the community as well as its heritage and civilized and humanitarian history. Talking about our Arabic language, the practical application of this vision remains a far-reaching dream in many cases, especially at the level of decision-makers and leaders.

What His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said that “Our language is our identity, a symbol of our pride, our civilization and Arab and Islamic culture” urges everyone to shoulder their historical responsibility from the national and humanitarian perspectives and illuminates their way towards the empowerment of the national language because “to empower and to protect the Arabic language means we are protecting our identity, our history and our culture”, as confirmed by HH Sheikh Mohammed.

This is not a call from an ordinary intellectual, nor is it a wish of anyone who is concerned with the culture of his nation and the language of his faith. It is an attitude and an instruction from the top leadership positions and decision-making centers, making it live up to the level of a national strategy that must be followed and implemented.

The call is concurrent with the second International Conference on Arabic Language, which was held in Dubai over the past few days under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, who was keen on attending some sessions of the conference.

Language is wealth and a weapon of high effect in the battle of progress and civilized evolution in which languages ​​and cultures compete in various ways to the extent of struggling sometimes. This made a leader as the former French President General de Gaulle says: “French language did what armies could not do.”

Competition among states and nations in this area is well-known and proven. Perhaps the most important successes achieved by the Israelis in implementing their Zionist projects lay in the fact that they paid special attention to Hebrew, though it had been an almost dead language for centuries and was spoken only by a few millions of Jews and not all Jews. They, however, worked hard to revive Hebrew and make it the language of learning and knowledge and the tongue of politics and practical life. The same applies to many other peoples such as the Japanese, Koreans and others, who look at their national languages as ​​fortunes that they are keen to protect more than any other wealth they own.

Based on this, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid’s kind call came to put the Arabic language in the right place it deserves. The call will undoubtedly bear fruit for the achievement of the desired goals and objectives.

09/05/2013

If I am to list the strategic projects that have been recently implemented in the UAE based on their importance, I will undoubtedly choose the national ID card as one of these projects because of the long-term plans for this project and the great benefit that will be reaped by everybody, whether UAE residents or government and private companies and agencies.

Finally and thanks to a data chip that contains all the important information about you, you will no longer have to feel extreme stress while you are visiting the municipality and carrying your family book for fear that this important document might be lost. Nor will you have to make sure that the document called “passport” is still valid in case of need to visit a bank to open a savings account for your son, for instance. It is a huge and significant project that allows me to be keen on carrying a single card in my wallet, because it will save me the trouble of carrying and keeping the rest of important documents. It is also a tool in the hands of the e-government to develop the work system and provide a better and easier service to the customers of some entities which is still managed with the mentality of the 1970s.

Yet, it is surprising that although five years have elapsed since this significant project was implemented, the ultimate goal of the project has not been achieved so far. More surprisingly, some government entities and affiliated companies are the last to support this vital project and seem as if they insist on signing out of tune for a mysterious reason that I do not know, while supporting and actually implementing this project should top their priorities for the simple reason of ensuring that the private sector will be committed to implement the project later on. We know of course that the private sector will not do this if this project has not been actually implemented by the government sector at both the federal and local levels.

I still carry my family book in all my visits to the municipality and still need my passport to renew my Thiqa health insurance card and obtain electricity services. I even need both my passport and ID card to get a resident parking permit in Abu Dhabi City! What is the logic behind all this? For how long will some entities keep away from playing their presumable role in supporting the UAE strategic projects?

28/04/2013

Between the revolution of electronic technologies, irrespective of its data and outcomes, and the long experience of governments in economy and development of stable infrastructures, there is a varying relationship whose durability or fragility is judged by how these governments look at the importance of digital security or the security of space, which is wide open to all possibilities, intruders or players of countries’ earnings and infrastructures, not to mention their economies, investments and rights of their individuals and citizens.

Based on this, the UAE was actually among the leading countries to put its electronic hallmark in this space and provide a unique form of digital safety, which is recognized by dedicated experts from all over the world, and is still developing safe technologies and racing against time to confirm its commanding lead in achieving compatibility between the technological revolution and stability in dealing, trading and transactions in addition to the security that every capital aspiring for investment is looking for.

The UAE has the right to be proud of its leading achievements in this connection as evidenced by its recent step of registering all the UAE population in the population register and ID card project and possessing the world’s largest database of biometrics used to identify people through their unique characteristics that can neither be transferred to others nor be forgotten or stolen. These include fingerprints, palm of the hand, retina and iris in addition to some facial features. They also include personal behaviors such as signature, voice, key-clicking style and walking, each of which has its own qualities that are compatible with the requirements of the different security systems.

Add to this the use of the world’s latest smart ID card to safely enable e-transformation and e-economy by providing a secure, integrated and advanced system for managing the personal ID in the UAE, thereby contributing to strengthening the elements of security and global competitiveness of the UAE.

This achievement in digital security has won great global acclaim of many experts in this sector due to its completion speed, accurate information and comprehensive coverage. Undoubtedly, this has supported the UAE infrastructure and strengthened the defense factors against any transgressions that may be committed by anyone in the space of electronic dealing.

Actually, the great efforts exerted by the Emirates Identity Authority in this connection must be noted and commended. These efforts showed the UAE’s ongoing bid to consolidate the mainstays of safe digital economy by capitalizing on the advanced applications of technology within the smart ID management system. This has rendered the UAE one of the leading countries to activate the use of smart technology applications in the public and private sectors following its success in possessing the world’s largest database of civil integrated biometrics within its own registration system.

Everyone knows that digital security using the latest technology and data, has become an important factor in shaping and building the future of the new economy and also consolidating its mainstays. It also plays a role in promoting the national and individual security, enforcing law and developing e-commerce transactions amidst warnings by many digital economy specialists that the countries of the world will be susceptible to extensive cyber attacks targeting their national infrastructures over the coming 15 years, while their governments will face unlimited challenges to maintain their economic and social gains provided by the digital world which we live in today, as confirmed by Eng. Ali Mohamed Al Khouri, Emirates ID Director General, during the digital security summit hosted by the UAE recently.

Based on these warnings, which must be taken into consideration and paid due attention, it seems incumbent on the national strategies to enhance the security of knowledge-based economy and e-commerce and to protect the digital network of these strategies from cyber threats, though this requires co-operation at all international, corporate and individual levels.

In this regard, the UAE had a leading and remark able experience in developing public services and supporting the development of digital economy through the ID management system and was able to provide high levels of security and reliability.

Noora Al Suwaidi, Al Bayan newspaper

25/04/2013

Many people do not realize the importance of language in their lives, and do not realize the importance of preserving it, since it is the safety valve of the identity of any community. Most people also miss the truth that a language is saved and its continuity is ensured as far as its speakers save it and promote its existence.

The failure to recognize all these above-mentioned points concerning language was the cause of the extinction of many languages ​​in the world, so that we lost any information about the people of those extinct languages, in addition to losing anything related to their cultures and traditions.

Every Arabic speaker is responsible for saving Arabic language; and the complacency in using and spreading it effectively is a sign of its extinction and thus the fading of our identity and culture.

Furthermore, the importance of language lies not only in its being a means for communication, but also its being the identity of its speakers and the proof of their existence.

This point of the language’s importance is what UAE stresses, starting from the Constitution and through all circulars which emphasize the importance of using the standard Arabic as the official language that should not be replaced by any other language or dialect, even though this dialect is commonly used by people who live in UAE, for example. However, what is really happening now is that Arabic is no more disregarded by the young people of the new generation, though they are not to blame if they misuse Arabic, because of using English more in communication as they learnt it in the private schools.

On the other hand, Arabic nowadays has been being disregarded by some semi-official institutions and entities, while they are supposed to be careful with using the standard Arabic more than any other languages and dialects. These institutions should be the most entities to urge people to use the standard Arabic, such as the local newspapers and the visual media which use the local dialects excessively to the extent that Arabic has lost its prestige, because many have been so far from the standard Arabic, and without any effort to preserve its classical and standard forms.

We do not deny that TV satellite channels need sometimes to use the local dialect in commercials, but when it comes to the announcers, it is a must        that they stick to the standard Arabic and ignore the vernacular tongue as much as possible. This is because these announcers are addressing peoples all over the world who may not understand our colloquial dialects; moreover, the standard Arabic is clearer than the other dialect forms.

The point that we are still wondering about is this: Is it a need for some newspapers to publish commercials for banking or non-banking institutions in the local dialect, even if they are addressing UAE locals only? There is no need to use the local dialect, for the commercials in the Arab newspapers are for all Arabs, so that the standard Arabic should be used to be understood by all audience.

The Classical Arabic bears within its implications great identity and culture not worth to be neglected and given up, especially nowadays for we need to preserve our identity, culture and language which is almost dying before us and by us. This should be realized by the institutions and entities that are supposed to be the first to preserve this language.