UNESCO endorses Jordan-Arab proposal over Jerusalem's Bab Al Magharbeh

AMMAN (JT) - UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee on Monday voted in favor of a Jordanian and Arab decision on the city of Jerusalem and Bab Al Magharbeh.

The decision was made during the 35th session of UNESCO’s executive board, which was held yesterday in Paris with the participation of a Jordanian delegation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In yesterday’s decision, UNESCO voiced its “deep” concern over Israel’s continued excavations at the old Jerusalem’s gate and the area surrounding it, in addition to Israel’s failure to provide the World Heritage Center with information on these excavation works, according to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mohammad Kayed.

Under the decision, UNESCO also called on Israel to stop its works in the Old City immediately and requested that the World Heritage Center detail in its periodic reports to the World Heritage Committee all obstacles placed by the Israeli side and its justifications for not providing the center with the required information in this regard.

Bab Al Magharbeh, or Moroccans Gate, was listed, as part of East Jerusalem, upon a Jordanian request on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1981 and the list of endangered world heritage sites in 1982.

Kayed said the unified stance by participating Arab states in yesterday’s session facilitated adopting the Arab proposal, noting that the Jordanian delegates have cooperated with their Arab counterparts tand other peers to reach an accepted formula for the decision, according to Petra.

He voiced regrets over the failure of reaching an agreement with some concerned parties due to the Israeli “intransigence” on some of the articles included in the decision regarding its unilateral measures on the land, which led the committee to adopt the resolution by voting instead of making the decision unanimously.

The spokesperson noted that the Arab decision has succeeded in extending UNESCO’s monitoring mechanisms to include all Jerusalem after it was limited to Bab Al Magharbeh, which leads to Al Aqsa Mosque.

Kayed said the decision was worded with a “a new level of rhetoric” in tackling the Bab Al Magharbeh issue in a way that addresses some of the major Jordanian concerns, noting that UNESCO also expressed its regrets for Israel’s plans to excavate the gate and build a bridge next to it before the committee’s meetings.

In May, the Israeli occupation’s municipal authorities in Jerusalem started with advanced steps to demolish the upper bridge that connects Bab Al Magharba, the gate that leads to Al Aqsa Mosque.

Jordan has rejected the move and came up with alternative plans that entail the renovation of the old bridge. UNESCO accepted the Jordanian blueprints.

Furthermore, the agency renewed yesterday its support for Jordan’s plan to renovate the bridge and thanked the Kingdom for its cooperation to safeguard the site as part of its role in safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, where the Kingdom has jurisdiction.

Kayed said the Jordanian decision entails expanding its authority to monitor the gate and demands Israel to stop its archaeological excavations in Bab Al Magharbeh bridge, Petra reported.

28 June 2011

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/index.php?news=38927.

Show to focus on little known wildlife in Arabian Peninsula

Abu Dhabi Corniche exhibition to have 100 photographs.

By Emmanuelle Landais, Senior Reporter
June 26, 2011

Dubai: An outdoor exhibition of the relatively unknown wildlife that survives in the Arabian Peninsula despite harsh desert conditions, habitat encroachment, poaching or hunting, will take over the Abu Dhabi Corniche in December before touring the Gulf region.

Displayed in the shape of a falcon's eye, the large-scale WILD ARABIA with National Geographic Al Arabiya exhibition will display 100 photographs of some of the most amazing species from the Arab region, chosen by National Geographic in Washington.

"The inspiration for creating an outdoor gallery comes from our architect and exhibition designer Franck Minthe who has designed many large-scale outdoor galleries in some of Europe's most beautiful squares over the past ten years," said Caterina Lo Mascolo, Managing Director of WILD ARABIA with National Geographic Al Arabiya.

Previous outdoor galleries showcased the work of famous environmental and wildlife photographers such as Yann Arthus Bertrand and Steve Bloom.

The Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort and the Emirates Marine Environmental Group will oversee which species to showcase here.

Flora and fauna

"Every species will be scaled according to the [International Union of Conservation of Nature] IUCN Red List though we want to showcase not just the endangered animals but also the flora and fauna that are thriving in this region," said Lo Mascolo.

"Certainly 90 per cent of the images will surprise viewers because besides the dugong, oryx, scorpion, falcon, camel, sandfish, and Arabian horse — how many Arabian species are you familiar with?" said Lo Mascolo, who participated at the TEDx Al Ain event earlier this year with a talk called Creating a Culture of Conservation.

"Conservation begins with opening your eyes to what is around you and being proud of what you see," she added.

After a month in the capital the exhibition will move to Dubai on the Emaar Boulevard and then at Ibn Battuta Mall. Sharjah may also host the exhibition before it continues through the Gulf region during the winter months and Europe and North America next summer.

Event

WHAT: WILD ARABIA Exhibition

WHEN: December, 2011

WHERE: Abu Dhabi Corniche

Source: Gulf News.
Link: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/environment/show-to-focus-on-little-known-wildlife-in-arabian-peninsula-1.827389.

Africa first aid convoy heads for Gaza

Sun Jun 26, 2011

Amid much anticipation and after almost a year of planning and coordination, Africa's first overland aid convoy to Gaza is ready to embark on this historic journey.

The convoy comprises a dozen vehicles carrying much needed aid, including medical supplies, basic essentials, milk powder, generators and materials to build 10 houses. All of the vehicles will also be donated to the Gaza municipality. Organizers believe, emanating from the southern tip of Africa, the convoy bears particular significance.

The Africa to Gaza road convoy will cover over 10-thousand kilometers, passing through 8 African countries and stopping in communities along the way to distribute aid as well. But their biggest obstacle yet does not appear to be the second-grade African road network; Egyptian authorities have already said they will not allow the convoy onto Egyptian thoroughfares. But the organizers say they will not back down.

The organizers of the convoy say the aim is not only to take aid to Gaza, but also to raise awareness across Africa about the plight of those in the Gaza Strip. The convoy is expected to reach Gaza by the end of July.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/186376.html.

GCC mulls troops withdrawal from Bahrain

By GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN | ARAB NEWS
Jun 28, 2011

RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are discussing the possibility of withdrawing troops from Bahrain although no timeline has been decided so far, said a GCC official in Riyadh on Tuesday.

"The withdrawal, possibly to begin next week, will be done in consultation with the Gulf countries, mainly with Saudi Arabia and the UAE," said the official on condition of anonymity.

The official, who has intimate knowledge of the affairs of Gulf states, was reacting to reports that the Kingdom will withdraw most of its security forces from Bahrain starting on Monday after considering the current situation in the country.

The Saudi troops, part of the GCC Peninsula Shield, will be withdrawn starting on Monday, said a Reuters report posted online late Tuesday. The report said that all GCC troops would not leave at once.

On the other hand, a Saudi official was quoted by AFP as saying that the Gulf troops are to be redeployed. All troops will not be withdrawn because the danger is not yet over in Bahrain, said the AFP report.

About 1,000 Saudi soldiers entered Bahrain to protect government facilities early this year. Another member state, the UAE, backed Bahrain's efforts to quell the violence in mid-March and sent some 500 police officers to the country, while Kuwait sent a small contingent of naval forces.

Referring to the common objective of the Gulf states that have signed an agreement to safeguard security and stability across the GCC region in a collective manner, the GCC official said that a process of national dialogue will begin in Bahrain on Saturday in a renewed bid to restore peace in the tiny Kingdom.

He said that normalcy in Bahrain was badly needed for the sake of revitalizing the economy including trade and tourism.

The state of emergency imposed by Bahraini rulers was lifted on June 1. Iran has been involving itself in the affairs of Bahrain and the GCC that eventually led to strained relations between Tehran and the Gulf bloc in recent months.

The troops sent by the Kingdom and the UAE within the framework of the common security program and the deployment of Peninsula Shield was approved by all Gulf states at that time. The Arab League also approved sending the troops into Bahrain.

Source: Arab News.
Link: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article463462.ece.

Analysis: Qatar building boom bets on life after World Cup

By Jason Benham and Praveen Menon
Wed Jun 29, 2011

(Reuters) - As Qatar rushes to prepare for the 2022 World Cup, the tiny Gulf Arab state is spending billions to build stadiums, roads, bridges, apartments and hotels on a patch of desert jutting out into the Gulf's waters.

Like cities hosting the Olympic Games, which face the risk of being left with unused venues after the athletes and spectators leave, Qatar is betting that it can accelerate its transformation as a financial and tourism destination to absorb the extra capacity.

It will have to compete with the emirate of Dubai, just up the coast, which also created a glittering seaside desert city on the "build-and-they-will-come" model over the past decade -- only to see a property and asset bubble crash in 2008 and 2009, leaving it with hundreds of empty buildings.

"They have to plan what to with it after the event," said Ziad Makhzoumi, chief financial officer at Dubai builder Arabtec (ARTC.DU). "They are trying to design what is practical for later."

On the plus side, Dubai is on the mend, albeit slowly, and both destinations are wealthy enough to invest for the long term. Both are also reachable from nearly every major city on earth via long-haul flights, making them a natural global hub for trade, finance and tourism.

Goldman Sachs estimates that Qatar, flush with cash, will spend around $65 billion to prepare for the World Cup, when some 500,000 fans will descend on a country of just 1.7 million people, of whom 80 percent are expatriates.

Dozens of cranes line the dusty expanse stretching across Doha's seaside corniche walkway, far fewer than the hundreds that dotted Dubai's skyline at the peak of its construction boom in 2008.

Doha now boasts architectural designs rivaling that of its flamboyant neighbor, such as the al-Bidda Tower -- a 215-meter-high (705 feet) twisting commercial building. Like Dubai, it is becoming an architect's playground, thanks to clients with deep pockets and bold ambitions who helped build grand edifices in Dubai such as Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.

"They (Qatar) have to differentiate between building infrastructure useful for a city and building white elephants, as we saw in Dubai," said Majed Azzam, senior real estate analyst at Dubai-based research firm AlembicHC. "At the end of the day the World Cup and the expansion around it is something Qatar is doing for its pride, to put the country on the map.

"Definitely there will be excesses."

Arabtec, one of Burj Khalifa's builders, is also one of several Gulf Arab contractors who are looking to snap up contracts ahead of the competition -- more than a decade away -- as Qatar builds $36 billion rail network, an $11 billion new airport and a $5.5 billion new deep water seaport over the next five years.

Billions more will be spent on 12 air-conditioned soccer stadiums, boosting the need for additional power capacity in a country where temperatures can soar above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in the summer, when the World Cup is usually held.

Qatar's expenditure on public projects has more than tripled over the last five years to 58 billion riyals ($16 billion) which the OPEC member plans to spend in the current business year from April.

Another Dubai-based construction firm, Al Habtoor Leighton, an affiliate of Australia's Leighton Holdings (LEI.AX), may pitch for tenders on tunneling, track work and stations for the $35 billion railway and metro project.

The rail network will be one of the first in the region. Hoping to connect their urban centers more efficiently, an ambitious billion-dollar rail system is now being planned to connect the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

DESTINATION DOHA

Qatar is likely to try to claim a share of the millions of tourists flocking to neighboring Dubai, which markets itself as a tourist heaven in the region and has attracted over 1.8 million visitors in just the first quarter of this year.

Qatar had 9,574 rooms available at the end of 2010 and the number of hotels is expected to increase ten-fold over the next decade, leading to likely hotel oversupply, according to Shakeel Sarwar, head of asset management at Securities & Investment Co in Bahrain.

"Based on the discussion we had with some real estate companies, a portion of hotel supply would be designed in such a way that they can be used later as serviced apartments once the event is finished," he said.

The completion of a $3 billion, 40 km (25 mile) causeway linking Qatar to Bahrain ahead of the World Cup would also make it easier to commute between Manama and Doha, enabling tourists to use facilities in Bahrain, he added.

The Gulf state is also planning to use a cruise ship as accommodation for the event.

"The government agencies, property developers and the entire business sector is aware that the tournament is an investment," said Ali bin Abdulatif al-Misnad, treasurer at the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Another potential opportunity is to turn Doha into a meeting and conference hub, an ambition also held by Dubai.

Qatar Tourism Authority is focusing on promoting Qatar as a destination for meetings, conventions and exhibitions in the Gulf Arab region and last year launched its "48 Hours in Qatar" campaign to encourage visitors to extend their stays.

Looking to capture the rush of top executives and corporates expected to travel to Doha ahead of the World Cup, St. Regis Doha is planning a luxury hotel with 336 rooms that boast a personal butler service for each guest.

"We are not just looking at the month of the tournament," said Tareq Derbas, general manager of St. Regis Doha.

"What is more important is what comes before and after the World Cup. We will definitely be busy before ... hopefully we will be busy after it too."

(Additional reporting by Regan E. Doherty; Editing by Reed Stevenson and Mark Trevelyan)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/29/us-qatar-construction-idUSTRE75S3H820110629.

GCC Civil Defense Chiefs meet in Kuwait

KUWAIT, June 29 (KUNA) -- Twenty second four-day meeting of the Directors General of the Civil Defense Departments in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Arab states started here Wednesday in the presence of Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for operational affairs Maj. Gen. Abdullah Youssef Al-Muhanna.

Al-Muhanna welcomed, at his opening address of the meeting, the participating delegations from other sisterly countries, and conveyed to them the greetings and appreciation of Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as well as greetings of Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior Lt. Gen. Ghazi Abdulrahman Al-Omar, Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior Lt. Gen. Sulaiman Fahad Al-Fahad, and their best wishes.

Meanwhile, Director General of the Civil Defense General Department, and head of the Kuwaiti delegation Maj. Gen. Youssef Al-Roudhan delivered an address in which he expressed Kuwait's welcome to host such meeting, hailing the efforts made by GCC general secretariat for making preparations for the current meeting.

Al-Roudhan asserted that GCC ministers of interior attach great importance to the necessity of providing all means for civil defense along with supporting the systems and structures of civil protection in light of the accelerating variables, and the complicated conditions in the region and the world as a whole.

The meeting includes three working session covering the discussions held by specialized committees on safety, preventive supervision, training and rehabilition in the domain of civil defense, and there will be visits paid by meeting's participants to the headquarters of the Civil Defense General Department in order to inspect systems and operational room there.

The Emirati delegation to the meeting is led by Maj. Gen. Rashed Thani Rashed Al-Matroushi with the membership of Brig. Jassem Abdullah Hamid, Lt. Col. Hassan Ali Bin Saram, Lt. Col. Sultan Saqr Al-Suwaidi, Maj. Yasser Eissa.

The Bahraini delegation to the meeting is led by Brig. Abdullah Nasser Al-Fadel with the membership of Col. Mohammad Abdulkarim Shuwaitar, Col. Hamad Abdullah Al-Meraj, first lieutenant Bader Abdulaziz Al-Amer.

The Saudi delegation to the meeting is led by Lt. Gen. Saad Bin Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri with the membership of Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bin Abdullah, Maj. Gen. Ismail Bin Mohammad Badawi, Brig. Ghaleb Bin Ghazi Al-Jahni, Col. Saleh Bin Ali Al-Ayed, Captain Mubarab Bin Ayad Al-Osaimi, and researcher Saad Bin Abdulrahman Al-Zayadi.

The Omani delegation to the meeting is led by Brig. Suleiman Bin Mohammad Al-Harithi with the membership of Lt. Col. Hamad Bin Rashed Al-Wahibi, Maj. Abdullah Bin Saleh, Fisrt Lt. Hani Bin Rashed.

The Qatari delegtion to the meeting is led by Brig. Abdullah Mohammad Al-Suwaidi with the membership of Col. Fahad Hamad, First Lt. Basaam Yakoub Al-Khaledi, Ahmad Khaled Al-Ghanem, and Abdulaziz Sultan Al-Hajeri.

The delegation of the State of Kuwait to the meeting is led by Maj. Gen. Al-Roudhan, Col. Mohammad Ali, Col. Saad Mohammad, Abdulaziz Ahmad, and from the Civil Defense General Department there are Brig. Youssef Abdullah Al-Ansari, Col. Ibrahim Eissa, Col. Jamal Bader, Lt. Col. Ahmad Hassan Al-Jazzaf, and Ahmad Fawzan Al-Fawzan.

The GCC general secretariat is participating with a delegation led by Col. Ahmad Bohendi, Ali Hassan Al-Nahwi, Sami Faraj Al-Otaibi, and liasion officer from the State of Kuwait Abdullah Eid Al-Mekhyal, and Maj. Abdullah Ali Rashed from the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Captain Majed Eissa Al-Ghanem from the State of Qatar.

On his part, Lt. Gen. Sulaiman Fahad Al-Fahad, Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, stressed the constant communication in the domain of security among the GCC Arab states in what embodies the spirit of fraternity and solidarity, and standardizes visions, strategies, plans, and programs for protecting the countries and citizens of GCC against various dangers.

Further, Al-Fahad conveyed to the participants the greetings and appreciation of Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and his best wishes for them to achieve through this meeting the GCC aspirations, pointing out the quantum leap made in the domain of civil defense in order to cement the national security capabilities in the face of the security developments in the GCC Arab region.

Al-Fahad also extended thanks to GCC Civil Defense Directors General for their efforts, while reiterating the importance of making further efforts in order to protect the security of their countries, and the safety of their citizens.
On their part, the GCC Civil Defense Directors General extended their thanks to Deputy Prime Minister, and the Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and Lt. Gen. Sulaiman Fahad Al-Fahad for the support lent to the meeting, and the hospitality.

Source: Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
Link: http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2177150&Language=en.

Gaza children aim to break world records

Wednesday 29/06/2011

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- More than three thousand students from the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees are expected to break the first of four Guinness world records Thursday as part of a summer games program organized by UNRWA.

The games, a six week recreational program now in its fifth year, are organized by the UN agency at the behest of the Gaza population and over a quarter of a million children participate, a statement by UNRWA said.

The world records being attempted include the largest amount of people flying large parachutes from the ground, which was set last year at 1,547. The event will be held at the Khan Younis stadium.

“We intend to double the previous record”, said UNRWA spokesman, Chris Gunness.

“If kids in Gaza are given half the chance, free from the constraints of this counter-productive blockade, they would show their full potential and be number one in the world. These records will put the spotlight on the world’s only community of hundreds of thousands of fenced in and locked up children.

"The message is simple: Give Gaza kids their freedom to be children. We need to end this blockade, which has become a blockade against childhood itself.”

The Summer Games will culminate at the end of July in an attempt by up to ten thousand children to smash their own record set last year for kite flying.

“More than half of the Gaza Strip is under 18, children too young to have expressed a political opinion at the ballot box. Why should they pay such a high price and lose their childhood? Each one is an Ambassador for the next generation, an example to all of what is possible under the most appalling circumstances”, said Chris Gunness.

Israel placed a blockade on the Gaza Strip in 2007 after Hamas took control of the coastal enclave.

Rights agencies have condemned the blockade as a form of collective punishment of the 1.6 million Gaza residents.

Source: Ma'an News Agency.
Link: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=400893.