Fujairah Collage

Fujairah Collage
Some distinctive landmarks in Fujairah

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Renting in Fujairah

While on Friday 28 December 2007 the Dubai government lowered the rent cap to five per cent, Fujairah’s rent cap is 15 percent, the same as that in Ras Al Khaimah.

The report in Gulf News 30 December 2007, says that the rent cap (c.f. 5% in Dubai, 7% in Abu Dhabi) applies to new tenants and to those whose rents were not increased last year.

The setting of the rent cap is an attempt to rein in the soaring rental increases and bring some stability to the rental market.

Newcomers currently looking for 3 bedroom (family villas and apartments) are finding it tough in Fujairah.

The decision to turn the Faseel Towers into hotel accommodation is sending scores of existing residents searching for alternative accommodation while newcomers to the city are faced with few options. There are some apartment towers in the process of being built but rooms appear to be some time before they will be ready for residents.

Many other Fujairah renters have experienced an increase or are bracing themselves for a change in the new year.

See also: Fuad Ali, ‘Fujairah Residents feel the heat as rents soar on heavy demand’, Gulf News 1 January 2008.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: Fujairah Towers.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Beating His Own Drum in Fujairah

There is a fascinating story in Xpress News today about Fares Humaid Bin Bakheet (pictured) who is one of the last traditional drum makers in the UAE.

Link: Mohammed N Al Khan, The Drummaker of Fujairah, 27 December 2007.

Image: Fares Humaid Bin Bakheet explaining his craft. Photo courtesy of Xpress News.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Wadi Siji, Fujairah

Further lovely photos have been posted at this site depicting the dam at Wadi Siji, Fujairah.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: This gives a taste of the three photos. Thanks!

Monday, December 24, 2007

‘This is Why I like Fujairah.’

The person who owns this web site has posted some wonderful photos (‘for everyone’) of one of Fujairah’s great areas: Wadi Al Wurayah.

The title of her post: ‘This is one of the reasons why I love Fujairah. The view is breathtaking.”

Thanks for giving us a look at your wonderful pictures.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: One of the views of Wadi Al Wurayah

Friday, December 21, 2007

Fujairah: Water, Water Everywhere…

The desalination of water in Fujairah is set to develop in Fujairah and cater for the growth of the city and its burgeoning industries.

Veolia Water has been selected to run the Operations and Maintenance part of Reverse Osmosis (RO) the desalination plant in Qidfa, on the coast, just north of the city of Fujairah. This contract for Veolia Water builds on a contract awarded in August 2007 for the Multiple Effect Distillation (MED) plant in Fujairah.

The new plant will produce 136,500m3 of desalinated water per day.

Source: ‘Veolia Water Wins a New Contract in the Major Fujairah 2 Independent Water and Power Project for Fujairah, UAE’, Water Online, December 21, 2007.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Forecast for Fujairah Boom Fuelled by Oil

In an extensive article in Business 24/7 entitled, Fujairah primed to become regional energy export hub Nassar Hoath declares (20 December 2007) that, “Fujairah is set to become one of the largest energy export hubs in the region.”

Hoath bases this statement on these major developments:
* The fuel supplies set to flow from Abu Dhabi through the Habshan-Fujairah 360km-long, 48-inch-diameter pipeline (to be ready in 12 months).
* The crude oil export terminal which is being built to export the oil received via the pipeline.
* The new Taweelah-Fujairah gas pipeline supplying the emirate with Qatari gas.
* The building of an export terminal for the gas supplied from Taweelah.
* Expanded and new refineries.
* Expanded bunkering capacities.
* Expanded tanker-berthing facilities.
* Anticipated success from the current survey of Fujairah off-shore areas in search of new gas and oil sites.

Location, Location, Location
Fujairah is increasingly been viewed as situated in a strategic location outside the Strait of Hormuz. The new oil pipeline will circumvent the congested Strait and such lines take on a greater importance when the region is jittery about international reaction to Iran’s nuclear developments.

Scale of Fujairah’s Growth
“The crude pipeline, in addition to the emirate’s own oil exploration surveys and the fast-growing shipping industry, will completely change the face of Fujairah,” said Fujairah businessman Musa Barakat. “It will bring the emirate on par with emirates such as Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There will be an economic and commercial boom very soon.” Business 24/7 said: “Economists and analysts also see Fujairah’s economy benefiting from its emergence as an energy export hub, not only for the UAE but also for the entire region.”

Skilful Balancing Needed
The anticipated growth in Fujairah’s bunkering, refinery and export terminals looks likely to bring a welcome injection of dirhams to the city and region. However, Fujairah’s tourism industry has stated goals to increasingly showcase the region’s beautiful beaches, mountains and environmental treasures. No matter how hard one tries, the ports and related industries in any city do little to enhance the beauty of the environs and attract tourists. Already one major tourist guidebook has described the port as a blot on Fujairah landscape and has encouraged its readers to give the city a miss and head to the beaches further north.

The growth of the port and petrochemical industries in Fujairah must be done skilfully so as to avoid spoiling the natural environment and jeopardizing the growing tourist industry.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: A falcon’s eye view of Fujairah with the port north of the city. Click to magnify.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Fujairah Information


Following the recent post about the many questions people are asking about Fujairah, I am posting this basic Information list that I started long ago for my personal use.

This list is incomplete with lots of gaps.

I plan to update this and would welcome people suggesting items to be included and pointing out mistakes or links that don’t work.

General on Fujairah
A-Z of Fujairah HCT resource for newcomers

Basic Information on Fujairah
Wikipedia Article

Accommodation (see also hotels)
Backpackers Fujairah
Youth Hostel

Airport
Fujairah Aviation Academy
Fujairah International Airport

Archaeology and History
ADIAS Guide for Fujairah and Kalba (Sharjah)
An Archaeological and architectural evaluation of fort Wadi Safad
Fujairah Abounds with Historic Sites Gulf News 2002

Banks
National Bank of Fujairah

Beaches
Coastline often trashed
Don’t Sell Off the Beaches
Oil on the Beaches
The Treasure of the Fujairah Coastline
Warning about Swimming at Night

Boating

Customs
Fujairah Customs

Food
Al Zamam Restaurant
Coffee and Coffee Pot Round-About
Emirati Food
Mango Mania

Food Shopping
Food Shopping
Friday Market
Safeer Mall (Opening Soon)
Supermarkets and Hypermarkets
Two Dirham Shop

Hotels
Trip Advisor-Hotels
Al Diar Siji Hotel
Emirates Springs Hotel and Apartments
Hilton Fujairah Resort
Jal Hotel and article
Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach and article
Rotana Resort & Spa Al Aqah Beach and article on its offerings & Tariffs
New Hotel on Fujairah Beach (Coming)
Sandy Beach Motel
Shariah Compliant Hotels

Human Rights & Ethics
Amnesty International 2006 Report-UAE & Fujairah
Corruption and Transparency Record
Freedom of the Press
Journalism Ethics
Labour Exploitation
Refugee Support & Resettlement
Religious Freedom
Stoning and Lashing
Suffering Beneath the Skyscrapers

Basic Services
Car Cleaning
Hair Cuts: Going to the Salon or Saloon?
Hair Cutting Costs

Business, Commerce, Industry
Emirates/Fujairah Ceramics Factory
Fujairah Cement Industries
Fujairah Free Zone
Fujairah Rockwool Factory
Fujairah Oil Wikipedia Map
Fujairah Trade Centre
Vopak Horizon Fujairah Oil Terminal

Cinemas
Dana Cinemas
Hindi Movies House-No web site

Clubs Organizations
Indian Social Club
Toastmasters

Schools, Colleges & Universities
Primary
Fujairah Academy

Secondary
Our Own English High School

Tertiary
Ajman University
Higher Colleges of Technology HCT—Women’s & Men’s

Communications
Yellow Pages

Culture
Little Queuing in Fujairah

Demographics
Population Perplexities

Environment, Nature, Wildlife
Air Pollution
Bird Sighting Report
Cyclone Gonu (see articles on this site through June 2007)
Energy & Switching to Solar Power
The Falcon
Plastic & the Need for Green Bags
Plastic Pollution
Recycling Project Initiated by HCT
Wildlife Sanctuary Opening Soon

Fishing & Marine Life
Fishing in Fujairah Martin James
Fishing around Fujairah
Fujairah: Fishing Capital of the UAE
Report of Archaeological Diving Expedition 1994

Health
Bird Flu
Breast Cancer at a Crisis

Images and Photographic Galleries
Aidan O’Rourke Gallery
David Henderson Gallery
East Coast, UAE Photo Gallery Brian McMorrow
East Coast Photo Gallery Philipp Holzmann
Fujairah: Great City in the Making
Fujairah Tourism Bureau Image Gallery
Fujairah Travel Pictures
Sandy Beach Motel Gallery

Industry
Industrial Area (old); this is being transferred to the new Al Hayle area

Lighthouses, Navigational Points and Towers
Al Jaber Tower Fujairah’s tallest and this link
Etisalat Tower
Fujairah Tower

Living
Creativity & Creativity City
Gardening the Emirates
How Peaceful is it living in Fujairah and the UAE?
Quality of Living
Rising Cost of Living

Government
Federal
UAE Federal e-Government Portal
UAE News and Information

Local
Fujairah Municipality
Fujairah e-Government Portal, News, Weather, Prayer Times
Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi—Ruler of Fujairah
Statistics

Hospitals
Fujairah Private Hospital Wikimap (being built)
UAE Hospitals Directory
UAE Interact Travel Tips, Health, Hospitals

Investment, Property
Fujairah Attracts Resort Developers Gulf News Aug 07

Internet
Google.ae

Maps
Fujairah Colleges Map PDF
Fujairah Emirate and City MapQuest zoomable
Fujairah City Map –Municipality
Fujairah City -UAE Interact
Fujairah Tourism Bureau Maps
Road Map especially to port
World 66 Google Earth of UAE
World 66 Google Earth of Fujairah
Wikimap starting at Indian Social Club with notes of places in Arabic and English
Wikimap starting at Port with notes
Wikimap Road to and Including Fujairah (Arabic mainly)

Media
Fujairah Media (including Creativity City)

Photos
[See Images and Photographic Galleries]

Publications, Books
Birds of the Middle East
Municipality Publications

Port
Fujairah’s Bunkering Port-‘Gateway to the Gulf’

Religions
Fujairah Prayer Times
Islamic Guidance Centre
Mosques Becoming Emiratized & Hi-Tech
Religion in the UAE
Religious Freedom

Shipping
Fujairah’s Floating Gas Station

Sports
Dive Centers Fujairah
Fujairah football Club
Fujairah Rugby Club

Tourist Attractions
General
Dubai City Guides-Fujairah
Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi-Fujairah
Fujairah Country FactFile Gulf News April 2006
Fujairah Fridays Khaleej Times 5 May 2006
Fujairah-Special Focus Gulf News
Fujairah Targets Tourism for Growth 25 October 2007
Fujairah Tourism Bureau
The Fujairah Factor-Gulf News
Sights and Service HCT
Wikitravel-Fujairah

Specific
Ain Al Madhab Gardens
Al Bidya Mosque (oldest mosque in the UAE)
Al Hayle Castle
Bithna Fort
Bull Butting Khaleej Times article 5 May 2006
Fujairah Fort
Heritage Village (includes the Fort)
Fujairah Museum
Fujairah Petroglyphs Archaelogical Sites
Fujairah Wadis
Masafi and Friday Market

Tourism (also see Video section)
Frankfort! Florence! Fujairah!
Fujairah Moving Towards Natural Tourism
Fujairah is Fun Gulf News October 20, 2007
Fujairah: Full of Eastern Promise-The Independent
Visitors Checklist for the Emirates
Tourists Heading to East Coast
Tourist Destinations in Fujairah and Lesser Known States

Videos
Fujairah Tourism Video on YouTube
Fujairah Beach-Faseel (not the best quality)
Road Trip to Fujairah
Dubai (Mall of the Emirates) plus road trip to Fujairah
Kalba Road and the Gillay Tunnel
Kids Fishing in Boat of Fujairah
Children Playing on Fujairah beach
Fujairah International Marine Club
Diving in Fujairah Waters

Trade and Business
Fujairah Freezone

Walking, Driving, Roads, Fuel
Cars Don’t Stop for Pedestrian Crossings in Fujairah
Record Number of Cars
Road Safety and High Accident Rate on Fujairah Roads
Stop Signs in Fujairah Mean Give Way
Petrol Costs
Car Cleaning Costs
New Highway to Fujairah
Driving the Emirates—New Book ‘On Road in UAE’
Tail Gating Mania

Weather
AME Info Temp, Pressure, Humidity, Visibility, wind etc.
BBC 5 Day Forecast plus info on sun, temps, wind, visibility, humidity, bar.pressure (these can be sent to you by RSS feed )
UAE Ministry of Commun. & Met Dept Basic info plus marine, tides, satellite imagery,
Weather Forecast plus temperatures, moon, barometer, humidity
Weather Stations Google Map & Temps
Weather Underground 5 day forecast, humidity, wind, moon

Youth Hostel



Dr Geoff Pound

Monday, December 17, 2007

Questions People are Asking about Fujairah

Famine of Information on Fujairah
At the time of writing this Fujairah in Focus web site has been going for less than two months and has only reached 45 postings. However, the number of hits on this site is already reaching into the thousands.

There is a famine of information about Fujairah in the English language and when it exists, most people do not know where to find it.

Furthermore, people are seeking information from places outside Fujairah and the UAE and are relying greatly on obtaining their information online.

What People are Seeking to Know about Fujairah
I had a list of objectives when I launched this site but probably the item that most people are keen about is this one—“To amass some resources, especially for people visiting or settling in Fujairah.”

When I commenced this site I had no desire to become an online Fujairah Tourism Office or a Citizen’s Advice Bureau but I have been happy to give the small body of information I have to people who are inquiring.

Chief Questions or Queries for Information
I have kept a record of the inquiries but here are the main questions people have been asking most recently, in this month of December (a period of less than three weeks). Any short time period will shape the type of questions and this month of December has evoked more questions about the recent Fujairah Monodrama and activities relating to the Eid Al Adha holiday.

Here, in descending order, are the questions or requests people have been making about Fujairah (the numbers are in brackets):

Requests for road directions or street maps. (33)
Request for photos and videos on Fujairah. (18)
Questions about weather (especially fog conditions). (15)
Questions about fishing or fishing equipment in Fujairah. (13)
Questions about the hot tourist spots or places to see? (11)
Questions about cultural activities and specifically Fujairah Monodrama. (10)
Requests for tourism advice. (10)
Questions about hotels and motels. (6)
Questions about boat trips and water activities. (6)
Questions about the oil refinery or oil. (5)
Questions about the picnic spots in Fujairah? (4)
Questions about the parks in Fujairah? (4)
Questions about the main camping grounds? (4)
Questions about Fujairah media. (3)
Questions about buying property in Fujairah. (2)
Questions about schools in Fujairah. (2)
Questions about Fujairah beaches. (2)
Questions about Bull Butting (and the cost to see this spectacle). (2)
Questions about bird watching. (2)
Questions about the Al Bidyah mosque. (2)
Questions about the Fujairah marina. (1)
Questions about the Water Desalination Plant. (1)
Questions about places to shop. (1)
Questions about the Fujairah Port and request for a map. (1)
Questions about ongoing accommodation? (1)
Questions about Fujairah Free Zone. (1)
Questions about where to find bakeries in Fujairah. (1)


Some Concluding Observations
The most urgent need is for maps that give clear directions as to how to get to Fujairah, including the different routes and street maps of Fujairah city, Kalba, Dibba and towns of a significant size.

If these maps were sufficiently detailed and listed many of the places cited above—hotels, motels, parks, picnic areas, camping grounds, churches, the port, refinery, desalination plant, bakeries, schools, shopping areas, tourist hot spots—they would go a long way towards assisting people with many of the questions that newcomers and tourists are asking.

Digital maps available online would be useful for adding to or altering as places and landmarks change and develop.

Dr Geoff Pound

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Fujairah: A Place for Tourists to Chill Out

In a recently released video interview, the CEO of Le Meridien in Fujairah, Patrick Antaki, says that his hotel is principally a place where international tourists can ‘chill out’. He says they come to be pampered, to enjoy the quietness with no vigorous excursions or energetic activities.

Antaki states that he and his team have worked hard to corner the European market. The Brits usually come for an average of 5-7 nights, the Germans come for 7-10 nights and the significant Russian contingent for 7-14 nights [does this mean that the Germans take longer to be pampered and the Russians require a longer period for chilling to the extreme?]

One might think that the Europeans come less to chill out than to warm up by lolling around on the Al Aqah beach or sipping vodka by one of the pools.

There is nothing wrong with a holiday to chill out but Antaki’s survey of his customers has important implications for Fujairah tourism. It appears that the majority of international tourists to Fujairah never come to the city of Fujairah. Instead they are whisked away from the Dubai International Airport and after 45 minutes they are at the entrance of Le Meridien or one of the neighboring hotels (Antaki has some comment to make about the Al Aqah hotel cluster).

To be successful, the leaders of tourism on the UAE east coast need to create and showcase some relaxing and stimulating half-day trips. If things were packaged and presented well a trip (by boat and 4WD) with an environmental theme to the Kalba ecological wetlands, a sorti to the Fujairah museum, fort and an archaeological dig or an excursion to the wadis and farms nestled in the Hajars might be just the thing to tantalize the hoards blobbing out around the Al Aqah beach and bars.

The new video interview with some footage of Le Meredien and the emirate of Fujairah can be seen at this link, courtesy of AME Info:

Fujairah: a Growing Tourist Destination

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: A Fujairah blogger chilling out at Le Meridien, Al Aqah.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

LNG Storage Hub May Be Located in Fujairah

LNG Site Needed in Gulf
Platts in Singapore announced today--29Nov2007--that the Dubai Multi Commodities Center is in "critical negotiations" to secure a site for its LNG storage hub in the Persian Gulf and to identify foundation customers, who will also be offered an equity shareholding in the project company, a senior DMCC official said Thursday.

Fujairah Location?
The DMCC had initially identified Dubai as the location for the LNG storage project, but was now more keen on locating it in Fujairah, the Dubai-based exchange's Executive Director-Energy Tilak Doshi told the Middle East and Asia Energy Summit in Singapore.

Dubai Disadvantages
The intent was to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which is regarded as a vulnerable chokepoint if hostilities break out between Iran and the US, Doshi said. Oman had also cropped up as an alternative location, and Dubai was not off the table, though land costs were steep in the emirate, he added.

"If the choice is between Dubai and Fujairah, we will take Fujairah," he said.

Way Ahead
Phase I of the project, which will set up cryogenic LNG storage tanks of 200,000 cu m capacity each, is expected to be ready by 2011, Doshi said. "We are in critical negotiations," he said, referring to both talks with the Fujairah authorities for land and with the project's potential customers.

"We hope to finalize the negotiations by Q1 or Q2 [2008]." Construction on the project should start by mid- or end-2008, and be completed in about three years, Doshi said.

Source: Vandana Hari, vandana@platts.com at Platts.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Lonely Planet Guide: The Best and the Worst of Fujairah

Writer, Virginia Maxwell, might have been having a bad day or two when visiting the emirate of Al Fujairah but she doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the things about the region that she dislikes.

A critique of a city and region is always subjective, especially from someone who blows in and blows out and does not linger sufficiently to let things grow on them. But first impressions are important and need to be heard, especially by those who have grown familiar with a territory.

In listing the worst as well as the best of things in Fujairah, do factor in the matter that this tour guide was published in 2004 and Virginia’s travel of the region may have been a couple of years earlier. So things could have improved, or got worse!

According to the Lonely Planet Guide to the UAE:

Best of the Region
The best of the area is the outlying region especially “the dramatic mountain scenery… and pristine stretches of beach.”

Worst of the Region
The worst of the area is Fujairah city, “a rather characterless city without much tourism infrastructure… so our recommendation is to bypass Fujairah as its beaches are polluted and unattractive and the Port of Fujairah… is a major blot on the landscape.”

Worst Accommodation
The Fujairah Youth Hostel with its “smelly outside shared bathrooms and a small grubby kitchen. The Holiday Beach Motel in Dibba was described as having “seen better days and now has a very depressing feel.”

Mid-range accommodation lists the Fujairah Beach Hotel as having “seen better days… with a vague smell of damp.” This ties with the Ritz Plaza Hotel which “is nothing to write home about…is perfectly acceptable… [but] has a bar which “is one of those blots on the UAE landscape.”

Best Accommodation
For basic accommodation the LPG selected the “excellent youth hostel in Khor Fakkan.

For mid-range the Hilton “is the best place to stay in town.” The Siji was described as “the new kid on the Fujairah hotel scene [this statement is way out of date in 2007] but is “a soulless place geared toward a business clientele.”

For top of the range, Le Meridien was described as ‘oooh yeah!’

Best Place for a Drink
Virginia’s choice is “undoubtedly the Fez Bar” alongside the Hilton Hotel.

Best Restaurant
Virginia’s choice is the Hilltop Restaurant, perched on a hill in the tiny Omani enclave of Madha, 20kms from Fujairah on the way to Khor Fakkan.

Best Harbour
Khor Fakkan (part of the emirate of Sharjah and an enclave in Fujairah) “must be the most beautiful harbour in the UAE” whose “fabulous beach and atmospheric corniche [will make] the lack of alcohol…seem only a minor inconvenience.”

Best Mosque
The fifteenth century whitewashed mosque of Al Bidyah 8kms nth of Khor Fakkan, where women and men can enter to see the oldest operating mosque in the UAE.

Offering a greater size is the newest mosque in Dibba “spectacularly sited in front of the mountains [and] one of the most impressive on the east coast.”

Best Diving and Snorkeling
The nine or more diving companies that operate around the reefs and waters of Bidyah (or Badiyah) with the world-class coral and marine life.

Source: Arabian Peninsula, Lonely Planet Guide, 2004.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Khor Fakkan

Monday, November 26, 2007

Bull Butting: Quintessentially Fujairah

If you are coming to Fujairah for a day in the cooler months, make sure it is a Friday so you can experience the ancient sport of bull butting.

When you hit the corniche at the end of the main street, turn right (parallel to the beach and towards Oman) and after 200 metres on the right you will see lots of hard, bare soil and some tethering posts.

It is a laid back spectacle. Get there at four in the afternoon and you’ll think the meet has been postponed. By 4.30pm, as visitors from Dubai and Abu Dhabi are arriving, the owners will be rolling up in their trucks, salaaming each other and downloading their prize bulls that have been bulked up to weigh over a ton, thanks to a high carb diet of milk, honey and butter.

What is about to happen has been going on in this suburb of Al Ghurfa for hundreds of years. Bull butting is said to have been introduced by the Portuguese settlers between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Sometime about 5.00pm, men, women and children gather around the arena, standing, sitting on mats drinking coffee or watching from the safety of their strategically parked 4WDs.

When the action begins it is difficult for newcomers to tell what is going on as the instructions are bellowed in Arabic through a megaphone. Two men from each end of the arena will lead their bull by the snout, each holding the end of a rope that is threaded through the bull’s nose. There is an arena master who gets the bulls started somewhere in the middle of the pitch but umpiring bull butting is more unpredictable than refereeing a football match. There are no whistles, no scoreboard, no line umpires, no video referees and no cheer leaders.

The Brahman bulls lock horns and pit their strength against each other. The goal of the duel is for one of the bulls to butt the other out of the inner circle. The two bulls are only in the arena for 2-3 minutes before the round is concluded. Sometimes a bull will retreat, leaving the other with a clear cut victory. More often than not it is deemed a draw when there is no clear winner.

Blowing a whistle would be useless for stopping the bout but if the two handlers with each bull do not part their charges because one of the bulls is on a roll, a team of dishdashered men spring into action, sprint across the mud and haul like crazy on a rope that all has the semblance of a tug of war. Pulling these massive mobile magnets apart is no mean feat and sometimes when separated, a rampaging bull might make a final charge and launch its horns at the opponent’s flank.

Fujairah bull butting (mnattah in Arabic) is fortunately not a blood sport that concludes with a 50, 000 dirham carcass in the arena, yet sometimes there are spots of blood apparent on the bull’s head. This sport is primarily about the bulls, unlike the Spanish bull fighting in which the matadors skillfully evade and finally conquer their beast.

Part of the spectator suspense in Fujairah is created by the fact that people are not protected by fences or seated in raised grand stands and occasionally the bulls fail to see the exit and canter towards the people, who in turn scamper to their cars.

In an article for Xpress News, Mohammed N. Al Khan writes of the skill of the arena master:

The arena masters, acting as umpires, stand inches away from the locked horns. Armed with only a switch cane, their job is to entice the bulls to fight while making sure they don’t get tangled in their reins – and to keep the bulls away from the crowd.

"You have to stay on your toes – a bull can easily kill a man with a single hit," said Hamdan Bin Sultan, one of only two men brave enough to act as arena master in Fujairah.

"I picked up the sport from my father, spending most of my life with these animals. I feel comfortable being near them even in combat," he said.

Bin Sultan, a 28-year-old military officer, has been an arena master for ten years. He also owns and trains ten bulls. His fellow arena master, Mohammad Fares, has six.

"I have two kids, they are still young, but soon I hope to pass on to them what my father taught me," said Bin Sultan. "It’s a dying tradition and I want to keep it alive, but it’s up to God whether they have the affinity for it or not."

The ancient art of bull butting expresses something of the essence of Fujairah. There is history, rural aroma, physicality, dust and dirt, disorganization, unpredictability and community fervour.

Further descriptions of bull butting in Fujairah can be found at these links:
‘The Fujairah Factor’, Gulf News, 11 December 2004.
‘Bullish Tendencies’, Gulf News, 4 August 2005.
‘Raging Bulls Lock Horns in the UAE’, Xpress, 26 November 2007.
‘Traditional Bull Butting’ Fujairah Tourism, a 17 second video clip.

Dr Geoff Pound

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Fujairah Oil Terminal Being Extended

AMEINFO is reporting today the expansion of the oil terminal in Fujairah, which comes on the top of earlier expansion plans.

Must be getting the capacity ready for the positive oil tests in Fujairah.

Image: Vopak Oil Terminal

Thursday, November 22, 2007

New Hotel in Fujairah Anticipating Tourist Boom

Rendezvous Hotels & Resorts International (Rendezvous) will open in late 2008 a 4-star hotel in Fujairah.

The hotel, to be named the Marque Hotel, Fujairah, will be managed by Rendezvous under The Marque Collection of Hotels brand.

Rendezvous' Chief Executive, Mr. Alan Featherby, says, “We are delighted to be working with the developers, the Al Safeer Group of Companies. We are confident that the Marque Hotel, Fujairah will be well received within the region and capitalise upon the forecasted growth of the UAE tourism industry."

UAE real estate developer and retailer, Al Safeer Group of Companies LLC will incorporate the Marque Hotel, Fujairah into a new distinctive shopping complex in Al Sharia which is well located at the fringe of the CBD of Fujairah, adjacent to the beach and a short distance to the Port. The 4-story hotel will sit above the complex and will boast 217 rooms.

For more information check this link:
‘Rendezvous Hotels enters Middle East Market’, Travel Daily News, November 22, 2007.

Image: Rendezvous Singapore

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Colours of Fujairah

A review of the worthwhile book entitled The Colours of Fujairah has been posted at this site:

Reviewing Books and Movies

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Front cover of The Colours of Fujairah

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Fujairah Oil Testing Update

CNN gives this update on SulphCo and its testing of oil in Fujairah.

“As reported earlier, in successive test runs in Fujairah on a medium crude (32.9 API, 1.6% sulphur by content) the new ISM experimental probe achieved a reduction in sulphur by content more than two and one half times greater than that produced by the SulphCo(R) Series II probe.”

"While these preliminary results are encouraging, bear in mind that the ISM probes are first generation prototypes and further work will be required to develop the kind of consistent performance necessary for commercial applications," said Dr Ryan. "But we are very pleased with the initial results and believe this technology is a perfect fit for our Sonocracking(TM) technology. By the same token, we will continue to utilize and refine the SulphCo(R) Series II probe design in parallel, as that design has also produced significant API shifts and sulphur reduction in initial testing in Fujairah."

I hope the oil is clearer than this report but it seems like initial examinations are positive but you can’t count your barrels until the fat lady has sung.

The full report is at:

CNN Money ‘SulphCo Executes Technology Transfer Agreement With Industrial Sonomechanics’, 15 November 2007.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Media Growth Forecasted for Fujairah’s Creative City

Habib Hamoud, CEO of Fujairah Media Inc. (FMI), at a Press conference held recently (14 November 2007) announced the following:

* Twenty-four new satellite TV channels will go on air from the Creative City of the Fujairah Media Free Zone over the next three months, raising the total number of operating channels form the city to 37.

* Many applications have been received from the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, France and Lebanon for launching TV channels from the FMI.


* Agreements for licensing more than 100 TV networks were also inked.

* The FMI is planning to organize a festival of heritage, environmental and natural documentaries.


* A media training academy will be set up in coordination with France and a number of international companies.


* The 4,000-square-metre Creative City will have seven zones for radio, TV, Press, technology, media training academy, theatre and cinema.

* The Creative City will be completed in two years with the cost of the first phase itself running into $55 million.


* The city will recruit 4,000 to 6,000 professionals.

Clarifying the Purpose of Creativity City
Affirmation was expressed and questions were raised when the Creativity City was announced earlier in the year.

At the launch there was little detail given but I said the following in an article at the time (see above link) about the prospect of great creativity:
“If they get it right, there will be scientists who eradicate AIDS, economists that make Darfur’s poverty history, diplomats that bring peace to Iraq, environmentalists that achieve global cooling and poets that inspire the world emerging from Fujairah’s ‘Creativity City.’”

I asked: “How much creativity will go into creating this space? Will ‘Creativity City’ be merely a trendy name for a business area or an environment that is serious about fostering constructive creativity?”

Benefits and Questions about the Media Blitz
The new development looks good news for people in the media, writing and theatre business. It will be good for employment in the eastern region.

But twenty-four TV channels!! Sponsored by several of the Gulf countries. In what languages? Aimed at which audiences? This is a huge increase of television channels especially when those with a basic TV package can already get hundreds of feeds from the Gulf countries and from stations from all over the world.

If the potential TV channels will be supplied by many international countries companies how many will focus on Fujairah news, Fujairah happenings, Fujairah current affairs and Fujairah drama or will this move simply add to the glut of programs, many of which look and sound the same as each other?

Source: Salah Al Debarky, ‘24 New TV Channels from Fujairah Creative City’, Khaleej Times, 15 November 2007.

Dr Geoff Pound

Check out the story about the international media thrust into the UAE at:
Experiencing the Emirates

Image: Satellite TV channels.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Fujairah International Airport Developments

New plans have recently been announced for the expansion of airport facilities in Fujairah.

Link to the report:

‘Fujairah International Airport, Europe Aviation Sign MOU for Facilities Maintenance’, Business Intelligence-Middle East, 16 November 2007

Image: Fujairah International Airport.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Fujairah: Fly Fishing Capital of the UAE

The Al Bawaba news service is promoting the Fly-Fishing Academy in Fujairah

Here is the news statement:

In Brief
Fujairah’s Famed Fly-Fishing Academy Re-opens for the Sporting Season
Le Méridien Al Aqah Welcomes Amateurs and Professionals to Participate on the Open Waters
Fujairah, United Arab Emirates

Details
Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort is once again confirming the popularity of water sports with GCC residents by announcing the mark of its renowned Fly Fishing Academy, opening just in time for the impending sporting season in December 2007.

Fly fishing is a seasonal activity which requires a great deal of skill and patience.

Run under the aegis of acclaimed fisherman Martin James, the Fujairah Salt Water Fly Fishing Academy teaches traditional angling method in which artificial flies are tied out of materials such as fur and feather onto a hook to imitate naturally occurring food. Rods are generally light while the lines are heavy, providing the perfect weight and momentum for casting.

Situated on the dramatic stretch of coastline adjacent to the Hajar Mountains, the Academy is, according to James, perfectly situated:
“With its densely populated and flat waters, the Gulf is perfect for this style of fishing,” said James.
“Moreover, Fujairah, in contrast to Dubai and the windy West Coast, is particularly suitable,” he added.

James, a proud recipient of the eminent Lord Mason’s Illuminated Scroll award - the most prestigious recognition within the angling world - has never traveled without his rod and since his first visit to the UAE in 1992, has been enthralled by the seas surrounding the Gulf. With his expertise throughout the years, his tutorials offer anglers of all abilities the necessary insight and expert tuition required for the sport.

“The equipment required for fly fishing is minimal and is consequently an ideal pursuit for tourists,” James continued.
“Unlike more conventional methods of angling, fly fishing is less messy and does not involve live bait but a hook covered in silk furs which, when combined with an expert cast, imitates a bait fish.”

James is also encouraging both women and children to take part in this year’s activity, as the sport is not physically extensive and nor does it require additional strength when angling, “I am there to offer help and expertise at all times. Don’t be afraid to ask any question. All participants will have my undivided attention at all times”, commented James.

The academy offers a range of courses and expert tuition and covers all aspects of the sport, from the various methods of tying knots, to the mechanics of casting and the use of floating, sinking and intermediate lines. The course includes one night’s accommodation at Le Méridien Al Aqah, with rates starting from AED 1,650. It also includes a half day classroom session, dinner with Martin and a five hour fishing Charter in the deep Blue Indian Ocean. The program is scheduled to run from December 12th to December 17th. Registration deadline for this hooking sport is December 1st, 2007.

“It’s an addictive activity,” said Patrick Antaki, General Manager, Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort.

“Since the academy’s opening, I have been captivated by the sport and I am already getting my rod ready in anticipation,” Antaki concludes.

The full article can be found at Al Bawaba, 15 November 2007.

I wrote about Fly Fishing earlier in this year in this article, with a similar title: Fujairah: Fishing capital of the UAE

This article also has a link to discovering more about Martin James, why he likes fishing in Fujairah and photographs of the fish that he and others have caught.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Martin James with a bonito caught in Fujairah waters (photo courtesy of Martin’s web site).

Fujairah is Fog Free While UAE is Blanketed in Smog

A report today states that a major fog (which is a euphemism for smog) has blanketed much of the United Arab Emirates, disrupting flight schedules, causing hazards on the roads (where visibility is in some places down to 100 metres) and, one could also add, increasing the health risks for residents and tourists.

At this time Fujairah has escaped the blanket of smog, probably due in part to it being shielded by the Hajar Mountains that create a ‘smog screen’ for low lying air pollutants and also due to the coastal breezes rolling in from the Indian Ocean.

Such an escape from smog bolsters Fujairah and the East Coast’s reputation of being 100% natural and a place where one can breathe in more deeply than in the other emirates.

Sadly, this is not always the experience of the locals. Fujairah has its own problems with dust from the quarries. When the winds are blowing the wrong way, Fujairah residents can see the thick particles in the air and many complain of sore eyes and throats. It is a common experience of those new to Fujairah, before eyes, noses and throats have had a chance to acclimatize.


Check out where the UAE ranks in air quality and ponder the relationship between pollution, health and why the major cities of the UAE rank only at 58 in the world for Quality of Living.

To check out weather comparisons between UAE cities and forecasts see:
Fujairah Weather

Smog Report:
‘Foggy Days’, Gulf News, 14 November 2007.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: The two photos displayed were taken recently within an hour of each other on the road between Dubai and Fujairah. The first photo of the polluted sky was taken twenty minutes after leaving the Dubai International Airport, on the road near the Sharjah Scout Camp. The second was taken at Masafi, looking towards the Hajar Mountains and Fujairah’s purer air.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

No Bread in Fujairah at Rising Time of Knead

The flour prices are rising,
The labour costs are rising,
The transport costs are rising,
The tempers are rising because,
The bread is not rising.

The dispute involves the Consumer Protection department which checks out each bakery’s price list, which is a slow process when bakeries are seeking to increase their prices to meet their overhead costs.

A number of bakeries have been ordered to roll back their prices and the bakers are protesting by ceasing to provide any rolls.

Customers are going without their daily bread for the second day as bakeries protest by stopping supply to the grocery shops.

A full report can be read at this link:
Fuad Ali, ‘Bakery Protest Keeps Bread Off Fujairah Shelves’, Gulf News, 14 November 2007.

Geoff Pound

Searching Fujairah

Don’t forget to use the Search Blog function at the top left of this blog site.

Search for topics to do with Fujairah and Sharjah-East Coast like:

A Al Maktoum, Al Aqah, A day in the life…

B Bread, Birds, Al Bidya, Books, Beaches

C Cyclone, Cultural events, Camping, Creativity City

D Dibba, Dairy Farm, Dress Code

E East Coast, Ecology, Experiencing the Emirates web site

F Facebook, Fish, fishermen, Fahrenheit

G Gonu, Gillay Tunnel, Photo Gallery, Tourism Goals, Google Earth

H Hotels, Halcrow Tunnels, Humidity

I Information

J Jet Ski

K Kalba, Khor Kalba

L Le Meridien

M Maps, Municipality, Monodrama, Mangrove Forest

N National

O Oman, Oil

P Pictures, Photographs

Q Al Aqah

R Roads, Recycling, Rotana

S Stingrays, Schools, Sharjah, Scooters, Shopping

T Tourism, Trees, Temperatures

U UAE

V Visiting the Emirates, Visitor Centres

W Winds

X

Y

Z Zayed, Sheikh Zayed

Geoff Pound

Image: Searching Fujairah

Many articles with a Fujairah flavor are on an older site:

EXPERIENCING THE EMIRATES

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Bread Shortage in Fujairah causes Tempers to Rise

The Gulf News reports today:

“Residents in Fujairah have been left without bread after a number of bakeries stopped supply to grocery shops over a price dispute with the Fujairah Municipality.

“Small bread makers from the East Coast took the drastic measure after the municipality ordered them to rollback bread prices. Recently, bakeries raised the price of a Lebanese bread to Dh3, a 50 fils increase.”

To read about the price increases, the bread shortages and the angry consumer reactions go to this link:

Fuad Ali, ‘Bread to Cost 20% More from Next Week’ Gulf News, 13November 2007

Image: Bread rolls (Google Images)

New Website for H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

The website of the Ruler of Dubai has recently been revamped.

It contains some special Fujairah Features including:

Video Clip of Cabinet Meeting in Fujairah (2007)
Photo of Cabinet Members Swimming in Fujairah (2007)
Report on UAE Cabinet Members meeting in Fujairah (2007)
Mohammed Visits Fujairah (2006)
Dubai Ruler Receives New Fujairah Crown Prince (2007)

Put ‘Fujairah’ in the Search slot to discover many more reports.

Other Features
It contains these informative features:

Latest News (events and sporting highlights)
History of the Al Maktoum family and the UAE
Biographical Articles and poems
Library of Videos and Photos
Maktoum awards
History of the UAE
Tourism Information

And much more.

The web site address in English is Sheikh Mohammed

The web site address in عَرَبيْ (Arabic) is Sheikh Mohammed

Image: Front Page of New Website

Monday, November 12, 2007

Fujairah Water Activities: I’d Like to See That!

The recently announced tourism goals for Fujairah and the east coast highlighted one of the region’s greatest assets when it said there would be the ‘maximizing of the beaches’.

This is exactly what the hotels along the coastline are doing. When the Fujairah Rotana Hotel opened earlier this year, it highlighted its proximity to the water and they advertised their long list of water activities.

At the World Travel Market (WTM) held this week (12-15 November) in London, Le Méridien Al Aqah hotel will highlight “the restorative benefits of Fujairah’s natural resources” and its location “perched on the edge of the Indian Ocean and focused on total wellness for guests through the use of natural and marine elements.”

Patrick Antaki, General Manager says, “Guest surveys have revealed that proximity to the water is among the key reasons for visiting Al Aqah and at WTM, we are highlighting the ways in which we are integrating the Indian Ocean more closely with our overall guest experience, whether through spa relaxation and wellness or dining by the sea.”

But not all tourists and Fujairah residents want to stay at a hotel. Those coming to Fujairah for a day often don’t want to pay the high price of using hotel facilities, including the water equipment. Many who live in Fujairah city may not want to travel the 45 minutes up the coastline to the Al Aqah, super hotels.

It is good to see the enterprise of the owners of the Al Shatha Scooter Rental (see the article) now operating on the northern-most beach of Kalba.

There are possibly other activities (boat trips, diving etc.) advertised at places like the Fujairah Marina but these are not always visible to the casual day tripper arriving on the east coast. [If you own or know of a water activity on the Fujairah-Kalba coastline please add the information in a comment below]

It would be attractive if there was the emergence of a variety of other water sports available to the public—for adults and children. These might include fishing trips, boat cruises, water skiing, wake boards, sailing, pedalos, kayaks, windsurfing and lessons and safety equipment (life jackets etc.) to boot.

Geoff Pound

Image: Windsurfing.

Fujairah and Kalba Water Scooters, Personal Water Craft, Jet Skis

Recently a new water activity has appeared on the Fujairah coast line in which members of the public can hire Water Scooters, also known as Personal Water Craft (PWC) and Jet Skis.

The Al Shatha Scooter Rental is operating on the northern-most beach of Kalba so if you are coming from the Fujairah Corniche, head south towards Kalba and when you go through the roundabout into Kalba it is across the road on the beach, marked by an advertising board.

The Al Shatha Scooter Rental company has commenced with six scooters. The hire charge is 90 Dhs for 30 minutes and 150 Dhs for 60 minutes.

The business is managed by Noushad who can be contacted on 050 5896050 for information, bookings and up-to-the-moment prices. The scooters can be hired every day and in the weekend, bookings are essential.


Water Scooters have been a controversial innovation in many parts of the world because of the danger that they present to swimmers and because of the noise pollution. The municipality at Kalba has zoned this end of the beach for Water Scooters and prohibited swimming to avoid dangerous collisions. The noise seems to be muffled on these new models.

Geoff Pound

Image: Water Scooters on the Fujairah—Kalba coastline; Noushad the manager.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Shopping and Retail Therapy in Fujairah and the UAE

A Gulf News article reports the shopping habits of people in the UAE and the way using the credit card changes the mood, becomes addictive and is a regular (and expensive) therapy.

The entire article is at this link:

Staff Reporters, ‘Shopping Around for a Feel Good Mood’, Gulf News, 10 November 2007.

Image: I like to buy clothes ... but sometimes I also just like to go window-shopping for relaxation, says Joy Regio (Photo Gulf News)

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Fujairah and the Eastern Coast: Enjoying the Great Outdoors

One of the delights of the eastern emirates, especially in these cooler months (October through to March), is to explore and experience the great outdoors.

These are the months when the 4WDs come into their own and they can be seen up in the mountains and around the beaches.

These seem to be few laws or signs stopping campers from pitching their tent for the night.

The top photo on this posting gives an idea of the way people often camp on Kalba beach. This is an idyllic spot with the mangrove wetlands in the immediate background (300 metres away) and the glorious Hajar Mountains further in the distance.

The second shot is the view from the tent at dawn. This is a safe place for a swim before casting the line out to catch your breakfast. What the photos don’t convey is the gentle sound of the waves to lull you off to sleep and be the first sound that you hear in the morning.


It doesn’t get much better than this!

Geoff Pound

Friday, November 9, 2007

Fujairah Schools Receive Bad Report

H.H. Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai recently said on ABC's 60 Minutes that his goal is that Dubai and the UAE become first in the world in every good thing. It is clear, however, that the UAE has a long way to go toward reaching that goal in the sphere of education.

There is an alarming series of articles in the Gulf News this month that highlight the poor facilities (low budgets, a lack of basic facilities, inadequate air-conditioning, overcrowded classrooms) that exist in many UAE schools, especially in areas outside of the two main cities.

One Fujairah School
According to one statement, a school in Fujairah (before the appointment of its latest Principal) would have received a School Report like this:

* Basic Necessities-Fail
* Projectors and Video Equipment-Fail
* Laboratory Equipment-Fail
* Water Coolers-Fail—Not Applicable (Since this report the Red Crescent has come to the rescue)
* Sports Hall-Fail—Not applicable because this is non-existent. The School Yard is often too hot for Sports Education and for students to play at morning break and lunch time.
* Air Conditioners-Fail
* Door Handles-Fail—All are broken
* Financial Resourcing Fail. This is hopelessly inadequate. The school needs at least 300,000 Dhs to bring it to an acceptable standard
* School Principal-A+ Recently arrived and is doing an excellent job bringing the school into the twentieth century [one century at a time]. She spent the entire budget in the first two days on improving the basics.

General Comments
This school and many others in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah are well below par. A Ministry of Education official recently said that several schools in these two emirates were deemed unsafe and had to be closed down.

Schools that are unsafe! Schools in a country where temperatures reach the mid to late 40s having to depend on the Red Crescent to provide them with water coolers!

Remedy
H.H. Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai established in May 2007 the ‘Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation’ with an endowment of $10 billion and then he announced last month a number of goals to enhance education in the UAE and the Arab world.

Many of these goals relate to tertiary education but the Shaikh said this in his speech to the ‘Knowledge Symposium’:

“In the implementation of all projects and programmes, the Foundation will accept nothing less than the best of international standards in production, quality, and performance.”

Developing education at the tertiary level will be in vain unless the foundations of learning in the UAE are made world class at the primary and secondary levels. The grave issue that currently exists, in which many UAE children go to schools with low grade facilities and who study in an environment that is not conducive to learning and encouraging a zest for education, must be urgently addressed.

It was first said centuries ago in the Middle East that one must ‘go the second mile’. The alarming school report from Fujairah is a timely reminder that in all spheres, including education, one must go the first mile before one can go the second mile.

Geoff Pound

Image: Alarming Report Card on UAE Schools