Abu Dhabi and Dubai Blog

Former French intelligence officer Herve Jaubert believed he was essentially being held captive in Dubai when his passport was confiscated by authorities amid a dispute with his employer, a powerful government-run conglomerate. He claimed he was threatened with torture and worried each day he would be arrested.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jE1-VH9PrgVg27sL1tDZ8UFjifQgD9C5R0080

The city of Dubai is now in the final stages of opening the first line of its metro system, scheduled for September 9, 2009. It is to be the world’s largest full automated subway, and the first subway of any kind in the region.

“The Metro is expected to change life in Dubai as it will not only provide easy public transport but will also help reduce traffic, improve environment and attract tourists,” said Abdul Majeed Al Khaja, chief executive officer of the Rail Agency of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), which is carrying out the project.

Some 3,200 people are being trained to ensure the smooth operation of the Metro. UK-based company Serco has been tasked with operating the Metro for the first 10 years. Serco is currently providing training to employees – including UAE nationals – as it gears up for the launch of the Red Line.

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Traffic_and_Transport/10318639.html

The pop singer Rihanna will not perform at a concert in Dubai scheduled for May 28, the same date that a court hearing is scheduled in Los Angeles for her companion, Chris Brown, The Associated Press reported.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/arts/music/06arts-RIHANNACANCE_BRF.html?ref=arts

We just added a classifieds section to ABDB so if you’ve got anything you want to sell or promote, be sure to check it out!

http://www.abdb.com/classified/?_action=classified

Since the length of the room is only slightly larger than the height of an adult male, the workers have to make vertical arrangements by having two sleep on a two-level bunk bed while the other two sleep on the tiles beneath. A fan is attached to a wall to keep them cool.

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Housing_and_Property/10258079.html

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The UAE has just released its first national report on human rights, which outlines different ways the country can move forward in the areas of women’s rights, labour conditions, and other domains. In other news an Emirates citizen was recently sentenced to death for possession of an unspecified quantity of drugs.

‘We need slaves to build monuments’- Ghaith Abdul-Ahad

Behind the dizzying construction boom is an army of migrant labourers lured into a life of squalor and exploitation

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/gallery/2008/oct/08/1?picture=338366526

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‘Oh yes, it looks good, doesn’t it? But we’ve all made a pact with the devil to be here. You get the tax-free salary, but in return you have to give up all your rights. There’s no accountability, no transparency, no rule of law. There’s no legislative body. Very few employment rights. It looks like a modern country, but it takes more than a few skyscrapers to create one of those. Scratch the surface and it’s a different story. And if you’re a silly young girlie who gets into trouble, then forget it.’

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/05/middleeast.gender