Content:
ISSUE No.1 DECEMBER 2006

 

BUSINESS

 

Medical tourism to Germany [read article]
The health care services in the United Arab Emirates have been public and were offered free of cost to each inhabitant until few years ago. But for the citizens of UAE treatment abroad was preferred because of better medical standards and on the other hand highly specialized physicians have been waiting for wealthy patients from the Arabic peninsula. Also Germany has been counted as the center of medicine technology or rather good health care and many clinics profited from the crowd of patients from the Middle East. DiscoverME talked to His Highness Sheikh Suhail Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum about his experiences with medical tourism.

Health care system in the UAE
In the view of Dr. Adnan Kaddaha, chairman & managing director and Prof . Dr. Günther Kieninger, medical director & head of surgery of CEDARS – Jebel Ali International Hospital

Handing down the knowledge
Glashütte Original watches are one of the expressions of German strength. The roots of the Glashütte Original manufacture extend back to the year 1845. It was in this year that the 1st Glashütte watch company was founded. Since that time, Glashütte watches can always be found where the highest in precision and quality is in demand. In keeping with this tradition, mechanical masterpieces are manufactured today according to the strict rules of the traditional art of Glashütte watch making at the Glashütte Original factory. From the smallest screw to the most complicated watch movement, timepieces by Glashütte Original are manufactured, produced, assembled and finished under one roof up to nearly 100%.

Arab thirst of knowledge quenched with German help
In May 2006 the new center for information of the German Academic Exchange Service e.V. (DAAD) in the gulf region opened its gates in Abu Dhabi. Coming directly from Cairo, Thomas Böhm took over the management in August this year. During the last years he was able to collect experiences with the Arabic culture and way of life in Saudi-Arabia and Egypt. Now he is promoting the study programs of German universities and takes care of the academic exchange of students and scientists.

Are the Emirates an economic paradise?
The United Arab Emirates experience an economic boom of unimaginable dimension and breathtaking speed. Since the seventies of the 20th century also many foreign companies could gain a foothold in the desert country and realize new business ideas. Still today many foreigners smell fast money and often come to the UAE with dubious business ideas and without a Euro Cent in their pocket. In order to prevent a total economic damage, local management consultancies are standing by them with advices. With smart concepts, good market knowledge and serious partners companies such as Sesame Business Consultants support business people who want to settle down in the Emirates. The company with its headquarters in Abu Dhabi and Dubai since 1999 consults under German management small and medium sized enterprises successfully.

 

REAL ESTATE

 

Dubai Techno Park [read article]
A project showing the way to the future brings innovation & technology to Dubai.
Economic miracles become true. The gross national product of the United Arab Emirates grows since years in the two-digit field. Numbers of import and export increase proportionally. Civil engineering, trade and the financial sector boom and secure independence of the country’s economy from reliance on the oil sector. On the order of his Highness General Shei kh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum , vice president and prime minister of the UAE, ruler of Dubai, the science and technology park was founded in 2002 to ensure a transfer of know how in sciences and technology to Dubai.

Expo Real 2006
International fair for commercial real estate in Munich. From the 23rd till 25th October more than 21,000 visitors from 65 countries came to the 9th international fair for commercial real estate to Munich. Altogether around 1,600 exhibitors from 40 countries represented the whole spectrum of the real estate field. In comparison to the previous year the visitor as well as the exhibitor numbers could be increased which confirms the Expo Real to be a must appointment for the real estate field. The fair stands for productive networking and first-class information offers. Due to the dialogue between suppliers, developers and users projects can be initiated and further developed.

 

CULTURE

 

The United Arab Emirates: A young country with a long history
On the 2nd of December, the National Day of the United Arab Emirates, the cities present themselves with festively ornamented buildings and streets. Magnificently decorated facades are shining thanks to an uncountable number of sparkling lightchains. Through many occasions the identity of the Emirates should be strengthened. Abu Dhabi comes up with a splendid military parade and at the Dubai Creek a show of strength takes place with a various number of regattas.

The Secret of Eyes
Arabic poetry by Mohammad Bin Habher

The Arabic language in an overview
The development of language as a mean of communication is part of the characteristics that sets us humans apart from other species. But language is also a fundamental feature of each cultural and national identity. In order to understand the Islamic culture properly, a founded knowledge of the Arabic language is a must. Arabic is the language of the Koran and the Arabic calligraphy has a distinct position in the Islamic Art. Therefore we would like to teach elementary knowledge in our monthly Arabic language course and build up a basic vocabulary.

Chocolate and mothers in law
Experiences of a German woman with the Arabic culture: Antje Al Sayed Ali , married since 1985 to her Syrian husband, lives since eight years together with her family in Abu Dhabi. The intensive-care nurse already collected experiences with the Arab culture in earlier years. Due to a thorough dealing with Islam and conversations with her Muslim friends in Germany Antje decided at the age of 25 to convert to Islam. It is wrong to assume that her conversion to Islam was out of love to her spouse. The very liberal husband who entertained no such concerns gave Antje the freedom to choose her religion.

On Goethe's traces
German culture on the way to the Emirates: Worldwide 142 Goethe Institutes are working with the aim to support the German culture, German language and help in its spread. Till now German was considered as exotic and besides beer and cars “made in Germany” there was barely any founded knowledge about Germany.

Desire for literature
How the life of the German ambassador manages work and family in Abu Dhabi: The last stations of Kirsten Steltzer ’s family can be read like an adventure novel: Egypt, Sweden and Russia. 2003 her way guided her into the United Arab Emirates. As an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the double mother works in the field of culture and economy in Abu Dhabi. She does not only manage her family but also organizes since one year cultural arrangements for the desert city. Her office in the 14th floor of a modern skyscraper enables her to overview her new iridescent home.

Open doors – open minds
Many of the visitors or expatriates coming to the Middle East from the Western world will formulate various impressions about what may be for them strange habits or odd conventions. A lot may seem to be unintelligible and Arab traditions and customs may be stamped as obsolete or backward. The contrast between super relative ultramodern buildings and Bedouin tribes moving through the desert is a typical contrasting image of the gulf region. However, the various facets of the Arab world offer to us the possibility to learn more about a foreign culture that seeks to combine the achievements of modern age with the traditions of the past.

Non-Muslim guest workers in the UAE
How Muslims and Christians live peacefully next to each other in the UAE: Since January 2004 the Swiss Dr. theol. Paul Hinder works as a Catholic bishop in the United Arab Emirates. Being a member of the Kapustin order he is responsible for the entire Arabic peninsula. During a long conversation with DiscoverME he was talking about tolerance towards Christianity and other beliefs in the region.

Intercultural Understanding - THE MISSION OF THE 21ST CENTURY [read article]
In a world that is caught in the grip of conflicts, the UAE in general and Dubai in particular can be described as a peaceful meeting point of various cultures, beliefs and attitudes. People from East and West live together sympathetically and harmoniously, although they come from different nations and were raised up with different concepts of culture and religion. We want to say with the loudest possible voice on behalf of the larger silent majority of the West and of the East that people of the world are not to be taken hostages by extremists on both sides of the globe. We make it very clear that we do not look at realities with a lop sided vision or approach issues with a prejudiced attitude.

More than cars and cuckoo clocks
German culture weeks in the Emirates: Germany and the United Arab Emirates are proud of their close economic and trade relations. But unfortunately there has not been much of cultural interrelationship in the past. Thus for the first time this year the German cultural weeks took place in the United Arab Emirates to develop stronger cultural relations. From the end of October until the beginning of December 2006 the main focus of the event was set on the improvement of cultural understanding between Germany and the Emirates. The German embassy organized a road show, concerts, readings as well as an art exhibition in cooperation with the Goethe Institute, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Business Council Abu Dhabi.

Mohammed is studying German
The German school in Abu Dhabi (DSAD) - a school of meeting with a German profile: Attractive job offers and a comfortable life call more and more Germans to the United Arab Emirates. Thus Abu Dhabi as an economic and political center becomes more often the home of choice for German families. To avoid loosing the connection to Germany fully DSAD is offering a high-quality German education with insights into the Arabic culture.

New Year’s Eve Party in Dubai
Nancy Ajram sings into the year of 2007

 

SPORT

 

Horse sports in the Emirates
So the big love of the Emirate leaders for Arab horses is not surprising. Horse sport in the shape of gallop and distance race but also show jumping and polo competitions have found their fixed position within the Arab sports world. The horses are trained optimally for their races in high-tech training camps. For the protection of their joints and bones their muscles are trained in special swimming pools. Walking on training machines is part of the daily program, too. In spite of all racing horses are and remain individual creatures that sometimes can have a bad racing day. Every new start brings excitement for the owners and onlookers.

Football in Arabic
Thinking of football you remember spontaneously great football nations such as Brazil, France and Germany – of course we should mention here also the current world champion Italy. But we associate the Middle East and especially the gulf countries more likely with sports for which camels, horses and falcons are needed. But that football out of all sports is one of the most popular sports in the Emirates is even surprising people who are already living in the desert country since a very long time.

UAE Desert Challange [read article]
A desert challanage under extreme conditions: World motor sport enthusiasts and those who are interested in high performance driving should be, since long, aware of the UAE desert challenge. Since 14 years the United Arab Emirates is the venue of a small “Paris-Dakar”. Due to prominent drivers and well-known sponsors the desert rally asserts its presence from year to year. The German Juta Kleinschmidt and the French Stéphan Peterhansel competed against each other and brought international flair to the Desert Challenge.

 

LIFESTYLE

 

Christmas under palm trees
More and more Germans gladly move towards the South during the cold winter months. It is not astonishing that also during Christmas time palm trees are preferred to local fir tree. Whoever wants to escape from Christmas hustle and bustle is wrong in the Emirates. Magnificently decorated hotels, malls and trees define the street’s view. Thus “Knecht Ruprecht” and Co. prepare for an invasion of the desert, at least temporarily. Hotels, restaurants and malls are prepared for the holidays well in advance. From year to year they compete for the most beautiful and most extravagant decoration. Therefore it is not surprising that many buildings change over night to a Christmas fairytale.

War on kilograms!
Overweight and obesity are two of the worldwide fastest expanding civilization diseases of the 21st century. This means an annual cost of 56 billion dollars in the USA alone and the curve is on the rise.

Dubai Shopping Festival
Bargain hunting in Dubai

3rd Dubai Film Festival
Stars and starlets on the red carpet in Dubai

Awafi Festival 2007 [read article]
Discover the true spirit of Arabia in Ras Al Khaimah