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International donors pledge $4bn for Yemen

salama — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:52:40 +0000

International donors have pledged more than $4bn (£2.54bn) in aid to Yemen, which is facing a possible humanitarian catastrophe.

Neighbouring Saudi Arabia is providing the bulk of the funds, promising $3.25bn to help the goverment improve infrastructure and security.

Aid agencies have warned that Yemen is on the brink of a food crisis.

At an international conference on Yemen, the Sanaa government is thought to have asked for some $10bn in help.

Yemen has been shaken by pro-democracy protests, communal unrest in the north and an Islamist conflict in the south.

Attending the “Friends of Yemen” conference in Riyadh, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said the funds were aimed at achieving stability in Yemen.

State failure

“I assert one more time our support to Yemen to back all the phases of the political initiative to help achieve security, stability and prosperity in facing the threats of extremism and terrorism,” he told representatives from Western and Arab Gulf nations at the start of the gathering.

He said the money would go towards supporting “development projects”.

“Yemeni families are at the brink and have exhausted their ways of coping with this crisis” Penny LawrenceInternational director, Oxfam

But when the BBC questioned a senior Saudi official on exactly what the money would be spent on, he said it would support Yemen’s currency, cover the deficit and strengthen the security forces.

Speaking after the coference, Yemen’s Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirabi said: ”This [aid] confirms that the Yemeni-Saudi relationship is special and that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is fully aware that the stability of Yemen is a key element for the stability of the Kingdom.”

While the fragile government in Sanaa may welcome the extra funds, the money will not address the urgent humanitarian needs of those facing starvation outside the capital, says the BBC’s Emily Buchanan.

In February, the Yemen government reportedly said some $3bn aid pledged by the Friends of Yemen group in 2006 still had not been delivered.

On Tuesday, the UK government announced it would be providing aid for at least 250,000 of the most vulnerable in the country – including nutrition support, food aid and the provision of safe water.

Malnutrition rising

The UK Minister for International Development, Alan Duncan, said: “Without that support, the alternative is a slide towards state failure and an increased threat from international terrorism.”

In a joint warning on Tuesday, a group of seven charities said that 10 million Yemenis – 44% of the population – were currently undernourished, with five million requiring emergency aid.

The aid agencies say there is food available, but many Yemenis are unable to afford it

In their warning, the aid agencies – Care, International Medical Corps, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Mercy Corps, Oxfam and Save the Children – say malnutrition rates have doubled in the country since 2009, partly as a result of a surge in food and fuel prices.

The problem has been exacerbated by political instability and conflict, with nearly half a million people displaced from their homes by fighting.

Markets across much of Yemen have food available, but many Yemenis cannot afford to feed their families, the aid groups warned.

“Yemeni families are at the brink and have exhausted their ways of coping with this crisis,” Oxfam’s international director, Penny Lawrence, said.

“Mothers are taking their children out of school to beg on the streets to get money to survive.”

Unable to cope

Jerry Farrell, Save the Children’s country director for Yemen, said: “Unless urgent humanitarian action is taken, Yemen will be plunged into a hunger crisis of catastrophic proportions.”

According to UN estimates, a third of Yemeni children are malnourished.

A UN humanitarian aid appeal for Yemen is facing a $262m (£166m) shortfall in funding contributions.

In February, President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down in response to months of protests that paralysed Yemen’s political system.

Islamist militants have taken advantage of the upheaval to seize parts of the southern province of Abyan, now considered a stronghold of al-Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula (AQAP).

In addition, the government is grappling with Shia Houthi rebels in the north of the country.

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UAE Olympic team exempted from Ramadan fast

salama — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:42:51 +0000

Ramadan coinciding with London Olympics heightens challenge for Muslim sportspersons

By: Allaam Ousman with Agencies

UAE Olympic football team coach Mahdi Ali outlining his preparations for the London Games. (PATRICK CASTILLO)

The UAE Olympic football team has been exempted from fasting during Ramadan as the holy month coincides with the upcoming London Olympic Games.

“There will be no pressure on the players to fast since the Grand Mufti of Dubai Sheikh Ahmed Al Haddad had said players who do not fast can make up by fasting in the period following the games,” UAE’s Olympic football coach Mahdi Ali, told this website.

“The ball is in the players’ court.

“We will not force any player to break his fast, but I think they know what to do, the responsibility is on them and they will take the right decision,” he said.

However, Ali criticised the timing of the games in London as being “unfair” to Muslim athletes across the world, because it coincided with Ramadan.

“It is unfair to all Muslim athletes and they (International Olympic Committee) should have thought about the fact that the Games will be held during the holy month of Ramadan, because around 3,000 athletes at the Games will be Muslim,” said Ali whose team created history by qualifying for the first time for Olympics.

The UAE football team has been drawn in Group A alongside, Great Britain, Senegal and Uruguay.

Ali maintained it was not fair for Muslim athletes by drawing a comparison to one car running on a full tank and the other competing on a half tank.

Fasting is expected to begin on July 21.

The UAE football team will start their campaign against the South Americans on July 26 at Manchester United’s Old Trafford.

UAE will also be represented in athletics, weightlifting and shooting at the London Games.

MUSCLE POWER, SPIRITUAL STRENGTH

Medical experts say that, theoretically at least, a reduction of food intake during Ramadan could deplete an athlete’s liver and muscle glycogen stores.

This is likely to lead to a drop in performance, particularly in sports requiring muscle strength.

Foreseeing potential problems and working far ahead of time, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) nutrition working group convened a meeting in 2009 to review the evidence.

They came to the conclusion that Ramadan fasting could be problematic for some athletes in some sports, but the likely overall impact of Ramadan on London 2012 is far from clear.

Ronald Maughan, a sports scientist from Britain’s Loughborough University who chaired the IOC working group, agrees some physical changes are likely.

However, he also noted that observing the Muslim holy month involves mental and spiritual discipline, the effects of which should not be underestimated.

“Some individual Muslim athletes say they perform better during Ramadan even if they are fasting because they’re more intensely focused and because it’s a very spiritual time for them,” he told Reuters.

“Their faith gives them strength and Ramadan is an integral part of that faith.”

Maughan led a team of scientists who reviewed more than 400 research articles on Ramadan and selected those relevant to sporting performance.

They found that “actual responses vary quite widely, depending on culture and the individual’s level and type of athletic involvement”.

“There are often small decreases of performance, particularly in activities requiring vigorous and/or repetitive muscular contraction,” the team wrote in the review, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) this month.

But they concluded that in most situations “Ramadan observance has had only limited adverse consequences for either training or competitive performance”.

ENDURANCE

Still, experts say Azizul and Fatehah’s concerns, that fasting could dim their chances of standing on the podium at the end of their competition, are well-founded.

Jim Waterhouse, a sport and exercise science professor at Liverpool John Moores University in Britain, laments that so few studies have been done that give direct insight into how Ramadan-observing athletes may fare during the Olympics.

Het suggests looking at other similar research on fasting, such as in soccer players, or in people who are sporty but non-athletes.

A study in the BJSM in 2007 which looked at two Algerian professional soccer teams found that players’ performance declined significantly for speed, agility, dribbling speed and endurance during the Ramadan fast.

Nearly 70 per cent of the players thought their training and performance were adversely affected.

Another study published in the BJSM in 2010 concluded that “Ramadan fasting had an adverse effect on performance, albeit small in magnitude, during 60 minutes of endurance treadmill running” by moderately trained Muslim men.

“It depends on the sport,” says Azizul. “If you come from skilled sport it doesn’t matter, but we (cyclists) require quite a lot of energy. I did try fasting last year during training.

“For the first one or two days it’s not really a huge decrease of performance, but after that I felt really flat.”

GETTING THE TIMING RIGHT

Some experts have wondered whether changing the timing of some events might be a way forward.

A Muslim 100 metres runner who is observing Ramadan and whose race is in the early part of the morning is unlikely to be particularly badly affected if he or she has been able to eat and drink up until sunrise, for example.

“But suppose you’re a decathlete and your competition starts first thing in the morning and ends at 8pm. With no food or drink in that time, that’s a long hard day, especially if it’s hot,” said Maughan.

Waterhouse notes that with many non-Muslim athlete also taking part in London 2102, and with peak television viewing times a key factor in scheduling events, changing timetables to accommodate Ramadan would be “fraught with difficulty”.

For now, his core advice would be to follow Azizul and Fatehah’s lead and postpone fasting until after the event.

“It’s very difficult to see that a person who is a strong adherent to Ramadan could maintain a proper programme of preparation for something as important as an Olympic event while fasting,” he said. “It just doesn’t fit in with the physiology.”

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Event: Experts gather to harness Saudi Arabia’s tourism potential

salama — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:02:06 +0000

Riyadh, May 25^th- Tourism’s contribution to Saudi Arabia’s GDP in 2011 was over 7.2 percent, and the sector employed 670,000 staff – with 26 per cent Saudisation.[1] As per the latest report by Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), Saudi Arabia is expected to receive 88 million visitors by 2020 with religious tourism alone accounting for around 16 million travellers by 2014.

These predictions have led to a growth in the number of hotel rooms to be built in the Makkah region. Many hotel development companies are announcing their projects – including Abdul Latif Jameel Real Estate Investment Company – which is investing US$ 3.2 billion, making it a major hospitality development project in Makkah expected to provide 8,500 rooms.[2]

The Kingdom Hotel Expansion Summit, themed ‘harnessing a thriving future for the Saudi hospitality industry’ and being organised by leading French business information firm naseba, commences tomorrow in Riyadh to address the Kingdom’s increasing tourism requirements.

The summit discusses the role of Saudi Arabia as an important regional hub for hospitality development and hosts international experts and speakers from the sector. It addresses issues including hospitality as a foundation for economic growth, energy management, and food and beverage trends. Its timeliness was confirmed by Christophe Landais, Managing Director at Accor Middle East, who noted his pleasure at attending the event for the second year running, highlighting that it is “the perfect platform to showcase Accor Middle East’s growing hotel portfolio in the Kingdom.”

Several hospitality solution providers including IDIS, Schneider Electric and Philips are delivering keynote presentations on innovative and upcoming products. Tomorrow’s first session discusses the hospitality industry outlook with an opening panel discussion on how hospitality can act as a foundation for economic growth and how businesses are embracing this change. The discussion involves detailed viewpoints from the perspectives of government, owner and operator.

Many hoteliers, including Hilton and Nobu hospitality, are expected to announce the details of their upcoming projects in several press conferences being organised in conjunction with this initiative. Christophe Landais added “we have five committed properties in the pipeline: ibis Riyadh Olaya Street (2012), ibis Yanbu (2013), ibis Jeddah Malik Road (2014), Adagio Jeddah Malik Road (2014) and Novotel Jizan (2015). The Saudi market continues to be an important market … and we are fully supportive of Saudi Arabia’s travel, tourism and hospitality industry”.

Fabien Faure, naseba’s Managing Director, added “our hospitality summits are increasingly becoming the preferred platform among major hoteliers to announce upcoming projects as well as source global suppliers. We are looking at over 300 hoteliers, developers and executive chefs attending the summit making it one of the most popular gatherings for decision makers in the Middle East.”

The two-day summit will take place on May 26^thand 27^that the InterContinental Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

For media information, please call Ardaman Sidhu on +9714 367 1383 or email ardamans@naseba.com

[1]http://www.menafn.com/menafn/1093514999/Tourism-Contribution-to-Saudi-GDP-More-than-72-Percent

[2]http://www.ttgmena.com/Tourism-and-hotel-investments-announced-for-Saudi-Arabia/

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UAE lifts ban on British beef

salama — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:05:51 +0000

The UAE Ministry of Environment and Water has lifted the ban on the import of British beef and beef products into the country with immediate effect.

Products ranging from Aberdeen-Angus steaks to roast-beef flavoured potato crisps will soon be available in UAE restaurants and on supermarket shelves.

UK Trade and Investment, working closely with the Ministry of Environment and Water in the UAE and the Department of Food and Rural Affairs in the UK, were instrumental in getting the ban lifted.

Director of UK Trade and Investment in Dubai, Ian Gibbons, said: “The UAE is an important market for the UK and there is already a very healthy demand for British food products. I have recently arrived in the UAE and am impressed by the incredible range of international products available, which is testament to the nature of the country as a true international hub. UK products are more widely available than in many other countries. The lifting of the British beef ban is significant as it means greater opportunity for UK suppliers.”

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Morocco: Halal certification regulation ready

salama — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:24:59 +0000

With growth of over 12 per cent per annum since 2004 and a turnover worth 455 billion euros – which is a 16 per cent slice of the global food market – the Halal product market (the word halal means “allowed” by Islamic law) is an attractive one to Morocco’s businesses.

However, access to exporting into this market lies through obtaining a label issued by an accredited organisation that is recognised by importing markets. Under pressure from the industrial sector, the Moroccan government has already begun to make moves in this direction by introducing at the end of 2010 a first regulation inspired by the Malaysian model. However, according to a report from a sector professional appearing in La Vie Eco, “the fact that Moroccan Ulemas did not take part in drafting the norm means that it never gained credibility. On the other hand, since it came into force, not one single business has attempted to have itself certified according to this norm”.

Over recent months, Morocco has started once again on its quest for credible Halal certification: since December, a technical committee under a Moroccan assaying institute, (IMANOR), which is linked to the Ministry for Industry, has been holding meetings to review the current norm in depth.

This time round, Ulemas were also present at the consultations and broad concordance has been sought with the norm governing Halal products of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which is a synthesis of several national regulations. The new regulations, which will cover every production phase, should come into force over the coming days following approval by the Ministry for Industry and the first certificates should be issued during July.

According to sources interviewed by La Vie Eco, the Moroccan subsidiary of Nestlé has already consulted IMANOR and is working towards having some of its products certified according to the new Moroccan regulation. Other large groups, such as Coca Cola, Kraft Foods and Sapak, are said to be similarly interested and should be applying for certification soon. Sector experts warn that it may take some years for Morocco to be able to compete with competitors like the Turkish companies that currently occupy the international Halal market segment. (ANSAmed).

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Tunisia keen to invest in Malaysia

salama — Sun, 20 May 2012 20:04:39 +0000

The Republic of Tunisia is keen to invest in Malaysia given its large market potential and the fact that Europe was currently facing an economic crisis, says Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Husni Hadanzlah.

“They see this opportunity and want their companies to set up base here.

“Their chamber of commerce will identify 30 large companies which Malaysian companies can forge ties with,” he said.

Husni was recently on a two-day working visit to the republic, beginning May 14, which was part of the Member Country Partnership Strategy programme initiated between Malaysia and the Islamic Development Bank.

Under the programme, Tunisia and Malaysia exchange expertise and experience in the financial sector and Islamic banking.

“Tunisia is relevant to Islamic banking. There are five countries under the programme namely Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Algeria.

“There is market of 90 million people and they find the halal industry relevant to them. These countries are a ready platform for us to export our halal products to Europe,” he said.

On another development, Husni said Malaysia was finalising an offer to cooperate, via Bank Negara Malaysia, to provide Islamic banking services in Europe which has a Muslim population of about 22 million people. — Bernama

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UAE: 10th Annual Organic Show, MENOPE 2012

salama — Sat, 19 May 2012 12:25:50 +0000

The Expo is endorsed by Dubai Municipality, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM), Germany to run at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from November 27-29 2012

Dubai: The 10^th edition of annual organic and natural products expo, MENOPE 2012 (Middle East Natural and Organic Products Expo) is expected to attract more regional participation this year, apart from a host of global companies who have elicited enthusiasm to be part of the show.

In a statement, the organizers of MENOPE 2012, Global Links Dubai LLC, today said the Middle East’s one and only exhibition for natural, organic and halal products will run from 27-29 November this year at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre in the UAE.

“Even at this early stage of the preparations for MENOPE 2012, we have strong and enthusiastic response from both regional and global players endorsing the fact that the annual exhibition has a very strong reputation as a show which caters to the trade with a view to foster growth of this sector,” said Eng. Nadim Al Fuqaha, Managing Director, Global Links.

He said MENOPE 2012 is also looking at attracting a number of regional organic players from both the private and public sector in line with the growth the sector has witnessed over the last few years.

“There are more regional players in the organic market now as businesses realize the growth potential of the sector. We believe that the market has expanded in size as well as quality of offerings with local organic players sensing the need to cater to a sophisticated and aware consumer base with a large share of young people,” Eng. Nadim said.

The Middle East market has maintained the pace of growth of over 15 per cent CAGR in the organic products market though the base is still small and niche with potential to expand further.

“Our partners say that there is strong retail growth trend in the organic and natural products sector. Higher prices have always been a hurdle for increased uptake of products in this sector, but as the volume increases, the price line is also expected to come down. We believe that some amount of rationalization of prices is already taking place in the market, encouraging more consumers to buy organic products as they become more affordable,” said Mr. Joby Mathew, Head, Exhibitions, Global Links.

MENOPE is Middle East’s only exhibition for natural and organic products and this year over 150 exhibitors from 25 countries will take part in the niche show. The three-day expo includes the third MEVEG Conference and a conference on Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicines.

MENOPE 2012 is endorsed by the Dubai Municipality. It is supported by International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Germany, Ministry of Agriculture Lebanon, Department of Agriculture Philippines, Agrar Marketing Austria, and National Chamber of Sri Lanka etc.

Last year there was significant country pavilion participation from Austria, India, Korea, Philippines, USA, Romania, Srilanka, Lebanon, and Taiwan. The participating countries in MENOPE 2011 included the UAE, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, China, Thailand, Malaysia and Slovenia, Canada, among others.

MENOPE 2012 will showcase a variety of products spanning across Herbals and Spices, Food & Beverages, Cereal Products, Supplements, Health Care products, Natural Living, Natural and Organic Cosmetics, Healing Products, Natural Remedies, Traditional Medicines, Spas, Relaxation facilities, and Fabrics. More information on the event is available at www.naturalproductme.com. The organizers can also be reached at info@naturalproductme.com.

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Saudi Arabia: Grand Mosque Expansion

salama — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:04:55 +0000

Posted on May 18, 2012 by John Burgess

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has been on the throne for seven years now. Saudi media is pretty busy writing up encomiums for the changes and developments he has pushed. One, particularly noteworthy, has been the expansion of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Arab News reports that the most recent expansions are greater than all expansions before. Ever-increasing numbers of pilgrims seek to take part in the annual Haj, already the greatest annual religious gathering in the world.

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The biggest expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah was carried out during the reign of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

In 2011, the Haram’s capacity was raised to accommodate 1.6 million worshippers, one-and-half times more than all the expansions put together in the mosque’s history. This latest expansion cost SR 80 billion and is part of Makkah’s many development projects, including work on the mosque’s central zone and surrounding areas.

Speaking on the seventh anniversary of King Abdullah’s accession to throne, Dr. Muhammad Bin Nasser, vice president of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, said developing the mosque’s area is an ongoing project.

“Every year the Grand Mosque witnesses more development in the services provided to visitors. This year, the King Abdullah Expansion Project is being carried out.

It includes the latest and most sophisticated electrical and mechanical systems. The expansion is linked to the first Saudi expansion and to the masaa (running area between Safaa and Marwaa) via several bridges. A new system of elevators and escalators is being installed,” he said.
…

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Malaysia Shows Interest in Developing Tunisia’s Halal Industry

salama — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:47:19 +0000

By Eamon Granahan

On Tuesday, the Malaysian Second Minister of Finance Ahmad Husni Mohamed Hanadzlah met with Riadh Bettaib, Tunisia’s Minister of Investment and International Cooperation, to discuss the prospective collaboration between Malaysia and Tunisia in Halal industries.

“Tunisia can be a platform for the development and export of Halal industries for the Muslim community in Europe and Africa,” said Hanadzlah during a press conference attended by the two ministers in Tunis.

According to TAP, Malaysia’s exports in the Halal industries’ sector are valued at an estimated $11 billon, and the rate of exchange in these industries worldwide generates over $2.3 trillion dollars annually. The Halal industries’ sector refers to the production of food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals that abide by Islamic Law.

The Malaysian Minister of Finance stated that his country is willing to host over 30 Tunisian Halal companies in order for them gain experience from the well-established Malaysian Halal industry. He stressed the lucrative potential of developing this sector, given the high demand of Malaysian Halal industry products in countries with large Muslim communities.

Prospects of bilateral cooperation in the Islamic finance sector were also touched upon during the conference, and Hanadzlah stressed that Malaysia’s expertise in this field will be at Tunisia’s disposal.

Islamic Finance was first established in Malaysia in 1983. Since then, Islamic financial transactions total to $31 billion, accounting for 23% of Malaysia’s financial services sector.

Currenty, no Malaysian businesses are based in Tunisia. The only form of trade conducted between the two countries consists of the exportation of Tunisian dates and the importation of Malaysian natural oils.

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Jeddah to host major food, hotel, hospitality and packaging show

salama — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:03:47 +0000

Over 350 companies from 22 countries will be participating at the annual Saudi food, hotel, hospitality & propac arabia show to be held in Jeddah from May 20-23, 2012, under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture and under the auspices of Engineer Hassan Sangoof, Director General, Ministry of Agriculture, Makkah Region.

Organised by Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions (ACE), the event – Saudi Arabia’s 17th international Event for Food, Beverages and Catering, Hotel Equipment, Supplies and Services – is set for opening at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 20 at the JCCI-owned Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events.

“This is the leading event in the Kingdom’s food, hotel, hospitality, processing and packaging industries, with a successful track record of more than fifteen years,” Zahoor Siddique, Vice President for Exhibitions, ACE, said.

The show has established Jeddah as the hub of the food, hotel and hospitality sector, and the Kingdom as a national showcase and forum where worldwide suppliers present their products and services, he added.

The event, propac arabia – the Kingdom’s comprehensive showcase for the industry – runs concurrently and will display a diverse range of exhibitor profile covering the entire spectrum of this industry. This is Saudi Arabia’s 17th International Event for Production & Processing, Printing & Packaging, Plastics & Chemicals.

The dual event hosts an impressive list of national pavilions from China, Egypt, Indonesia, Taiwan, Turkey, USA and individual companies from Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Korea, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Singapore, Tunisia and UAE; and Saudi companies representing international brands.

The show incorporates TopChef & Art de Table, jointly organized by ACE and Saudi Arabian Chef Association, which will feature culinary skills of chefs from the finest hotels and restaurants and adjudicated by a panel of international experts.

“Art de table will be yet another attraction of impressive table displays by leading hotels and restaurants,” Zahoor Siddique added.

The shows also enjoy the support of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Islamic Center for Development of Trade with Royal Host as the Main Sponsor and Fakieh Group as the strategic sponsor.

The show runs daily from 5 -10 pm, 20-23 May, 2012.

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