This Friday, the Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed announced that Dubai is set to become a bicycle-friendly city after new road safety laws and infrastructure to support riders are put in place.

Two days after his cycling expedition in the Jumeirah Beach neighbourhood, the Ruler of Dubai along with his officials were seen visiting the iconic Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, enquiring about promotional offers during the ongoing Dubai Summer Surprises festival. Sheikh Mohammed provides Dubai residents an occasional surprise by visiting a coffee shop, a restaurant or just crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing in downtown Dubai. He can throw a surprise on government departments too by paying an early morning visit to check their functioning and pulling up late comers. Principle No. 2 of “The Eight Principles of Dubai”, a document Sheikh Mohammed issued on the 50th year of his service to the nation, states: “Justice is the basis of a strong and proud nation, and guarantees prosperity and stability. No one is above the law in Dubai, starting with the ruling family. The law does not discriminate between citizens and residents, rich and poor, male and female, Muslims and non-Muslims. Justice delayed is justice denied.” It also explains why the ruler and the ruled are able to walk on the streets without fear or layers of security.

His gestures and actions speak louder than words. It helps when the ruler leads by example – to wait for the green light at a pedestrian crossing or cycle to reduce carbon emissions in a city of cars. With the mall visit, he instils confidence to venture out and go about life as usual in a populace that had learnt to confine themselves to the four walls of their homes when the governments of the emirates devised plans to contain COVID-19. Now that the UAE has successfully reined in the coronavirus and cautiously opened up its businesses and leisure activities, the popular Indian Premier League cricket tournament has shifted venue to the UAE.

Sheikh Mohammed is a ruler who knows the pulse of his people, a visionary leader whose ambitious plans for his emirate has seen the desert city transform into an oasis of prosperity and modernity. The execution of his vision is achieved systematically by the best brains from across the world. That a 50-year-young nation can dream to be in space was proven when the UAE sent an Emirati astronaut to space and the Hope Probe to Mars. A human settlement in Mars by 2117 is the ultimate project of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) created in 2006 to make the UAE a world leader in space services and exploration.

The phenomenal growth of a fishing village that struck gold with oil in the late 1960s is also synonymous with the growth of its airline into the most prestigious airline brand in the 21st century. Before the pandemic struck, Emirates was the world’s most preferred airline, the Dubai International Airport the world’s busiest in terms of international passenger traffic and Dubai Duty Free the most successful airport retailer.

With his Midas touch, Sheikh Mohammed has made the impossible possible in Dubai – man-made islands, indoor ski resort, the Dubai Metro, trams, driverless pods, and of course, the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa. There is more to come – the Creek Tower that will be the new tallest building, Ain Dubai the biggest Ferris wheel, Expo 2020 the World’s Greatest Show (postponed due to COVID-19), the Museum of the Future and Atlantis 2, to name a few.
Even as it builds more architectural marvels, Dubai seeks to be a sustainable and futuristic city. By 2050 Sheikh Mohammed aims to have 75 per cent of the city’s energy from clean sources and leave the smallest carbon footprint.

Under his enthusiastic and charismatic guidance, Dubai continues to aim for superlatives. So, welcome to the Happiest City in the world.

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The UAE Royal family-backed Directions Investments Holding Co. (DIHC), under the Chairmanship of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan and Franchise India, Ltd, the largest franchise and management company in South Asia, has announced a strategic partnership to support Indian businesses that wish to set up their manufacturing, retail, trading, representation or marketing office in the United Arab Emirates.

The alliance will open a gateway for competitive advantage in exploiting opportunities and avoiding pitfalls when operating in the MENA and APAC regions by Indian Companies, according to a press release.

With about 3.3 million Indian migrants in the UAE alone (according to the UN’s migration report in 2017), constituting almost 27-plus percent of its population, it is a big competitive advantage for an Indian company to plan its expansion in the UAE.

Franchise India Ltd, under the Chairmanship of Gaurav Marya, seeks to assist Indian companies with setting up their local Limited Liability Company and do business with government and private companies in the UAE under the direct guidance of the Royal Family office.

“Through our Value Added Services Programme, we provide a platform where our JV partners and Sponsorship Program, find the necessary elements to launch, grow and succeed.” said Zulfiquar Ghadiyali, DIHC.

Globalisation and global markets are of considerable relevance, principally owing to the pragmatic growth effects of cross- border enterprise and investment. Moreover, the next normal comes with a highly potent business environment, where approaches to incorporate sustainability and resiliency to withstand the uncharted outside shocks becomes equally important for decision making and strategic planning by business owners.

The presence of a huge Indian diaspora is a big plus for Indian companies for zeroing down in the UAE and is a great market to replicate a successful Indian business model. Being an affluent market where retail is quite well developed, the potential market is as big as many other emerging markets but highly concentrated.

Expertise and experience about the laws of the land is vital to start a business in the UAE market. The investor-friendly UAE Government has been taking steps to make the process easier for Indian consumer and manufacturing brands to enter the UAE, especially Abu Dhabi. Finding a trustworthy sponsor or partner can be tedious for Indian entrepreneurs and that is where this channel partnership will make the process easier and shorter,” said Mr. Marya.

The project is to create visibility and attract leading investors, businesses and organisations to understand the commercial and competitive capabilities of Abu Dhabi by recommending participation in and through specifically curated relevant programs, site tours, inward delegations and networking forums.

Headquartered in New Delhi, Franchise India ltd (FIL) is a dynamic international franchise, investment research, business set-up and advisory organisation with over three decades of expertise in collaborating and working alongside Government, regulatory bodies, international organisations, ports, special economic zones, trade and industry from across all verticals. Professionals at Franchise India have the proficiency and understanding in how markets across geographies function and specialise in connecting with global markets for bilateral investments and business establishment.

A diversified business group headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, chaired by Private office of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, DIHC operates in the Middle Eastern, Asian and African Markets, maintaining the highest of business relationships with international consultants/industry experts and partners in over 120 countries throughout Europe, the Americas, MENA and APAC regions.

The long-term vision of DIHC is based upon developing a high value, high impact business portfolio through its Strategic Business Units (SBU’s or sponsored companies) with a clear direction and appropriate core competencies within each Business unit that includes an emphasis on leading industry expertise. The group operations along with SBU management, work to identify and filter business opportunities that are aligned to the Groups Strategic Direction, capabilities and market positioning to create a competitive age through unique solutions, the press release said.

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His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has officially inaugurated the Route 2020 Project, Wam reported.
The project involves the 15 km extension of the Dubai Metro Red Line from Jebel Ali Station to Expo 2020 Station. The AED 11-billion Route 2020 project, which links seven stations, will be open to the public in September this year.
Developed by Emirati talent with the support of international expertise, these projects meet the highest global standards, Sheikh Mohammed said on the occasion. Upon arrival at Jebel Ali Metro Station, Sheikh Mohammed and his entourage watched a video about the Route 2020 Project built as part of the leadership’s vision to promote the sustainable development of the emirate. The project was focused on building globally benchmarked infrastructure and services that meet the UAE’s aspirations themed ‘Towards the Next 50 Years’.
The project is part of Road Transport Authority’s (RTA) master plan to provide integrated multi-modal mass transit systems comprising of the metro, tram, buses and marine transport. The video shed light on the communities served by Route 2020 – The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai Investment Park and the Expo 2020 site, which have a combined population of about 270,000.
The track has 11.8 km elevated track and 3.2 km underground track and links seven stations (one Interchange station with the Red Line, one iconic station at EXPO 2020 site, three elevated stations and two underground stations).
At Jebel Ali Station, an interchange station that spans 8,800 sq. m in area with total capacity of 320,000 riders a day, Sheikh Mohammed boarded the new metro train, which features some modifications to the interior design of the metro carriages. The train stopped at Expo 2020 Station, which boasts a unique design featuring the wings of an aircraft, signifying Dubai’s future drive towards greater innovation.
The design of the new stations enables integration with the public transportation system. Every station has bus and taxi bays as well as stops for pick-up and drop-off.
There will be a key train service to link Terminal 1 Station and Terminal 3 Station of the Dubai International Airport with Expo 2020 Station. There will be a bus service for passengers departing from Expo Station to the Terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport to ease the movement of riders between the two airports. In the near future, Route 2020 will be extended 3.4 km from Expo 2020 Station to Al Maktoum International Airport to ensure a modern metro link between the two airports.
With the opening of Route 2020, the total length of the Dubai Metro Red and Green Lines will increase to 90 km. At the same time, the total length of rail networks in Dubai will rise to 101 km (90km for the metro and 11km for the tram).

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