Dubai Cares launches school project in Indonesia

Dubai Cares, the UAE-based philanthropic establishment launched a programme in Jakarta, Indonesia which aims at improving current hygiene education activities in 450 schools in the Indonesian provinces of Nusa Tenggara Timor, Papua, West Papua and South Sulawesi.

In total, 90,000 schoolchildren in Indonesia will benefit from the programme, launched by Dubai Cares in partnership with the Government of Indonesia, UNICEF, Care International and Save the Children.

Dubai Cares was founded in 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Known as WISE - ‘water, sanitation and hygiene in support of school empowerment' - the programme will construct new sanitation, hand washing and water facilities, helping reduce a child's risk of disease and death, and support community-led initiatives to better manage water and sanitation activities in the selected areas.

Dubai Cares contributed approximately Dh20 million (US$5.5 million) to the programme as part of its commitment to UN Millennium Development Goal 2 of attaining universal primary education. By helping safeguard the health of school children through better sanitation and hygiene education and infrastructure development, Dubai Cares is helping eliminate barriers to children's access to quality primary education.

"There are numerous factors which prevent children from going to school - poor water and sanitation is a critical one," said Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares. "In addition, the lack of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools threatens the wellbeing of those who do reach the classroom."

Al Gurg added: "Under the direction of Sheikh Mohammad, Dubai Cares is proactively focusing on the underlying factors that create barriers to learning. We believe this initiative is an example of how we can systematically remove such obstacles and create opportunities for better education and health."

The ‘WISE' programme is seen as a model for future development across Indonesia, strengthening integration of water, sanitation and hygiene education activities in schools and improving sustainability through a focus on low-cost approaches, community leadership and technical capacity development of local school committees.

Physical construction of water and sanitation facilities will be complemented by training of teachers and community representatives on delivering effective hygiene education. School committees will be supported to better manage available budgets to include water, sanitation and hygiene components, while the government's national Healthy Schools Program (UKS) will also be revitalised.More

Indonesia's Bank Victoria sells shares to UAE

PT Bank Victoria International Tbk (BVIC) has sold 414.58 million shares or 10% of its outstanding shares to Singapore-based Emirates Tarian Asset Management Pte Ltd at Rp142 per share.

Bank Victoria has obtained Rp58.87 billion from the private placement. The proceed will be used to strengthen the bank's capital structure in a bid to develop business.

The placement price was higher than Rp141.4 per share, the average price during 25 trading days before Bank Victoria announced the proposed plan of non-preemptive rights.

Post the placement, the bank's common stock increased to 2.73 billion shares from 2.32 billion shares. On last Friday, BVIC gained 2.68% to Rp153 per share from Rp149.

Bank Victoria is part of Victoria Group, a group in which the majority shares is controlled by Tanojo family, through Wakijo Tanojo's youngest daughter Suzanna.

Wakijo Tanojo is one of founders of Surabaya-based Wings Group (PT Sayap Mas Utama) with Katuari and Harjo Sutanto. Victoria Sekuritas is the controlling shareholder of Bank Victoria International. Victoria Sekuritas is owned by Suzanna Tanojo and Christien Tanojo through PT Gratamulia Pratama.More

Yahsat’s first satellite launched

A communications satellite from Yahsat, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Development Company, was launched from the European Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.

The Ariane 5 rocket carrying the spacecraft lifted off at 1:37am (Abu Dhabi Time) on Saturday.

Over the next few days, Y1A will undertake a series of maneuvers before arriving at its final point of operation, 52.5 degrees east, above the UAE.

After arriving in position, control of the satellite will be managed by a team of UAE-national satellite engineers based out of the Yahsat control station in Al Falah, Abu Dhabi.

“I would like to express my pride and gratitude during this moment of achievement,” said Jassem Mohamed Al Zaabi, CEO of Yahsat and executive director of Mubadala Information, Communications and Technology.

“This success is the direct result of the unwavering vision, dedication and hard work of our leadership, Mubadala, the UAE Armed Forces and the entire Yahsat team. As a result of this work, we have not only stepped into space, but taken a significant stride in driving economic diversification and progress with our partners across the UAE,” he added.

Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, chairman of Yahsat and chief operating officer of Mubadala Development Company, said: “The launch of Y1A is hugely important for Mubadala and Abu Dhabi.”

“Satellite communications are an integral component in establishing the world-class information and communication infrastructure that will support the continued economic diversification of the Emirate. The successful launch of Y1A is a tremendous step forward in delivering an advanced technology and communications offering based here in Abu Dhabi,” he added.

Yahsat has commissioned two satellites to create regionally-focused capacity to manage the expanding requirements for government, commercial and consumer satellite communication services. The second satellite, Y1B, is scheduled to launch at the end of 2011.

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32 Indonesian tourism businesses to participate in Arabian tourism expo

At least 32 Indonesian tourism businesses will participate in the upcoming Arabian Travel Market expo, anticipating a declining number of Middle Eastern tourists amid political crises in the region.

The expo is set to take place in Dubai on May 2-5.

“We will map tourist potentials from the Middle East, especially because of the political crises it is undergoing,” Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) executive director Carla Parengkuan said as quoted by kontan.co.id on Friday.

Head of the comptroller unit at the Jakarta branch of the PHRI, Diyak Mulahela, added that the Indonesian participants were targeting a total value of Rp 500 billion (US$58 million) in transactions inked during the event.

Among the 32 companies participating in the Dubai expo are Hard Rock Hotel in Bali, Aston Hotel in Bandung, Ciputra Hotel in Jakarta, Wita Tour and Travel and Lisa Tour and Travel.

Data from the Central Statistics Agency shows that Middle Eastern tourists contributed 1.5 percent of the total number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia in 2010, which stood at about 7 million.

Despite the tiny share, the growth in the number of tourists from the Middle East has been high in recent years.More