Khor Fakkan, June 4, 2004 (WAM) – President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with the Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai and then toured parts of Sharjah as part of his fraternal visits and consultations with the rulers of the Emirates.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed toured a number of vital development projects and tourist attractions in Khor Fakkan and Al Dhaid cities in the Sharjah emirate while stopping for pictures with the members of the public.
The tour included Al Dhaid Fort, which dates back to 1820, witnesses the ancient history of the Al Dhaid city. It also included a number of vital development projects in Khor Fakkan city, such as Al Rafisah Dam, which is one of the newest tourist destinations and environmental landmarks in the country.
He also toured the new Khor Fakkan Road, which is deemed an important vital artery linking the regions of Sharjah and passing through various historical and natural areas.
UAE President was accompanied by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Advisor for Special Affairs at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs.
Earlier in the day, he started his trip with meeting the Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai at the Zabeel Palace. They exchanged cordial talk and wished continued welfare, development and progress for the nation, while reviewing a number of issues related to enhancing the comprehensive development drive that the country is witnessing.
Affirming that the UAE is forging ahead with confident steps towards delivering the future for its people and generations to come, the rulers affirmed that the UAE citizens are the mainstay of the national development drive, noting that ensuring their quality of life, social welfare and economic well-being, fulfilling their ambitions, investing in their capabilities and unleashing their potential across various sectors will remain on top of the UAE national priorities.
In this respect, they noted that late Sheikh Zayed and late Sheikh Rashid had dedicated their lives to serving their homeland and fulfilling the ambitions of their people, affirming that nation-building and ensuring a decent life for the UAE people were at the heart of the Founding Fathers’ concerns out of their solid belief in the vital role played by the UAE citizens in ensuring sustainable development and preserving national gains.
Good news for commuters, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is rolling out a new road improvement designed to ease congestion and reduce travel time near the busy Bu Kadra Interchange.
Set to open in early August 2025, the new exit will connect vehicles travelling from Financial Centre Street to Ras Al Khor Road, as part of the Financial Centre Street
road upRTA’s Rapid Traffic Solutions Plan. The initiative focuses on enhancing traffic flow and boosting road network efficiency, especially in Ras Al Khor, a growing hub for commercial and industrial activity.
According to RTA, the new exit will significantly reduce congestion at Bu Kadra Interchange. Vehicles using the collector road from Financial Centre Street towards Ras Al Khor Road will now experience shorter travel times, especially during peak hours. Journey times are expected to drop by 54%, from 13 minutes to just 6 minutes.
The new development builds on recent traffic upgrades in the area. One key improvement included the widening of Exit 25 on Ras Al Khor Road leading to Al Khail Road and Al Meydan Street. This stretch was expanded from one lane to two lanes over 500 metres, doubling the capacity to accommodate 3,000 vehicles per hour. The result: peak travel time was cut from 7 minutes to 4 minutes, easing traffic flow at a critical intersection.
RTA reaffirmed its commitment to delivering road and transport solutions in step with Dubai’s rapid urban growth, saying these enhancements are crucial to keeping the city moving efficiently.
The UAE’s flagship carrier launched its new daily service to Hangzhou on Wednesday, marking yet another milestone in its growing network across China. The move comes hot on the heels of its recent route launch to Shenzhen, making Hangzhou the second new mainland destination in just under a month.
Flight EK310 touched down at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport to a warm welcome – complete with a traditional water cannon salute and greetings from local officials and dignitaries. Passengers on the inaugural flight didn’t leave empty-handed either. They were treated to souvenir keychains, flight certificates, and Chinese tea tasting sets to mark the occasion.
The new route is operated on a Boeing 777-300ER, with flight EK310 departing Dubai at 9:40am and reaching Hangzhou by 10:00pm. The return leg, EK311, takes off from Hangzhou at 12:10am, landing back in Dubai by 4:55am, making it a convenient overnight hop for business and leisure travellers.
With this addition, Emirates now flies 49 times a week to five major Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and now Hangzhou.
Thanks to seamless connectivity through Dubai, travellers from over 40 European cities, 21 in Africa, and others in the Middle East and South America can now easily access one of China’s key tech and business hubs. The route also enables convenient two-way travel between Hangzhou and global cities like Istanbul, Cairo, Johannesburg, and Barcelona.
Best of all? UAE and GCC nationals can visit China visa-free for up to 30 days, making spontaneous business trips or leisure breaks even easier.
Worshippers in Dubai will soon see a new parking system rolled out around 59 mosques across the city, and while the move introduces 24-hour paid parking, there’s good news too: It remains free during prayer times.
Starting in August, Parkin Company, Dubai’s largest public parking provider, will manage around 2,100 parking spaces in partnership with the Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department (IACAD). The spaces, located around mosques, will be free to use for one hour during each prayer, helping ensure convenient access for worshippers.
Outside of those times, however, the same parking spots will operate as regular paid zones – either Zone M (standard) or Zone MP (premium), and will be chargeable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
Zone M (Standard): Dh2 for 30 minutes, Dh4 for an hour.
Zone MP (Premium):
Off-peak: Dh2 (30 min), Dh4 (1 hour)
Peak: Dh3 (30 min), Dh6 (1 hour)
Of the 59 mosques involved, 41 will be in Zone M, while 18 fall under the premium MP category.
“We’re looking forward to seeing how this collaboration improves the worshipper experience,” said Eng. Mohamed Abdulla Al Ali, CEO of Parkin.
For now, this initiative is focused on the current 59 mosques, but both Parkin and IACAD say there’s potential to expand the programme in future.
Parkin already manages around 209,000 paid parking spaces across Dubai, including developer-owned areas and barrierless systems at malls like City Centre Deira and Mirdif. This partnership adds to their growing footprint and introduces a structured approach to mosque parking that balances convenience with efficiency.
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