Latest news with #GeneralDirectorate
Times of Oman
15 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Police thwart an attempt to smuggle 550kgs of drugs into Oman
Muscat: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 550 kilograms of drugs into the Sultanate of Oman. ROP said in a statement :"The Coast Guard Police under Dhofar Governorate Police Command and in cooperation with the General Directorate for Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, thwarted an attempt to smuggle more than 550 kilograms of drugs. The operation involved three individuals of Yemeni nationality who illegally entered Omani territorial waters aboard a fishing boat."
Zawya
4 days ago
- Zawya
Oman: Efforts in full swing to protect tourist sites in Dhofar
Salalah: As Dhofar welcomes thousands of visitors for the 2025 Khareef season, the Environment Authority has launched a timely initiative aimed at preserving the region's natural beauty. Under the banner of 'Environmental Protectors', the campaign seeks to strengthen awareness and encourage shared responsibility for protecting the governorate's rich ecosystems during the busy tourism period. The initiative, spearheaded by the General Directorate of Environment in Dhofar, reflects the growing need to balance tourism growth with environmental preservation. With the surge in seasonal footfall, particularly in natural and heritage sites, pressure on local ecosystems has intensified. Engineer Zahran Al Abdulsalam, Acting Director General of Environment in Dhofar Governorate, said the initiative is about more than enforcement — it's about cultivating a culture of environmental respect. 'Khareef is a vital season for Dhofar's economy and identity,' he said. 'But it also brings challenges to the natural environment. The 'Environmental Protectors' initiative was designed to ensure that visitors can enjoy the beauty of Dhofar without compromising its ecological integrity.' As part of the campaign, four specialised supervisory teams have been assigned to assist existing environmental units in Salalah, Taqah, and Mirbat, as well as other key areas. These teams will patrol major tourist and natural sites, monitor compliance with environmental laws, and raise awareness among the public. Al Abdulsalam underscored that success depends on collective action. 'Preserving Dhofar's environment is not the sole duty of government institutions. Visitors, residents, civil society groups — all of us must be partners in this mission.' He added that the initiative supports Oman's wider commitment to sustainable development, as outlined in Vision 2040. By embedding environmental values into tourism practices, the campaign aspires to make sustainability a shared priority — not just for today, but for generations to come. The 'Environmental Protectors' initiative will run throughout the Khareef season, serving as a model for how environmental responsibility can enhance, rather than hinder, the visitor experience. 2022 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Arabian Business
24-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Dubai convicts 21 in $6.9m phantom visa fraud case
The Dubai Citizenship and Residency Court has issued a landmark conviction against 21 individuals of various nationalities, sentencing them in one of the emirate's largest visa fraud cases. The defendants were fined a combined total of AED25.21m ($6.86m) for orchestrating a wide-ranging scheme that involved issuing hundreds of fraudulent residency visas through non-existent companies. The case was prosecuted by the Dubai Citizenship and Residency Prosecution following an investigation prompted by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai. Dubai visa arrests Authorities uncovered a network of phantom companies set up solely to obtain residence visas under false pretences. These companies were later shut down without legalising the employment status of recruited workers, leaving many vulnerable to exploitation. According to Dr. Ali Humaid bin Khatem, Senior Advocate General and Head of the Citizenship and Residency Prosecution, the investigation uncovered 33 shell entities operating with forged business licences and fictitious addresses. These entities were found to have been used to illegally secure and misuse a total of 385 residency visas. Dr. Bin Khatem said: 'The Public Prosecution will continue to work closely with its partners to address any violations of laws governing the entry and residence of foreigners as well as labour regulations in order to preserve the stability of society and the integrity of the labour market'.
Arabian Business
11-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Eid Al Adha in Dubai saw 630,000 travellers pass through ports
Almost 630,000 passengers passed through Dubai's ports during the Eid Al Adha holidays, with air travel being the most popular route. The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs revealed that the total number of arriving and departing travellers through all the emirate's ports during the Eid Al Adha holiday, from June 5 to June 8, 2025, reached 629,559 passengers. This figure reflects the vibrancy that Dubai enjoys as a global hub for transit and residence. Dubai Eid Al Adha travel Dubai International Airport accounted for the largest share of this movement, registering 581,527 travellers. Meanwhile, 46,863 travellers passed through the Hatta border post, and 1,169 more crossed via maritime ports during the same period. Major General Talal Al-Shanqeeti, Assistant Director General of the Air Ports Sector, said the figures recorded during the Eid holiday reflect Dubai's steadily growing position as a preferred travel hub for passengers from around the world—thanks to the seamless coordination on the ground and the activation of smart systems across all entry points. He said: 'We have made it a priority to ensure a seamless travel experience through smart gates and artificial intelligence technologies, which have contributed to speeding up procedures and improving the flow of movement'. He added that the travel experience has become part of our commitment to enhancing quality of life, in line with the Dubai government's approach to providing flexible services that meet individuals' expectations and enhance the readiness of its institutions. The results reflect the ability of GDRFA Dubai in collaboration and integrated coordination with strategic partners in the aviation and border sectors, to manage exceptional travel seasons with high efficiency, within a flexible work environment that keeps pace with innovation and continuous development requirements.
Saba Yemen
01-06-2025
- Business
- Saba Yemen
More than 12 billion YER cost of road maintenance in 2024: Report
Sana'a - Saba: While maintenance of all kinds (periodic, routine, and emergency) has always been crucial for preserving our road and bridge network and ensuring its continued service to citizens, it has become a significant challenge. The decade-long aggression and blockade on Yemen, with their severe economic consequences, have drastically reduced the funds allocated for road maintenance. Maintaining the road and bridge network through periodic, routine, and emergency repairs remains essential for its functionality and for serving the public. However, the ten years of ongoing aggression and blockade against Yemen have placed a heavy strain on this vital task, as the resulting economic crisis has severely limited the resources available for road maintenance. The issue of road maintenance represents one of the big and difficult tasks facing the state and the government, and is carried out by the General Organization for roads and bridges, with the road maintenance fund as a main backer and supporter of its continuous efforts in conducting emergency treatments of the road network in order to preserve it and prevent it from reaching the stage where it is difficult to carry out any treatments because then it requires re-establishment of large sums that cannot be provided under current conditions with the continuation of the forces of aggression and mercenaries plundering the wealth and capabilities of the country that used to cover the bulk of the public budget. The General Directorate of maintenance at the General Organization for roads is responsible for performing this vital task, which has been facing many difficulties since the beginning of the aggression on Yemen and the consequent significant decline in financial allocations that were allocated for periodic maintenance of roads, which contribute to prolonging their life span. In an interview with the Yemeni news agency (Saba), the chairman of the board of Directors of the General Organization for roads and bridges, engineer Abdulrahman al-Hadrami, explained that since 2015, public revenues have declined very significantly as a result of the aggression and siege, so the funds allocated for periodic maintenance of roads have declined, which led to the aggravation of the damage, which posed a real threat to the network and almost brought it to a total collapse service. Ambulatory solutions The head of the foundation stressed that as a result of the decline in financial allocations for maintenance due to the aggression and siege, the foundation was forced to reduce the asphalt layers during maintenance to reach one centimeter most of the time, after reaching five centimeters during the past periods, in order for the institution to be able to address roughness in the greatest possible way, as emergency solutions lasting for about three to four years, and thus preserve what can be maintained until conditions improve and sufficient allocations return to implement asphalt layers lasting for long periods. He pointed out that as a result of the scarcity of financial resources allocated for maintenance, the work was limited to routine and emergency maintenance, which was not feasible without the implementation of periodic maintenance, so it was necessary to search for alternative solutions and treatments represented in the implementation of additional asphalt layers ranging from 2 centimeters to 5 millimeters depending on the roughness of the road, which contributed to reducing the depletion of funds for frequent maintenance of the road. According to engineer al-Hadrami, the majority of roads have entered the rehabilitation phase, which requires large sums that are difficult to provide in the current situation, but the necessary and appropriate treatments are being implemented to preserve them according to the available capabilities and resources to ensure their continued readiness, the comfort of road users and reduce accidents and vehicle consumption. He appreciated the attention paid by the revolutionary leadership, the chairman of the Supreme Political Council, and the government, represented by the leadership of the Ministry of transport and public works, in following up and supporting the efforts of the foundation and the fund to preserve roads, especially the main one, the link between the provinces. Maintenance work in 2024 Last year, 2024 witnessed a significant movement in road maintenance works at the level of all branches and maintenance centers, the implementation of asphalt repairs to the main road network, as well as ferry clearance works and water drains for the majority of roads. In this regard, the director of the general maintenance department at the institution, Badi, explained that the total cost of road maintenance works during the past year amounted to 12 billion and 73 million YER. He stated that the Road Maintenance Fund provided 11 billion and 666 million YER. Additionally, the Capital Sana'as local authority funded work amounting to 224 million YER, the Sana'a governorate's local authority contributed 147 million YER, and community contributions totaled approximately 36 million YER. He stated that the asphalt mixture used in maintenance work during 2024 reached 60,128 tons, in addition to 4,480 tons of liquid asphalt. New Equipment Worth One Billion YER The leadership of the General Corporation for Roads and Bridges is keen to continue its program to purchase new equipment across its main general departments, including the General Department of Maintenance, which represents the beating heart of the corporation, given its pivotal role in implementing maintenance projects and works that ensure road readiness and continuous traffic flow. In this context, the Director General of Maintenance stated that his department was able to purchase new equipment worth more than 1.051 billion YER last year. This equipment included two Cater 950 bulldozers, two double asphalt compactors, five Cater backhoe loaders, a Vogel 3-1800 asphalt spreader, an asphalt mixer, an asphalt cutting saw, a tree trimmer, four Phoenix cranes, a mobile caravan, two cement mixers, and five compressors. Equipment Repair Engineer Badi confirmed that in addition to carrying out road maintenance and repair work, the General Maintenance Department continued its equipment and crane repair programs at the corporation's branches and maintenance centers across the governorates. These programs culminated in the repair of many of these pieces of equipment and machinery at a cost of 218.9 million YER, while the cost of crane repairs amounted to approximately 40 million YER. The kiosks are defined as the locations or sites used by the organization as headquarters for its equipment and housing for its engineers and workers, in addition to carrying out administrative work for all branches and maintenance centers in the governorates. As part of its plan for the current year, the General Maintenance Department seeks to implement renovations to the kiosks of the branches and maintenance centers at a cost of 80 million YER. This is based on the importance of these kiosks in developing and improving performance and accelerating the completion of various projects and works implemented in various governorates. As part of the plan, the Maintenance Department also seeks to provide 500 tons of asphalt as a reserve stock, at a cost of 180 million YER, as well as 300,000 liters of diesel at a value of 140 million YER. It also seeks to purchase spare parts and tires for new equipment (buckets, Bobcats, and dump trucks) at a value of 50 million YER, and to repair equipment in the branches and maintenance centers at a cost of approximately 80 million YER. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (Reports)
