The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.

  DPA When Andrea Thode was on holiday at the German seaside on the Baltic coast, she headed straight for a relic of a bygone era: a rack of postcards on sale at a souvenir shop. Postcards may be a phenomenon of the century before digital communication, but for Thode and her husband, Dirk, sending postcards to her kids, neighbours ...

  DPA Tadashi Sakamoto yanks a sweet potato out of the loose soil. Dark earth trickles through the farmer’s hands. “Volcanic ash is ideal for growing sweet potatoes,” says the 57-year-old, squinting in the sunlight towards the nearby Kaimondake volcano. The 924-metre-high volcano, which last erupted in the late 9th century, rises majestically from the surrounding fields in Kagoshima Prefecture. ...

  DUBAI / WAM The total trade between Dubai and Spain reached AED3.4 billion during the first half of this year, Dubai Customs revealed. ‘‘Imports, exports and re-exports stood at AED2.77 bn, AED389 million exports, and AED271 mn respectively,’’ said Ahmed Abdul Salam Kazim, Director of Strategy and Corporate Excellence at Dubai Customs, as he briefed a visiting Spanish delegation ...

  DUBAI / WAM The Federal National Council (FNC) on Tuesday endorsed the UAE federal budget for 2017, set in late October by the Cabinet at AED48.7 billion, with a prime focus on education, social development and health. The approval came at a third session of the FNC’s 16th legislative chapter, presided over by Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker ...

  DUBAI / Emirates Business Dubai’s Department of Finance (DOF) launched the fourth stage of the Smart Fiscal Planning programme (SFP) in a ceremony that witnessed a wide representation of 35 government entities. Launching the new phase followed the DOF’s remarkable progress in implementing the previous phases. Meanwhile, efforts are still being made in order to complete the comprehensive system ...

  DUBAI / Emirates Business Azizi Developments – a leading UAE-based real estate developer with global reach into international markets – announced an unprecedented launch of 50 new developments, which will comprise of residential, commercial and retail space in 2017. The announcement of such a high number of projects, ahead of the festive season and the New Year, demonstrates the ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM The Board of Directors of the Central Bank of the UAE has approved a number of applications of banks and other financial institutions working in the UAE to expand their activities and open new branches. The decision was taken during the board’s 11th meeting at the Central Bank office in Abu Dhabi, under the chairmanship of ...

  AL AIN / WAM Mohammed bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, the first institution in the world to teach original Arab falconry traditions, rules and ethics, was officially inaugurated on Tuesday in Al Ain City. Named after His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM The government is putting in place new standards for providing police services, in a bid to carry out the Government’s vision to make the UAE one of the safest countries in the world. The Ministry of Interior has introduced the first international administrative specification for the UAE in the field of benchmarking, under the name ...

  Dubai / WAM A total of 80,710 traffic violations were booked by We are All Police, a community-driven police initiative, between January and November this year, official figures showed. According to Brigadier Saif Al Mazrouie, Director, General Directorate of Traffic, Dubai Police, 28,180 violations were caught by camera, 52,280 violations were registered by military personnel and 38,163 were registered by ...