Day: January 30, 2023

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Rory McIlroy wins Hero Dubai Desert Classic to claim first Rolex Series title

DUBAI, Rory McIlroy won his first Rolex Series title with a third victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic after a dramatic final day at Emirates Golf Club.

The World Number One has a CV to rival the greats of the game, with four Major Championships, four Harry Vardon Trophies and three FedEx Cups to his name but he arrived in the UAE still missing a triumph in one of the DP World Tour’s prestige events.

He put that right in fine fashion on a Monday finish over the Majlis Course, birdieing the 17th and 18th in a 68 to finish at 19 under, one clear of American Patrick Reed.

Reed’s 65 made for a thrilling finish as the duo went toe-to-toe over the back nine but it was McIlroy who emerged the victor to move to second in the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.

Australian Lucas Herbert – the 2020 winner of this event – finished third at 16 under, a shot clear of England’s Callum Shinkwin and two ahead of Frenchman Julien Brun.

Source: Emirates News Agency

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Dubai Chamber of Commerce organised a UAE Employment Law Workshop

Dubai, UAE – Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under Dubai Chambers, together with law firm Trowers & Hamlins LLP, recently organised a UAE Employment Law Workshop to ensure members are kept up to date with recent changes in the Employment Law that regulates the employment relationships.

Held at Dubai Chambers’ headquarters and attended by 130 participants, the half-day workshop provided an interactive platform to examine key issues, highlight substantial changes and identify new requirements – vital information for businesses operating in the UAE.

Significant changes were introduced in the latest Employment Law relating to types of employment contracts, probation, family leave entitlements, equality and non-discrimination, termination of employment and end of service entitlements.

Jehad Kazim, Vice President, Legal Services, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, said: “As an organisation wholly driven by our members’ needs, we strive to deliver the latest guidance and awareness on relevant legal issues to help them thrive and achieve growth, innovation and prosperity.

“It’s important that we help the business community stay abreast of Employment Law to avoid any issues. The 12-month grace period given to employers to ensure their contractual arrangements are in full compliance will end in February 2023; therefore, the workshop today is timely and relevant.”

The provisions of the Employment Law apply to all businesses, employees and employers in the private sector. Delivered by Anshul Kalra, Senior Employment Lawyer, and Bill Jefferies, Partner, at Trowers & Hamlins LLP, the workshop also offered the chance for business owners and entrepreneurs to better understand the changes regarding varied working arrangements, new visa rules and the unemployment insurance scheme.

Anshul Kalra, said: “We had a successful workshop and some lively discussion with the attendees around current themes and trends in UAE Employment Law. The latest developments in the law come in response to rapidly changing workplace norms and technological advancements and are in line with Dubai’s drive to promote a world-leading business-friendly environment for employers and employees alike.”

Dubai Chamber of Commerce regularly organises workshops around topics of interest to the businesses in the Emirate, in a bid to raise awareness among them about legal developments that impact the business environment, while striving to establish an ecosystem that incentivises and supports businesses.

Source: Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry

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Continuous modernisation of DEWA’s operations contributes to reducing carbon emissions

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)’s upgrade of three gas turbines at the E- station Phase -1 of its Jebel Ali Power Plant and Water Desalination Complex has contributed reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 65,930 tonnes per year and NOx emissions by 77.3% for these turbines, which is equivalent to that of the latest state-of-the-art gas turbines in the market.

“We support the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai a role model for the efficiency, reliability, and availability of water and electricity. We also support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100% of Dubai’s total power production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050. We aim to deliver a state-of-the-art infrastructure according to the highest international standards. This contributes to achieving the sustainable development goals and supports the growth of the sustainable green economy in the UAE,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

“DEWA’s application of the latest Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and disruptive technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and other innovative technologies, redesign of operations, engineering, and solar power generation technologies, as well as clean water desalination improved the efficiency of power generation, which has led to significant financial savings,” added Al Tayer.

Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation (Power & Water) at DEWA, noted that after installing any gas turbines, DEWA keeps communicating with the original equipment manufacturers, regarding updates and new cost-effective technologies throughout the turbine life cycle. This increases power generation capacity, efficiency and reliability and extends the life span of the turbines. The life span of the turbines has been extended by 15 years by adopting the concept of repair and reuse to reduce the consumption of natural resources, in line with the UAE Circular Economy Policy.

DEWA has broken its world record in major inspection outage duration for the overhaul of gas turbines and desalination units, which it recorded in 2019. DEWA has reduced the maintenance outages for major inspection operations from 11 days to 9 days, which is a reduction in the maintenance duration of 18%, compared to the previous world record achieved and an 84% decrease compared to 2006. This has helped DEWA achieve 99.51% and 99.83% availability in the summer for the E-Class and the F-Class fleet of Gas Turbines (GT), respectively, which is one of the highest percentages worldwide. DEWA sustained its global record in the maintenance of desalination units from 21 days to 10 days. These records resulted in an availability increase of F-Class GT, which is equivalent to AED 3.55 million average cost saving per GT per major inspection. Besides providing electricity and water services according to the highest standards of availability, efficiency and reliability, this step contributes to DEWA’s environmental efforts by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 49,329 tonnes per year in addition to the reduction in operational and maintenance costs.

Source: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority