Two Year Residence What?

Image by Jakob E via FlickrGulf News' page three story today, "Two-year residence visa rule only applies to private sector workers" is another masterprice of clarity, containing - as it does - the statement from the Ministry of Interior, that 'the residency department has not reduced the length of the visa and it is still three years for everyone'.

Glad that's cleared up, then.

The move was originally mooted as being 'on the anvil' by Gulf News for implementation in January (in this here story here) and will see expatriates' visas cut from their current three year validity to two years along with the validity of labour cards. Apparently. Perhaps. Pending clarification. I posted about it at the time of the original announcement, which claimed the move would save everyone money rather than cost 33% more (the cost basis of the new visa rule remains to be explained). That statement went unquestioned by GN at the time, although today's story does include some mild whingeing from divers commentators about the increase in cost.

But it's not really about the money. The move means, presumably, that we can all look forward to the Dehumanising Blood Test Ritual with increased frequency. That's the bit that has me gritting my teeth...

Sugar and Spice

It took four months in the end. We were originally scheduled to hold GeekaFest - One for the Girls in June, but put it back so that construction of the New Shelter could finish. That slipped to late July and it didn't seem worth doing as August and Ramadan coincided.

So last night was something of a memory test - would anyone remember what a GeekFest is? (if anyone has a nice, glib answer to that question, I'd love to know) More to the point, would anyone manage to find the New Shelter? The answers were respectively yes and no.

There was much 'I can't follow the Shelter map' chaos, with successful arrivals talking lost friends in. GeekaTalker and notable Emirati film maker Nayla Al Khaja got awfully lost, sending me a stream of increasingly infuriated Tweets as I was busily selling my old (and unloved - it's the phone I finally flung at the wall when I went Android) Nokia N86 for a princely Dhs450 to the nice chaps from Jacky's.

That was a hoot, I can tell you. The Jacky's guy told me the price and misinterpreted my incredulity. He was still defending the price when I managed to get through and tell him I wasn't complaining, I was truly stunned that the steam-driven anachronism was worth more than a few pennies. By the way, if you missed these guys at GeekaFest and want to get shot of any old laptops, phones, MP3 players or consoles, you can still pop along to Jacky's and Do the Deal.

Locational challenges aside, the New Shelter turned out to be a great venue, although the open nature of the space meant the talks took place in a background of hubbub. The workshops upstairs were packed and seem to have been a stunning success, so we'll be doing that again, won't we?


Blog posts have been posted - Aida's linked here, Divena's linked here and Mohamed's linked here. I'd be interested in any feedback on the evening, particularly ideas for the future.

By the way, the next GeekFest will take place at The Sharjah International Book Fair on the 24th November, so mark your diaries. I think we might just put in a bit of an effort this time around and pull something very different indeed out of that hat.

In the meantime, a huge thanks to everyone who contributed so much to GeekaFest, from our talented iconographic angel Naeema Zarif through the speakers and workshoppers, to Debbie for pulling together the small business showcase (and the businesses that came along and gave us their time) and, of course, everyone at The Shelter, Lochal Archade and TechnoCases PickaPic and Jacky's.

GeekFest TechnoCases

Image via WikipediaSorry about all the GeekFest stuff this week, but it's a really packed event and stuff keeps happening. Normal service will be resumed next week, promise.

We’re joined at GeekFest this week by two TechnoCases, Pickapic and Jacky’s Electronics.

Pickapic is a Dubai-based startup with a smart service that lets you download their software and use it to create an album of your photography and then print it as a one-off, printing press quality, hardback book. You can take a look at their website linked here if you can’t wait for Thursday!

Jacky’s is using the opportunity to introduce people to its EcoExchange initiative. EcoExchange is a program that lets you take your old GeekJunk to Jacky’s, where they’ll offer you a price for it (where it’s worth anything!) and then either sell it on or dispose of it to ISO standards. There’s a good post on the program here on the Jacky’s Electronics blog. So you can bring any of your old gadgets (details of what they'll accept below) along to GeekFest at the New Shelter this Thursday and trade it in for Jacky's vouchers!

I must say, the whole scheme looks excellent and rather piqued my interest, so I thought I’d throw a few questions about EcoExchange at Jacky’s head of retail marketing, Manish Arora.

So will my old phone be worth more with the box, manual, CD and charger?
The products are usually recycled or re-furbished if in a usable condition. the box, manual, CD and charger therefore doesn’t fetch direct value. However, during the evaluation if the Battery, battery back cover and antenna (if applicable) are available then this results in better value

What sort of products can you recycle? Old PCs? Games consoles? Headphones? Printers?
Currently Laptops, tablets, mobiles, cameras, Mp3 players and gaming consoles are accepted for recycling under the program.

What wouldn’t you take to recycle?
TVs, Appliances and accessories.

What sort of price could I get for, say, an old iPhone 3G? Or a Nokia N86 in good nick? 
This would depend on physical evaluation, working condition and age of the product.

Can you recycle stuff like cable? Old PCBs?
Currently we accept only the above stated items.

What price would you give me for a used IBM 3090 600E?*
This would depend on physical evaluation, working condition and age of the product.  

Where do you do your recycling? 
Jacky’s has partnered with Technocare, a company offering RMA programs to end of life product recovery and recycling solutions.  Technocare is an award winning ISO 9000/14000 certified company backed by professionals with more than 15 years industry experience.

Am I right in thinking you’re unique in doing this in the UAE?
We were the first one to start the program, it has been followed by some of the other retailers.

Why did you start this initiative? 
Owing to the responsibility that lies with us as a Retailer, in not only providing best in the class of products and services but also to provide appropriate end of life solutions for the products we sell.


GeekaFest - One for the Girls takes place Thursday, the 22nd September, from around 7.30pm onwards. You can get more information on Facebook (linked here) or Twitter (@GeekFestDubai). There's a Facebook event page, too, linked here.

(* I confess, the IBM 3090 600E question was me being a smartypants meanie - it's a bloody big old mainframe)

GeekFest Workshops - GeekShops!

So you want to start your own business?

New to GeekFest and made possible by Shelter's funky new layout, which includes a closed off meeting room upstairs, we're hosting a series of three workshops for the more serious minded geek - this time around, they're focused around starting up your own business - you can get inspiration from the women who make up the Geeka Showcase (see yesteday's post) and then join in one of the three workshop events taking place upstairs from 8pm onwards. If you want to guarantee a seat at these (space is limited to an estimated 10-12 people), you should probably get in touch with one of the workshop leaders fast - their contacts are below!


8-8.30PM 
Public Relations for startups 
Mita Ray (Market Buzz Public Relations - @mita56)
Building public relations and communications into your startup plan is essential, but few startups feel they can afford professional communications. Mita has some solutions...


8.30-9PM
Human Resources - making those first hires

Ash Athawale (Senior Executive Consultant for IT, Reed Global)
From your first hire to world domination seems a long way, but how do you manage those first appointments and grow your team? Our team of HR specialists have some crucial answers to help you make probably some of the most crucial hiring decisions you'll ever face...
(Ash will be joined by Carolyn Bartz, Executive Consultant for HR at Reed Global. You can email Victoria.Wilcox(at)reedglobal (dot)com to ensure your name's on the door!)

9-9.30PM

So you think you want to start a company?

PK Gulati (Angel investor - @pkgulati)

Among other things the man behind The Indus Entrepeneurs in the UAE, angel investor and serial start-up fosterer PK Gulati looks at what you really, really need to know to make the decision to create a startup and then how to make it work. If think you've got an entrepeneurial bone in your body and want to do something about it, you'll need to be at this workshop.

Volunteers to run future GeekShops on topics close to your hearts are more than welcome to get in touch! Hit me up at @alexandermcnabb.

GeekaFest – The Skinny

Wow. There’s going to be a lot going on over at the New Improved Formula Shelter this Thursday as GeekaFest powers into girl-talking action! Please note the theme doesn't mean a women only event - those of the male persuasion are most welcome as, indeed, are those who remain uncertain...

In no particular order then:

BOOKS

Please do bring any unwanted old books with you as @devinadivecha and @tdallonsy are collecting books for their fund raising drive for the Manzil special needs school in Sharjah. They’re targeting 10,000 books collected and they’re currently at 7,000 so you could really help with a box of those unwanted pot boilers!!!

STUFF

The nice chaps at Stuff Magazine have arranged to have free copies for everyone at GeekaFest! Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy peach? Altogether now ahhhhh!

GAMEFEST

Once again powered by Bonkers Gamer Website Lochal Archade, GameFest will feature Team Fortress 2 and, for the gentler-spirited Geeka, Child of Eden. There's a really cool area upstairs at Shelter that's just perfect for the Gamers to do their thing, too!

GEEKSHOPS

New to GeekFest and made possible by the funky new layout, which includes a closed off meeting room upstairs, we're hosting a series of three workshops for the more serious minded geek - this time focused around starting up your own business - you can get inspiration from the women who make up the Geeka Showcase (see below) and then join in one of the three workshop events taking place. If you want to guarantee a seat at these (space is limited to an estimated 10-12 people), you should probably get in touch with one of the workshop leaders fast!


8-8.30PM 
Public Relations for startups 
Mita Ray (Market Buzz Public Relations - @mita56)
Building public relations and communications into your startup plan is essential, but few startups feel they can afford professional communications. Mita has some solutions...


8.30-9PM
Human Resources - making those first hires
Ash Athawale (Senior Executive Consultant for IT, Reed Global)
From your first hire to world domination seems a long way, but how do you manage those first appointments and grow your team? Our team of HR specialists have some crucial answers to help you make probably some of the most crucial hiring decisions you'll ever face...
(Ash will be joined by Carolyn Bartz, Executive Consultant for HR at Reed Global. You can email Victoria.Wilcox(at)reedglobal (dot)com to ensure you're names on the door!)

9-9.30PM

So you think you want to start a company?

PK Gulati (Angel investor - @pkgulati)

Among other things the man behind The Indus Entrepeneurs in the UAE, angel investor and serial start-up fosterer PK Gulati looks at what you really, really need to know to make the decision to create a startup and then how to make it work. If think you've got an entrepeneurial bone in your body and want to do something about it, you'll need to be at this workshop.

TECHNOCASES

We’re joined at GeekFest this week by two Technology Showcases, Pickapic and Jacky’s Electronics.

Pickapic is a Dubai-based startup with a smart service that lets you download their software and use it to create an album of your photography and then print it as a one-off, printing press quality, hardback book. You can take a look at their website linked here if you can’t wait for Thursday!

Jacky’s is using the opportunity to introduce people to its EcoExchange initiative. EcoExchange is a program that lets you take your old GeekJunk to Jacky’s, where they’ll offer you a price for it (where it’s worth anything!) and then either sell it on or dispose of it to ISO standards. There’s a good post on the program here on the Jacky’s Electronics blog. So you can bring any of your old gadgets (details of what they'll accept below) along to GeekFest at the New Shelter this Thursday and trade it in for Jacky's vouchers!
 

GEEKATALKS

In possible order of appearance, starting at 8pm and kept to their 15 minute timeslots by the gentle ministrations of Monsignor Rupert Bumfrey, we have:

Amazing Women

Known to many as @amazingsusan, Susan Macaulay is a feminist, writer, speaker, coach, blogger, expatriate Canadian, citizen of the world, wannabe geek, humble traveler, sometimes rabble rouser, self-proclaimed amazing woman AND social mediapreneur.

From being a self-proclaimed ‘blog virgin’ in 2008, she now singlehandedly (virtually), runs AmazingWomenRock.com (55,000 unique visits/month), three Facebook pages (combined fanship: 26,000), and three twitter accounts (total following: 30,000). Find out how she did it, take a walk through the new amazingwomenrock.com and find out about @shequotes, her newest venture!

Film, culture and stuff

Nayla Al Khaja (@naylaalkhaja) possibly needs no introduction, but here we go anyway. Nayla Al Khaja is the first woman film producer in the United Arab Emirates. The CEO of D-SEVEN Motion Pictures and D-SEVEN FZ LLC, a marketing and design agency that offers full Media campaign and corporate branding services, Nayla has secured a reputation for creating films that explore topics that skate close to the comfort zones of Emirati culture – her latest award winning film, Malal (bored) looks at an Emirati woman whose honeymoon reveals the pressures of arranged marriages.

The state of autism in the UAE and fighting for change

A reporter working on Commercial Interior Design & Middle East Architect magazines, Devina Divecha (@devinadivecha) is a keen photographer, food blogger and sci-fi fan. She’s involved in driving a series of initiatives to help people with autism in the UAE – a personal project with her autistic brother, fund raising for special needs education and a project to help families with special needs children. And that’s precisely what she’ll be talking about!

Steppin' the Heels of an Emiratiya blogger

A journalism graduate, Aida Al Busaidy’s official career began in 2003. A well known figure, Aida (@AidaAlB) has worked in TV, newspapers and communications and currently is a columnist with The National, as well as blogging at aidaaalb.posterous.com. She’ll be looking at the challenges and successes of communications as an Emirati, as well as quite how your life is changed when you put it all online!

THE GEEKA SHOWCASE

All well known online, these nine small businesses have one thing in common – the entrepreneurs behind them are all female. They’ll be available to talk about what they do, sell you stuff, give tips on starting your own small business and all sorts! More details with links and all that good stuff over at GeordieArmani’s Blog linked here – many thanks to her for co-ordinating this smashing collection of talented and interesting entrepreneurial types!

 

House of Colour Dubai 

Debbie and partner in colourful crime Janet Small will be available to answer all your questions related to colour and personal image.  We offer services for both the male and the females of the species so don't be shy, come along and have a chat.  We will also be showcasing our hand-made jewellery and a selection of fab hairslides and other bits and pieces.

Financial Planning in the UAE

Keren Bobker, the best Female Financial Advisor in the UAE, passionate about women's rights, writer of On Your Side Column in the National, regular contributor on the air with Dubai Today, Night Line, and various other written publications in the UAE.

Simply Irresistible

Mehnaz Anshah and her wonderful range of home made cakes, were they made with women in mind? Possibly but let's face it the men all love cake though some won't admit it, looking foward to seeing her range of delicious delicacies

Teezers 

Mahjabeen Umar, a Mommy by Day a designer by night, with her fabulous iron on transfers, a great way to transform a plain item of clothing.

Spagenie

Simply the best Spa deals in town!

Mamavents 

Public events news views and competitions for women and families

Elan Interiors LLC 

Ratna Dutta will be showcasing her design studio and fit out business with the ability to create and implement entire concepts for Interiors. 

My Exwardrobe 

A fabulous new initiative for selling on your good quality 'pre loved' clothes

The English Tea Party 

Original vintage crockery available for hire for tea parties, established in the UK in 2006 and now available in the UAE.

NEWS

We’ll also have a surprise announcement or two to make on the day!!!

EATS

As usual, The Limetree will be doing 'the business'!

MORES

GeekaFest takes place Thursday, the 22nd September, from around 7.30pm onwards. You can get more information on Facebook (linked here) or Twitter (@GeekFestDubai). There's a Facebook event page, too, linked here.

Election Fever

Image via WikipediaIt's been an interesting couple of weeks following the outdoor circuits of the UAE, as candidates for the twenty publicly elected seats of the 40-seat Federal National Council have been trying to get word out that they deserve to represent the people in the national advisory assembly.

This is the first time we've ever seen quite so much public brouhaha - there are some 468 candidates and, although they have a mandatory Dhs2 million ($550,000) campaign budget cap, it is hard to see how some haven't been overspending. It's certainly been the salvation of the outdoor advertising industry, which has been reeling ever since the real estate collapse tore the guts out of the overheated medium. The Arabic papers are filled to the brim with ads from candidates, many are expensive half page colour spots, others have been putting up election tents. Some have Facebook pages, others are advertising their BB Pins. Suppose at least it's better than scrawling them on cassette boxes and hurling them at women.

We're not exactly talking universal suffrage here: the UAE's electorate will consist of 129,274 people (59,991 are women), picked by the rulers' courts of the seven emirates. That's up from 6,600 people who participated in the last FNC election, held in 2006. While they will select 20 candidates for the advisory FNC, the other 20 will be directly selected by the rulers' courts.

And yet while the winds of change have been busily gusting around the region following the events of the 'Arab Spring' (a phrase, incidentally, I am coming to mildly dislike), there appears to be little appetite for that sort of thing around these parts. Speaking of his experience with voters (the 'electoral college') with Gulf News, Dubai candidate Abdullah Abdul Majeed Al Hajiri was quoted by the paper as saying: "Most of those I manage to talk to were either unaware of the FNC or have no burning issue for someone to represent them in the decision making process."

Gulf News' editor in chief, Abdul Hamid Ahmad, in an editorial published by the paper today, points out that not all of the Dubai candidates have been active. "They do not have the motivation and the drive to reach out to the people," he thunders.

Perhaps that's because the people are hunky dory and don't actually want their babies kissed or people making them outrageous promises that never materialise?

The voters go to the polls on the 24th September. It'll be fascinating to see what the turnout's like.

GeekFest Dubai and the New Shelter

Here it is! The New Shelter is on 8th Street, behind the Spinneys Warehouses and Al Tayer Motors, in a big compound of grey-walled, blue-roofed warehouses.

The contact details are:


The Shelter
Warehouse 30, Al Serkal, Al Qouz
Phone: 043809040
Fax: 043809041

And GeekFest is taking place next Thursday, the 22nd, from around 7.30pm onwards. You can get more information on Facebook (linked here) or Twitter (@GeekFestDubai).

Security Scare

The story linked here popped up in one of my feeds, not sure which. I read it with growing horror - a half-Arab, half-Jewish woman and two Indian men were reported for 'behaving suspiciously' on a flight that had landed in Detroit from Denver.

Note it had landed, not that it was waiting to take off.

The plane was moved to a secure area and all three were removed from it by armed officers. They were cuffed, searched, held in cells for hours, strip searched and interrogated. I do heartily recommend you follow the link above and read her account - it makes for frightening and depressing reading.

Given my own recent experiences with airport security, it once again made me wonder quite why we are all putting up with this. Totalitarianism and terrorism must not be allowed to dominate our societies, and yet with this type of 'security' that's just what's happening.

GeekaFest Cometh!

GeekaFest 'One for the Girls' is to take place at The New Shelter in Al Quoz on Thursday the 22nd September. I've been there a couple of times now and I have to say I'm excited. The building is quite, quite mad - a wooden barn constructed inside a warehouse!!! It's a fabby space, ideal for GeekFest and a significant upgrade from dear Old Shelter.

The 'One for the Girls' theme is mainly down to the nature of the GeekTalks - all four talks will be by wimmin - more details soon. We're dreaming up some other stuff, so any suggestions, volunteers or brilliant schemes are more than welcome! There's loads of space at the New Shelter, so we can accommodate most madcap schemes!!!


GameFest will once again be powered by LochalArchade and the good news here is that the New Shelter has a much bigger area with lots of power sockets and seats to support an expanded scheme.

We also have rather grandiose cupcake plans, but the LimeTree will once again be providing of its finest!

There's also a dedicated workshop room and we'll be using this to host a series of workshops on small business technology, part of an ongoing scheme of workshops that Shelter has dreamed up, being run by Bon Education. If you'd like to run a workshop, do get in touch (@alexandermcnabb on Twitter is probably best!) - we're looking at three 45 minute sessions aimed at helping people to implement websites, build better SEO, monetise activism and other impossible things to do.

Where IS the New Shelter, you ask? It's behind Al Tayer Motors in Al Quoz - you basically turn right before you get to Al Tayer, left to head towards the Third Line Gallery and The Courtyard and hang a right just after you pass it - take the next right and turn into the warehouses directly on your right. There's a one way system inside the compound, so follow that to the end of the first alley, turn left and then turn left again and the Shelter is on your right. See? Simple!

Don't worry. We'll work on a map.

The Dubai Speeding Festival

Image by Camera Slayer via FlickrDubai Police have finally clarified the traffic fine discount story and confirmed to The National that a 30% discount on all motoring violations will be available for the coming three months to December 11th.

You have to pay all your fines at once and, you'll note from the story 'Police are working with the Ministry of Interior to allow people in other emirates to get their discount when paying Dubai fines' - or, in other words, quite how this will work if you live in Abu Dhabi and want to get your discount.has yet to be quite worked out.

I have to confess to being a tad puzzled by this one. Cars here have to be registered annually, with a road-worthiness test and a registration process that involves you paying all outstanding fines. So if the police are giving a discount to encourage people to pay their outstanding fines, that must surely mean people aren't actually registering their cars (because you can't avoid paying the fines if you do register your car).

But then surely you just look out for people who aren't displaying the up to date registration stickers on their car bumpers and nick 'em if they've got no registration and outstanding fines. Even better, look up people who have registered vehicles and who haven't renewed their registrations and then pay 'em a house visit with a Black Maria in tow.

Anyway, the discount will reduce the 'entry level' traffic fine of Dhs700 to Dhs490, so you might as well make hay while the sun shines and cough up.

If this is successful we could maybe look forward to having an annual event. You could have fireworks and things, even raffle off a Lexus every day. Hell, you could even have a mascot! Speedhesh!