Basic Photography Workshop

Expats to blame for Saudi unemployment

The huge number of foreign workers in the kingdom was making it difficult for Saudis to find work according to a survey conducted recently.

The World Bank puts the Saudi Arabia's unemployment rate at around 12%.
Saudi Arabia, like all other Gulf Arab states, is heavily reliant on foreign workers to fuel its booming economy.

Around a third of the 27 million people living in Saudi Arabia are expatriates, with the percentage of expatriates that make up the kingdom's workforce even greater.

The high number of foreign workers in the GCC is commonly attributed to the fact that Saudis and other Gulf nationals are often unable or unwilling to do the work of expatriates.

Respondents also blamed unemployment on a lack of vocational education, with over half of those surveyed saying it was a contributing factor.

According to recently released government statistics, around 90% of unemployed Saudi men lack the appropriate education even for minor jobs.

A further 23% of respondents said unemployment was due to excessive "fussiness" among graduates in choosing jobs.

Over 56% of those surveyed said they would consider moving abroad to find employment.

Saudi Arabia, like other Gulf Arab states, has been implementing numerous schemes to both encourage nationals into employment and force companies to hire more nationals.

Saudi Arabia, like other Gulf Arab states, has been implementing numerous schemes designed to encourage nationals into the workplace and force companies to hire more nationals.

However, these efforts have largely been unsuccessful in reducing Gulf states' reliance on expatriates.

OFWs need not to pass by Labor Assistance Center at the Airport

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh announced thru its Press Release No. APV-30-2008, that pursuant to POEA Advisory dated 19th March 2008, exit clearances of Overseas Filipino Workers, leaving for work overseas, shall no longer be validated at the Labor Assistance Center (LAC) at the airports. effective March 24, 2008.

Instead, OFWs should present directly copies of the POEA Exit Clearances to the airlines counter, terminal fee counters and the Bureau of Immigration counters. However, LAC shall remain open 24/7 to handle issuance of balik manggagawa overseas employment certificate on one (1) day validity, week-end processing of seafarers for immediate deployment and processing of other documentation requests at the airports.

Blast in Dubai!

The site of the Al Quoz fire will continue to billow smoke across Dubai for at least two more days, the Civil Defence has warned.

The fire which was sparked by a massive explosion at an illegal fireworks warehouse on Wednesday was finally extinguished at 8.00pm, 13 hours after it began.

Meanwhile police have arrested the owner of the illegal fireworks warehouse.

Dubai Police's Criminal Investigations Department said they had interviewed the owner of the warehouse for storing fireworks illegally.

He will be referred to the public prosecution.

Dubai Police have promised a major crackdown on the illegal storage of fireworks following the massive blaze which sent black smoke for miles across Dubai.

In what was one of the worst fires the UAE has ever seen, over 20 buildings were engulfed in flames and two people killed.

The first blast occurred at 7:10 am, and was so large it could be felt up to six kilometres away while a second smaller explosion happened at 8:00 am.

Travel Tips For Overseas Filipino Workers

Lack of safety and security for traveling persons is not only happening in the Philippines but in other countries as well. So, tips below should keep in mind wherever you are.

1. Don't buy or packed so many things in your baggage which are less important. It will just cause traveling discomfort if you have so much baggage to check in or to be hand carried along. This could also add your expenses, because you need to pay some charges for the Excess Baggage.

2. If you can get it locally, there’s no need to buy those things and bring back as well. Philippines have so many high quality products for export, such as shoes, bags, garments, canned foods and many others.

3. If you bring back numbers of packages, it will just attract the street robbers’ attention because they are going to think that you have much money as well. They can follow you while you travel and it’s possible that they could stop you by the road to steal your things and as well as your life.

4. You shouldn’t accept baggage from people that you really don’t know even they’re your friends or neighbors. You should know the content of the package before including it in your baggage because it is possible that the content is prohibited such as illegal drugs.

5. Don’t bring large cash on hand. It’s always safe to send your money at the bank or remittance centers days before the departure. You should have a bank account at home, where you can send your income regularly and just withdraw if needed while on vacation in the Philippines. And also, take an extra care when changing foreign notes in Money Changer shops.

6. Don't include important papers and valuable properties in your baggage. Always have it in your hand carried luggage. There are many cases that your baggage will be left behind, so if you have important documents in that baggage, it is also possible that you can’t retrieve it anymore.

7. Remove traces from your belongings that say you came from overseas. Luggage stickers and other signs should be removed from your boxes, bags etc.

8. Don't wear outfits that you look like a "rich person", don't wear expensive looking shirts, shoes, bags etc. and some jewelry. It's always better to be a simple person.

The following Tips above are so simple that every Filipino traveler should know,

www.globalpinoys. net

Light of the Day

March 15, 2008 will go down the annals of the Catholic Church in the Vicar Apostolic of Arabia and Qatar as a day on which the dreams of millions of Catholics, both religious and lay people, saw the light of the day, a day on which the first Roman Catholic Church in Qatar was officially consecrated.



The first mass was celebrated by His Eminence Cardinal Ivan Diaz and concelebrated by His Excellencies Arch Bishop Mounged El Hachem, Apostolic Nuncio to Qatar, Bishop Paul Hinder, Vicar Apostolic of Arabia, Bishop Bernard Gremoli, Former Vicar Apostolic of Arabia, Archbishop Giuseppe De Andrea, Former Apostolic Nuncio to Qatar, Bishop Camillo Ballin, Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait and a galaxy of priests.



Former priests who have previously served in Qatar were also present; one of the earliest priests Fr. Gerry Dunne being 89 years of age. The other former priests were Fr. Leszek Wisniewski, Fr. Jerome Peedikaparambil and Fr. John Van Deerlin. Fr John has served this parish in Qatar from 1989 and 2002 and holds a very special place in the hearts of the parishioners. Fr. Lester Mendonsa, the predecessor of Fr. Tomasito Veneracion, the present parish priest of Our Lady of the Rosary Church , who served this parish from 2002 to 2005, was unable to be a part of this celebration and was surely missed.


The cultural diversity in the parish of Our Lady of the Rosary was evident when more than sixty nation representatives participated in The Parade of Nations. Needless to say, the representatives from India and the Philippines drew the maximum applause from the audience. The ultimate compliment to the parade was when His Eminence Cardinal Dias mentioned that this was one of the best parades that he had ever witnessed. The prayers of the faithful were read in several languages, with Konkani being one of the languages chosen. During the offertory procession, there was a worship dance by the African community.


The church which is said to have a seating capacity of two thousand was filled to the brim. The unofficial estimate is said to be close to a ten thousand. The meticulous planning and the attention to detail by the various organizing committees were very visible. The choir group representing all communities, but predominantly singers from the Philippines , sang melodiously and touched the hearts of the audience. The entrance worship dance by the youth of the community set the right pace and had the audience on their feet, clapping to the tune of the hymn.

It is indeed a day which will be fondly remembered by the thousands of faithful who had gathered to witness the four-hour long celebration.

INTIMATE MOMENTS

Sweet kisses
from tender moist lips
passionate
tongue probing
stirring ripples of pleasure
intoxicating.

Loving hands
gently caressing
arousing
deep passion
gliding slowly on smooth skin
igniting climax.

Thousands attend first mass at Qatari church

UNDER GUARD: Dozens of police were deployed to guard 15,000 worshippers who attended mass at Qatar’s first church. (AFP)

Almost 15,000 Christians took part on Saturday in the first mass at Muslim Qatar's only church, which like elsewhere in the Gulf Arab region has no bells or crosses on its exterior, despite threats from Islamists.

Vatican envoy Cardinal Ivan Dias presided over the eucharist at Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic church in Doha, thanking "God and Qatar for this great gift".

The mass was conducted in English, but prayers were also said in Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Tagalog, Spanish and French for the many nationalities that would worship in the church.

Dozens of police were deployed around the church, which cost some 20 million dollars (13 million euros), and female officers searched the handbags of women worshippers.

Western embassies, particularly from the US and Britain, warned nationals living in Qatar to be extra vigilant after an Islamic militants on the Internet made threats linked to the opening of the church.

Worshippers said they were not concerned by the threats.

The UAE prides itself on its religious tolerance and cultural diversity, and most Gulf Arab states have long allowed Christians to worship in churches.

But Saudi Arabia, which adheres to a rigorous doctrine of Islam known as Wahhabism and is home to Islam's holiest sites, bans all non-Muslim religious rituals and materials.

However, the papal nuncio in the Gulf, Archbishop Paul-Munjed Al-Hashem, said on the sidelines of the Doha mass that talks had begun with Riyadh to convince it to become the final Gulf Arab state to allow churches.

Discussions are underway with Saudi Arabia to allow the construction of churches in the kingdom.

LUST LOVE

The way his lips meet mine
his hands touch me
the way he feels inside of me
drives me wild

makes my skin tingle
every time he breathes on me
makes me go insane
I'm going crazy waiting for another phone call

one-way
yet I cant seem to reach him
thats how it is
this isn't love
this is LUST

every time i close my eyes
I remember his
taste, touch, his body
grinding against mine.

Crash Devastation

Delay in reaching a destination will be always better than a hurry that ends up in a tragic accident, which a driver or others suffer most. Motorists should be careful when driving

Three people had been killed in the worst traffic accident in the UAE’s history, which also left 347 injured and six in a critical condition. Ninety-two cars caught fire in the smash-ups, said Khalifa Al Darrai.

It was the worst accident ever in UAE.



The crash, blamed partly on poor visibility due to a dense fog in the area around Al Ghantoot, took place at 6.00 am last Tuesday morning and involved 12 buses carrying around 300 workers.

Officers at Abu Dhabi's Police Headquarters also confirmed that no one has been arrested in relation to the incident.

The accident scene, located approximately 60 kilometers outside the capital, is nearby the Al Ghantoot area.

Camera that can see through clothes

A camera (T5000 Security Imaging System) that can detect both metallic and non-metallic threat objects under clothing on still or moving subjects from up to 25 metres away, has been developed by UK-based Thruvision and is to be unveiled at the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) Exhibition on March 12-13.
Although it can see through clothing, the camera does not reveal "body detail" or surface anatomical effects and can only detects low level energy known as Terahertz rays, or T-rays, that is naturally emitted from all materials, including rocks, plants, animals and people, the company said.

The T5000 passively collects T-rays and processes them to form images that reveal concealed objects hidden under a person’s clothing, it added.

Thruvision said camera did not subject people to any harmful radiation associated with traditional x-ray security screening.
Dubai Mercantile Exchange is the first in Middle East to deploy a new x-ray camera that can see through clothing to detect hidden explosives, drugs and weapons.

Friday's opens in Riyadh

Richard Apostol (center), the Regional Manager of Friday's, with the new waiters during the soft-opening of Friday's in Riyadh

A common expression of relief at the end of the work week and anticipation of relaxing or partying over the weekend is the phrase “Thanks God It’s Friday!”.

The chain is known for its appearance, with red-striped canopies, brass railings, Tiffany lamps, and frequent use of antiques as decor.

Yesterday was the grand opening of Fridays in Riyadh along Takasussi Street beside Euromarche Supermarket. We were so privileged to be invited during their soft-opening last March 5.

Just like any other Friday’s resto, the exterior features a red-and-white striped awning, and blue paint, and the interior includes wooden floors and striped tablecloth. The employees wore wacky red-white stripe uniforms almost full of commemorative and fashion pins.

However in other Friday’s outlets, every time someone had a birthday, the entire restaurant crew came around with a cake and sang Friday's traditional birthday song. But in Riyadh, they are not allowed to do such…



Usually, Friday's has a large menu with an emphasis on alcoholic beverages but here in Saudi, it is much different. Dining cubicles for family are curtained, no pipe-in music and no bartending. They serve fruit juices, shakes and non-alcoholic beverages.

When entering or leaving Saudi Arabia, declare your cash and jewelry!

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh

To protect a traveler from any legal hassles, declaration of cash and jewelry should be made at the Customs upon arrival or departure from the Saudi Arabia.

All airports and seaports in the Kingdom now have declaration form stands. At land crossings, declaration forms are handed out by the border police and authorities. Any traveler carrying cash, travellers’ check or precious metals in excess of SR60,000.00 (around US$16,000.00) should fill a declaration form.

If the Customs authorities discover that a traveler has failed to do so, he will be referred to the border authority for investigation and the amount of cash over the legal limit will be held at the deposit department under the name of the violator. Precious metals will be held by the Customs authority until a decision has been made by the concerned investigating authorities.

Silence

Moving on,
Going no where.
Caring 'till dawn,
Sounds that seem to care.

Music low,
Hearts beat,
No one must know,
Panting in the street.

The two as one,
Lovers in the night.
All night long,
'Till they're done.

Coming together -
to make everything right.

"Bachelors" in Saudi Arabia

They may be married but they are known as ‘bachelors’ in Saudi Arabia. They are expatriate men who stay here as singles and who are forced to live like nomads except for those leaving in a company villa or accommodation provided by their sponsors.

The Saudi Arabia labor law grants a housing allowance equivalent to 3 months of the basic salary. If a bachelor is not meticulous in his habitat, he could save more from his housing allowance.

However, hard they try to find a home of their own here, most fail because landlords and real estate companies refuse to rent flats to ‘singles’ even though the law does not prohibit them from doing so.

But very few landlords rent out houses to bachelors as they are perceived to be noisy and untidy. Also, families with daughters don’t feel comfortable living in buildings that accommodate bachelors, even as other families rent out rooms to bachelors to augment their earnings in the face of the rising cost of living.

Once they rented a small room, they do not buy furniture or install amenities in their rooms because they are not sure of staying long in any one place.

A friend of mine is receiving SR4,000.00 (US$1,100) monthly salary and is entitled to a handsome housing allowance of SR12,000.00. Luckily, he was able to share a flat somewhere in Hara costs SR200.00 per month. Hence, he got a sure extra savings of SR9,600 (US$3,000) a year.