According to a new report, majority of the lung cancer patients in UAE smoke cigarettes or shisha and the only way to address the issue is to quit the habit.

A report by the Centre for Arab Genomic Studies of Dubai on World Cancer Day on Saturday showed that cancer is the third largest cause of deaths in the UAE. It also found that the disease causes more deaths than heart disease or traffic accidents.

UAE-based Etisalat has said that its Indian unit will challenge the charges laid against it in the 2G spectrum allocation case in India. The company's India's unit, Etisalat DB has been named in the case involving allocation of 2G licence in January 2008.

The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) predicts cloudy weather and rainfall in few more days, though parts of the United Arab Emirates saw sunny skies on Tuesday. Residents welcomed rainfall wholeheartedly and felt reprieve from scorching heat that grappled the region since the beginning of April.

The met department predicts temperature between 20 and 35 degrees Celsius besides moderate to heavy rainfall in some areas. Many regions saw dust and sand making life tough for residents as visibility level dropped by 3000 meters in Al Zafrah in the morning.

Air New Zealand and Etihad have decided to enhance their cooperation, paving a way for code sharing agreement between two carriers. Process for getting the regulatory approvals for the same is being worked out at fast pace.

Air NZ has applied to the New Zealand government for permission to put its code on Etihad flights between Beijing and Abu Dhabi.

Both airlines have already been granted approval for code sharing on many routes between New Zealand and Australia, between Australia and Abu Dhabi, and beyond Abu Dhabi. An Auckland-Abu Dhabi trip under the Air NZ-Etihad code share would decline distance and enhance trade ties between two nations. The new services would go on sale from April 14 for travel from April 19, according to airline sources.

A carbon capture and storage (CCS) project is being delayed due to some pricing and scheduling issues according to an official document. Abu Dhabi green energy company Masdar had earlier predicted delay in the project, a 60-40 hydrogen power venture with BP.

Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Company (ADWEC) is expected to get some 2,000 gigawatt (GW) hours of power per year while the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) would get 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 per year from the total production of the project.

The forthcoming Arabian Travel Market beginning in Dubai from early May is expected to highlight the initiatives of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) for propelling growth of the tourism sector. The event will see more than 45 Abu Dhabi tourism delegates witness the launch of more than 80 products first time in the region.

Mubarak Al Nuaimi, International Promotions Manager, ADTA, said, "The product line-up reflects the destination's expanded offering and includes transports suppliers, hotel operators, major attractions, hospitality management companies, travel agents, tour operators, an international sports resort, MSC Cruises as well as desert, island, beach and golf resorts."

The National Takaful Company, Watania, is all set to launch its Initial Public Offer on Monday in a bid to meet its financial obligations. Watania, Abu Dhabi-based Sharia compliant insurance company, is expected to raise Dh82.5 million from this IPO. Watania's Founders have subscribed to an aggregate value of Dh67.5 million shares.

The firm said in a statement, "The offer price for each share is fixed at Dh1 with an additional Dh0.05 as subscription fee per offered share."

Anastasios Dalgiannakis, head of trading at Mubasher Financial Services, said that IPO at this stage would be helpful for the market, especially for the new players in the insurance segment.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has joined hands with world’s leading tour operator Arabian Smile Holidays in a bid to offer special deals to the visitors.

Both firms introduced a joint travel program ‘Abu Dhabi and Beyond by Arabian Smile Holidays’ for offering a range of facilities and discounts at various European and domestic routes.

The agreement has been signed in lines with Universal Travel Link & Services program that has been devised for offering the visitors with wide range of tour packages across various routes of Etihad. The airline will promote the renewable energy initiatives by highlighting its logo on their aircraft fleet during the month of April.

United Arab Emirates’ number one bank, the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) has introduced NBAD Visa Business Credit Cards meant exclusively for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME). The move will prove boon for SMEs for meeting their financial needs and derive their growth.

Haitham AlRefaie, the Head of Business Banking Group at NBAD said that SMEs being critical component of the nation’s economy require such fast track facilities. NBAD has already started delivering various financial services to this segment sensing their dire need and services to the nation.

The UAE's health bureau announced that it has doubled up the funds to about $81 million for buying medications in 2011.

During the last year (2010), the health ministry had allocated 150 million dirhams for purchasing medicines.

According to Hanif Hassan Ali, UAE is making discussions with drug companies to make medications upon directions from the federal government.

Dr. Ali stated, "We immediately began contracting with the specified manufacturers to provide medicines to the medical zones, hospitals and health facilities."

There is no impending threat to the oil supply in the world despite social and political disturbance in parts of the Middle-East and some African countries.  United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Mohamed Al-Hamli said that recent rise in oil price is mainly because of geopolitics and natural disaster and there is hardly any change in the fundamentals.

While speaking in an oil conference in Paris, Mohamed Al-Hamli said, “We have spare capacity. We can always supply to the market. The market should pay more attention to real supply rather than imagined shortages.”

There has been an influx of foreign workers and investment in the UAE which has lead to a rapid growth in the population in the last 4 years.

National Bureau of Statistics has published the figures this month. It has marked that 8.3 million were living in the country by mid-2010, up 65 per cent as compared to mid-2006.

On the other hand there was a drop in the percentage of Emiratis to just 11.5 per cent.  In the year 2006 it was 15.4 per cent.

Members of the Federal National Council (FNC) have said Gulf News that the UAE's population strategy has made plans to make Emiratis the mainstream all over the country. It has planned to rise up to 40 per cent by the year 2021.

Leading human resource firm GlobalHunt said in its latest survey that Indian Banking Professionals are in great demand in Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

They are required for functions such as relationship management, sales and marketing, new product launch, back and front office operations and technology support across all levels given to their business acumen and devotion toward work.

GlobalHunt India Director Sunil Goel, said,  "Many companies in Africa and UAE are trying to attract Indian banking professionals, as they can handle volumes and have seen the full life cycle of banking in India from various transactions."

A recently released report by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation expressed satisfaction over rising trade ties between Malaysia and Gulf countries. Trade between the GCC region and Malaysia reached $11 billion, indicating strengthening business ties between nations.

The Middle East Business Leaders Summit and Awards, or MEBLSA 2011, the region’s leading business leader’s forum, is all set to highlight the rising trade ties in its coming edition scheduled to be held on April 17 and 18 in Dubai. Experts will discus various measures for further boosting trade ties for rolling out a new era of mutual cooperation and bilateral trade ties.

The United Arab Emirates has shown a robust performance on the non-oil trade front as it rose 14 per cent to Dh754.4 billion in 2010 compared to Dh660.4 billion in 2009. Recently released figures by the Federal Customs Authority (FCA) said that import grew 8 per cent to Dh485.4 billion in 2010 as compared to Dh447.4 billion in 2009.

UAE’s export stood at Dh83.1 billion in 2010, reporting an increase of 27 per cent during the period. Re-export too posted encouraging numbers by surging 26 per cent to from Dh147.7 billion in 2009 to Dh185.9 billion in 2010. The non-oil trade growth has shown robust numbers despite challenging period faced by international trade in addition to ripples of global downturn.

Sluggish economic activities do not deter expat population to expand in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as their share rose close to 90% in the past three years.

Recently released figures by the National Bureau of Statistics claimed that domestic population too rose sharply and the proportion of non-nationals stood at 88.5% of the UAE’s combined estimated population.

UAE, having combined population of 8.26 million as of the middle of 2010, declined from a peak of 88.8% in 2008 but still higher than 83% as recently as 2006. Experts have expressed reservation over rising expat population in the country warning against its serious socio-religious outcomes.

A road crash involving 127 vehicles on Shaikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Highway from Abu Dhabi to Dubai claimed one life besides injuring a large number of people.

Dense fog that engulfed the region on Saturday morning is said to be a major cause of fatal road accident. The General Headquarters of Abu Dhabi Police said that injured drivers and accompanying people were rushed to nearby hospital, condition of some of them is said to be critical.

Major-General Mohammed Al Awadi Al Menhali, Director-General of Police Operations at the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, said, “The accident was caused by both bad weather and human error. Despite poor visibility due to heavy fog, most of the drivers on Saturday morning did not abide by the rules.”

The second Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM2), scheduled to be held this month in the United Arab Emirates is likely to see ministers from top economies of the world participating in the clean energy initiatives. The forum aims to promote policies and programs of clean energy.

The event to be held in Abu Dhabi from April 6 to 7 would see the UAE leading the dialogue in co-operation with the United States.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE special envoy, energy and climate change, and chief executive, Masdar said, “We are honored the UAE is acting as a global meeting ground to develop and help shape the policies and programs that will facilitate a future based on clean energy solutions.”

British Defense Secretary Liam Fox got a warm welcome from Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at a function held at the Zaabeel Palace. The British Defense Secretary is visiting the country along with a high level delegation from England for expediting co-operation between two nations in the field of Military setup.

They discussed various issues of mutual interest and expressed satisfaction over the current level of relations in various fields.

GIBTM, the Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition saw more than 11 per cent increase in number of visitor’s to the event. The event held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre saw exhibitions by 275 companies compared to just 230 firms in the previous year at the same event.

GIBTM’s professional education program also remained attraction for visitors with delegate numbers broke its previous records. Lloyd Kenyon, GIBTM’s exhibition manager, said: “We have seen a great deal of optimism throughout the show and received very positive feedback.”

Cristal Hotels and Resorts, the most dynamic hotel brand in the region, and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) is ready to actively participate in the event March 28-30, 2011.