What Was The First Freedom Of Speech In Dubai?

Is there freedom of speech in the United Arab Emirates?

• The United States has sent some prisoners to the UAE; these prisoners were held inside Guantanamo Bay jail and they were tortured again. Many of these prisoners were only suspects. In the UAE, there is no formal commitment to free speech.

Does Dubai have freedom of speech?

Freedom of speech. In the UAE, there is no formal commitment to free speech. It is not permitted to be in any way critical of the government, government officials, police and the royal families. Any attempt to also form a union in public and protest against any issue, will be met with severe action.

When did Dubai get freedom?

The UAE declared its independence on December 2, 1971, following the completion of treaties with Great Britain.

Is freedom of speech in the UAE?

The UAE Constitution outlines the freedoms and rights of all citizens. It prohibits torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, and protects civil liberties, including freedom of speech and press, peaceful assembly and association, and the practice of religious beliefs.

Can you swear in Dubai?

Swearing in public is completely prohibited in the UAE, with the use of the F-word being a crime, as it “disgraces the honor or the modesty” of a person, according to Article 373 of the UAE Penal Code. Swearing is punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine as high as 10,000 dirhams.

Can females drive in Dubai?

Women in the UAE are allowed to drive, vote, work, and own and inherit property.

Is abortion legal in Dubai?

Abortion. According to the UAE law, it is a crime to abort a pregnancy unless: it endangers the woman’s life or. there is evidence that the baby will be born with fatal deformities and will not survive.

Is UAE First World country?

The UAE is a country which exist since 1971 and never support either side of the conflict. It was never the First world country and neither was it ever part of them. The UAE is a developing country though and gains more and more influence in the World Economy.

Who founded Dubai?

Sheikh Rashid ibn Saeed Al Maktoum, also spelled Sheikh Rāshid ibn Saʿīd Āl Maktūm, (born 1910?, in the desert inland from the Persian Gulf—died October 7, 1990, Dubai, United Arab Emirates), Arab statesman largely responsible for creating the modern emirate of Dubai and a cofounder (1971) of the United Arab Emirates.

What was the UAE known for?

The United Arab Emirates is known for the tallest human-made structure, the Burj Khalifa, and the Burj Al Arab, one of the tallest hotel building in the world. The UAE is famous for several artificial islands like the Palm Jumeirah island, the World, and The Universe archipelagos.

Is there slavery in Dubai?

In the past two decades, the city of Dubai has experienced exponential growth, made possible by vigorous foreign investment and its robust tourism industry. However, beneath the glossy visage of the city lies a foundation of pervasive human rights violations; primarily slavery.

Does Dubai monitor your Internet?

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is among the most connected countries in the Middle East, with one of the highest rates of social media penetration. The government engages in extensive monitoring, surveillance and censorship of social media and apps.

Who is the king of Dubai?

Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has been ordered by the High Court in London to provide a British record of more than 554 million pounds ($733 million) to settle a custody battle with his ex-wife over their two children.

What is Dubai jail like?

Dubai’s prisons are famed for their filthy conditions and brutal treatment of their inmates – with beatings, starvation and overcrowding all too common. But while you might expect prisoners subjected to such torture to be locked up for murder or rape, Brits have been severely punished for seemingly trivial ‘crimes’.

Can you kiss in Dubai 2021?

Well, among public displays of affection, kissing might be the worst of the lot. It does not matter if one party kisses the other on the lips, on the cheek, or in a private place that would get them locked upon any part of the world; kissing is forbidden in public places in Dubai.

Is there a death penalty in Dubai?

Capital punishment is a legal penalty in the United Arab Emirates. Under Emirati law, multiple crimes carry the death penalty, and executions can be carried out through either a firing squad, hanging, or stoning. Overseas nationals and UAE nationals have both been executed for crimes.

UAE: Free Speech Under Attack

(Dubai) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). In its World Report 2012, released today at a press conference in Dubai, Human Rights Watch noted that the United Arab Emirates restricted the rights of its residents to express themselves and create independent organisations in 2011. UAE authorities have harassed, imprisoned, and incarcerated activists, as well as dismissed the elected boards of two of the country’s most famous civil society groups, according to the Human Rights Watch report.

World Report 2012, a 676-page document published by Human Rights Watch, assesses progress on human rights in more than 90 countries over the course of the last year, including popular revolutions in the Arab world that few could have predicted.

In the United Arab Emirates, police detained five activists, known as the “UAE 5,” in early April after they reportedly made remarks on the online forumUAEHewar, which had been banned by the government.

The five individuals were accused in early June by the UAE government under sections 176 and 8 of the country’s criminal code, which punish public “insults” of the country’s highest-ranking authorities.

Following their conviction on November 27, the president of the United Arab Emirates commuted their jail terms.

According to Whitson, “in order to guarantee the freedom of Emiratis to express themselves, authorities must remove from the criminal code clauses that punish people for criticizing government officials.” “Such regulations have no place in the twenty-first century, and they have no place in the United Arab Emirates.” The UAE authorities tightened their grip on freedom of expression even further by dissolving the elected boards of the Jurists Association and the Teachers’ Association, which had signed a public appeal in April calling for greater democracy in the country with two other nongovernmental organizations.

It was alleged that the associations had violated the 2008 Law on Associations, which prohibits organizations and their members from interfering “in politics or in matters that impair state security and the ruling regime.” The decrees replaced elected board members with state appointees and stated that the associations had broken the law.

• UAE authorities later revealed that a presidential decree had removed citizenship from six of the individuals for “acts constituting a danger to the security and safety of the state.” The authorities have not made any public statements on the seventh case.
• He was had to give up his national identification card as well as his health insurance card.
• Some improvements have been observed in the working conditions of migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates, notably on Saadiyat Island, which is the location of a large development and building project.
• Earlier this year, New York University revealed that it had hired the United Kingdom construction firm Mott MacDonald for the purpose of monitoring labor conditions on its Abu Dhabi campuses.
• Both companies will issue annual reports detailing their results.
• TDIC also modified its Employment Practices Policy in March, requiring contractors to compensate their employees for any recruiting charges or fees linked with their employment on Saadiyat Island, as well as for any other costs or fees associated with their employment on the island.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) decided in June to ratify the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention on the Rights of Domestic Workers.

Domestic workers are protected from violence and abuse under the new criteria, and the UAE government is required to provide efficient monitoring and enforcement of the new requirements.

United Arab Emirates: Freedom in the World 2021 Country Report

D11.00-4.00 pts0-4 points D11.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts All parts of the media are governed by the 1980 Publications and Publishing Law, which is widely regarded as one of the most stringent press regulations in the Arab world. It also outlaws any criticism of the government. Journalists routinely engage in self-censorship, and news organizations frequently print official government remarks without providing any criticism or commentary. Media operate with greater freedom in certain “free zones,” which are areas in which foreign media outlets can produce news content intended for foreign audiences.

1. A government-backed media campaign against Qatar, which began in 2017, has seen the participation of Emirati-owned and UAE-based media outlets play an important role.
2. An increasing number of well-known pundits have been arrested and imprisoned in recent years for their criticism of the government, their support for human rights and political dissidents, or their calls for political reform.
3. During a televised interview in November 2020, a court convicted two individuals to two years in jail for fabricating a tale about the COVID-19 fatalities and presenting it on national television.
4. to 4.00 pts.

Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private?

1.0014.004

Islam is the official religion, and Sunni Muslims constitute the vast majority of the population. As is preaching to Muslims by non-Muslim organizations, blasphemy is considered a criminal act. This body, along with a Dubai-based equivalent, offers regular instruction to Muslim preachers. It also appoints the country’s Sunni imams, who are appointed by the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments. Shiite clerics are governed by a separate body that oversees religious concerns. In recent years, there have been reports of noncitizen Shiite Muslims being subjected to discrimination or deportation on the basis of their religion.

When Pope Francis visited the United Arab Emirates in 2019, he made history as the first Roman Catholic pontiff to visit the Arabian Peninsula.

A little later that year, the authorities revealed plans to build an Abrahamic Family House, which would comprise a mosque, a church, and an interfaith synagogue, to be completed in 2022. D31.00-4.00 pts0-4 points D31.00-4.00 pts

Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free from extensive political indoctrination?

1.0014.004

The Ministry of Education has the authority to control textbooks and curricula in both public and private educational institutions. Islamic education is obligatory in public institutions, as well as in private schools that cater to Muslims. Several international institutions have established satellite campuses in the United Arab Emirates, while academic members are often reluctant to express political opinions or criticize the administration. At least ten academic members from New York University (NYU) have been refused permission to teach or do research on the NYU Abu Dhabi campus, according to reports.

Scholars and students who have questioned parts of government policy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been placed on a unified Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) security list, which prevents them from traveling outside the country.

It took five months for him to be released from solitary confinement in Abu Dhabi, following which he was found guilty on the allegations of espionage after a trial that lasted five minutes and sentenced to life imprisonment.

D 41.00-4.00 pts0-4 points 41.00-4.00 pts

Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution?

1.0014.004

In a variety of cases, authorities have considerable power to penalize persons who express themselves on sensitive subjects. Long jail sentences for loosely stated acts such as hurting “the character or the status of the state or any of its institutions” were established by the 2012 cybercrime legislation, which revised and replaced a 2006 statute that had been in existence since 2006. A counterterrorism legislation passed in 2014 mandates sanctions that include the death sentence for infractions such as “undermining national security” and possession of literature that is opposed to or denigrates Islam, among other things.

It has been rigorously enforced that these and other criminal laws are being followed, especially against regular social media users.

Such behaviors serve as an additional barrier to the freedom of expression.

In March, the country’s chief prosecutor issued a warning that distributing false information about the epidemic was a criminal violation that might result in jail time.

The app, which was first launched in 2018 by the prosecution service, encourages users to report content or activities that threaten the security of the UAE.

United Arab Emirates 2020 Archives

Returning to the United Arab Emirates More than two dozen prisoners of conscience, including well-known human rights campaigner Ahmed Mansoor, were still being held in detention in the United Arab Emirates as of last week (UAE). Ongoing restrictions on freedom of expression were implemented by the state, including tactics to intimidate people and residents who expressed critical views on COVID-19 or other social and political concerns, among other things. A number of inmates were kept in jail after their sentences were completed, despite the fact that they had no legal basis to do so.

Background

The Emirati authorities have maintained their prohibition on political opposition and their detention of political dissidents. A large number of Emiratis have continued to serve jail sentences in the UAE-94 case, which was a mass trial of 94 defendants that completed in 2013 with 69 being convicted on allegations of attempting to change the structure of governance in the country. After five years of co-leading the coalition in Yemen’s armed conflict, the United Arab Emirates declared the conclusion of its “phased military departure” from the country in February 2020.

During the conflict in Libya, the Emirati government sent weaponry to the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army, in violation of a United Nations embargo, and deployed military drones in Libyan airspace, which resulted in the deaths of civilians who were not involved in the fighting (see Libya entry).

Arbitrary detention

At least ten people were unlawfully arrested after serving their jail sentences, according to the latest figures. Articles 40 and 48 of the counter-terrorism law (Federal Act No. 7 of 2014) specified that persons who “accept extremist or terrorist ideas” might be kept in jail for an extended period of time for “counselling” purposes. The majority of these detainees were kept at al-Razin jail, which is located in the desert south-east of Abu Dhabi city. There were several of them, including Omran Ali al-Harithi, a defendant in the UAE-94 trial who was scheduled to be released in July 2019; and Abdullah Ebrahim al-Helu, who was convicted in June 2016 of belonging to the charitable arm of al-Islah, the formerly legal Emirati branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, and who was scheduled to be released in May 2017.

The videos were taken down by the authorities.

Freedom of expression

There are more than 25 political prisoners of conscience who remain imprisoned as a result of their nonviolent political criticism. Lawyers Mohamed al-Roken and Mohammed al-Mansoori, former heads of the UAE Jurists Association (which the government took over in 2011 after the Association called for free national elections), who were convicted in the UAE-94 trial; Nasser bin Ghaith, an economics professor at the Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi, who has been detained since 2015; and human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor were among those detained in the UAE-94 trial.

UAE officials have warned that they will punish anybody who circulate information regarding COVID-19 that has been deemed false by authorities.

Unfair trials

Following a series of biased trials, Emiratis and foreign national residents have continued to face jail. On February 17, the State Security Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentencing of five Lebanese males who had been convicted and sentenced on allegations of conspiring to commit violent actions in the United Arab Emirates. They had been subjected to unjust trial processes, which included imprisonment incommunicado for months at a time, lack of access to attorneys, and the use of coerced “confessions” as evidence.

Arbitrary deprivation of nationality

After being subjected to biased trials, Emiratis and foreign national residents have continued to be imprisoned. Six Lebanese males were convicted and sentenced to prison on February 17 by the State Security Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court on allegations of conspiring to commit violent actions in the United Arab Emirates. During their trial, they were subjected to unjust proceedings, including months of imprisonment incommunicado, lack of access to attorneys, and the use of coerced “confessions” as evidence, among other things.

Women’s rights

Under Emirati legislation, women continue to be treated unequally to males. According to Article 56.1 of the Law on Personal Status, married women were required “to look after the house” since it was a “right” possessed by their husbands. Towards the end of 2019, a line in the Article was removed, which said that a husband had the right to “courteous obedience” from his wife. Article 72 of the Constitution remained to empower courts to assess whether a married woman was authorized to leave the house and work in the community.

Because nationality was still awarded on a gender-preferential basis, children of Emirati mothers were not automatically granted nationality and were only acknowledged as nationals at the discretion of the federal government.

Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates repealed Article 334 of the Penal Code, which had rendered “honour” killings punishable by a sentence of as little as one month imprisonment.

Sexual and reproductive rights

It was still possible to be punished for consenting sexual behavior under Article 356 of the Penal Code, which authorized a minimum sentence of one year in jail for “consensual violation of honor,” a provision that could be used to penalize both same-sex sexual activity and extramarital sex. In certain circumstances, the clause was utilized to prosecute migrant laborers who had given birth outside of marriage, with the mothers of these children being required to serve jail sentences before being permitted to leave the country.

Migrants’ rights

This system of sponsorship (kafala) for employing migrant workers in the UAE, combined with unsanitary living conditions in overcrowded accommodations, limited legal protection, and limited access to preventive health care and treatment, placed these workers in an even more vulnerable position and at risk of infection during the COVID-19 outbreak. 2

Death penalty

Courts have continued to impose additional death sentences, particularly against foreign nationals who have committed serious crimes in the United States. There have been no reported executions.

1. UAE: The Supreme Court upholds the decision in an unfair trial (MDE 25/2000/2020)
2. UAE: UAE: Ensure that migrant workers are protected in the COVID-19 response (MDE 25/2169/2020)

Shutting minds and silencing the future: what the Dubai Expo really…

Geneva/Beirut, 30 September 2021 — The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has released a report on the state of the world’s economies. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from October 1st, 2021 to March 2022, theDubai Expo will be hosted, marking the first time a World Expo has been held in the Arab World. Twenty-two human rights organizations* are launching a campaign and hosting an event (alternativehrexpo.org) to challenge the narrative of “tolerance” and “openness” that the UAE claims to uphold and that will be featured at the Dubai Expo, and to draw attention to the ongoing repression in the country and the region.

” (GCHR).

Every single human rights advocate in the United Arab Emirates has been exiled or imprisoned, in violation of their constitutional right to freedom of expression.

Mohammed Al-Roken, Mohammed Al-Mansoori, Mohammed Abdul Razzaq Al-Siddiq, and Ahmed Mansoor, human rights defenders, as well as Nasser Bin Ghaith and three members of the UAE94, a group of political prisoners, are among those who have called for the release of human rights defenders Ahmed Mansoor, Nasser Bin Ghaith, and Mohammed Al-Roken.

1. The general population is also encouraged to sign the petition.
2. Numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and United Nations human rights experts have extensively documented this issue.
3. They have now labeled me as a potential terrorist.
4. Despite widespread condemnation and the fact that it is the only candidate from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area, the United Arab Emirates will almost definitely be appointed by the United Nations General Assembly to serve on the UN Human Rights Council for a three-year term.
5. “It is ridiculous that the United Arab Emirates would be chosen at some point.
6. We are urging all member states of the United Nations to abstain from voting for this candidate or any other who does not adhere to the highest human rights standards.

On the same day, 14 October, the campaign will host an Alternative Human Rights Expo, which will bring together artists, poets, writers, singers, musicians, and activists from across the wider MENA region to showcase their creative talents and pay tribute to human rights defenders who have been detained or silenced in the United Arab Emirates.

Weaam Youssef is a Bahraini human rights activist.

Iyad El-Baghdadi will speak at 1pm EST/7pm CET/8pm Beirut time, and the event will be live webcast.

*** INFORMATION ABOUT THE BACKGROUND The campaign is calling on the Emirati government to release the following documents: In the wake of his arrest on March 20, 2017, Ahmed Mansoor, an Emirati poet and board member of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) and Human Rights Watch, is currently serving an unjust 10-year prison sentence for his human rights activities, which was handed down on May 29, 2018, after he was arrested on March 20, 2017.

1. His wife and four boys live in the United Arab Emirates.
2. Dr.
3. Dr.
4. After being held in pre-trial custody for an extended period of time, he was sentenced to ten years in jail on March 29, 2017.
5. Mohammed Al-Roken is an attorney who specializes in human rights.
6. Mohammed Al-Mansoori and Sheikh Mohammed Abdul Razzaq Al-Siddiq, both members of a prisoner group known as the UAE94, were sentenced on July 2, 2013, to ten years in prison for their online activities calling for democratic reform.
7. Her father’s daughter Alaa Al-Siddiq, Executive Director of AL-QST for human rights, died tragically in June 2021, and her work will be showcased at the Alternative Human Rights Expo in New York City.
8. Americans for Democratic Participation Bahrain’s Human Rights Situation (ADHRB) Amnesty International is a human rights organization.

FIDH Center for Human Rights in the Gulf (FreeMuse Gulf Center for Human Rights) (GCHR) IFEX is an acronym that stands for Innovation for Change (I4C) The MENA Hub International Campaign for Freedom is based in the United Arab Emirates (ICFUAE) International Service for Human Rights is a non-profit organization that promotes human rights across the world (ISHR) Project on Middle East Democracy by the Kawaakibi Foundation and the MENA Rights Group (POMED) Reporters Without Borders is a non-profit organization that helps journalists across the world (RSF) The World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) is a non-governmental organization that works to end torture (OMCT)

Further reading

Now is the time to sign up. Register to get our most recent news notifications. Now is the time to sign up. Register to get our most recent news notifications.

First Amendment and Free Speech

It was when the United States Supreme Court decided in our clients’ favor in Sorrell v. IMS Health Inc., 131 S. Ct. 2653 (2011) that an entire sector was gifted with an incredibly broad and robust type of First Amendment protection. As the Supreme Court explained, “the creation and dissemination of knowledge are speech within the meaning of the First Amendment.” Indeed, “Facts, after all, serve as an important starting point for much of the discourse that is most critical to furthering human understanding and conducting human affairs.” A single stroke lifted what some critics had disparagingly described as the “data miner” to the level of a journalist, writer, or poet in the eyes of the public.

1. Knowledge discovery by computerized data analysis is now fully protected speech, rather than merely a mechanical process susceptible to severe government supervision, according to the First Amendment.
2. In our work with clients, we look for ways to challenge orders, rules, and regulations that would prevent them from speaking out or denying them access to information that they need in order to make a point or profit.
3. For more than a century, we have fought for freedom of expression and have won cases that have set the standard for other courts.
4. News-Leader, 51 S.E.
5. As many other newspapers around the country had done, the defendant publication had actually printed an unsubstantiated claim about Ms.
6. Our then-innovative argument that reliance on a wire service defeats a libel claim resulted in “Little Miss Sure Shot’s” lone loss, despite the fact that she had won or settled 54 claims.
7. In addition, we assist our customers in navigating the always shifting world of state and federal regulatory compliance requirements.
8. Because regulatory efforts are not always coordinated, compliance is difficult, and First Amendment rights are subjected to unwarranted limitations as a result.

Many difficult issues are handled by our attorneys who are skilled and smart in their approach. Some of these issues include:

• Advertising that is behaviorally tailored
• Commercial speech
• Libel and slander
• Invasion of privacy as a result of the release of private information
• First Amendment rights Affirmative action, false light, intrusion upon seclusion, Communications Decency Act, interception of electronic communications, reporter’s privilege and subpoenas, public meetings laws, freedom of information and public records laws, adult entertainment, outdoor advertising, political campaigns and protests, lobbying, campaign finance, student press rights, and professional advertising are some of the topics covered.

Latham & Watkins LLP – Global Directory

The firm’s regional expertise is combined with the firm’s worldwide platform to deliver a comprehensive service. We often advise on transactions that are firsts of their kind and create precedents in the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. Our multilingual, multinational Dubai team advises governments and government-related entities, state-owned funds, corporate entities and private investors, financial institutions, fintech innovators, emerging companies and the venture capital that funds them, as well as developers and sponsors, on many of the region’s trailblazing mega projects and transactions, including the Dubai World Trade Centre.

We have advised on some of the most complicated and high-profile regional transactions, assisting clients through project finance and development, capital markets (including debt and equity), mergers and acquisitions, and precedent-setting technology-related deals.

Giving Back

Pro bono and community service are fundamental components of our culture, and this is especially true in Dubai, where we support pro bono causes such as human rights and the fight against human trafficking, asylum and immigration cases, the environment, microfinance, as well as assistance to nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Worrying restrictions on freedom of expression in UAE

In the second review by the United Arab Emirates’ peer countries, issues such as poor working conditions for migrant workers and denial of freedom of speech dominated the discussion, according to the report (UAE). The review took place on 18 January 2013 as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which was conducted by the United Nations. The state was roundly criticized, in particular, for its stringent cybercrime legislation, which restricts free expression on a variety of topics, including religion and the government, according to critics.

Although progress has been made, more needs to be done.

Concerns voiced during the interactive dialogueA number of issues of concern were brought up during the interactive discussion.

Despite the fact that they are intended to combat organized crime, terrorism, and human trafficking, there have been concerns that they represent an intolerable infringement on the right to freedom of speech.

Gargash explained that the United Arab Emirates is trying to ‘walk a fine line between security and liberty’ at this difficult time in Arab history; restrictions on freedom of expression are only permitted in the country if such restrictions are necessary to maintain public order and national security.

1. It was suggested by Cyprus that the United Arab Emirates ratify International Labor Organization Conventions 87 and 98, which deal with freedom of expression and collective bargaining, respectively.
2. Bangladesh, in particular, voiced dissatisfaction with the theft of employees’ passports, the poor living and working conditions, and the failure to pay payments that had been agreed upon.
3. According to Dr Gargash, the UAE has made steps to enhance the lives of this vulnerable population since the last evaluation.
4. A number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Indonesia, and Jordan, have praised the UAE’s efforts, but have asked the country to go further in protecting its employees.
5. Because of a national plan aimed at empowering women, women are now more likely to hold leadership positions in government, public and financial services, and other fields.
6. According to the head of the Dubai Women’s Association, who was present at the assessment as a representative of the United Arab Emirates, the work being done to provide help, shelter, and counseling to victims of domestic abuse is extensive.
7. States have also advocated legislation to further incorporate the requirements of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) into the United Arab Emirates’ domestic laws and regulations.

Additional Recommendations States made other suggestions to the UAE, urging it to:

• Establish a moratorium on the application of the death penalty
• Ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
• Facilitate interaction with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the establishment of a national human rights agency. Senior citizens should be afforded additional protection. Deal with issues such as racial prejudice and xenophobia.

A total of 180 recommendations were made in favor of the United Arab Emirates. No later than the 23rd session of the Human Rights Council, which is planned to take place from 27 May to 14 June 2013, the state under review will study all proposals. Heather Collister works as a Human Rights Officer with the International Service for Human Rights, while Ana Kapelet is an intern with the organization. Follow us on Twitter: @ISHRglobal to keep up with the latest developments in the Universal Periodic Review and in the Human Rights Council.

United Arab Emirates – Languages and religion

Overall, 180 suggestions were made to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). On or before the 23rd session of the Human Rights Council, which will take place from 27 May to 14 June 2013, the state under review will assess all proposals. Intern Ana Kapelet works with the International Service for Human Rights as a Human Rights Officer, and Heather Collister is a Human Rights Officer with the organization. Follow us on Twitter: @ISHRglobal to keep up with the latest developments in the Universal Periodic Review and the Human Rights Council.

Settlement patterns and demographic trends

The population of the United Arab Emirates is centered mostly in cities along both coastlines, although the oasis hamlet of Al-Ainhas developed into a major population center as well. The capital of the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi. Several emirates have exclaves within other emirates, which is a rare occurrence. The birth rate in the federation is one of the lowest in the Persian Gulf republics, and the infant mortality rate has dropped significantly. Men account for more than two-thirds of the population, which is younger than 45 years of age due to the huge number of foreign employees.

The death rate in the nation is significantly lower than the global average, and the average life expectancy is around 79 years.

Economy

The economy of the federation is characterized by the production of petroleum, which is mostly concentrated in theAbu Dhabiemirate. Abu Dhabi, the wealthiest of the emirates, boasts one of the world’s greatest concentrations of known oil reserves and generates a considerable amount of the country’s national revenue. It is the emirate of Dubai, which has an economy focused more on business than on oil, that acts as a commercial and financial hub for the area, and it is also the leader in the country’s economic diversification efforts.

Agriculture and fishing

The agricultural production sector, which is mostly concentrated in the emirates of Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah, as well as in the two exclaves of Ajman and Al-Ain, has grown significantly as a result of the increasing use of wells and pumps to provide water for irrigation. The agricultural sector, on the other hand, generates just a minor portion of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs fewer than one-tenth of the workforce. Dates, tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants are all important crops in the United Arab Emirates, which is practically self-sufficient in fruit and vegetable production.

Raising crops in a desert climate is being experimented with at the Arid Lands Research Centre in Al-Ain, Saudi Arabia. The majority of commercial fishing takes place in Umm al-Quwain, and the emirates have one of the most developed fishing industries in the Arab world.

Resources and power

Because to Abu Dhabi’s discovery of oil in 1958, the government of that emirate has a majority interest in all oil-producing enterprises in the United Arab Emirates, which is represented by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Although the oil and gas industries employ only a small fraction of the country’s workforce, Abu Dhabi is responsible for approximately 95 percent of the country’s oil production, and the extraction of petroleum and natural gas accounts for approximately one-third of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

1. ADMA-OPCO is a joint venture between British, French, and Japanese investors.
2. The Al-Bunduq offshore field is shared with the neighboring country of Qatar, however it is operated by the ADMA-OPCO company.
3. An other ADNOC business, the Abu Dhabi Firm for Onshore Oil Operations, is in charge of onshore oil concessions.
4. Japanese corporations are also in control of a number of other concessions.
5. There are offshore oil fields at aql Fat, Fallah, and Rshid, among other locations.
6. At its peak, Dubai was responsible for around one-sixth of the country’s total petroleum production.
7. Sharjah began producing oil in 1974, and six years later, a second well, which produced primarily natural gas, was discovered in the same area.
8. Natural gas reserves in the federation are among the world’s greatest, with the majority of resources concentrated in Abu Dhabi.
9. The United Arab Emirates has one of the world’s highest per capita rates of energy consumption because it relies on energy-intensive technology such as water desalination and air conditioning, as well as because fuel subsidies have promoted inefficient energy usage.
10. In order to ensure the long-term viability of hydrocarbon production, the federation began investigating alternative sources of domestic energy.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai have also begun to make investments in renewable energy sources. It was in 2013 that Abu Dhabi opened what was then one of the world’s largest solar power facilities, a 100-megawatt facility capable of supplying enough energy to power up to 20,000 households.

Manufacturing

The emirates have made an effort to diversify their economies in order to avoid being completely reliant on oil, and manufacturing has played a vital role in this endeavor. Located 140 miles (225 kilometers) southwest of Abu Dhabi city, theAl-Ruways petrochemical industrial complex includes a petroleum refinery, a gas fractionation facility, as well as an ammonia and urea factory. In recent years, Dubai’s revenues have gone toward infrastructure projects such as a dry dock and a trade center; its first airport was expanded in the 2000s, and a second airport was constructed near the port of Jebel Ali; and additional hotels have been constructed, including the striking Burj al-Arab (“Tower of the Arabs”), which opened in the late 1990s.

Sharjah has constructed a cement plant, a plastic-pipe factory, and paint factories, among other facilities.

Dubai Expo 2020 attempt to shield UAE rights abuses, says HRW

The event, according to the rights organization, is an attempt by the UAE to ‘whitewash its image’ and disguise crackdowns on dissent and freedom of speech in the country. One of the world’s most famous human rights organizations has criticized the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Dubai Expo 2020 as an attempt to cover over human rights atrocities perpetrated by the Gulf nation. Organizers of the expo, which is being billed as the Middle East’s first-ever world fair and which opens on Friday, say it is part of a decades-long campaign by the UAE to “whitewash its image and obscure its abuses,” according to Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The harsh statement came just days after the European Parliament called on member nations to boycott the exhibition, citing worries over human rights violations.

Visitors stroll around the Dubai Expo 2020 site.

According to the Bureau International des Expositions, the intergovernmental organization that administers international fairs, the theme for this year’s event is “connecting minds, shaping the future.” According to Human Rights Watch, this statement is “at contrast” with the human rights atrocities done by the UAE.

Over the next six months, the United Arab Emirates will welcome individuals from all over the world to share their experiences and work together to build a better future for all.

The organization expressed concern over the government’s persistent restriction of access to United Nations experts and human rights researchers, as well as critical journalists and academics, among other groups.

Human Rights Watch also expressed concern about “the possibility of government monitoring of the news media.” In a speech at the expo’s opening ceremony on Thursday night, UAE Crown Prince and de facto ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said the event exemplifies “the essence of this land” as a gathering place for people of all cultures and levels of tolerance.

According to the organizers, 192 countries will be represented at the event, which will take place over the course of 182 days. Al Jazeera and other news organizations served as sources.