Simply the best
Dubai is a magnificent, marvellous and modern mega-city (‘Expo 2020: Why Britain is backing Dubai,’ Gulf News, May 15). It is the city of global cultures, global friendships and global business. I personally think that Dubai is one of the best cities for World Expo 2020 and the right choice. I love, respect and salute Dubai for what it is today and wish it all the best.
From Mr Bala Ullattil
Dubai
Website comment
Fingers crossed
Let us all put our prayers in one basket and wait for the good news to come to us. The country deserves to host such a big event and has strived hard to become eligible for bidding in such a great event. Shanghai Expo 2010 had brought attention of more than 73 million people — this itself shows how important Expo 2020 will be for us. Our theme ‘Connecting minds, creating the future’ is very apt and it can really make a huge difference for the country’s future. I hope more countries like Britain will come forward and support us to make our dream a reality. I would also like to wish Expo 2015 in Milan a huge success.
From Mr Shivshankar K.T.
Dubai
Better chances
This is a very good development. This move by the United Kingdom will help Dubai secure the chances to host the momentous event of World Expo 2020.
From Mr Filman Santiago
Dubai
Website comment
Well deserved
Dubai is a city of hope and opportunity for all people. It has positioned itself as a major transit point between the East and West for both business and leisure. Dubai deserves to host Expo 2020.
From Mr Sami Hajjaj
Dubai
Website comment
Free India
Great piece on India’s proliferating corruption culture (‘Corruption culture hurting India’s economy,’ Gulf News, May 15). The problem is aggravated by the fact that most educated and decent middle-class Indians are showing little or no interest in solving society’s ills. India’s ‘professional’ politicians find politics a gold mine to achieve their personal agenda without caring much for national interest. However, I am glad that India has a free-functioning and vibrant media. It lives up to its watchdog role by pointing out the ills that afflict society.
From Mr Subroto Sen
Dubai
Website comment
Maintain personal hygiene
Most people face the issues and consequences of non-hygienic practices in this part of the world but tend to remain passive about it. I suppose maintaining personal hygiene is instinctively a part of human behaviour. If one is not hygienic, one is prone to more diseases during his/her lifetime. I have been a resident for several years and till today, suffer the experience of disgusting body odour and stinky breath in public places like buses, taxis and shopping malls. People like me have become immune to this problem but there are many out there suffering — some have constant nausea. I request people to please realise that personal hygiene is a must. Please think about the people around you who might be covering their noses, holding their breath or using a hand fan. I wonder — don’t people get embarrassed when this happens around them? It is honestly not difficult to keep yourself clean and odour-free. I request people to give priority to personal hygiene — if not for others, then at least for their own health.
From A Reader
Abu Dhabi
Name withheld by request
Don’t waste food
While millions of people starve everyday across the world, at least one-third of all the food produced gets wasted in the supply chain process. The statistics are alarming. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO), the annual food wastage amounts to a staggering 1.3 billion tonnes. Compare this with the fact that one of out of every seven people go to bed hungry. Thousands of children die every day of hunger. This is such a shame and stopping this wastage can be one of the key aspects of moving towards sustainability. To create awareness about this major imbalance, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched the ‘Think.Eat.Save — Reduce Your Foodprint’ campaign. This is also the theme of this year’s World Environment Day which is commemorated on June 5. I was fortunate enough to be present at a special dinner on the recent launch of the Think.Eat.Save campaign which was held at UNEP Nairobi. The dinner was prepared out of food ingredients that had been rejected by supermarkets as they were not cosmetically suitable. This food would have been wasted had it not been used for this purpose. It was a real-life lesson to all of us who attended and I am now striving to carry forward this message here through my youth group, Green Hope UAE. As a buildup to World Environment Day 2013, our members will be spreading awareness about reducing food wastage. As a first step, we, ourselves, should ensure that we do not waste food in our homes. I want to reach out to all readers in the hope that they will contribute toward building a more sustainable future.
From Ms Kehkashan Basu
Dubai
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