Dubai residents from these 49 countries can convert their foreign driving licenses to valid local ones

If you are legally residing in Dubai, UAE and you hold a license from any of the below countries, you can easily exchange your foreign-issued license to that of the UAE’s without undergoing rigorous driving examinations.

Here is a list of countries for which the UAE accepts driving licenses:

1. Albania
2. Australia
3. Austria
4. Bahrain
5. Belgium
6. Britain
7. Bulgaria
8. Canada
9. China
10. Cyprus
11. Denmark
12. Estonia
13. Finland
14. France
15. Germany
16. Greece
17. Hong Kong
18. Hungary
19. Iceland
20. Ireland
21. Italy
22. Japan
23. Kuwait
24. Latvia
25. Lithuania
26. Luxembourg
27. Malta
28. Netherlands
29. New Zealand
30. Norway
31. Oman
32. Poland
33. Portugal
34. Qatar
35. Romania
36. Saudi Arabia
37. Serbia
38. Singapore
39. Slovakia
40. Slovenia
41. South Africa
42. South Korea
43. Spain
44. Sweden
45. Switzerland
46. Turkey
47. The Republic of Montenegro
48. Ukraine
49. USA

Below is the list of foreign countries that accept a UAE driver’s license, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC): 

Belgium, Spain, France, USA, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Slovakia, Ireland, Austria, Greece, Sweden, China, Poland, Canada, Turkey, Norway, Latvia, New Zealand, Serbia, South Africa, Finland, Hungary, Luxembourg, Portugal, Lithuania, Singapore, and the UK. 

The 20 Arab countries accepting the Emirati license include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Mauritania, Djibouti, Comoros, Tunisia, Iraq, Palestine, and Algeria.

Photos: Check out 2023 Top Ten Forbes Billionaires

Forbes has released its annual ranking for billionaires, and with a staggering net worth of $211 billion, French business magnate Bernard Jean Etienne Arnault assumes the top spot.

Arnault, the founder and owner of the ultra-luxury brand Louis Vuitton, is the only billionaire with a net worth of over $200 billion on the list. 

Besides that, Arnault also oversees 75 fashion and cosmetics brands, including Sephora. Elon Musk holds second spot in the 37th edition of the ranking. 

The billionaire, who co-founded Tesla, SpaceX and tunnelling startup Boring Company, has a net worth of $180 billion. Musk also owns X, formerly Twitter, which he acquired for $44 billion in April 2022, following the disclosure of a 9.1% stake and threatening a hostile takeover. 

Next, on the list is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. 

The billionaire became the executive chairman of the company in 2021 and now owns just under 10% of the e-commerce giant. 

With a net worth of $114 billion, Bezos assumes the third position in the 2023 Forbes Billionaires ranking. 

Akash Ambani is at the helm of affairs in Jio; daughter Isha oversees retail and financial services, while his younger son Anant oversees the energy business. Seventy-eight-year-old Larry Ellison is chairman, the chief technology officer and co-founder of software giant Oracle, and is in the fourth position of the list of big billionaires. 

While Ellison stepped down as the Oracle CEO in 2014 after 37 years at the helm, the billionaire still owns just under 40% of the company and has a net worth of $107 billion. 

Fifth on the list is Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway owns dozens of companies, including insurer Geico, battery maker Duracell and restaurant chain Dairy Queen. 

The "Oracle of Omaha," has a net worth of $106 billion. 

Next is Bill Gates who owns about 1.3% of the software and computing company's shares. 

Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975 and turned it into a multi-billion dollar company. He stepped down from its board in 2020. With a net worth of $104 billion, 

Bill Gates is sixth on the billionaires list. 

In the seventh position is Michael Bloomberg, the co-founder of the media company Bloomberg LP. Bloomberg still owns 88% of the company, which rakes in an estimated $12 billion yearly. 

The billionaire started his journey with an entry-level job on Wall Street in 1966 at investment bank Salomon Brothers. 

His current net worth is $94.5 billion. 

Carlos Slim Helu and his family, who control America Movil, the biggest mobile telecom firm in Latin America, are currently 8th on the list. 

The richest person in Mexico owns stakes in Mexican construction, consumer goods, mining and real estate companies. 

Carlos Slim Helú previously held a 17% stake in The New York Times as well. 

His current net worth is $93 billion. 

Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani is in the ninth position. 

With a net worth of $83.4 billion, the chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd, which has interests in petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecom and retail, is also planning to venture into green energy. 

Mukesh Ambani is planning an investment of $80 billion over the next 10-15 years in renewable energy. His three children joined the board of Reliance in August 2023. 

Tenth on the list is Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft, who led the company from 2000 to 2014. Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 as the company's employee number 30. He dropped out of Stanford's MBA programme. 

With an estimated net worth of $80.7 billion, Ballmer also owns the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers.

Photos: Paris, France battles bedbugs ahead of 2024 Summer Olympics

A bed bug infestation has taken over the city of Paris.

The City of Light is battling an infestation of bedbugs as it prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. Videos recently posted on social media purportedly show the tiny, bloodsucking insects crawling on public transport in Paris and even in Charles de Gaulle Airport. 

With the Olympic Games less than a year away, Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire has called on French authorities to organize a conference with stakeholders to come up with an "action plan." 

"Faced with the scourge of bedbugs, we must act!" Grégoire said in a social media post last Thursday. "This is a public health problem where all stakeholders must be brought to the table. 

It is up to owners and insurers to cover the costs of getting rid of these pests." 

French Transport Minister Clement Beaune announced via social media last Friday that he would "bring together transport operators" this week to discuss what's being done to "reassure and protect" passengers. Bedbugs are not new to the French capital, but the issue has become widely publicized in recent weeks as the city gears up for the world's largest sporting event. 

Bedbugs feed solely on the blood of humans and other animals while they sleep, and tend to hide in mattresses and bed frames during the day. 

The wingless, reddish-brown insects can be carried in clothing and luggage, when traveling or buying second-hand bedding, furniture and clothes, according to ANSES. 

Bedbugs can be found in every part of the world and are not known to spread disease. 

Although their presence has traditionally been seen as a problem in developing nations, bedbugs have recently been spreading rapidly in parts of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Check out the scientists who won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics

Scientists Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L'Huillier won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics for "experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter", the award-giving body said on Tuesday.

The prize, which was raised this year to 11 million Swedish crowns (about $1 million), is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. 

"The laureates' experiments have produced pulses of light so short that they are measured in attoseconds, thus demonstrating that these pulses can be used to provide images of processes inside atoms and molecules," the award-giving body said in a statement. 

Physics is the second Nobel to be awarded this week after Hungarian scientist Katalin Kariko and U.S. colleague Drew Weissman won the medicine prize for making mRNA molecule discoveries that paved the way for Covid-19 vaccines. 

Created in the will of dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel, the prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace have been awarded since 1901 with a few interruptions, becoming the arguably highest honour for scientists everywhere. 

While the award for peace can hog the limelight, the physics prize has likewise often taken centre stage with winners such as Albert Einstein and awards for science that has fundamentally changed how we see the world. 

Last year, Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger won the prize for work on quantum entanglement, where two particles are linked regardless of the space between them, something that unsettled Einstein himself who once referred to it as "spooky action at a distance". 

Announced on consecutive weekdays in early October, the physics prize announcement will be followed by ones for chemistry, literature, peace and economics, the latter a later addition to the original line-up. 

Photos: A popular billionaire, his son & others killed in plane crash near diamond mine in Zimbabwe

Really sad!

An Indian billionaire and his son were among the six individuals killed when their private plane crashed near a diamond mine in southwestern Zimbabwe after experiencing a technical fault, according to media reports. 

Harpal Randhawa, the owner of RioZim, a diversified mining company producing gold and coal as well as refining nickel and copper, along with his son and four others was killed when the plane crashed in the Zvamahande area of Mashava, iHarare, a news and media website in Zimbabwe, reported. 

The Cessna 206 aircraft, owned by RioZim, was en route from Harare to the Murowa diamond mine when the tragic incident occurred on Friday. The single-engined aircraft crashed near the Murowa Diamonds mine, which is partly owned by RioZim. 

The plane experienced a technical fault, possibly resulting in a mid-air explosion, before plummeting into Peter Farm in the Zvamahande region. All passengers and crew onboard lost their lives in this accident, the report said. The Herald, a state-owned daily newspaper, quoted police as saying four of the victims were foreigners and the other two Zimbabweans. 

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police reports a plane crash which occurred on September 29 between 7.30am and 8am, where six people are confirmed dead,” police said. 

“The Murowa Diamond Company (RioZim)-owned white and red Zcam aircraft had left Harare for the mine at 6am and crashed about 6km from Mashava.” RioZim confirmed the crash and said it was working with relevant authorities to gather more information. 

Names of the deceased are yet to be released by police but journalist and filmmaker Hopewell Chinono, who was a friend of Randhawa, confirmed his death. 

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Harpal Randhawa, the owner of RioZim, who died today in a plane crash in Zvishavane. Five other people including his son, who was also a pilot but a passenger on this flight, also died in the crash,” wrote Chinono on X. 

“My thoughts are with his wife, family, friends and the RioZim community.” 

The RioZim company secretary said a full statement will be issued. 

“I am not in a position to address the media right now. 

We will however be issuing a statement as soon as possible,” he said. Randhawa was the founder of the USD 4 billion private equity firm GEM Holdings. 

Meanwhile, the local community and law enforcement agencies are working together to manage the aftermath of the plane crash.

Donald Trump found liable for fraud!

A New York judge found Donald Trump and his family business fraudulently inflated the value of his properties and other assets, in a major defeat for the former U.S. president that could severely hamper his ability to do business in the state.

The scathing decision by Justice Arthur Engoron of New York state court in Manhattan will make it easier for state Attorney General Letitia James to establish damages at a scheduled Oct. 2 trial. Engoron also ordered the cancellation of certificates that let some of Trump's businesses, including the Trump Organization, operate in New York, and ordered the appointment of a receiver to manage the businesses' dissolution. 

The judge described how Trump, his adult sons Donald Jr. and Eric, the Trump Organization and other defendants made up valuations and inflated Trump's net worth to suit their business needs. Trump also faces a slew of other litigation. 

He has pleaded not guilty to charges in four indictments accusing him of trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat by Democrat Joe Biden, hoarding classified materials, and covering up hush money payments to a porn star. 

The appeals court is expected to rule on the request for a delay this week.

8 Benefits of The UAE Golden Visa

The Golden Visa is a 10-year, long-term residency permit, which allows you to live, work or study in the UAE without the need for a sponsor.

The Golden Visa is granted to people from different categories, including talented individuals, researchers, outstanding students, doctors, specialists, innovators, athletes, entrepreneurs and investors. 

Below is a list of eight benefits you can enjoy with the UAE 10-year visa.

1. Long-term, renewable residency 

One of the main benefits of the Golden Visa is that it allows visa holders to live in the UAE on a renewable residence visa valid for 10 years. You can renew the visa as long as you fulfil the eligibility criteria for the category under which you applied for the visa initially. 

2. No sponsor or employer required 

Normally, residence visas in the UAE require a sponsor, which can either be the company that is employing you (in case of a work visa) or a family member who is already a resident in the UAE (family visa). 

However, new changes to the UAE’s visa system have introduced several visa options that are self-sponsored, including the Golden Visa. 

Having a Golden Visa can help workers who, for example, may be able to change jobs more easily, as they would not need to cancel their residence visa sponsored by their previous employer. 

3. Staying outside the UAE for more than six months does not nullify the residence visa 

Golden Visa holders also have the flexibility to stay outside the UAE for more than six months and still keep their residence visa valid. 

Normally, a residence visa becomes nullified if the resident is outside the UAE for more than six months. 

4. Better options to sponsor family members 

The new visa system allows all expatriates to sponsor male children up to the age of 25 and in case the male child is a Person of Determination, he can be sponsored up to any age. 

But if you are a Golden Visa holder, having a 10-year residency can help avoid having to renew the residency every few years. 

Also, the Golden Visa system provides sponsored family members with the assurance that in case the primary holder of the Golden visa passes away, the sponsored members’ permit will continue to remain valid. 

5. No limit on domestic workers you can sponsor 

The Golden Visa also allows you to sponsor any number of domestic helpers. 

6. A special multiple-entry visa for Golden Visa applicants 

If you don’t yet have a Golden Visa yet, and are not currently living in the UAE, there is a dedicated six-month, multiple entry visit visa that you can apply for, which allows you to come to the UAE to complete the application paperwork. 

7. Apply for a driving licence without taking lessons 

If you are a Golden Visa holder in Dubai who has a valid driving licence from your home country, all you need to do is enrol at a driving institute in Dubai. 

Once you have registered as a student, you don’t need to take any classes and can directly apply for the knowledge (theory) and road test. 

If you pass both the tests, you will be able to get your UAE driving licence issued. 

8. Exclusive health insurance packages 

Golden Visa holders who are full time employees in Dubai and Abu Dhabi will continue to be covered by their employer’s health insurance policy. 

However, investors, freelancers and individuals residing abroad must pay for their own health insurance policy.