Spanish Essays Barcelona and London

Spanish Essays Barcelona and London Barcelona and London both attract a lot of immigrants from different places around the world. Barcelona and London both attract a lot of immigrants from different places around the world. This foreign population is distributed in different boroughs of the cities, but there are boroughs where the immigrant population is more important and visible than in others. This is the case in El Raval, in Barcelona, and Camden, in London. However, it seems that the integration of this immigrant population as turned out to be more difficult in El Raval than in Camden, with its population being ghettoised. Although the history of both boroughs has a lot of similarities and both were marked by recent mass immigration, it seems that different elements, such as history and culture and also the differences between the origins and types of immigrants, as well as their urban developments, led to different types of models in El Raval and in Camden. The two boroughs of Camden and El Raval, could at first glance be thought as similar places. Indeed they have a number of similarities. Both can be described as multicultural, and popular places, where one can hear all sorts of languages from all over the world, and see faces and clothes representing all kinds of ethnic backgrounds and cultures. The immigration has been in both boroughs a big part of the local history, reflected in the current proportion of immigrants. According to El Paà ­s of 13th June 2003, the percentage of immigrants in El Raval, in 2003, was 47%, which   makes El Raval the borough with the highest proportion of immigrants in Barcelona. In Camden, according to a census carried out in 2001(ONS, 2001 census), the proportion of immigrants is very similar, reaching approximately 47,8 % of the population of the borough. In both boroughs these immigrants have brought with them their cultures and traditions, and they have opened shops and restaurants selling products coming from their country of origin, and other businesses in relation to their status of immigrants as shops offering Internet access as well as cheap international calls. All these elements make them very colourful places, and a curiosity to the eye of the passer-by. But the similarity between the two boroughs does not only lie in their current appearance, but also in their history. Indeed both were at the beginning at the periphery of the city. El Raval was, until the 14th century, outside of the walls that were surrounding the city of Barcelona. It was an open field, with a few isolated houses and there was only a very small town gathered around a monastery. The main activity was agriculture. It was then integrated inside the walls of the city but remained a marginalized part of the city where structures that were not wanted in the centre of the city were built, such as hospitals or charities. It then changed with the industrialisation, which brought the first wave of immigrants from the rest of Catalonia. The main activity in the area was the textile industry. New waves of immigration arrived at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, bringing immigrants from outside Spain. The next transformation of the area arrived when after the civil war and the beginning of the dictatorship, new housing plans led to more accommodation being built in the periphery of the now extended city, with cheaper rents, leading to a lot of people to leave El Raval and moving to the outskirts of the city. The industries also moved to the periphery of the city. The borough emptied and started its degradation process (Sargatal 2001). Camden enjoyed a similar history, going from open fields out of the city to a highly industrialised place, with the flourishing of the transport industry and the construction of the canal and of train stations (Withebead 1999: 37). The building of railways and the canal brought the first big wave of immigrants, at the beginning of the 19th century : the Irish. Other waves followed including the Greek Cypriots in the 1930’s (Denford and Woodford 2003: 14). Another big industry was the Gilbey’s company, first selling wine from South Africa and then expanding to sell all sorts of wine and spirits (Withebead 1999: 60). But this industrial era was ended after the 1st World War. One of the main reasons for that was that the roads and lorries provided cheaper and faster transportation, than the canals and rails. The industries little by little deserted Camden and the people started to leave the borough, as happened in El Raval, to follow the companies and find work (Withebead 1999: 130). Both boroughs therefore went from being very popular and labour oriented to being emptied and left to degradation. They both were revived afterwards, although through different means. They both had more immigrants coming to settle there, from all over the world. In the case of El Raval, the improvements started after the end of the dictatorship, whereas in Camden the improvements started back in the 70’s with the opening of the Camden lock market which really kick started the revival of the area.  Ã‚   But as we are going to see in the following sections, although both areas have been the place of important migration, they did not evolve in the same way, and while Camden Town look like a mosaic of people with different styles, religions, backgrounds and colours, the integration of the different ethnic groups seems more difficult in El Raval. First of all, we saw above that the proportion of immigrants in both boroughs was almost identical, but there is a difference in the way the various ethnic groups are represented and the proportion of each of these groups. Indeed in El Raval, there seems to be big predominant groups of immigrants such as the Moroccan (25,39%), the Filipinos (25,06%), or the Indians, Pakistani and Bangladeshi (17,10%) (Sargatal 2001). Then in smaller proportions comes the Dominican population,   and finally people from different countries of the European Union. The fact that they are big groups of immigrants means that there are more chances that they form communities, stay together, and do not mix with other present populations. Especially so, as the biggest communities come from very different cultures, and are for a big part Muslims, which implies different religious habits, but also different ways of dealing with the family and especially with women. Indeed the Muslim women are scarcely seen in El Raval, and when they do go in the streets, it is to do some shopping but not to discuss or meet friends, as would do women from other cultures, as the Dominicans or even the native Catalan population (Sargatal 2001). In Spain, the Catholic religion is still quite strong compared to other European countries. This fact as well as the long history between Spain and the Mores, between the Catholics and the Muslims, might be significant when trying to explain the intolerance that is generally stronger towards the Muslims, and more particularly the Moroccans. Indeed they are perceived as very different and unwilling to adapt to the local tradition and culture (Gonzà ¡lez Enriquez 2002). Some fear that the loss of religiousness that is threatening Spain might help loosing the roots of the culture and help the   Muslims to impose their religion and their culture (Capel 2001). Integration for Muslims seems harder, as they not only are victims of more prejudices, but probably have more prejudices themselves against the local culture. In Camden the population seems more diversified. The biggest immigrant group, according to the 2001, is the group of non-British or Irish white people. Even though this is a big group (33,5%), this also represents a lot of different countries and cultures. The second group is the Bangladeshi (13,4%) and the third one the Africans (12,6%) (ONS, 2001 census). Then comes a lot of different groups from all over the world, with biggest proportions from Ireland, India, China and the Caribbean. This first shows that there are no big ethnic groups as in the Raval, which might ease the living together of all theses communities, and lead to a more heterogeneous population. This also shows that the biggest group is actually made of people from other Western countries which means that the cultures are less different, and therefore it is easier for these people to integrate themselves in this new country. This difference in the composition of the immigrant population also means differences in the reasons of their presence in their new country, and differences in the classes of people. Indeed, as we saw above, El Raval has a higher proportion of immigrants coming from developing countries. This means that the immigrants might have a higher proportion of people with a lack of education, or professional skills and with a lack of money. Indeed, even if it is now changing with the process of gentrification,   El Raval has been for some time the cheapest borough of Barcelona therefore attracting the people with less money, who then moved on to other parts of the city when they could afford it (Sargatal 2001). The lack of education, the unemployment, and the poverty is likely to make the integration in a new country more difficult. The lack of education means that it is maybe more difficult to understand the culture or the language of the new country, making it also difficult for the paren ts to follow what their children are doing at school. The teenagers living in this environment of unemployment and poverty, might turn to delinquency as a form of rebellion against this society in which their future seems uncertain.   In Camden as we have seen, there is a lower proportion of people coming from developing countries. Therefore, the chances of unemployment, poverty or lack of education are lower, although existent. Moreover, the unemployment is far lower in England than in Spain. Indeed, unemployment in England is 4,7%, whereas Spain had a 10,2% of unemployment in 2004. This means that the people coming to England and therefore to Camden will have more chances and opportunities of finding a job, which facilitates the integration in the new country. Also, Camden is not the cheapest borough of London. Cheaper accommodations can be found in other boroughs like Barking. This is therefore not the place of landing of destitute people when they arrive in London, as seems to be El Raval. Finally, the two boroughs’ recent history has evolved differently. In El Raval, the process of gentrification has begun very recently. The renovation of El Raval, and the attraction of higher classes of the population, as well as younger and more dynamic and   educated immigrants, might turn it into an attractive and central borough of Barcelona. (Sargatal 2001). So far there has been only housing plans, and renovations of social structures, but no real plan of developing the businesses, or the tourism. Indeed according to David Harvey (1989 : 77), postmodernism urbanisation is characterised by a market-oriented urbanisation, but in El Raval, there seems to have been no such developments, which might help marginalize the population. There are some local businesses. El Raval has seen the creation of a lot of shops run by immigrants for their own communities, as Muslim butchers, or grocery stores offering products from the Caribbean. There are also shops offering international phone calls or Internet services. But rather than helping the social cohesion, this type of businesses is rather isolating each of the ethnic groups which are present in El Raval. The shops seem to be exclusive and not to be welcoming the other communities. They are a place where each community can gather with its fellow citizens, but there is no interaction between the different communities (Sargatal 2001). There are no businesses that might bring new capitals into the borough and attract more middle-class people. Camden’s case is in that respect totally different. First of all, even if these kind of shops run by immigrants exist, such as those run by Greek Cypriots or Indians, they do not sell exclusively products from their countries of origins. They are groceries, selling all sorts of first necessity products, and products from their home countries as well as from other countries represented in the area. But most importantly, the development of the borough in the last 30 years has been based on its market cultures. Indeed Camden is well known for its different markets. The first of its current markets was the Camden Lock Market, opened in 1973 (Withebead 1999: 137). It quickly attracted all sorts of artists and craftspeople, which would create their work during the week and sell them at weekends, renting one of the cheap stalls available at the market. The area started to be revived, attracted all kind of people, with different backgrounds, styles, religions, and origins. Not only di d the area started to attract capitals because of the business carried out in the markets, but the artistic and musical scene began to flourish. It became an entertaining place were people not only came to shop but to meet and enjoy walking around amongst the variety of original products offered on the market. This probably worked as a way to bring social cohesion, as spectacle and entertainment is a great means of social control (Harvey 1989 : 88). Indeed the streets of Camden are a spectacle, as well as being colourful they have been the sight for an original expression of creativity : a number of shops are adorned by giant fibre-glass figures in relation with the merchandise sold or the brand name: giant boots, chairs or fishes can be seen on the walls of shops (Withebead 1999:140). Camden has also attracted a lot of companies from the media sector, such as TV channels (Withebead 1999: 150) Indeed in Camden all sorts of people are brought together by the market. A lot of young professionals choose to live there, for different reasons, as its bohemian character, its centrality or the fact that it is still cheaper than other places. Tourists from all over the world are coming to visit the market. In Camden, the multicultural society does not mean only people coming from different countries but also people with different styles, different backgrounds. All styles can be found in Camden, from gothic and rock people to hippies. With this display of differences, the tolerance seems to become natural. As one of the locals puts it, â€Å"it is impossible not to be tolerant, because of all the nationalities, religions, sexualities and subcultures present†( Vestregaard Skot Poulsen and Dlugosch Sonne 2004: 8). Although appearing to be similar boroughs, with both a big proportion of immigrants, Camden and El Raval have in fact had a different recent history and have evolved differently, resulting in two colourful and multicultural but different boroughs. While El Raval is made up by big communities that seem to stay quite closed and not to mix with the rest of the population of the borough, Camden has enjoyed a more diversified immigration. The multicultural population of Camden is not composed by big communities, but rather by individuals coming from a lot of different backgrounds, immigrating in an already dynamic borough which has built its identity around its market. Bibliography Capel, I. â€Å"Inmigrantes extranjeros en Espaà ±a. El derecho a la movilidad y los conflictos de la adaptacià ³n : grandes expectivas y duras realidades†.Scripta Nova 81 (2001). Denford S. and F. P. Woodford (eds) (2003) Streets of Camden Town :  a survey of streets, buildings and former residents in a part of Camden. London : Camden History Society. Gonzà ¡lez Enriquez, C. â€Å"La convivencia con los inmigrantes en la provincia de Barcelona.† La Factorà ­a 18 (2002). Harvey, D. (1989) The Condition of Postmodernity. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. Pererios. â€Å"Los inmigrantes censados ya suponen la mitad de la poblacià ³n del Raval†. El Paà ­s 13th June 2003. Sargatal, A.â€Å"Gentrificacà ­on e inmigracià ³n en los centros historicà ³s: el caso del Raval en Barcelona†. Scripta Nova 94 (2001). Vestregaard Skot Poulsen, L. and J. Dlugosch Sonne. â€Å"Authenticity and New Trends in Markets in Aarhus, Paris and London.† Kontur 4 (2004) : 3-13. Whitebead, J. (1999) The Growth of Camden Town AD 1800-2000, London : J. Whitehead. â€Å"2001 Census :   Key Statistics for London Borough of Camden† (2003), Office for National Statistics navigation/council-and-democracy/about-the-council/camden-statistics/census-2001/> http://www.metcareers.co.uk/default.asp?action=articleID=126 http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/20888/0/desempleo/europa/marzo2005/

Relationship Between Humans And Colour In Architectural Spaces

Relationship Between Humans And Colour In Architectural Spaces Colour can clarify and define space, form and structure, yet in many architectural practices is often considered only at the final stages of the design process. This tendency to subordinate colour reflects an attitude held by many design professionals since the Renaissance. The premise that colour is secondary to form, the disegno colore theory, was established by Aristotle in his Poetics during the Renaissance. Further reinforcing this belief, the architect Le Corbusier influenced the role of colour in architectural design still upheld by many today. He considered whiteness to convey order, purity, truth and architecture. His views were further supported by contemporaries such as Adolf Loos who considered white to be the colour of heaven, while Theo van Doesburg believed it the spiritual colour of the period (Minah 2008). White became the epitome of modern architecture. While Le Corbusier latterly modified his attitude toward the relationship of colour in architecture, the colour rules established in his work Purism, co-written with Amà ©dà ©Ãƒ © Ozenfant, were never as influential as his earlier beliefs (Batchelor 2000). The following paper examines the importance of colour within architectural space and its ability to influence mental well-being through its sensory and physiological properties. Experiencing Colour What is fundamental in understanding the use of colour and light in interior space? Why do some spaces bring joy, while other do not? Many would judge it simply a matter of taste, while others an expression of artistic skill, use of precise colour theory or scientific research. It is a complex combination of many factors, both human and scientific. Colour is perceived by the eye through different wavelengths of light carried to us by our surroundings and interpreted by the brain (Nassau 1998). Without light there would be no colour. Light reflects off surfaces, triggering an electromagnetic response in the eye, which in turn translates into colour within the brain (Miller 1997). Our perception of colour is dictated by its hue (actual colour), its intensity or depth of tone (saturation) and its brightness, creating shade and shadow (Miller 1997). An academic interest in the psychological meaning of colour has been prevalent for centuries. Philosophers from ancient Greece dating back to Aristotles time, artists post da Vinci, the early 19th century poet Goethe and subsequent latter day psychologists, anthropologists, biologists, etc, have theorised and investigated the complexity of human response to, and use of colour (Birren 1978; Sharpe 1980). Shown in Table 1. are the six categories believed by Graham, to be key to the human responses to colour within the built environment (Pierman 1978). The scope of the subject is so huge that for the purpose of this paper my main focus will be physiological, mood and associative response to colour and its implications on our experience of interior space. Biological Reactions of a Colour Stimulus There is a reoccurring theme in published literature on human response to colour, namely, the association of hues at the long or warm end of the visible spectrum (red, orange and pink) with arousal and excitation, and those at the short or cool end (green, blue violet) with calmness and relaxation (Goldstein 1942; Gerard 1958; Wilson 1966; Jacobs and Hustmyer 1974) which crosses multi-cultural boundaries (Oyama, Tanaka et al. 1962; Adams and Osgood 1973). Although not all results have shown identical outcomes in respect of systolic blood pressure, skin conductance, respiration, heart rate, eye-blink frequency and electrical brain activity, the emotional responses have been similar. Further studies have used word associations with colour, such as blue being associated with tender, soothing, secure and comfortable and orange with disturbing, distressed, upset (Wexner 1954). A more recent study attempted to replicate the findings of Gerrard, with a focus on the effect on cardiovascular function (Yglesias, Stewart et al. 1993). Whilst the effect on the heart could not be replicated the individuals mental expectations of the consequence of the colours was in accord with previous literature. Jacobs and Seuss similarly found the effects of 4 primary colours projected onto a large screen produced high anxiety levels for red and yellow, consistent with earlier studies (Jacobs and Hustmyer 1974) Schauss claimed that pink colours acted as a natural tranquilizer and had successfully subdued prison inmates (Schauss 1979), but this has not been substantiated in further studies (Pellegrini, Schauss et al. 1981). The earlier findings may have been more to do with the Hawthorne effect, particularly as such a result would contradict the prevalent red/blue spectrum theory. Whilst all of the above research with its consequent design implications was carried out using coloured light, slides, patches, or words, KÃ…Â ±ller et al experimented using full scale decorated rooms. Those decorated with colours from the long visible spectrum created greater arousal than those from the short spectrum. Additionally, introverts or those in a negative mood became more affected than others, impacting their performance (KÃ…Â ±ller, Mikellides et al. 2009). Similarly, Kwallek found that an individuals ability to screen colours for irrelevant stimuli had an impact on the effect of colour. High screeners were more productive in a red working environment, while low screeners performed better in a blue-green office (Kwallek, Soon et al. 2006) (Kwallek, Soon et al. 2007) (Kwallek, Woodson et al. 1997). In addition, Kwallek et al found saturation of colour was a significant predictor of differences in mood between males and females. Ainsworth contrarily found no difference in performance between red and blue offices (Ainsworth, Simpson et al. 1993). However, In a study of almost 1000 workspaces in four countries, interior colour was recognised as an important influencing element of mood and performance (KÃ…Â ±ller, Ballal et al. 2006). A key article by Kaiser reviews the varied literature on non-visual physiological responses by humans to colour, (Kaiser 1984a), concluding that there are reliable physiological responses to colour recorded, but that some of the results may have been effected by cognitive response to colour (Kaiser 1984a). The preceding review shows that, despite considerable interest and research, studies have yet to provide a thorough and empirically proven set of rules for the relationship between colour and emotions (Valdez and Mehrabian 1994). Cognitive Response to Colour The way we respond to colour can also be a result of conscious symbolism or associated actions. Yglesias et al showed that we have expectations in respect of our response to certain colours (Yglesias, Stewart et al. 1993), regardless of involuntary physiological responses. These may be learned through culture or tradition, memory, preferences or fashion. Colour associated with actions can be seen in the red, amber and green of traffic lights conveying stop, yield and go, respectively. When these colours are used in isolation from their connection with traffic, they can still influence their association (Hutchings 2004). Red is commonly used to signify danger, or to command attention and is the most pervasive colour signal in nature (Humphrey 1976). It can, however, have a somewhat ambiguous meaning as it is the colour of edible berries, signifies love, lust, anger and blood; a combination of both positive and negative symbolism. Culture and tradition can connect specific emotions with certain colours. Typically, white is worn by Western brides for its connection with purity, whereas in India the preferred colour is red (Hutchings 2004) and in other countries black, which is in stark contrast to its commonly accepted association with mourning (Kaya and Crosby 2006). White continues its connection with purity through its use in kitchens and bathrooms, translating into cleanliness and hygiene. It can also be seen in its association with hospitals and specifically the doctors coat, further reinforcing its sterile status (Blumhagen 1979). In China white is associated with righteousness. Black is associated with dullness and stupidity in Indian culture, while red implies ambition and desire (Kreitler and Kreitler 1972). Colours can also be steeped with religious meaning through association. For instance, green is the sacred colour of Islam (Kaya and Crosby 2006), and was also considered sacred by the Celts up until the Christian church introduced white (Singh 2006). In addition to white, purple is the symbolic colour used in Christian churches throughout Lent for drapes and altar frontals, while orange is considered the most sacred colour in Hindu religion. Red and white is a combination used for ritual decorations in Melanesia and for representing the Sacred Heart of the Catholic Church in Mexico (Singh 2006). Colours with religious connotations and subsequent emotional connection can have a profound effect on an interior if inappropriately used and could cause offence, or negative feelings. Colour associations also appear to rely on an individuals previous knowledge and experience, combined with personal emotional connections. Kaya and Crosby found colour schemes were remembered in alliance with known interiors, such as restaurants, schools or their homes and, subsequently deemed appropriate colours for specific building types or rooms. For example, some related the colour blue with feelings of relaxation, calmness, comfort and peace, with an associated link to hotels and residences (Kaya and Crosby 2006). Red, a colour frequently aligned with stimulation and arousal, was often coupled with places of entertainment, such as restaurants (Kaya and Crosby 2006). Conclusion A complex collection of factors combine to dictate an individuals perception of colour within the built environment. Despite decades of research into our physiological response to colour and its implications, scientific results have been contradictory and sometimes inconclusive, albeit with a general consensus on reaction to colours within the short and long visible spectrum. For example, as highlighted earlier, red wavelengths can influence biological rhythms, with green wavelengths being weaker. These results are a direct physiological response. A human does not have to have any knowledge of the colour red for a biological response. However the result may be compounded by an indirect physiological response to the colour based on cognition. For instance, an individual may have a strong mental association of red with blood, violence, fire or hatred. We all have our own personal knowledge of colour, based around culture, tradition and memory, which serve to guide our choice and experi ence of colour and light. In addition, response to colour can also be influenced by our immediate environment, such as whether we are alone or in a group, or how we are feeling at the time and its effect on our ability to screen colours. A person in a depressed mental state may not respond in the same way as someone in a more positive mood. Colour is a powerful force which can be used in different way to motivate and stimulate, to control our actions, to create an environment of joy or misery. In making colour choices for interior space, it is crucial to understand the nature and culture of the users, in conjunction with scientific research. It is important to discern whether the chosen colour has a direct physiological impact on a particular biological function, or if the colour effect depends on cognitive learning or emotional associations. Selection should also consider the implications of hue and saturation of colour, which play a strong part in eliciting positive feelings and a sense of well-being when appropriately chosen. Interiors should not be devised purely for reasons of fashion or aesthetics, if the aim is to elicit a positive emotional response from the user; a more considered approach should be undertaken. 1876

The Small-Scale Study of an Open-Air Market in a Culturally Foreign Setting :: Essays Papers

The Small-Scale Study of an Open-Air Market in a Culturally Foreign Setting The task of learning about the broad patterns within a culture can be a daunting one, and attempting to uncover specific details about a foreign cultural setting is often a frustrating and difficult endeavor. The concept of cross-cultural understanding, however, is not one that can be approached with timidity. By nature, cultural study requires a degree of immersion, a willingness to get one's hands dirty and assault the senses with unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. Only through this experiential learning process can cultural understanding be truly achieved, one small step at a time. Four the past five months, I have undertaken this very assignment: to seek and uncover various cultural trends in a foreign setting through careful study of one aspect of society in that culture. Through this method I have been successful in leaning about both general aspects of culture and some particularities of the cultures I have encountered. The basic goal of the project is simple, to learn the workings of a small-scale market in a culturally foreign setting. Though this, I may be able to explore and discern cultural aspects of the marketplace. This includes both cultural trends influencing the market, and vice versa. Several questions are of particular interest. How does the market function? The economic side of the inquiry includes what sources of goods and materials are available and used, how is a shop rented or owned, and how the labor force is composed. Things like inputs, transactions, prices, demographics, regulation, and the development of the market are all considered. Next, what is the market's function in the city? Whose needs are served, which needs are served, and what is the market's place in the economy of the city or region? Also, what is the direct cultural significance of the market? Are there visible dependence relationships between the market and those who act within it? I will also consider the hist orical context. How and why was the market formed? Finally, what is the future of the market? Will it switch from a local to a tourist market? As you can see, many issues have been raised which may lead to conclusions about the culture of a given setting. In short, what can we learn about how people live by examining how they buy and sell in a market setting?

Venus :: essays research papers

The Planet Venus Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The planet we know as Venus is the second planet from the Sun in our solar system. The Planet is also the brightest if we were looking at it from earth. According to a some information I have found it â€Å"is the third brightest celestial object in the sky (after the Sun and Moon)†¦[And] is also one of the few bodies in our Solar System that rotates east to west (retrograde) (http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hanger/9188/venu.html).† It takes Venus around two hundred and twenty-four days on Earth for it to complete one full rotation. This makes Venus the planet with the slowest rotation in our Solar System. Venus’s year is shorter than its day being only two hundred and twenty-five days on Earth. Venus is also the Planet that comes the closest to our planet Earth. Venus comes about twenty-five million miles or fifteen million kilometers from the Earth’s surface. â€Å"Venus has a thick atmosphere and extreme atmospheric pressure, 9 2 times the Earth’s pressure. The clouds are composed primarily of sulfur compounds, most notably sulfuric acid (Http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hanger/9188/venu.html).† The Surface   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We gathered data from a satellite we sent to Venus showing us that Venus is a highly Volcanically active planet. With more and more satellite images being produced we see that the surface of the planet is changing. We have found that some Volcanoes that were on Venus some odd years ago have become dormant and new Volcanoes have been made, Thus proving the Plates under Venus’s surface are still moving and the planet is not dead; actually, it is very alive! Venus has many Mountains and Volcanoes on its surface. â€Å"There are also several board depressions: Atlanta Planitia, Guinevere Planitia, Lavinia Planitia. There two large highland areas: Istar Terra in the northern hemisphere (about the size of Australia) and Aphrodite Terra along the equator (about the size of South America). The interior of Ishtar consists mainly of a high plateau, Lakshmi Planum, which is surrounded by the highest mountains on Venus including the enormous Maxwell Montes (Http://sed s.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/venus.html).† The Atmosphere   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I copied the following chart to show the comparison of the atmosphere between Earth and Venus. (Davison E. Soper, Institute of Theoretical Science, University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403 USA soper@bovine.uoregon.edu) Earth Venus N_2 0.79 3 O_2 0.20 < 0.002 Ar 0.01 small CO_2 0.0003 86 H_2O ~ 0.02 ~ 0.01 Total 1.00 90 -------------------------- H_2O 3 km 30 cm liquid + vapor Clouds (50 to 70 km above surface) H_2SO_4 (sulfuric acid). (http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~soper/Venus/atmosphere.html) Because of all the gasses in Venus’s atmosphere it has been named one of the most poisonous planets in our solar system.

iPhone. Apple

Drew Adams Intro to Art (FINE 1001 002) Learning to Look 02/07/2013 Source. iPhone. Apple. 2009 Formal Analysis The product that is advertised in this advertisement is the new iPhone. The composition of this advertisement is only a concept version of the iPhone. It is showing only the back of the iPhone, which gives a different perspective of the main product which makes viewers want to learn more. The color palette of this advertisement consists of mostly dark colors with the print being in white.There is bold print that says, â€Å"Touching is believing†, this statement is bold to show the slogan of the advertisement. The advertiser uses the contrast of the black and white colors to give emphasis to the slogan, which could be the focal point of the picture. The black color maybe gives the sense that the product has great innovation. The viewer can clearly see the Apple logo and knows that the product is made with good quality. InterpretationThis advertisement could be trying to show how different apple is than other companies in terms of being innovative. The product being shown is the iPhone, this is Apple’s most prized product on the market. There is text in the middle that is in white and it says, â€Å"Touching is believing†. A key feature is shown as a subtitle under the main slogan that states, â€Å"The new, faster iPhone now with 3G†. The image characterizes the company as superior to other companies. Evaluation The main goal of this advertisement is to get the viewer to buy the product.It surely does a good job of grabbing the attention of the viewer and making people curious about their product. The main audience of this advertisement seems to be anyone who enjoys technology or wants the â€Å"newest† and â€Å"superior† device. By the look of the advertisement it seems to do a good job at reaching the audience that they want to reach. What is impressive about this advertisement is that it is simple yet effe ctive in getting the point across and getting the viewer to be curious. Image of Advertisement

Accidents, Illness and Emergencies in the Early Years Setting

Describe the policies and procedures for dealing with accidents, injuries, illnesses and other emergencies that are in place within the school setting (P3). These policies and procedures of accident, injury, illness and other emergencies are in place within the school setting to govern working practices and provide quality and an agreed framework for action. The management within the school setting is responsible for creating the policies and for checking that they are being followed, and the staffs are responsible for implementing the policies.As all staff and parents must be aware of these policies, you will often find them on a notice board, or in the settings brochure. It is also important that new staff are informed of these policies and procedures during their induction.The school policy states, â€Å"†¦Our paramount importance is to regard the health and safety of all employees, pupils and other visitors to Windwhistle Primary School†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The following statement s, dealing with accidents, injuries, illnesses and other emergencies is issued in pursuance of the Health and Safety at Work Act. 1974 and the policy of the County Council.Accidents and Injuries Policy and Procedures†¢All accidents must be reported to the Head Teacher and entered into the accident book which is found in Health and Safety Rep's first aid folder.†¢Fatal or Major Injuries must be reported immediately by telephone to Health and Safety Office and also to the Chair of Governors. This must be followed up by the completion of an accident report form and sent to the Education Health and Safety Officer.†¢Dangerous Occurrences must also be reported immediately by telephone to Health and Safety Officer as above.First Aid – Dealing with Accidents, Injuries, Illnessess and Other Emergencies.The appointed person(s) by the head are qualified to administer first aid to casualties. The responsibilities of the appointed person(s) are: †¢To take charge in the situation where personal injury or illness has occurred and where further medical help is needed.†¢To ensure that the first aid boxes/cupboards are fully stocked with designated items only. In the case of serious injury (other emergency), responsibility of the appointed person ends when the patient is handed over to medical care or parent/guardian.The first aid boxes/cupboards in Windwhistle Primary School are located in: †¢The Main Office †¢The Staff Room †¢Class Year 4D †¢And Class Year 1J All outside class rooms hold basis first aid equipment. Notices giving details of whereabouts of first aid facilities will be displayed at appropriate sites.The Head Teacher will assume responsibilities of the appointed person in the absence of the appointed person. However, these instances should be very few and far between as planned cover should be achieved and only in the case of unplanned absence will this situation occur. All teaching staff act in loco parentis du ring the time that the school is open for children.All injuries, whether to staff, pupils or visitors, must be recorded via the school accident book or for more serious injuries, on the accident report forms. North Somerset's guidance for accident reporting should be followed at all times (covered later on). Any serious injuries or illness should be transported to hospital by ambulance as the patient's condition could worsen. Accidents or illnesses of this type should be reported by telephone or fax in the first instance to the Health and Safety Officer and then followed by a written report/investigation using appropriate North Somerset paperwork.No attempt to move an injured person should be made until a proper  examination and assessment has been completed. There is clear evidence that premature handling of the casualty has worsened injuries.Minor injuries and may be treated on a self-help basis or by any members of staff in loco parentis.THE CARE OF SICK CHILDREN (DEALING WITH ILLNESSESS)Windwhistle Primary School recognises its responsibility to promote a learning environment that is safe for all. In order to maintain a clean and healthy environment this policy provides guidance for staff and parents as to when children should or should not be in school if showing signs of illness. The health and wellbeing of all children is of paramount importance to enable them to be successful learners and to be the best that they can be.Guidance†¢Children should not be brought to school if they are displaying signs of illness. If parents do bring children to school and staff feel that they are unfit for school, parents / carers / emergency contact will be contacted and requested to come and collect their child and requested not to return their child to school until symptom free.†¢If a child is thought to be unwell while at school they will be seen by a qualified first aider as the condition of the child needs to be assessed. This should be done in a kind an d caring manner. The Head Teacher of should be informed of any sick children.†¢Should a child become ill whilst at school, a member of staff will contact the parent / carer / emergency contact. While awaiting the arrival of parents, the staff will ensure the comfort of the child in the school office, taking appropriate action, which would include seeking medical advice if necessary. If the child is in danger, the staff will seek medical advice immediately. Should a member of staff consider an illness / situation to warrant immediate medical attention, they will report to a First Aider and Head Teacher who will contact emergency services or take the child directly to Hospital and the parent / carer notified accordingly.†¢Staff will report any worries about a child's health to the parents / carers immediately. Parents are responsible for keeping the school informed about their child's health.†¢Children with infectious or contagious diseases will be excluded for certain periods. If staff suspect that a child has an infectious or contagious disease, they will request that parents / carers consult a doctor before returning the child to school and the school will seek advice from the Health Protection Agency.†¢We recommend that children do not attend school while suffering from one of the communicable diseases and they should be excluded for the minimum periods recommended by their Doctor. Although exposure of children to a communicable disease in itself is not sufficient reason to require their absence from school, any child who becomes a home contact of diphtheria, poliomyelitis, typhoid and paratyphoid fevers will be requested to remain absent from school for the recommended time. The school will take advice from the Health Protection Agency.†¢Coughs and colds do not normally require the child to be absent from school but this depends on the severity and how the child is able to cope with the school routine. A child who is, or who appears to be unwell may be asked to return home.†¢A child who has sickness or diarrhoea whilst at school should be collected immediately and kept absent from school for 48 hours following the last bout of sickness or diarrhoea.†¢Parents will always be contacted and informed if their child has a high temperature of 101F / 38C or above.†¢To prevent the spread of conjunctivitis, suspected cases will be reported immediately to parents who will be requested to take their child from school  to seek medical advice. When treatment commences, the child may return to school.†¢Chicken Pox – children need to be absent from school for a minimum of 5 days from the onset of the rash. After this time, if all spots have dried and scabbed over, the child can return to School. Parents / carers will also be contacted if their child develops a rash or suspected thrush. This will need to be checked by a Doctor whose advice should be followed.†¢If your child has not been his/he r normal self at home but is not showing signs of illness when brought to school, parents should mention this to staff and ensure that contact details are correct and that they are obtainable.†¢The school understands the needs of working parents and do not aim to exclude children from school unnecessarily. However the decision of school is final when requesting the exclusion of a child for illness or infection. Decisions will take into account the needs of the child and those of the other children and staff in school.OTHER EMERGENCIES – FIRE DRILLSFire and Emergency Procedures†¢Each week the alarm will be tested to ensure that it is effective. Points from different zones should be used to trigger the alarm to ensure that all break glass or other points are in working order. Details should be recorded in the Fire Log Book.†¢Fire drills must be carried out at least once per term to enable everyone to become familiar with the evacuation procedure. Details should b e recorded in the Fire Log Book.†¢In each room there should be a diagram showing exit and line up points.†¢The location explosive substances such as gas and paint should be known and the Senior Fire Officer informed upon arrival.†¢At present gas cylinders are stored in locked safety cages outside the classrooms†¢Temporary heaters are located in the storage area at the foot of the stairs.†¢Other highly flammable/explosive substances are not held on this site.†¢Fire exits and fire exit routes should be free from obstruction. At all times all exit doors must be unlocked whilst there are people in the building.†¢All fire exits must be clearly labelled and comply with legislation e.g. should be pictorial rather than just writing.†¢The use of display materials must be controlled in fire exit corridors. Display/notice boards should be covered in Perspex to limit combustible materials in fire corridors.†¢All visitors spending any length of time i n the school should be made aware of arrangements in case of fire.†¢The fire log book is kept in the Care Takers cupboard. Full and detailed records are kept of evacuations, call point testing, alarm system servicing, fire fighting equipment checks etc.On Discovery of A Fire†¢Operate the nearest alarm call point †¢Go to the nearest telephone and dial 999 †¢Carry out any previously arranged duties to be done in the event of fire or go to the nearest line up point.†¢On sounding the alarm, the fire brigade will be summoned if necessary by senior management. All staff, pupils and visitors must leave the building immediately, closing doors behind them as necessary.†¢Line up points have been designated and a diagram displaying where they are is placed in each room.†¢Only if there is no risk to personal injury should attempts be made to tackle a fire using a suitable fire extinguisher. In addition, if there is no risk of injury, mains services such as gas and electricity should be turned off.†¢The mains isolator for gas can be found †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..N/A†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. and the mains isolator for electricity can be found in the downstairs stock cupboard.Action on Hearing a Fire Alarm†¢Teacher or responsible adult will supervise children leaving the building by appropriate exit, closing the door when the last person is out. (Diagrams located in each room).†¢Proceed to line up point in the allocated playground.†¢Walk quickly. Do NOT run.†¢Keep calm.†¢Do not stop to collect any personal belongings or books.†¢Registers will be taken to the line up points by the secretary and distributed to teachers for roll call.†¢If the fire brigade has been called there must be clear access to the site by emergency services.Explain how the school should ensure that the policies and procedures are followed effectively (M2).To ensure that the policies and procedures are followed effectively the s chool should: †¢Ensure that all staff are aware of the policies and have a duty to co-operate with them.†¢Ensure that all policies and procedures are easily accessible for reference.†¢Provide adequate training and instruction to enable all employees and pupils to perform their duties safely and efficiently.†¢The Head Teacher, Senior Members of staff and School Governors should make regular reviews on the policies and procedures to make sure they are in a good working order.†¢Teaching staff could try to incorporate the health, wellbeing and safety procedures into activities for pupils. For example, role modelling activities in what to do in case of a fire or what to do if a peer falls ill.†¢Routines as stated by policy and procedure, for example fire drills, should be practiced on a regular basis. This is to ensure on real occurrences, the routines can be followed effectively.

Real State in Uae

College of Business Administration(COBA) Master of Business Administration(MBA) Report on Real Estate Business in United Arab Emirates Prepared by: MBA Students 19th December, 2011 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY1 INTRODUCTION2 HISTORY OF UAE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS3 NATURE OF REAL ESTATE MARKET4 SUPPLY AND DEMAND MODEL5 ELASTICITY OF UAE REAL ESTATE MARKET7 REAL ESTATE BUSINESS – IMPACT ON UAE ECONOMY8 UAE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS – CLASSIFICATIONS9 Residential real estate market9 Office market10 Retail market11 Hotel market12 UAE REAL ESTATE LAWS12 CHALLENGES IN UAE REAL ESTATE SECTOR13SWOT ANALYSIS OF UAE REAL ESTATE SECTOR14 FUTURE GROWTH – INFERENCES AND CRITICAL CATALYSTS14 CONCLUSION17 REFERENCES18 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY United Arab Emirates is considered as the most active property market among GCC countries. Real estate and business service sector contribute a considerable share for the growth of the nation. The economic boom during the years 2003 – 2007 increases the demand for real estate properties and there were shortage in residential and commercial segments. Emirates like Dubai have found an important place in world tourism map, the conditions in UAE also attracts foreign investors and job seekers.So, the available real estate space for residential and commercial purposes was not enough to fulfill the present requirement. Real estate markets in emirates like Ajman, Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah are not exploited well; they provide new avenues for investors. Completion of some major projects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in coming years expected to be able meet the requirements. In some real estate sectors like hotel market, experts predicts oversupply situation in future. Global financial crisis in the years 2008 -2009 badly influenced the real estate sector also.Due to uncertainty in markets, many expatriates return to home country and new investors in fear to make large investments. Expected huge supply along with reduce in demand d uring crisis time, value of real estate properties went down especially in Dubai. UAE government projects like ‘Abu Dhabi vision 2030’ provides enough importance for supplying residential properties. UAE economy is now recovering from recession and new opportunities in different sectors will enhance the growth of real estate sector in coming years.So, this analysis is meaningful to measure the current situation in UAE real estate market and to forecast to the future. ? INTRODUCTION ‘Real Estate’ is a broad term which represents a piece of land including the air above ground below and any building or structure on it. This can also include the business and residential properties which can be sold by the individual who own the property or a relater. Real estate refers to residential new homes and existing ones, commercial shopping centers and offices, industrial manufacturing buildings and properties, undeveloped lands and farms etc.Real estate investments are largely influenced by the condition of the immediate area where the property is located. The values affected by local factors such as availability of jobs, crime rates, taxes, presence of educational institutions and so on. In different countries, the broad nature of the term ‘real estate’ may vary but key ideas behind is almost same. Generally speaking, real estate is the property consisting of land and the buildings on it along with its natural resources. Real estate business represents the profession of buying, selling, renting or leasing of lands, buildings, houses etc.This business area includes the activities for providing goods and services involving financial, commercial and industrial aspects. Major players in this business are land owners, developers, builders, real estate agents, tenants, buyers and so on. This is an important business area where huge amount of money is involved and so, in depth knowledge is helpful. Real estate business is attractive becaus e there is chance to earn more money within the short span of period. In the last decade, real estate business in UAE has a tremendous level of growth due to various favorable situations.The basic driven forces for such a growth are economic growth of the country, increase in income, capital inflow from foreign investors, increase in population of expatriates and liberal laws. Economic development in the UAE has largely influenced by real estate sector and its impact on GDP growth rate is very crucial. Increase in tourism and development of other business sectors stretch the confidence of investors, especially from outside the country in real estate business. Employment opportunities are high in different emirates and there by expatriate population increases, this provides good opportunities in residential real estate sector.Many multinational companies found UAE is an important business location and begin their investments also enables the rapid growth in real estate sector. UAE pr operty market is still growing after the decline faced at time global economic crisis and recession. UAE open their opportunities to foreign investors in terms of culture and social integration and considered as one the most secure country in terms of political and economic environment. UAE is now creating a real estate and property boom that will delight dream of many people and creates regions within the nation that are representative of the world.So the turn over from real estate business is high especially in emirate like Dubai. HISTORY OF UAE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS Till the early 70s, when it constitutes a single nation by combining seven emirates, UAE is one of the least developed countries in the world. Today UAE has achieved growth rate and income level comparable to that of industrialized nations. As we know, the revenue from oil was the main source for the development in the early stages of the country. The infrastructure for many other business sectors were developed using the revenue from crude oil.In 1980s, UAE followed a resource based industry as a development strategy for over all development of country using natural resources. At this time, real estate properties are under the ownership of government and citizens have limited accessibility on such properties. Restricted transactions are there which happed between local people. When industries established here, real estate market also got a hike. Industrialization and impact of crude oil on global economy enabled UAE to be an investor’s destination for business. Gradually, the number of expatriates increases, most of them came here as employees.This trend enhances the development of residential and commercial real estate market. In late 90s, government authorities realize the uneven growth of real estate business and its opportunities. In this time, many of the multinational companies set their franchisees or braches in different emirates. The employment opportunities of the country expand thereafter and so real estate market got the boom. Authorities formulated new sophisticated real estate laws in the country to encourage foreign investments in large projects.The government’s decision to diversify from a trade based economy to service and tourism oriented made real estate sector is more valuable. Establishment of free zones enables to encourage investors by providing maximum freedom to establish industries. Special laws are formulated for free zones to keep the interests of investors. These free zones also contribute a lot to the gradual growth of real estate sector. Free holding of properties revolutionize the real estate market, which encourage foreign investments.Free hold allowing foreigners to buy properties, before that, only UAE nationals can hold property with restricted permissions. This policy adopted by Dubai in 2002 and implemented from 2003, help them to explore high turnover from real estate market. UAE real estate business grew gradually by ex ploiting different favorable conditions here; retain its growth till 2008. Global economic crisis from 2007 have some sort of impact on real estate business in UAE also, influence more on Emirate of Dubai. Dubai faced another recession in 1999, but it didn’t affect relatively small real estate sector at that time when comparing to late 2000s.Property value came to extreme down level due to less demand. During the period of recession, property prices down and investors are afraid to spend money in the sector. UAE slowly recover economic crisis and the demand for properties is still high. So economists predict further growth in coming years in real estate business. (UAE real estate, Reaching New Heights- KFH research) NATURE OF REAL ESTATE MARKET UAE real estate property market suffered a crash during the time of global economic crisis and now the business is gaining back the momentum.Since the transactions involved with considerably large amount and due to the expanding nature of business, we have consider the distinct characteristics and factors influencing the real estate business. Real estate assets and markets are unique when comparing to other market goods. This tends to be highly localized and segmented with privately negotiated transactions. Main characteristics are: Uniqueness: each real estate property can assume to be more or less unique, makes it difficult to compare with other properties.Durability: New structures usually have long life and so yield benefits over a long period of time. Large transaction size: Most of the real estate transactions create in a large financial requirement. So the cost and availability of financing has more influence on real estate market. Long development/ production period: from conception to completion, real estate projects often take years to complete. That means that supply of real estate properties typically slow to adjust to the increase in demand from real estate market.So real estate market is far away fr om ideal competitive market. Real estate business is influenced by many different factors which affect the real value of property also. The dynamic integration among different factors creates the business trends in the real estate market. Physical or environmental factors are noticeable to observe. Such factors include soil, climate, water, topography, scenic beauty, infrastructure and desirable destinations like schools, commercial areas, employment centers etc. Economic factors will strongly influence growth of the city or decline and here by property values, both demand and supply factors affect in this context. Demand factors include trends in employment and income, the availability of financing and so on. Economic factors that affect supply are availability of vacant and improved properties, rental and price patterns of existing properties, construction cost etc. All real estate property values are largely influenced by government policies and actions. Developing free zones, im plementing different kinds of regulations, construction of physical infrastructure etc are responsibilities of government as part of their policies.In UAE federal monitory policy and emirate fiscal policies also influence real estate markets. SUPPLY AND DEMAND MODEL Real estate economics is attempt to apply economic techniques to real estate markets, which tries to describe predict patterns of prices, supply and demand. Supply and demand model represents the relationship between quantity of a commodity that producers have available for sale and the quantity that consumers are willing and able to buy. The function of market is to equalize demand and supply through price mechanism where it keeps an equilibrium price to balance demand and supply.Diagrammatic representation of supply and demand model commonly mentioned as demand curve and supply curve, these curves plotted against the variables price and quantity. In highly competitive economy, the combination of upward slopping supply curve downward slopping demand curve represents the supply and demand schedule the intersecting point represents the equilibrium price for the item. Source: http://kkrugler. files. wordpress. com/2008/02/supply-demand-curve. png The huge uncertainty because of recession during 2010 in real estate market causes down fall of property values.Real demand level of real estate properties depends on population growth, both in residents and expatriates estimated around 15,000 new unit requirements per annum in Dubai itself. Then there is a situation arises where supply exceeds demand due to overbuilding and market uncertainty. Most of the projects in residential sector focus on luxury villas and apartments, but the requirement is only 30% of the total. So, there is still an undersupply for low and medium cost residential properties. Many projects are delaying due to uncertainty in demand and so, expecting the demand gap will increase in future.According to the renowned rating agency Moodyâ €™s, the oversupply in luxury residential sector and in commercial sector will continues till 2016 and there will be a delay in price recovery in real estate sector. Some researchers expect recovery to 2008 price level around 2020. The situation in Abu Dhabi also worsens, nearly 11,000 residential units are expected to come in market soon, this may cause a fall of 14% in rents when comparing to last year. In 2010, Abu Dhabi invested a huge amount of nearly 140 billion of USD in real estate and infrastructure development.During the peak time of real estate business during 2007 -2008, they were simply watching the projects of other emirates, especially Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. This make made a lack of supply till last quarter of 2010 which provides a better rental when comparing Dubai. They got enough time for better planning by applying lessons learnt from Dubai’s experience. In Abu Dhabi, supply shortage is clearer in till 2011, huge supply increase in property units do not match with cumulative demand, expects till 2013. But in Luxury real estate sector and hotel sector there is issue of oversupply.One and two bedroom apartments still enjoy the highest demand. In general, there are not much serious issues regarding supply side of UAE real estate sector. Supply largely related to population growth, price obtainable for the property and its relative value of properties in real estate market. Changes in population commonly related to employment opportunities, increase or decrease in population will influence the real estate values. UAE expects drastic increase in employment and tourism sector in coming years and also encourage future investments in different sectors. Demand largely related consumer’s current financial strength and taste.Demand also relates to population, which is crucial in terms of its size along with its age distribution, educational status, size of household etc. Oversupply in certain sectors will cause a reduction in prope rty value in coming years, but low and medium cost residential sector still stay as undersupplied. ELASTICITY OF UAE REAL ESTATE MARKET The responsiveness of supply and demand to change price as per market trends is referred as elasticity. In other words, this ratio represents percentage change in quantity demand in response to percentage change in price. The demand for a property is said to be inelastic when this value is less than ne. If this value greater than one, changes in price have a relatively large impact on quantity of demand. Revenue is maximized when elasticity value is exactly one. There are different factors which influence elasticity of properties like, availability of substitutes, percentage of customer income, necessity of property, duration etc. Every investor in UAE is looking for maximum profit from property market, elasticity provided by the property owners make UAE is the best place for the property business. In real estate sector, occupancy rate is 90% and st ill they are in shortage of supply.Before the economic recession, rent is too high to reach for middle class investors. In cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, still there are unoccupied residential and commercial real estate properties and so price elasticity will make conditions different. High occupancy rate is normally an indication of price elasticity. When supply meets almost all the demand from real estate market, elasticity will play an important role in determining property transactions and its values. Change of price will increase the demand, many families occupying in sharing villas may ready to take better occupation areas if the price become affordable.Availability of residential or commercial areas with fewer prices automatically makes the markets more elastic towards the price. REAL ESTATE BUSINESS – IMPACT ON UAE ECONOMY The economic studies conducted by various agencies showed the economic recovery in the country by gaining strength with the support of favorable global environment, but political uncertainty in some GCC countries really slowdown growth of real estate sector. UAE economy has recorded an overall study level of growth over last few years and the GDP has more than doubled from 387. 8 billion in 2004 to 934. 3 billion in 2008.Early stages of UAE economy is powered by revenue from oil, but in the recent years, the main driving force of economic growth is from non-oil sector, accounting for an average of 65% of GDP from 2004 to 2008. Real estate is among the important non-oil business sector in UAE which contribute an average of 8% towards the GDP. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the emirates that contribute major share of GDP, Dubai is playing great role in the growth of non oil sectors, especially real estate market. The impact of real estate sector in UAE economy is high when considering to the last decade, the cities Abu Dhabi nd Dubai became business hubs in Middle East. Real estate sector is remain under pressure in the current econo my, contraction is expected as a further drop in property prices as new supply enters to the market along with lower demand and there by widening the supply – demand gap. This will increase in coming years with the completion of ongoing projects; will continue to weigh down the property prices and growth prospects. Abu Dhabi’s current strategy for boosting the housing supply also put additional pressure on real estate market.Anyway massive investment from government for infrastructure development projects will cause demand for construction and contracting services. Along with this boosting in employment opportunities will expected to provide a base for real estate economy to grow in future. The following table represents evolution of UAE Gross Domestic Product from year 2002 to 2009. Source: UAE National Bureau of statistics UAE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS – CLASSIFICATIONS For providing statistics more deeply, real estate market further divided in to Commercial and Re sidential sectors.Commercial real estate sector refers the property which specifically set aside for commercial purposes like industrial use, professional offices, farming etc. commercial property has to comply with certain standards and should be used solely for business purposes only. Residential real estate involves the sale and rental of land and houses to individuals or families for daily living. Both types involve transactions of huge amount and so many regulations are introduced for commercial and residential segments. Commercial real estate market further divided in to office market, retail market, hotel market etc. or providing analysis in further detailed. Residential real estate market Due to current world wide economic conditions and its manifestation, Dubai bought high uncertainty to the residential real estate market which drives down the prices. Residential market of Abu Dhabi and some other emirates are experiencing a shortage of supply, with insufficient homes or vi llas to meet requirement of current population. So sharing of villas and apartments is common here. In Abu Dhabi itself there is a shortage of 48,400 housing nits, the upcoming projects will be able to meet only around the half. The under supply for end users is particularly for lower and mid market brackets. The majority of upcoming projects also targets high class investors. Residential sales prices in UAE reached its peak in 2008, at this time rent also very high. Residential rents and selling price continue to decline due to a number of factors. More new supply will be available and as rents decline, many tenants are expected to be trade up from shared accommodations into single accommodation and thereby it keeps increase in demand.Rapid economic growth and employment opportunities results an unprecedented population boom, multi occupancy and sharing will of villas etc makes it possible to meet the requirement. House prices were fallen in last quarter of 2008 and now it slowly r etains an optimum pace. Economic growth, government support and mortgage lenders returning to the market etc are current driving forces of financial strength. The following graph represents the house price changes in UAE for the last three years. In the last quarter of 2010, residential price index rose slightly to 0. %, the total number of property transactions increased around 5%. Office market Currently there is a limited supply of office space in UAE, especially for multinational service sectors which require international standards. Still there is shortage of professionally managed office space, so office markets are operating in maximum occupancy rate and rents are relatively high when comparing to other developing countries. When begin a office, organizations will consider many concerns like road and transport facility, resource availability, infrastructure accessibility etc, so rents in areas within the city is very high.Medium range organization mostly prefer near areas of city to get the advantage of relatively less rent. More office space will be available when completing the ongoing projects which will help to stimulate market absorption rate in light of quality, tenants got opportunity to occupy higher quality office space at a lower cost. As a result poorer quality spaces forced to reduce their price. Large investment from government to set state owned enterprises and banks, currently most of such organization own the space rather than active in rental market.To widen the services of government agencies and enterprises new high quality office spaces should be created in various parts of the country. Foreign investment and multinational company involvement in different sectors like oil and gas, financial services, professional services etc largely influence the current trends in office market. According to the Global Office Market View from CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), UAE is an increasingly affordable and attractive destination for company offices, w ith growing stability within the emirates.The quality and standard of completed buildings and its affordable rent rate here become much more attractive. Retail market Retail market in real estate represents floor space available for participating in trades direct to customers. Retail market also faces shortage of international quality projects and so availability of floor space for retailers relative to demand is less. Increased spending of both UAE citizen expatriates and the existing below average per capita income provides a good atmosphere for retail market.The total retail supply in Abu Dhabi is approximately 1. 4 million square meter of GLA and it is important to note that most of this space is in non mall format, i. e. street shops. There is significant shortage of available retail space including high end street retail at present and the existing shopping malls are currently having high occupancy rate of nearly 95%. The demand for retail market is expected to increase in com ing years also, the emergence of more world class tourism points in UAE also support growth of retail sector.New retailers are offering new retail sales format and experience which will cause an increase in spending of money in retail market. In the growing economy of UAE, average rental rates almost unchanged in the main retail malls of Abu Dhabi emirates but continue to decline in Dubai. Hotel market Dubai is one of favorite tourist destination for people from Europe and other Asian countries. Abu Dhabi, Fujairah ad other emirates are also emerging as valuable tourism destinations in the country. Luxurious hospitality and high grade hotels are inevitable to retain in world tourism map.Supply of new hotel facilities are less in last few years after the recession, but it is almost meet the requirement from tourism sector. Occupancy rate has fallen and still continued to out perform when comparing to other market areas. Some tourism promotion events like Dubai Shopping Festival, Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, Dubai Air Show, Abu Dhabi shopping festival etc cause some seasonal demand for hotel facilities. The continued expansion of national airline Etihad and Emirates has enabled growth of hotel markets in UAE.Almost half of the total quality hotel supply is managed by international management companies like Hilton, Starwood etc. Development of hospitality sector along with strengthening of corporate market and development of leisure segment is the main objective of UAE authority and so the upcoming projects will supply the requirements, to continue to increase hotel supply in next few years. Abu Dhabi is one of the strongest performing hotel markets in the last few years as the number of hotel visitors to the city has doubled in from 200 to 2009.In future, hotel market expects tremendous growth along with tourism sector. (Abu Dhabi real estate market forecasts, p19-35) UAE REAL ESTATE LAWS Foreign investors in UAE real estate market face several legal challenges both as to the nature of legal entity to use the properties as well as their ability to acquire free hold interests in real estate. UAE is the federation of seven emirates established in 1971; formulation of UAE federal law provides legal framework for the emirates.Federal government is entrusted with the task of formulating laws concerning and regulating principal and central aspects of federation including defense, security, public health, currency etc. federal laws are formulated for regulating labor and social services, real estate and its expropriation in the public interest, agriculture and animal wealth and so on. As per the constitutional principle adopted by UAE nation, local governments in different emirates are authorized to regulate common matters that are not confined to the federal government.Each of the seven emirates regulates their own affaires by exploring this provision. So, in real estate sector there is no federal property law for governing foreign ownership of real estate in UAE. Each emirates has their own regulations, Dubai is the only emirate currently allow freehold of real estate properties. Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 was issued Civil Transactions Law and Federal Law No. 11 of 1992 was issued Civil Procedures Law are the important real estate laws in UAE. Apart from this all the emirates issues their own amendments to protect investors, buyers etc. he civil transaction law later amended by Federal Law No. 1 of 1987 which exclude commercial transactions from being governed by and under the civil transaction law. Different articles of civil transaction law like Article 870, 871, 881 etc ensure the security and reliability of different real estate transactions among persons and banks. As per Civil Procedure code, agreements must be evidenced in writing and must be clearly defined. Different emirates made their own amendments for better regulation by using their provision for freely constitute laws.Law No. 7 of 2006 concerning real property r egistration in the emirate of Dubai is an example of such amendment. Law No. 7 of 1997 concerns the charges for registration of lands, local decree of 1960 concerns the formation of lands committee. Year 2006 amendment define real estate register and different types of rights to hold real estate properties based on clearly defined agreements. As per Article 4, real estate property shall be restricted to UAE and GCC nationals, subject Ruler’s approval and in specific areas, non nationals grand for freehold ownership.Some other important amendments in Dubai include Law No. 9 of 2009, Law No. 13 of 2008 etc. In 2010, a number of significant changes implemented in UAE real estate laws, to encourage investments and to face challenges from global economic crisis. Landlord and tenant law provide to ensure tenants automatic right for renewal and security of tenure which has existed for the first five years of occupation for both commercial and residential clients. The 5% annual rent increase cap has also been retained in Abu Dhabi to provide middle income affordable housing.Special consideration and laws were implemented in new investment areas like free zones to protect investor’s rights. Abu Dhabi also formulates framework and general laws for property rights within Abu Dhabi emirates to register property legally. CHALLENGES IN UAE REAL ESTATE SECTOR Rising cost of cement and raw materials is a real challenge in real estate sector. Production of cement in UAE is not enough for satisfy the demand; cement comes from outside the country also. The stabilized market and a looming price control intervention by authorities imply that price may not be high always.Real estate and construction industries are facing shortage of skilled labors for construction site. Due to low wages and heavy duty, many foreign labors leave from here, manpower requirement is high when considering the demand. Delays and cancellations of projects in UAE is a major supply side issue in UAE. Due to global economic crisis, many projects are cancelled due to investor’s feeling of insecurity in real estate business. Actually real estate markets are driven by supply, demand and finance. Mortgage rate is relatively high in UAE when comparing to international standards, especially in Dubai.In many cases, this is beyond affordability. UAE authorities are continuously monitoring to taking deals with these supply issues. (UAE real estate, Reaching New Heights- KFH research P13-14) SWOT ANALYSIS OF UAE REAL ESTATE SECTOR Source: KFH research FUTURE GROWTH – INFERENCES AND CRITICAL CATALYSTS In general, UAE is undersupplied in relation to the demand for residential, office and retail properties, hotel market almost balance the requirement. Due to high occupancy rate in cities like Abu Dhabi, rental and sales price still higher than the regional market.This has a negative impact on economy; there is significant loss of potential employment, spending and invest ment. The real estate industry has respond to ongoing shortage of quality products, new projects will solve the shortage in coming years. Years fro 2003 to 2008 is the peak of business, economic crisis caused a down turn in 2009 due to economic crisis. Due to this, major projects are cancelled or delayed, now the country retains its financial strength, significant level of new supply expected to enter in market within two years.Retail and hotel market expected to move into surplus situation within two years. The remarkable growth of UAE real estate sector is enhanced by a number of activities and improvements in basic infrastructure. Many factors will be catalytic force for commercial and residential real estate markets in future. Some of them are Growing employment and population base: Due to the success of initiative from UAE authorities to increase Emirati population and to attract expatriates, UAE is now having relatively good labor pool and employment opportunities.Increase in population contributes to the development of economy and promote continuous growth of real estate demand. Promoting company start-up and growth: UAE government is taking new steps to develop new industries and work culture by introducing free zones and basic infrastructures. Achieving the rapid economic growth also requires substantial developments in to the regulatory framework. Regulatory reform: Emirates like Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras- Al-Khaimah etc. still needs to establish a business and legal environment comparable to other developed countries.Transparent regulatory mechanism only can attract investors, especially in real estate sector where a huge amount of investment is required. Transparency: In this era of globalization, markets to be more open, transparency of different markets has emerged as a big concern for investors, occupiers and other real estate stakeholders. Marketing benefits from improved transparency tends to be those in which conducting business is easier. UAE need to improve transparency and openness further to keep inline with leading international markets.Land Registry: Land and property registry system is one of the key element that define transparent real estate market, improving operation of the system by providing public accessibility, improvements will stimulate the additional demand for real estate in the country. (Abu Dhabi real estate market forecasts, p36-37) ? CONCLUSION Real estate refers to residential new homes and existing ones, commercial shopping centers and offices, industrial manufacturing buildings and properties, undeveloped lands and farms etc. Real estate investments are largely influenced by the condition of the immediate area where the property is located.In UAE real estate sector was not much developed as a big business sector till early 90s. Revenue from oil was the main source of economic growth in early stage of the country; authority’s dedication enabled them to establish an industry based economy he re which helped a lot to develop a real estate market in UAE. Multinational companies found UAE as one of the important business location; they began their franchisees which improve opportunities in residential and commercial real estate market. Real estate market is distinct from other competitive markets, due to the differentiable characteristics and influencing factors.Current supply and demand for real estate properties largely influence the rental and selling price. Residential, office and retail real estate properties still face shortage especially in cities, hotel market currently balance the demand and supply. Elasticity measures the responsiveness of quantity demanded of property goods against change in its price. This is influenced by customer’s income, availability of alternatives, necessity for the property and so on. Real estate business sector has a remarkable contribution towards UAE economy, nearly 8% of the GDP of the nation is from real estate sector.Because of the global economic crisis, real estate sector also under pressure when it badly affect on business and employment opportunities. Many huge projects were cancelled or delayed due to insecurity feel from investors at the time of recession. But UAE has almost recovered from the impact and now real estate market also expects booming in coming years. Factors like growing employment and population base, promoting company start-up and growth, regulatory reform, transparency etc will act as catalysts for future growth of real estate sector. ? 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