Ras Al Khaimah: The foundation stone has been laid for the Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. The mosque, which will accommodate around 1,500 worshippers, will be built by the Abu Dhabi Public Works Department in 18 months.

The mosque is one of the four financed by the Foundation for Charitable and Humanitarian Work in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah at a cost of Dh44 million ($12 million).

Dubai: Some 35 residential and commercial buildings are coming up in the newly-developed Al Nahda area located between Sharjah and Dubai in the UAE. Other projects include four branches of the Sharjah Women's Club (SWC) being built at a total cost of Dh17.5 million ($4.76 million), according to Dr Taj Eldin Al Mahdi, head of the technical section of Sharjah Municipality. The new clubs comprise playgrounds and sports facilities, cafeterias and residential quarters for the employees.

Dubai: The Dubai Municipality has completed more than 40 per cent of the work on the Dh295 million ($80.33 million) expansion of Al Aweer sewage treatment plant which will double the current capacity by March 2001. When completed, the plant's capacity will be 260,000 cu m.

Muscat: A RO1.5 million ($3.9 million) fishing harbour at Raysut in the southern region of Oman has been opened by Shaikh Hamad bin Ali Al Ghaffri, deputy governor of Dhofar. Khalfan bin Saleh Al Naabie, the agriculture and fisheries ministry undersecretary, said the new Raysut harbour was completed in 357 days and had been designed according to international specifications.

Cairo: Egypt and Libya have agreed to activate a link joining their electrical grids, said Egypt's Electricity Minister Ali El-Saeidi. Some 120 MW of electricity will be carried over the 179-km line joining the grids of both countries for a two-month period starting December last year.

Muscat: The 20-km Al Mawaleh-Al Ghubrah North coastal road in Oman is now open for traffic. The road, with 222 streetlights, begins at Seeb coastal Park and extends a distance of 9.5 km as a dual carriageway to Northern Al Athaiba and then as a single-track road over a 9.5 km stretch to Northern Al Ghubra.