Business activity in the non-oil private sector of the Arab world’s two biggest economies continued to grow in April as new orders climbed amid a rollout of Covid-19 inoculation programmes.
The IHS Markit Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 55.2 in April, up from 53.3 in March, indicating a marked improvement in the kingdom's non-oil economy. A reading above a neutral 50 level indicates economic expansion and below points to contraction.
Business activity rose at the sharpest rate for three months in April as new sales climbed significantly. The kingdom has now recorded growth in each month since September 2020.
The latest survey data points to stronger growth across the non-oil economy as “business conditions continued to recover from Covid-19”, David Owen, an economist at IHS Markit, said.
Employment in Saudi Arabia, the top Arab economy and Opec’s biggest oil exporter, also climbed in April as companies expanded recruitment for the first time in five months, with the “pace of increase [being] the fastest since November 2019”, Mr Owen said.
Demand growth also picked up for the first time this year, amid expectations of an easing of Covid-19 measures. Business activity also received a boost by an increase in export sales that was linked to strengthening demand from Asian clients.
The IHS Markit UAE PMI rose to 52.7 in April from 52.6 in March, pointing to a solid improvement in the health of the non-oil sector. The index was above the 50 neutral threshold for the fifth month running and at its highest level since July 2019.
The non-oil private sector economy was supported by a strong rise in new business volumes and a sharp expansion in output, which companies attributed to a continued economic recovery from the pandemic-driven slowdown.
The largest growth contributor at the beginning of the second quarter was the increase in new orders, which rose to a 20-month high in April.
Surveyed firms said market conditions had generally improved due the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines and strengthening business confidence. A rise in new export orders also fuelled non-oil economic activity, although the upturn was more modest than that of total sales, the survey said.
The latest PMI data suggests “the UAE non-oil economy remains on the right track to a recovery from Covid-19,” Mr Owen said.
Hopes that restrictions on businesses will further ease with continued recovery from Covid-19 boosted business sentiment in April for the fifth month running. Expectations of an uplift in sales from the Expo 2020 later in the year also contributed in lifting business sentiment.
Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have eased restrictions on businesses as they continue their mass Covid-19 inoculation programmes.
Globally, more than 1.17 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered across 174 countries, as mass screening and vaccination remain keys to fighting the pandemic. The UAE has administered more than 10.6 million doses of vaccine, enough to vaccinate almost half of the country's population. In Saudi Arabia, more than 9.75 million shots have been administered, enough for 14.3 per cent of the country's population, according to Bloomberg's vaccine tracker.
More than 44.6 million coronavirus tests have been conducted in the UAE since the pandemic began. Daily case numbers have declined in recent months, after hitting a peak of 3,977 infections on February 3. Daily numbers have remained below 2,000 for the past six days.
Despite a global vaccine rollout to control the virus, the world is seeing a surge in infection rates in parts of Europe, the Americas and in India, which has resulted in fresh lockdowns and movement restrictions. Globally, Covid-19 infections have crossed 154 million, with 3.22 million fatalities as of Tuesday, according to Worldometer data.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Lecce v SPAL (6pm)
Bologna v Genoa (9pm)
Atlanta v Roma (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Hellas Verona (3.30pm)
Juventus v Brescia (6pm)
Sampdoria v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sassuolo v Parma (6pm)
Cagliari v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Torino (11.45pm)
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
