One week before the UAE celebrates its 39th birthday, the unveiling of the new Zayed National Museum is a reminder of how the country's father paved the path for the nation to rise and flourish.
As The National reports today, Queen Elizabeth II and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, unveiled the design for the much-anticipated museum on Saadiyat Island, revealing the central structure in the series being built on the island's cultural district. The building, designed by the renowned UK firm Foster and Partners, will be a blend of futuristic design and traditional values when it is finally completed in 2014.
Symbolically, it is but one institutional bridge linking the UAE's traditional past to its progressive future. Practically, its exhibits will teach visitors about the legacy Sheikh Zayed left behind. It was, after all, his negotiating skills and magnanimity on issues ranging from borders to economic development that ultimately resulted in the formation of a federation on December 2, 1971.
As such, the museum will portray the father of the nation as leader, diplomat and conservationist. Galleries will reportedly display Sheikh Zayed's passions, traditional values and heritage, as well as the history of the region. Falconry, one of Sheikh Zayed's favourite pastimes, will be represented by a falconry and conservation lower gallery, as will his love of nature and wildlife, already manifested in projects such as Sir Bani Yas island.
The museum, though, is as much about the country's present and future as it is about its past. Abu Dhabi's drive towards a culturally rich future and a knowledge-based economy has drawn upon Sheikh Zayed's inspiration, and his legacy continues to dictate the direction the country is heading in. "He was a school; the school we want all generations to learn from - to learn his thinking, to learn his sharing, to learn everything that was around him," Mohammad Ahmad al Bowardi, the secretary general of the Executive Council, said.
Those who did not have the opportunity to learn from this school when he was alive can visit the museum; it is an educational tool in itself for charting the course of the country and its beneficent founder.
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Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
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Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
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Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
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Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
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New UK refugee system
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- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
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The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
