The sun sets at the Corniche-Marina Mall area, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Khalifa City residents wearing face masks play ping-pong at Masdar Park during the Covid-19 pandemic. Victor Besa / The National
Khalifa City residents wearing face masks trying to keep fit during the Eid break at Masdar Park exercise pathway during the Covid-19 pandemic. Victor Besa / The National
A mother and her kids take a walk as the sun sets at the Corniche-Marina Mall pathway, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa/The National
Hazy day along the Corniche-Marina Mall area, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Khalifa City residents wearing face masks trying to keep fit during the Eid break at Masdar Park during the Covid-19 pandemic. Victor Besa / The National
A lady crosses the intersection at the Abu Dhabi World Trade Center Mall area. Victor Besa / The National
Camp Star Gym in Dubai International City is providing their customers with masks, gloves, and sanitising spray bottles to clean equipment before and after use. Reem Mohammed / The National
Two boys on their bikes speed along the Corniche-Marina Mall pathway as the sun sets in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
A lady walks her dog on a hazy day along the Corniche, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
A sanitary worker picks up blown away debris and trash after a sudden sand storm at Khalifa City. Victor Besa / The National
Much has been said about the dangers of the coronavirus, and the signs of the illness it causes. A persistent cough, high fever, difficulty breathing and sometimes a loss of taste or smell are among the most widespread symptoms of the disease.
One of the reasons why Covid-19 has been so difficult to stamp out, however, lies in the fact that it can also be completely invisible. According to data provided by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 25 per cent of all coronavirus patients are totally asymptomatic. These individuals are carriers of the disease that do not have any symptoms at all, increasing their risk of infecting others unknowingly.
This is particularly dangerous for those living in close quarters with family or roommates, who have little means of quarantining separately, or may not be taking precautions on the false assumption that a lack of symptoms equates with good health.
In order to actively address this issue, authorities in Abu Dhabi have expanded a free testing initiative across the emirate for people living in high density areas and tower blocks, to spot out asymptomatic patients and protect those around them. Seha, Abu Dhabi's public hospital operator, is spearheading the initiative and has already deployed teams on the ground. This is yet another addition to Seha’s fundamental work in tackling the pandemic, from treating thousands of patients to setting up immense field hospitals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
This is not the first targeted testing campaign conducted in the emirate. The hunt for asymptomatic carriers is Abu Dhabi’s latest measures to stay ahead of the curve and halt the virus in its tracks. In the past, industrial zones and residential areas housing low-income workers such as Abu Dhabi’s Mussafah have been the focus of mass testing. There is a broad commitment to mass testing in the country, a strategy that has been recognised as a pillar of the fight against the coronavirus by the World Health Organisation. The more tests are carried out, the more likely it is that individuals who have contracted the virus will be spotted out for treatment, and others spared from infection. More than 2 million tests have been conducted since the onset of the outbreak in the country, making the UAE the country that has carried out the most Covid-19 tests per capita in the world.
And now there is a vital initiative aimed specifically at identifying and isolating silent carriers of the coronavirus. Medical teams are now preparing the best ways to survey highly populated housing areas of the emirate, providing free tests for all. This is another instance of Abu Dhabi leading efforts in curbing the virus.
The more tests are carried out, the more likely it is that those who have contracted the virus will be spotted out for treatment, and others spared from infection
This measure comes at a time of deep change in the way that countries are managing their coronavirus responses. Many nations have started to open up their economies, although new rules and restrictions have also been imposed on the public. Greece has opened up its tourism sector for a wide range of countries, while Norway is getting ready to allow children back to school. The number of infections, however, has yet to significantly drop worldwide. There are now more than 6 million coronavirus cases globally, nearly two-thirds of them in North America and Europe. Widespread testing, and identifying silent carriers early on, could prove to be a decisive step toward building public confidence, and minimising any unnecessary risks while countries open up their economies.
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
