Sanitisation workers from Abu Dhabi's waste management company Tadweer assemble at night before a citywide disinfection. Victor Besa / The National
Sanitation workers at Haddins Fitness, Zayed Sports City. Victor Besa / The National
The new Seha National Screening Project in Mussaffah Industrial Area in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
A sign at Al Qudra cycle path warns people about cycling in groups in light of the corona virus.. Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Abu Dhabi Police bicycle patrol do night operations around the Mussaffah area to warn or catch curfew violators in the residential areas. Victor Besa / The National
Corona. A very quiet Umm Suqeim Street. Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Corona. A car scooter drives off Sheikh Zayed Road during the 24hr lockdown due to Covid-19. Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Coronavirus. Sheikh Zayed road is still very quite on the first morning where the government has eased restrictions on personal travel due to Covid-19. Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
A lady exercises in the marina on the first morning where the government has eased restrictions on personal travel due to Covid-19. Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Coronavirus/Covid-19. A man walks passed a huge sign on Sheikh Zayed Road that says 'Stay Home'. Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Coronavirus/Covid-19. Sharjah police officer Mohammed-Hassan Alshehhi goes through the self sanitization walk at Sharjah Industrial Area Police Station. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Covid-19/Coronavirus. Maria, Fraz and Nuno (L) work out. Crank an Indoor Cycling & Boutique Fitness Studio have brought in partitions between bikes to protect their customers from Covid 19. Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Coronavirus/Covid-19. Abi Cooke (pictured) and Rebecca Wright run a fashion company called Alana Bree. They make and sell dresses in the UAE. They have started making masks which match dresses. Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Coronavirus/Covid-19. Safety measures Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh temple has put into place as places of worship hope to open soon. Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
A piece of gym equipment goes unused with a sign saying do not sit here due to Covid-19/Coronavisus. Sharjah. Chris Whiteoak / The National
A big sign on Al Khalil road advises people to stay informed due to Covid-19/Coronavisus. Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Covid-19/Coronavirus. Khalaf Al Habtoor, chairman of Al Habtoor Group comes to inspect the social distancing measures at Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Covid-19/Coronavirus. Midday prayers are performed at Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Visitors wearing the protective face mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai. Authorities ease the restriction for the residents in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
Shoppers wearing protective face mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. Authorities ease the restriction for the residents in Dubai. At present mall opening timing is 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Pawan Singh / The National
Fruit vendor wearing protective face mask at the Al Awir fruit & vegetable market in Dubai. UAE government ease the coronavirus restriction for the residents around the country. Pawan Singh / The National
A salesman wearing protective face mask at his traditional shoes shop in Bur Dubai area in Dubai. UAE government ease the coronavirus restriction for the residents around the country. Pawan Singh / The National
A person wearing protective face mask at the Grand souq which is closed as a preventive measure against coronavirus in Bur Dubai area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
People wearing protective face mask as a preventive measure against the spread of coronavirus and maintaining safe distance when sitting on the benches at the Umm Suqeim park near Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
Safety stickers at the Redtag store in Al Naeem City Centre in Ras Al Khaimah. Pawan Singh / The National
Human sanitizing tunnel installed for the visitors as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus at the Gurunanak Darbar in Jebel Ali in Dubai. Places of worship opening up in the UAE. Pawan Singh / The National
A commuter enters a disinfection tunnel at Abu Dhabi's central bus terminal. Victor Besa / The National
Barbers at Möto Barber in Al Quoz were back to 100% capacity for cutting hair and beards today after a slow return to business. During the Lockdown they were fully closed but have seen a massive demand in their services as people have been allowed to leave their homes again. Antonie Robertson/The National
Busy Dubai beaches after the beach restrictions were lifted in Dubai. Residents and visitors visit the beach near Kite Beach in Dubai even though the temperatures are in the high 30’s with high humidity. With social distancing in place the wearing of masks compulsory. Antonie Robertson/The National
Staff at Nightjar Coffee in Al Serkal Avenue, Al Quoz follow strict sanitary procedures due to the current COVID-19 Pandemic to ensure health and safety measures put in place by Dubai Municipality is adhered to. Antonie Robertson/The National
Shoppers in Souk Khabeer in Bur Dubai. The National
Christina Yakubel, a teacher at Chubby Cheeks Nursery prepares to teach children at home how to make edible playdough during the shutdown of educational institutions in the country to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Antonie Robertson / The National
Sharjah municipal staff prepare to disinfect the sidewalks as part of weekend drive across the UAE to sterilise public spaces to curb the coronavirus outbreak. Antonie Robertson / The National
General COVID-19 Coverage. View of Ras Al Khaimah during the Stay At Home campaign in effect during the Corona / Covid-19 pandemic. Antonie Robertson/The National
The Reif Japanese Kushiyaki restaurant in Dar Wasl Mall. preparedness and resilience are necessary for any business to survive the coronavirus pandemic. Antonie Robertson / The National
Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management announced increased restrictions on movement in Al Ras area of Dubai for two weeks effective from today to facilitate intensified sterilisation procedures. Reem Mohammed/The National
People line up in Bur Dubai to receive an iftar pack from volunteers of the Kerala NGO Markaz. Reem Mohammed/The National
SEHA’s Ras Al Khaimah Covid-19 drive-through testing centre. Reem Mohammed/The National
A nurse checks on a covid 19 patient at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. Reem Mohammed/The National
The drive-in cinema is making a comeback at Mall Of The Emirates, as the property and VOX Cinemas take the movie-going experience outdoors. Photo: Reem Mohammed/The National
Volunteers at the iftar distribution in Dubai Investment Park, inside a small mosque, pick up their iftars. Reem Mohammed/The National
Beauty specialists in Abeer Salon in Baniyas neighborhood. They’ve been closed for the duration of 2 months, and opened only Tuesday. Reem Mohammed/The National
An employee takes your temperature at Pastels Salon in Mercato. Reem Mohammed/The National
Feby Cachero Baguisa Dela Peña sits with her family by the Patchi Building in Al Muraqabat Street in Deira, Dubai, with boxes of food she’s cooked at home, free for anyone who needs it. Reem Mohammed / The National
Men exercising in a park by Dubai Creek in Baniyas, Deira. Reem Mohammed/The National
Men sit by Dubai Creek on Baniyas road in Deira. Reem Mohammed/The National
A man sits by Dubai Creek on Baniyas road in Deira. Reem Mohammed/The National :
People line outside a shop with a clearance sale in Al Sabkha. Reem Mohammed/The National
Signs requiring people to social distance at Dubai Mall’s Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. Reem Mohammed/The National
Dubai Mounted Police officers, in Al Aweer, patrol residential and commercial areas to insure residents are staying safe indoors during COVID-19 lockdown. They patrol the streets from 6PM to 6AM. Reem Mohammed/The National
A group of homeless men has taken residence in the shade in Karama. Reem Mohammed/The National
A patient gets an anti-body test at King's College Hospital. Reem Mohammed/The National
Shiva temple in Dubai. Hindu temples and a Sikh gurdwara in Dubai are also ready to open without ritual ceremonies and offerings to the gods. Regular deep cleaning, thermal scanners at the entrance and individual temperature checks are among safety measures. Reem Mohammed/The National
Shiva temple in Dubai. Hindu temples and a Sikh gurdwara in Dubai are also ready to open without ritual ceremonies and offerings to the gods. Reem Mohammed/The National
The National Screening Center, Mina Rashed, Dubai. A passenger in a Dubai Taxi about to get tested at the center. Victor Besa / The National
The door-to-door testing team are playing a vital role in Abu Dhabi's efforts to limit the spread of Covid-19. Victor Besa/The National
The once again busy streets at downtown Abu Dhabi during afternoon rush hour after Covid-19 restrictions have been eased following the completion of a three-month national sterilisation programme. Victor Besa / The National
The new Ambulatory Healthcare Services, a SEHA Health System Facility, National Screening Project in Mussafah Industrial Area in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Residents enjoy the sunset at the Corniche before the 6 p.m. curfew by the UAE government on the first day of the nationwide cleaning campaign to help deter the Coronavirus from spreading. Victor Besa / The National
The silent streets of downtown Abu Dhabi during the Coronavirus epidemic. King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street. Victor Besa / The National
Empty streets at Khalifa City during the Coronavirus epidemic. at Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Abu Dhabi Civil Defence and Police sterilisation drive in Mussafah. Abu Dhabi First Responder teams used a fleet of futuristic-looking equipment, which was originally rolled out to tackle fires, has now been redeployed as virus-fighting tech in the National Disinfection Programme. Victor Besa/The National
The streets of Mussaffah are sprayed with disinfection during a national campaign to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Victor Besa / The National
Half a year has passed since the World Health Organisation’s China office reported cases of “viral pneumonia” in the central city of Wuhan. The disease turned out to be a novel strain of the highly infectious coronavirus. Today, the ensuing pandemic has claimed more than half a million lives and infected 10.6 million people worldwide.
Covid-19 has weighed on health care infrastructure and changed the lives of billions. Restrictions on travel and freedom of movement, as well as physical distancing measures, are important initiatives meant to protect us all. But at the same time, they have sent the global economy into recession.
Governments everywhere have been forced to take action, some more quickly than others, and the private sector has had to find ways to operate profitably while protecting customers and workers. Flexible work is set to become a growing trend, even after the pandemic.
Technology has also proven to be an invaluable tool. Educators are resorting to online classes and tests, health authorities are using contact-tracing applications to identify potential Covid-19 clusters and businesses are relying more than ever on online delivery services and social media.
Countries would be wise to learn from past mistakes in order to protect lives and livelihoods in the next phase, as more nations reopen their economies. Putting in place strategies not only to deal with the immediate health crisis but also to prepare nations for its long-term impact on livelihoods is vital. Social safety nets and initiatives to boost the economy and aid struggling businesses are pivotal for societies to heal. So is ensuring that people are well informed of the ways they can protect themselves from disease. Individual responsibility complements the work of health authorities to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The world can also learn from many of the communication issues that have affected the global response. For instance, false information and conspiracy theories about the virus continue to linger. These have misled some people into believing Covid-19 was either a complete fabrication or a relatively benign disease akin to the flu. Scientists and doctors have led the fight against disinformation, and governments have raised awareness about the risks associated with coronavirus.
As the Northern Hemisphere enters the height of summer, there is a widespread, though as yet unconfirmed, theory that the heat will slow the spread of the virus. In reality, Covid-19 cases are not on the decline. "Although many countries have made some progress, globally the pandemic is actually speeding up," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this week.
Countries would be wise to learn from past mistakes to protect lives and livelihoods in the next phase, as more nations reopen their economies
Some countries are slowly beginning to open up their economies while applying new hygiene and physical distancing rules, but others are witnessing a surge in infections. The new centres of the virus are now in the Americas, Russia and India. The US alone accounts for more than one in four of all confirmed Covid-19 cases and has registered more than 130,000 deaths.
The world has made it through six months of a global health crisis. By learning from past mistakes, world leaders and ordinary people alike can make the fight against Covid-19 a success in the six months to come.
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
The burning issue
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.
The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.
For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
