The UAE has raced ahead in the global vaccination drive. AFP
The UAE has raced ahead in the global vaccination drive. AFP
The UAE has raced ahead in the global vaccination drive. AFP
The UAE has raced ahead in the global vaccination drive. AFP


Vaccination lessons from the UAE


Letters to the editor
  • English
  • Arabic

July 01, 2021

With reference to the report Abu Dhabi to restrict access to many public places for unvaccinated people (June 28): that is the way to go. It should be like that here too in Australia. We are asking to be vaccinated but it's a long wait. Several countries across the world can learn from the UAE and Israel, how they have so efficiently managed to vaccinate so many of their citizens and residents.

Yousef Bitar, Queensland, Australia

Bike hazards on main roads

About the report Dubai Police confiscate 454 bicycles since the start of the year in safety drive (June 19): others to consider are the battery powered/motorised scooters. They are possibly an even bigger hazard on the road. The other day I spotted one on Sheikh Zayed Road – in the yellow lane.

Monika Arora Agarwal, Dubai

For cat lovers – and those less keen

With reference to Razmig Bedirian's article How a street cat named Salem inspired an Emirati author's book: 'My heart went out to him' (June 28): I saw her book in Magrudys bookshop Abu Dhabi. Another small step to change the minds of people who don't like cats.

Glenis Stevenson, Abu Dhabi

Love this. It's a great way to show people how majestic the Arabian Mau really is.

Maya Chacko, Dubai

India's impending third wave

With regard to Taniya Dutta's report India just weeks from third wave after relaxing Covid-19 rules, experts say (June 21): in anticipating the third wave, India's vaccine shortage and the pace of vaccinations is a major hurdle. For such a vast country, these challenges are not easy to meet. India will manage and procure from outside and in due course bring up the rates of vaccinations. Until that time, even if it takes several more months, large gatherings must be avoided. It's a tough task but the government should be able to overcome this.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India

Bricks and stone are no substitute for trees

I have noticed trees are being cut and plants and grasses are being uprooted in MBZ Khalifa City, Sheikh Shakhbout and Musaffah areas. Greenery is being replaced by bricks and stones. While development is important, for the sake of the environment and ecology, we must preserve trees. They are irreplaceable in that they give us oxygen, shade and keep the temperatures down. If we keep cutting trees and uprooting plants, where will we get oxygen and fresh air from?

M A Mannan, Abu Dhabi

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.

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Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
If you go

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.

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The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

As You Were

Liam Gallagher

(Warner Bros)

Updated: July 01, 2021, 3:00 AM