• All pupils returned to classes at British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi in April. All photos: Victor Besa / The National
    All pupils returned to classes at British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi in April. All photos: Victor Besa / The National
  • Pupils head back to class after lunch break.
    Pupils head back to class after lunch break.
  • For some pupils the return to classrooms was their first experience of face-to-face schooling in two years.
    For some pupils the return to classrooms was their first experience of face-to-face schooling in two years.
  • Pupils no longer have the option to study remotely and school attendance is compulsory.
    Pupils no longer have the option to study remotely and school attendance is compulsory.
  • In-person lessons are not the only change, as this happy group enjoying a break from classes shows.
    In-person lessons are not the only change, as this happy group enjoying a break from classes shows.
  • Not all pandemic restrictions have been dropped at British School Al Khubairat and some grades are still required to wear masks indoors.
    Not all pandemic restrictions have been dropped at British School Al Khubairat and some grades are still required to wear masks indoors.
  • Pupils on window-cleaning duty.
    Pupils on window-cleaning duty.
  • Say cheese! Masks are not required for official photographs.
    Say cheese! Masks are not required for official photographs.
  • Neither are they required when having your lunch.
    Neither are they required when having your lunch.
  • Pupils during a music class at British School Al Khubairat.
    Pupils during a music class at British School Al Khubairat.
  • British School Al Khubairat headmaster Mark Leppard said authorities were not rushing to revert to pre-pandemic rules.
    British School Al Khubairat headmaster Mark Leppard said authorities were not rushing to revert to pre-pandemic rules.
  • 'As things continue to improve in this country, I think masks being removed will be the next step, ' Mr Leppard says.
    'As things continue to improve in this country, I think masks being removed will be the next step, ' Mr Leppard says.
  • All pupils are back to school at British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
    All pupils are back to school at British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
  • A pupil helps to clean the play area at British School Al Khubairat.
    A pupil helps to clean the play area at British School Al Khubairat.
  • At British School Al Khubairat during the pandemic, most pupils were still able to attend classes, with only those who most needed it opting for distance-learning, according to the school's headmaster.
    At British School Al Khubairat during the pandemic, most pupils were still able to attend classes, with only those who most needed it opting for distance-learning, according to the school's headmaster.
  • Mr Leppard says the majority of pupils at British School Al Khubairat were able to attend classes in person during the pandemic.
    Mr Leppard says the majority of pupils at British School Al Khubairat were able to attend classes in person during the pandemic.
  • Some grades are still required to wear masks.
    Some grades are still required to wear masks.
  • The school has a one-way system in place to improve social distancing.
    The school has a one-way system in place to improve social distancing.
  • Pupils on lunch break at British School Al Khubairat.
    Pupils on lunch break at British School Al Khubairat.
  • 'As things continue to improve in this country, I think masks being removed will be the next step,' Mr Leppard says.
    'As things continue to improve in this country, I think masks being removed will be the next step,' Mr Leppard says.

Hundreds of Abu Dhabi pupils back in the classroom for first time in two years


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

Thousands of pupils at Abu Dhabi’s private and charter schools were back in the classroom on Monday, with hundreds experiencing face-to-face lessons for the first time in two years.

Excluding those with medical exemptions, pupils are no longer allowed to opt for distance learning in the emirate and must attend classes in person.

Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge informed schools and parents over the spring break that all distance learning would come to an end, except for those with exemptions. The authority also announced a spate of changes in a circular before the final term of the school year began.

The majority, around 60 per cent of pupils, had been completely out of school for the past two years
Dr Beno Kurien,
International Indian School Abu Dhabi

Dr Beno Kurien, principal at International Indian School Abu Dhabi said close to 500 pupils of the 1,000 enrolled at his school had returned to in-person lessons for the first time in two years this week.

“The majority, around 60 per cent of pupils, had been completely out of school for the past two years. Today is the first day they're back,” said Dr Kurien.

“Since last week, class teachers have been holding sessions and orientations with parents and pupils.

"The teachers were there to welcome all the pupils and take them to the classrooms for interactions."

Pupils during music class at British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Pupils during music class at British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Dr Kurien said that with many pupils returning after so long, he had ensured teachers used the first day back to help pupils reintegrate.

Physical distancing measures in indoor areas have also been removed and unvaccinated pupils aged 16 and above can now return to school but have to provide a negative PCR test result every week, the emirate's education authority announced last week.

Dr Kurien said his school chose to keep some of the former guidelines in place for safety reasons.

“It’s a big school and we are still maintaining a one-metre distance while previously it was 1.5 metres. Now, we are keeping it one-metre distance and 30 students per class,” said Dr Kurien.

With schools taking steps to move closer to a pre-pandemic normality, Mark Leppard, headmaster at The British School Al Khubairat, said authorities were being careful in not rushing back to pre-pandemic rules.

“These things are a step back to normal. We're not quite there yet, because we still have to wear masks. I think the authorities are doing it carefully. I don't think they're abandoning everything that they've put in place, hence the regular PCR checks and the wearing of masks," said Mr Leppard.

“I think that's good at the moment. I hope over time that will also disappear.

"I think the next step will be for masks indoors to be removed. Obviously, they're a safety precaution and we fully support that. But as things continue to improve in this country, I think masks being removed will be the next step."

Pupils in grades 1-12 will be required to wear face masks indoors.

Of the nearly 2,000 pupils at the school, 96 per cent had been attending in-person lessons through the year.

“We haven't seen a great uptake of distance learning, only those who genuinely needed it," said Mr Leppard.

“We've only offered distance learning to medically vulnerable students, or with family members who are medically vulnerable, or displaying Covid symptoms after being checked by a doctor."

Pupils enjoy their lunch break at British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Pupils enjoy their lunch break at British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

For now, the school is following a one-way system at places to enable better social distancing. This will be removed over the next week.

Robert Rinaldo, head of Gems American Academy Abu Dhabi, said out of about 1,800 pupils, only 2 per cent to 3 per cent had been studying remotely. He expected that number go down to zero over the next couple of days.

"I think the biggest changes are regarding close contacts and not having to shut down the school based on a number of pupils within each bubble, then the fact that parents can come back into school," said Mr Rinaldo.

The updated protocols remove classroom and bubble closure requirements, with a three-day school-level closure occurring only if 15 per cent of the student body test positive at the same time.

Mr Rinaldo said the updated protocols would help schools as they previously had to study how many Covid-19 cases were in each bubble and make decisions regarding closures accordingly.

"Also, the desk arrangements are very important," he said. "In addition to content, we also have pupils working together collaborating on projects to really try to identify a problem and make an impact with their learning.

"The distribution of class where we had to be in rows really changed the way we taught and learn. Now we're more collaborative. That's a big change," said Mr Rinaldo.

Super Saturday race card

4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m

The Matrix Resurrections

Director: Lana Wachowski

Stars:  Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick 

Rating:****

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

MATCH INFO

Europa League final

Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports

Company profile

Company: Rent Your Wardrobe 

Date started: May 2021 

Founder: Mamta Arora 

Based: Dubai 

Sector: Clothes rental subscription 

Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded 

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

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

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
 

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eamana%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Farra%20and%20Ziad%20Aboujeb%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERegulator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDFSA%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinancial%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E85%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf-funded%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile

Name: Tharb

Started: December 2016

Founder: Eisa Alsubousi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: Luxury leather goods

Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings

 

Profile of Foodics

Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani

Based: Riyadh

Sector: Software

Employees: 150

Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing

Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.

Brief scoreline:

Al Wahda 2

Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'

Al Nassr 3

Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'

Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs

Engine: 5-litre V8

Gearbox: eight-speed automatic

Power: 420hp

Torque: 505Nm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km

Price: Dh260,500

The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

From Conquest to Deportation

Jeronim Perovic, Hurst

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
While you're here
HWJN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Yasir%20Alyasiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Baraa%20Alem%2C%20Nour%20Alkhadra%2C%20Alanoud%20Saud%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQureos%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E33%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESoftware%20and%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: April 11, 2022, 1:03 PM