File photo shows flooding in Al Ain in July 2022. Ruel Pableo for The National
File photo shows flooding in Al Ain in July 2022. Ruel Pableo for The National
File photo shows flooding in Al Ain in July 2022. Ruel Pableo for The National
File photo shows flooding in Al Ain in July 2022. Ruel Pableo for The National

Abu Dhabi's crisis management team prepare for bad weather


Sarah Forster
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crises and Disaster Management Team has held a meeting before the bad weather expected this week.

Officials met in person on Sunday morning to discuss proactive measures to be taken across the emirate to limit the potential damage from the forecast heavy rainfall.

The meeting was chaired by Major General Pilot Fares Khalaf Al Mazrouei, commander-in-chief of Abu Dhabi Police, and chairman of the Emergency, Crises and Disaster Management Team.

Maj Gen Al Mazrouei reviewed and approved plans submitted on how to ensure all critical teams were ready for the bad weather.

He also emphasised the importance of all teams collaborating together and following a unified procedure to deal with emergencies.

Dr Nasser Humaid Al Nuaimi, acting director general of Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crises and Disaster Management Centre, said follow-up plans were in place to ensure all required resources were available to deal with the adverse weather.

He said they were co-ordinating with the Department of Municipalities and Transport’s various teams to ensure valley streams flow freely. Dr Al Nuaimi promised to hold co-ordination meetings with all relevant field teams from Al Ain Municipality and Al Dhafrah Municipality, Red Crescent Authority, Tadweer, Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Distribution Company to ensure a quick and efficient response to all emergencies.

Officials emphasised the importance of following the latest weather developments through official sources and channels, and called on the public to follow instructions to stay safe and avoid being in dangerous places.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Abu Dhabi Government Media Office, Abu Dhabi Police, Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority, Department of Municipalities and Transport, Emirates Red Crescent Authority, Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, Department of Energy – Abu Dhabi, Tadweer, the National Meteorology Centre and Adnoc.

Flood recovery work in Fujairah: in pictures

  • Many residents lost appliances and cars in the floods that hit Fujairah in July. All photos: Aster
    Many residents lost appliances and cars in the floods that hit Fujairah in July. All photos: Aster
  • Homes across Fujairah and Sharjah were damaged due to floodwaters.
    Homes across Fujairah and Sharjah were damaged due to floodwaters.
  • Mud left behind by floodwater has been a challenge for volunteers helping families in Fujairah with the clean up.
    Mud left behind by floodwater has been a challenge for volunteers helping families in Fujairah with the clean up.
  • Aster Volunteers arrived from Dubai to help with the clean-up in Fujairah.
    Aster Volunteers arrived from Dubai to help with the clean-up in Fujairah.
  • Many residents were without insurance so are facing huge repair bills.
    Many residents were without insurance so are facing huge repair bills.
  • Work from 15 young people from the Youth India Fujairah group, operated by Aster healthcare, helped families get back into their homes.
    Work from 15 young people from the Youth India Fujairah group, operated by Aster healthcare, helped families get back into their homes.
  • Floodwaters posed a potential health hazard to families hoping to move back home.
    Floodwaters posed a potential health hazard to families hoping to move back home.
  • Aster Volunteers helped with the clean up to allow families like the Kumars move back in.
    Aster Volunteers helped with the clean up to allow families like the Kumars move back in.
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. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Scores

Rajasthan Royals 160-8 (20 ov)

Kolkata Knight Riders 163-3 (18.5 ov)

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

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

UAE squad

Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Who are the Sacklers?

The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.

Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. 

It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.

Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".

The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.

Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.

How does ToTok work?

The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store

To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.

The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.

Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.

 

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Teachers' pay - what you need to know

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

UAE v Zimbabwe A

Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs

Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai

SERIES INFO

Cricket World Cup League Two
Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
 
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal

Table
The top three sides advance to the 2022 World Cup Qualifier.
The bottom four sides are relegated to the 2022 World Cup playoff

 1 United States 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.412
2 Scotland 8 4 3 0 1 9 0.139
3 Namibia 7 4 3 0 0 8 0.008
4 Oman 6 4 2 0 0 8 -0.139
5 UAE 7 3 3 0 1 7 -0.004
6 Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 PNG 8 0 8 0 0 0 -0.458

'Shakuntala Devi'

Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra

Director: Anu Menon

Rating: Three out of five stars

MATHC INFO

England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)

New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)

ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre

Updated: August 14, 2022, 5:27 PM