Thousands of prisoners across the emirates will be released after being pardoned ahead of the country's 51st National Day.
On Tuesday, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed ordered the release of 1,530 prisoners.
The move reflects Sheikh Mohamed's interest in granting the pardoned prisoners a fresh opportunity in life and a chance to correct their mistakes, said news agency Wam.
It will help to reduce the suffering of the families of the prisoners.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, ordered 1,040 inmates to be released from prisons in the emirate.
Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi pardoned 333 prisoners.
Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Ruler of Fujairah, has also ordered the release of 153 prisoners. The inmates of various nationalities were selected based on their good conduct.
Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman, has asked authorities in the emirate to release 111 prisoners.
Ras Al Khaimah ruler Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, has ordered the release of 417 prisoners who were serving varying sentences.
UAE leaders typically offer pardons to hundreds of inmates each year on important occasions such as National Day, Ramadan and Eid.
These humanitarian efforts are aimed to rehabilitate prisoners.
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'Young girls thinking of big ideas'
Words come easy for aspiring writer Afra Al Muhairb. The business side of books, on the other hand, is entirely foreign to the 16-year-old Emirati. So, she followed her father’s advice and enroled in the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s summer entrepreneurship course at Abu Dhabi University hoping to pick up a few new skills.
“Most of us have this dream of opening a business,” said Afra, referring to her peers are “young girls thinking of big ideas.”
In the three-week class, pupils are challenged to come up with a business and develop an operational and marketing plan to support their idea. But, the learning goes far beyond sales and branding, said teacher Sonia Elhaj.
“It’s not only about starting up a business, it’s all the meta skills that goes with it -- building self confidence, communication,” said Ms Elhaj. “It’s a way to coach them and to harness ideas and to allow them to be creative. They are really hungry to do this and be heard. They are so happy to be actually doing something, to be engaged in creating something new, not only sitting and listening and getting new information and new knowledge. Now they are applying that knowledge.”
Afra’s team decided to focus their business idea on a restaurant modelled after the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Each level would have a different international cuisine and all the meat would be halal. The pupils thought of this after discussing a common problem they face when travelling abroad.
“Sometimes we find the struggle of finding halal food, so we just eat fish and cheese, so it’s hard for us to spend 20 days with fish and cheese,” said Afra. “So we made this tower so every person who comes – from Africa, from America – they will find the right food to eat.”
rpennington@thenational.ae
