Follow the latest news from the Sudan crisis here
Families evacuated to safety by the UAE have spoken of the horrors they witnessed in Sudan where a deadly civil war has been raging for two weeks.
A second evacuation plane from Port Sudan landed in Abu Dhabi on Sunday afternoon, carrying 136 passengers including families with small children, the elderly and embassy staff.
“Streets outside my home were filled with dead bodies. Everywhere, there were dead people,” Emad Hassan, a Sudanese national and father of four from Khartoum, told The National after touching down in Abu Dhabi with his family.
Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded as clashes between two rival army generals have exploded into a full-scale civil war in Sudan. The deadly conflict has entered a third week amid a faltering ceasefire, and foreign nations have been scrambling to evacuate their citizens.
“There were bombs and air strikes all day. We had to stay locked up inside the house. My children were hiding under the bed. It was horrible,” said Mr Hassan, who works for a petroleum company in Khartoum.
Upon arriving in the UAE, he said he cannot thank Emirati officials for helping his family to escape his home country.
“I have left behind everything that I have – my house, my bank account. I do not know what future holds. But all that matters to me is that my kids are safe,” said Mr Hassan.
Foreign evacuees will be given accommodation until they can be sent on to their home countries, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation said.
On Saturday, the UAE evacuated 128 people, including Emiratis and others of 16 different nationalities.
The second evacuation plane landed at 4.45pm at Terminal 2 and Emirati officials and diplomats from different embassies were at the tarmac to receive the families.
There were tears of joy as families were reunited with their children, who had been trapped in Sudan for days.
Syrian father Hassani Antar Al Hussain and wife Sahar burst into tears as they hugged their daughter, Yamama, 21, and son, Mohammed, 18, as soon as they walked off the plane.
“I have no words to thank the UAE. My kids are safe only because Emirati officials went out of their way to help them,” Mr Hussain, a long-time UAE resident, told The National.
Both Yamama and Mohammed were medical students in the American University in Khartoum. Yamama lost her bag containing her Emirates ID, passport and money on her way to Port Sudan.
“She was terrified and was crying. I managed to get a new passport issued from the Syrian embassy in Abu Dhabi. When I explained my plight to the Emirati officials, they reached out to my children and took good care of them until they could be evacuated,” said the father.
Many other families that spoke to The National said the situation in Sudan is turning from bad to worse.
Bashar Salama, a Syrian technical manager at the Tarco Aviation, said “it is beyond description”.
“I was at the airport when the clashes started on April 25. It was around nine in the morning and I had just started my duty when I heard a gunshot. Then there was another one, then a volley of shots. I saw parts of the airport was burning like an inferno,” Mr Salama told The National.
Widespread looting and streetfights are continuing while thousands flee to neighbouring countries for safety.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has said that the civil war will lead to another major refugee crisis.
Displacement crisis
"This is urgently needed also to prevent another major displacement crisis that could further destabilise a fragile region," Mr Grandi said.
Bassam Salama, another Syrian national who landed in Abu Dhabi with his eight-month pregnant wife, told The National that they had to travel 30 hours on the road to reach the aircraft.
“That was like hell, the road from Khartoum to Port Sudan. There was fighting everywhere. We are so relieved we have reached Abu Dhabi safely,” said Mr Salama. The couple said they will stay in the UAE for a while as both have UAE resident permits.
Another Sudanese couple, Emmad Abbas and wife Sarah Ahmed, said they travelled from Madani in Central Sudan for seven days with their four children, aged four and 12, to be evacuated.
“We were praying that we reach Port Sudan safely. Children did not even get food and water. We were sleeping in buses. I cannot believe we have finally made it,” said Mr Abbas.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
%3Cp%3EAverage%20amount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20at%20DIC%20factory%20every%20month%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EApproximately%20106%2C000%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAmount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20from%201%20litre%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%20%3Cstrong%3E920ml%20(92%25)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETime%20required%20for%20one%20full%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%20used%20cooking%20oil%20to%20biofuel%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EOne%20day%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EEnergy%20requirements%20for%20one%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%201%2C000%20litres%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%96%AA%20Electricity%20-%201.1904%20units%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Water-%2031%20litres%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Diesel%20%E2%80%93%2026.275%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20profile
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The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Ammar 808:
Maghreb United
Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli
Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km
THREE
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Silva 8' &15, Foden 33')
Birmginahm City 0
Man of the match Bernado Silva (Manchester City)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Uefa Champions League play-off
First leg: Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Ajax v Dynamo Kiev
Second leg: Tuesday, August 28, 11pm (UAE)
Dynamo Kiev v Ajax
Royal wedding inspired menu
Ginger, citrus and orange blossom iced tea
Avocado ranch dip with crudites
Cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese mini club sandwiches
Elderflower and lemon syllabub meringue
RACECARD%20
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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
Abu Dhabi race card
5pm Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
5.30pm Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
6pm Abu Dhabi Championship Listed | Dh180,000 | 1,600m
6.30pm Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 | 2,400m