Back to school: New term is start of 'healthy and safe return to normal life'


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A new school term, low coronavirus case numbers and a high vaccination rate raise the prospect of a "healthy and safe return to normal life", the government has said.

At a televised briefing on Thursday, the public was urged to take all precautions ahead of the return of hundreds of thousands of children to the classroom on Sunday.

Dr Saif Al Dhaheri, spokesperson for the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (Ncema), thanked teachers, lecturers and staff for their way to ensure all schools could open.

"We would like to extend our thanks to all of those who work in the UAE education sector: teachers, principles - all educators helping pupils to go back to school and stay healthy," he said.

On Thursday, the country reported 991 new Covid-19 cases, following 306,873 tests, on one of the biggest screening days to date.

With close to 75 per cent of the population now fully vaccinated, the country is close to what is regarded as 'herd immunity' - when cases spread slowly given the vast majority are protected.

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Here are the separate back to school rules for:

Dubai

Sharjah

Abu Dhabi

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Dr Al Dhaheri urged caution but said together the community can expect a "healthy and safe return to normal life" - with a normal school day a key part of that.

He further sought to clarify an earlier briefing this week that said "all schools" would be affected by a new testing regime that would see unvaccinated pupils over 12s would have to undergo weekly testing.

The regulations are largely for government schools and private schools that follow the government's Ministry of Education curriculum.

Private school regulators in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi later set out their own rules, saying they were unaffected by the testing and vaccine rules.

"There might be different details that differ from emirate to the other," Dr Al Dhaheri said.

Pupils in the government sector - and emirates that have not set out their own regulations - must adhere to the following rules:

- all pupils aged 12 and below must have PCR or saliva test on a monthly basis, whether vaccinated or not

- all pupils aged 12 to 18 who are unvaccinated must get a weekly PCR test

- all pupils aged 12 to 18 who are vaccinated must get a monthly PCR test

- during the 30 day grace period from August 29 to September 29, all pupils must be tested every two weeks, regardless of their vaccination status


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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.
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Liverpool 4
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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

The biog

Favourite Quote: “Real victories are those that protect human life, not those that result from its destruction emerge from its ashes,” by The late king Hussain of Jordan.

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Favourite Book: The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran

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

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Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community

• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style

“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.

Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term. 

From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”

• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International

"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed.  Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."

• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org

"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."

• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com

"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.

His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.

Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."

• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher

"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen.  He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”

• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org

"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."

Updated: August 26, 2021, 2:37 PM