UAE offers university scholarships to frontline heroes and their children

The scholarships will allow them to study at government and private universities across the country

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  Emirati Aysha Al Blooshi is an advanced paramedic and her colleague Marwan Al Mansoori, from Yemen, is an emergency responder. Both work at the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services. Leslie Pableo for The National

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  Faisal Kamil, a father of three from Sudan, is a quality control manager at City Transport in Abu Dhabi. His team sanitises buses in the capital to ensure essential workers can get to supermarkets and hospitals. Victor Besa / The National

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  Leen Fares, from Syria, is a chemist. The Dubai resident has twice the number of customers and works long days to sure they get the medicine they need. Reem Mohammed / The National

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  Navas Ellias, from India, is a taxi driver. He says the public have been positive about him remaining at the wheel to take people on essential journeys to supermarkets, pharmacies and hospitals. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Faqir Mohammad, from Pakistan, is a gardener. Temperatures are taken at his housing accommodation to eliminate the spread of the virus. Reem Mohammed / The National

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  Emirati doctor Fatima Al Kaabi, from Abu Dhabi's SKMC, works 12 to 18 hours a day and is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Victor Besa / The National

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  Taha Hussein, from Egypt, is a barber at the Hair & Beard gents' salon near Ibn Batutta Mall in Dubai. He uses disposable capes and blades, as well as hand sanitiser, to protect his customers. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Bandana Rai, from Nepal, is a cashier at Lulu Hypermarket, Khalidiyah Mall in Abu Dhabi. It is among the few stores allowed open to ensure shoppers can get essentials. She says she feels safe because the company has installed thermal scanners and has given staff gloves and masks. Victor Besa / The National

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  Mutaz Kamal, from Jordan, is the manager at Souq Planet in Abu Dhabi's Etihad Plaza. Souq Planet's owners also make cleaning products, meaning his shop is well stocked with hand sanitiser. Victor Besa / The National

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  Emirati Afra Al Dhaheri is a vet and owns the capital's Cloud9 Pet Hotel. She offers free board and services for the pets of medical staff fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Victor Besa / The National

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  Dr Valerie Battistella, from France, is a vet at the Vienna Veterinary Clinic in Dubai. "The public has been surprised that we are open but also very very grateful." Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Sajid Ali, from India, is an alphamed technician with the Tadweer sterilisation team in Abu Dhabi. He says: "I do my job for the children; I want to keep them safe." Victor Besa / The National

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  Left to right: Soyab Bhasea, from India and Mohammad Zayed, from Pakistan, are delivery drivers for a distribution company, delivering goods to supermarkets and warehouses. Mohammad says: "I have to continue my work in these times. Allah hafiz [God will protect us]." Reem Mohammed / The National

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  Muhammad Asif, from Pakistan, is a security guard at the Movenpick Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel in Dubai. “I ask the delivery men to leave the packages outside and I bring it in. I cannot take any risks," he says. "We have many long-term occupants and a great number of them are elderly.” Pawan Singh / The National

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  Omar Edehmen, from Morrocco, is the head butcher at Souq Planet in Abu Dhabi. He says: "The first thing I do before I go to my work area is to thoroughly wash my hands before putting on my gloves. When I remove my gloves, I use hand sanitiser. If I know I touched something out of the work area, I wash my hands again before putting a new pair of gloves. A face mask is also always used when in the work area." Victor Besa / The National

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  Sanjay Kumar, from India, is a food delivery driver. He says: "Now, wherever I deliver the food, I leave the food package at the security reception or at the reception of the building, as customers are paying for the orders online. We are also using face masks, gloves, and washing and sanitising our hands regularly for safety." Sanjay works at the Indian restaurant Manvaar near Karama Fish Market in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Servesh Yadav, from India, is an Abu Dhabi free zone maintenance worker. Such crews ensure the ports can work around the clock to keep vital supplies coming in. Victor Besa / The National

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  Bam Babhdur, from Nepal, is a cleaner at the Khalidiyah Mall. He says: "I have protective equipment to keep safe. I am not scared; I am doing my duty." Victor Besa / The National

Frontline workers in the UAE and their children will receive scholarships for higher studies under a government initiative.

The Frontline Heroes Office announced on Tuesday that a Higher Education Scholarship Programme will be offered to select frontline workers in the UAE to reduce their education costs.

The programme will be supported by Sandooq Al Watan, a social initiative launched by a group of Emirati businessmen, the private sector and the Ministry of Education.

The scholarship will help eligible frontline heroes and their children to study at government and private universities and colleges across the UAE.

The initiative was launched to honour the efforts and sacrifices of those working on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first group will qualify for scholarships starting from the 2021-2022 academic year.

“We are proud to contribute today by recognising these heroes and appreciating their commitment and dedication in protecting everyone in the country," said Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, the Minister of Tolerance.

Applicants can submit their scholarship request along with supporting documents and the acceptance letter from their chosen university or college to [e-mail].

The Frontline Heroes Office will send scholarship requests to the relevant university or college directly.

In September 2020, authorities launched the Hayyakum programme to relieve the financial pressure of school tuition fees for healthcare professionals.

The scholarship at public schools covers the cost of tuition, laptops and transport for pupils until they graduate from high school.

The following month, the government launched the Fazaa Frontline Heroes initiative to give healthcare workers discounts on 2,600 brands at more than 5,500 stores and 6,000 food outlets across the UAE.

The Frontline Heroes Office was set up in July 2020. More than 80,000 roles deemed essential to the fight against Covid-19 have been identified for the nationwide initiative.

The registry details the specialism of each professional and provides the government with a “detailed national picture of all those who serve on the front line”.

Among the 80,000 are healthcare practitioners, police, essential service providers, crisis managers, security and emergency service providers, humanitarian workers, cleaners and volunteers.

UAE's frontline heroes - in pictures

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  Amal Badr Al Bussaidi, who lives in Abu Dhabi, is the Head of the Technical Support Unit at the UAE Red Crescent. She has worked tirelessly for more than six months at the Ghantout Covid-19 quarantine facility. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union

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  Iris Ena Diel, from the Philippines, provided essential care and support to countless Covid-19 patients as a nurse at the Sharjah Expo Field Hospital. She says the one thing that got her and her colleagues through the long and stressful days in the field hospital was the strong sense of camaraderie between them. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union

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  Esraa Al Agha, a medical student who lives in Ajman, volunteered at Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah, in quarantine hotels, and in various other capacities, including as a trusted liaison to patients’ families and performing Covid-19 tests in challenging settings. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union

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  Habib Saifulmalook, from Pakistan, showed remarkable work ethic as an ambulance driver in Sharjah throughout the pandemic, transporting patients, medical staff and essential supplies across the emirate. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union

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  Capt Mayed Ali Alameiry is Deputy Harbour Master at the Port of Fujairah and a member of the Executive Committee of the Local Crisis and Emergency Management Team. These roles put him at the centre of the planning and execution of the port’s responses to Covid-19. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union

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  First Sgt Mohammed Al Salloom leads the medical services section of the Support Services Department of Ras Al Khaimah Police. Throughout the pandemic, he has worked with skill and care to protect police officers and members of the public from the dangers of Covid-19. Courtesy: Seeds of the Union