• A fruit vendor with his watermelons at the Abu Dhabi Fruits and Vegetables Market during the Coronavirus epidemic. Victor Besa / The National
    A fruit vendor with his watermelons at the Abu Dhabi Fruits and Vegetables Market during the Coronavirus epidemic. Victor Besa / The National
  • Abu Dhabi Civil Defence and Police sterilisation drive in Mussafah. Victor Besa / The National
    Abu Dhabi Civil Defence and Police sterilisation drive in Mussafah. Victor Besa / The National
  • A vegetable vendor fixes his gloves at the Abu Dhabi Fruits and Vegetables Market during the Coronavirus epidemic. Victor Besa / The National
    A vegetable vendor fixes his gloves at the Abu Dhabi Fruits and Vegetables Market during the Coronavirus epidemic. Victor Besa / The National
  • A key worker wears a facemask as he walks passed a brightly coloured mural in Media City, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A key worker wears a facemask as he walks passed a brightly coloured mural in Media City, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A deserted part of JBR, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A deserted part of JBR, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A digger does some work on an empty Jumeirah beach, this is normally a very popular spot for beach goers, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A digger does some work on an empty Jumeirah beach, this is normally a very popular spot for beach goers, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Abu Dhabi Civil Defence and Police sterilisation drive in Mussafah. Victor Besa / The National
    Abu Dhabi Civil Defence and Police sterilisation drive in Mussafah. Victor Besa / The National
  • A poster on Sheikh Zayed Road shows a family wearing facemasks tell people to Stay at home, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A poster on Sheikh Zayed Road shows a family wearing facemasks tell people to Stay at home, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A man walks past fishing boats in Ajman wearing a mask amid the coronavirus crisis. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A man walks past fishing boats in Ajman wearing a mask amid the coronavirus crisis. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A market worker boxes up fish at Ras Al Khaimah's dock. Antonie Robertson / The National
    A market worker boxes up fish at Ras Al Khaimah's dock. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Empty streets in RAK as residents stay home for a third week. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Empty streets in RAK as residents stay home for a third week. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Residents of the Northern Emirates must stay home from 8pm to 6am, but can leave home to shop for essentials outside of those times. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Residents of the Northern Emirates must stay home from 8pm to 6am, but can leave home to shop for essentials outside of those times. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • A sign outside Dubai Parks and Resorts offers support to frontline workers. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A sign outside Dubai Parks and Resorts offers support to frontline workers. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • No entry signs at the closed Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    No entry signs at the closed Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • A street cleaner sanitises gutters at Marina Mall car park in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    A street cleaner sanitises gutters at Marina Mall car park in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • The normally busy beaches of Abu Dhabi have been deserted in recent weeks. Victor Besa / The National
    The normally busy beaches of Abu Dhabi have been deserted in recent weeks. Victor Besa / The National
  • A shopper picks up essentials at Carrefour in Dubai's Ibn Battuta Mall. Dubai residents must apply for a permit to leave home. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A shopper picks up essentials at Carrefour in Dubai's Ibn Battuta Mall. Dubai residents must apply for a permit to leave home. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • The only vehicles on Dubai's roads are delivery trucks, bike couriers and minibuses taking essential personnel to and from work. Victor Besa / The National
    The only vehicles on Dubai's roads are delivery trucks, bike couriers and minibuses taking essential personnel to and from work. Victor Besa / The National
  • The empty Al Maktoum Road near Deira Clock Tower in Dubai. It would normally be one of the city's busiest streets. Pawan Singh / The National
    The empty Al Maktoum Road near Deira Clock Tower in Dubai. It would normally be one of the city's busiest streets. Pawan Singh / The National
  • A 24-hour stay-home order and the disinfecting of streets has left Dubai streets mostly deserted. Pawan Singh / The National
    A 24-hour stay-home order and the disinfecting of streets has left Dubai streets mostly deserted. Pawan Singh / The National
  • The famous Deira Clock Tower at the heart of the city's old town. Pawan Singh / The National
    The famous Deira Clock Tower at the heart of the city's old town. Pawan Singh / The National
  • The bridge to Meydan hotel and racecourse stands empty on Saturday evening. Reem Mohammed / The National
    The bridge to Meydan hotel and racecourse stands empty on Saturday evening. Reem Mohammed / The National
  • A shopkeeper waits outside his dress store in Al Ain. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A shopkeeper waits outside his dress store in Al Ain. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • An ambulance on a street in Al Ain. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    An ambulance on a street in Al Ain. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A quiet street leads to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Grand mosque in Al Ain. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A quiet street leads to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Grand mosque in Al Ain. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • The empty bridge to Meydan during daytime. Reem Mohammed / The National
    The empty bridge to Meydan during daytime. Reem Mohammed / The National
  • Dubai residents must remain indoors at all times, unless they have a permit for essential shopping. Reem Mohammed / The National
    Dubai residents must remain indoors at all times, unless they have a permit for essential shopping. Reem Mohammed / The National
  • Residents queue outside a supermarket in the Muraqqabat area of Deira in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Residents queue outside a supermarket in the Muraqqabat area of Deira in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • A customer enters a pharmacy in Dubai. Pharmacies and supermarkets are the only stores allowed to remain open to the public. Pawan Singh / The National
    A customer enters a pharmacy in Dubai. Pharmacies and supermarkets are the only stores allowed to remain open to the public. Pawan Singh / The National
  • A man rides his bike across the street in Al Ain. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A man rides his bike across the street in Al Ain. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A medical worker in a booth prepares to swab residents at a drive-through test centre in the Dubai suburb of Khawaneej. AFP
    A medical worker in a booth prepares to swab residents at a drive-through test centre in the Dubai suburb of Khawaneej. AFP
  • Dubai skyline during lockdown. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Dubai skyline during lockdown. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • A man takes a taxi after leaving the Business Bay Metro station, Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    A man takes a taxi after leaving the Business Bay Metro station, Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • An awareness board on Meydan road, Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    An awareness board on Meydan road, Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • The empty Kite Beach area of Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
    The empty Kite Beach area of Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • A healthcare worker crosses an empty street in Bur Dubai while wearing a mask amid the coronavirus outbreak. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A healthcare worker crosses an empty street in Bur Dubai while wearing a mask amid the coronavirus outbreak. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A gentleman crosses an empty street in Oud Metha in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A gentleman crosses an empty street in Oud Metha in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Men in face mask walking by nurseries in Warsan. Reem Mohammed / The National
    Men in face mask walking by nurseries in Warsan. Reem Mohammed / The National

UAE weighs quotas on workers from countries refusing to accept their citizens


  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE is considering introducing quotas or employment clauses for workers from countries that have refused to repatriate their citizens during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation told state news agency Wam that it may suspend agreements with countries that have not responded to repatriation requests from expats who have lost their jobs or were asked to take leave by their employers.

"Among the options being studied is ceasing labour agreements between the ministry and authorities in the non-co-operative countries, as well as setting strict restrictions on recruitment of workers from these countries, including application of a quota system," an official said.

The official did not say which countries, but the statement came after UAE Ambassador to India Dr Ahmed Al Banna said that the UAE had offered to repatriate citizens after they tested negative for Covid-19.

Dr Al Banna said the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation told embassies that it would help repatriate citizens after flights were grounded around the world.

Last week, Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre – a welfare group in Dubai – filed a high court petition urging the Indian government to permit charter flights to bring thousands of citizens home from the UAE.

India is under lockdown until April 14, and scheduled international commercial flights have been halted. Many countries have put similar anti-coronavirus measures in place.

V Muraleedharan, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, said repatriation of citizens would be considered from May and priority would be given to the elderly, pregnant women and those in urgent need of medical treatment.

Haris Beeran, a lawyer representing the petitioners in Dubai, said an estimated 10,000 people from India’s southern Kerala state wanted to return home.

"Many workers no longer have jobs [and] some people are on visit visas that have expired," he told The National.

"They don’t have any means to live in the UAE and would rather return to their family at this time.”

The petition specified categories of Indian citizens who have approached the organisation for help, including infirm elderly parents of UAE residents.

The application called on India’s federal government and the Civil Aviation Ministry to permit repatriation flights as the country’s national carrier Air India was allowed to fly German, British and Canadian citizens out during the lockdown.

“Many Indians are running out of money and facing shortages of food,” the petition said.

Indian charity groups along with volunteers, diplomats and local and federal authorities have organised food drives across the UAE to reach workers and families left with no salaries after shops and malls closed.

At least 20 Indian travellers were believed to have been stranded at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports after New Delhi shut down on March 22.

More than 20,000 Pakistanis in the UAE were also awaiting repatriation.

Officials said a lack of quarantine facilities in the South Asian nation was causing the delay.

Last week, hundreds of protestors gathered outside the Pakistan consulate in Dubai to demand answers.

Authorities in Islamabad said they were working hard to address the problem and hoped to confirm the start of flights soon.

“[We have] received and processed the registration of Pakistani nationals for repatriation from the UAE,” the consulate general said in a statement on Saturday.

“We are waiting permission from our government, which is expected soon."

Essentials

The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.

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Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

Sonchiriya

Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey

Rating: 3/5

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

UAE central contracts

Full time contracts

Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid

Part time contracts

Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Tank warfare

Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks. 

“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.

“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

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

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WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

War

Director: Siddharth Anand

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor

Rating: Two out of five stars 

The five pillars of Islam
MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)

Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports

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
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)

Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg

Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD