• The field hospital built at Mohamed bin Zayed City. Photo: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
    The field hospital built at Mohamed bin Zayed City. Photo: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
  • Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed, right, visited one of the facilities built by Abu Dhabi Healthcare Services - or Seha - at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Photo: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
    Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed, right, visited one of the facilities built by Abu Dhabi Healthcare Services - or Seha - at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Photo: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
  • The 31,000 sqm field hospital at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre had the capacity to care for 1,000 Covid-19 patients and was run by a team of 150 healthcare workers. Photo: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
    The 31,000 sqm field hospital at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre had the capacity to care for 1,000 Covid-19 patients and was run by a team of 150 healthcare workers. Photo: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
  • Sheikh Khalid, right, at the field hospital at Adnec. Photo: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
    Sheikh Khalid, right, at the field hospital at Adnec. Photo: Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
  • The 31,000 sqm field hospital had the capacity to care for 1,000 Covid-19 patients and was run by a team of 150 healthcare workers. Photo Abu Dhabi Government Media Office
    The 31,000 sqm field hospital had the capacity to care for 1,000 Covid-19 patients and was run by a team of 150 healthcare workers. Photo Abu Dhabi Government Media Office

Coronavirus: Field hospitals for Covid-19 patients to open in Abu Dhabi


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Two huge field hospitals have been built in Abu Dhabi to care for coronavirus patients, and a third is being constructed in Dubai.

On Tuesday, Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, visited the facilities at the National Exhibition Centre and in Mohamed bin Zayed City.

They were built by the Abu Dhabi Healthcare Services Company, or Seha, on the orders of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The 31,000 square metre field hospital in Adnec has a capacity for 1,000 Covid-19 patients and is run by a team of 150 healthcare workers.

Sheikh Khalid also inspected plans for the Dubai facility, which will be the emirate's second field hospital.

The 29,000 sq metre centre in Dubai Parks and Resorts, will open by the end of the month. It will have room for 1,200 patients and be staffed by 200 medics.

The centre in Mohamed bin Zayed City, opposite the industrial area of Mussaffah where tens of thousands of workers are being screened for tfree, will be completed in the first week of May.

That hospital will be able to admit 1,200 coronavirus patients and be staffed by 200 medics.

"The new facilities will support the health sector with more integrated medical services and help curb the spread of Covid-19," the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office said on Twitter.

The UAE reported 490 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday after carrying out a further 30,000 tests.

Three more people have died from the disease and 83 patients made a full recovery, for a total of 1,443.

The total number of cases in the Emirates now stands at 7,755, with 46 deaths.

  • A 120-bed ward at a specialised hospital for coronavirus cases opened by the Kurdish Red Crescent about 10 kilometres from the Syrian city of Hasakeh after the first COVID-19 death was reported in the north-eastern region. AFP
    A 120-bed ward at a specialised hospital for coronavirus cases opened by the Kurdish Red Crescent about 10 kilometres from the Syrian city of Hasakeh after the first COVID-19 death was reported in the north-eastern region. AFP
  • A man wearing protective gloves shows the interface of the app "Be Aware", launched by Bahrain's health authorities to contain the coronavirus disease, at a hotel in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters
    A man wearing protective gloves shows the interface of the app "Be Aware", launched by Bahrain's health authorities to contain the coronavirus disease, at a hotel in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters
  • Doctors and nurses look at scans of a patient infected with the Covid-19 virus at the dedicated intensive care unit at the Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Getty
    Doctors and nurses look at scans of a patient infected with the Covid-19 virus at the dedicated intensive care unit at the Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Getty
  • Motorbikes of a delivery company line up in Dubai. AFP
    Motorbikes of a delivery company line up in Dubai. AFP
  • Medical staff attend to a patient infected with the coronavirus in the dedicated intensive care unit at the Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Getty
    Medical staff attend to a patient infected with the coronavirus in the dedicated intensive care unit at the Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Getty
  • Palestinian Shahira Qafisheh, 85, video chats with her daughters during the coronavirus lockdown in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. AFP
    Palestinian Shahira Qafisheh, 85, video chats with her daughters during the coronavirus lockdown in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron. AFP
  • A Palestinian man wearing a coronavirus costume sewed by his sister plays with a girl in the central Gaza Strip amid the pandemic. AFP
    A Palestinian man wearing a coronavirus costume sewed by his sister plays with a girl in the central Gaza Strip amid the pandemic. AFP
  • Palestinian artists paint a mural in a show of support for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails amid the coronavirus pandemic, in Gaza City. AFP
    Palestinian artists paint a mural in a show of support for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails amid the coronavirus pandemic, in Gaza City. AFP
  • An Iraqi medic swabs a woman in Iraq's central city of Najaf, during the nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. AFP
    An Iraqi medic swabs a woman in Iraq's central city of Najaf, during the nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. AFP
  • An Iraqi medic swabs a boy in Iraq's central city of Najaf, during the nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. AFP
    An Iraqi medic swabs a boy in Iraq's central city of Najaf, during the nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. AFP
  • Chinese embassy officials react after the arrival of medical aid at Baghdad Airport in Iraq. AP
    Chinese embassy officials react after the arrival of medical aid at Baghdad Airport in Iraq. AP
  • Displaced Syrian boys pose while wearing face masks decorated by artists during a Covid-19 awareness campaign at the Bardaqli camp in the town of Dana in Syria's north-west Idlib province. AFP
    Displaced Syrian boys pose while wearing face masks decorated by artists during a Covid-19 awareness campaign at the Bardaqli camp in the town of Dana in Syria's north-west Idlib province. AFP
  • Female worker wearing masks and gloves works in teauty salon in one of the neighborhoods of Damascus, Syria. EPA
    Female worker wearing masks and gloves works in teauty salon in one of the neighborhoods of Damascus, Syria. EPA
  • A Bahraini triathlete Sameera Al Bitar wearing gloves and a mask takes her bicycle out of her car as she prepares for a training session, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters
    A Bahraini triathlete Sameera Al Bitar wearing gloves and a mask takes her bicycle out of her car as she prepares for a training session, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in Manama, Bahrain. Reuters
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 325bhp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh359,000

On sale: now 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
SPEC%20SHEET
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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 

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km