Two common afflictions during the hot UAE summer are heat stroke and heat exhaustion, but the two are quite different.
Heat stroke is most common among those who spend long hours out in the sun on a daily basis, such as labourers, construction workers, traffic police and military personnel.
Such exposure to sun and heat can cause symptoms including severe dehydration, high fever, dry skin, hallucinations and delirium to appear.
The main organs, such as the heart and kidneys, can be affected as well, and sufferers must be taken to hospital to recover.
Heat exhaustion is more common but rarely requires a hospital visit. It occurs when people fail to replace adequately the fluids they have lost by sweating.
Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, fatigue, headaches and low blood pressure. Doctors advise drinking more fluids, especially fresh juices, which can help replenish the body's electrolytes.
The best way to avoid both conditions is simple: stay out of the sun between noon and 3pm, wear light, cotton clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid eating greasy food.
hkhalaf@thenational.ae
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
