A major vaccine centre in Dubai reopened on Sunday after closing on Friday and Saturday.
Health officials say it will shut again this weekend, but first and second doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be administered by appointment during the week.
The centre is run by Seha, Abu Dhabi's government hospital operator. The Department of Health Abu Dhabi told The National on Sunday that the centre would resume seven-day service from Sunday, February 21.
At the weekend, some Dubai residents had their second coronavirus vaccine delayed at short notice.
Several residents also reported being turned away from the Dubai Parks and Resorts centre, despite having appointments confirmed on the Seha app.
Dose two of the vaccine is available during weekdays [only]. Residents scheduled to take the second dose will be called to reschedule their appointments this week
The department said it would contact residents with appointments set for this weekend to reschedule them.
"Dose two of the vaccine is available during weekdays," it said.
"Residents scheduled to take the second dose will be called to reschedule their appointments this week."
Nationally, over-50s and people with disabilities are the priority for the next five weeks.
As a result, the vaccine push slowed to about 50,000 shots a day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, although the UAE's campaign remains near the world's best.
One Dubai resident said he was sent away from the centre on Saturday morning.
"I was turned away on the bridge and told that it was closed due to system issues," he said. "They advised me to come back on Monday."
The British resident tried several other Seha-affiliated vaccination locations in Dubai at the weekend but was turned away from those too, and was unable to receive his second dose.
He had been keen to ensure he received both shots within 28 days of each other.
Another resident said she received a text message confirming her appointment.
“I’ve had an appointment for Saturday for a while,” she said.
“At 1.16am on Saturday I received an SMS saying it had been rescheduled to Sunday, and then at 8.03am on Saturday they sent me a message confirming the appointment for that day.
“I turned up at 9am and the centre was closed. Security did not say why it was closed and just advised me to go back on Sunday.”
Abu Dhabi health chiefs last week said vaccines would be limited to older age groups, people with disabilities and people with chronic illnesses, over the next six weeks.
Other residents who had their first dose were advised they would be able to take their second as scheduled.
But those who have not yet had their first dose will have to wait until next month.
The decision followed a nationwide move by the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
Dubai Health Authority in January postponed appointments for the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot amid a global.
Those who already received their first shot and had an appointment for the second were not affected, it said.
Countries across the world are facing vaccine shortages as demand outstrips supply.
But the UAE on Saturday reached a milestone when it administered its five millionth Covid-19 vaccine dose since the country's inoculation campaign began in December.
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
