• Sri Lanka expatriates in the UAE send vital medical supplies back home to a nation reeling from a foreign exchange crisis. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Sri Lanka expatriates in the UAE send vital medical supplies back home to a nation reeling from a foreign exchange crisis. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • More than Dh90,000 worth of medical supplies have been sent home by the Sri Lankan community in Dubai over the past three weeks. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    More than Dh90,000 worth of medical supplies have been sent home by the Sri Lankan community in Dubai over the past three weeks. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • The supplies from Dubai are part of a global effort to help ease Sri Lanka's serious shortage of medicine, with hospitals and doctors requesting assistance from overseas. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    The supplies from Dubai are part of a global effort to help ease Sri Lanka's serious shortage of medicine, with hospitals and doctors requesting assistance from overseas. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Sri Lankan expatriates in the UAE are sending home crucial medical supplies including ventilator tubes for newborn babies, syringes, catheters, bags to store donated blood, insulin vials and essential medicine. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Sri Lankan expatriates in the UAE are sending home crucial medical supplies including ventilator tubes for newborn babies, syringes, catheters, bags to store donated blood, insulin vials and essential medicine. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Medical supplies required urgently by hospitals in Sri Lanka are packed in a warehouse in Dubai's Ras Al Khor area. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Medical supplies required urgently by hospitals in Sri Lanka are packed in a warehouse in Dubai's Ras Al Khor area. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Urgent medical supplies from catheters to insulin vials and life saving ventilator tubes for infants is part of the consignment sent by Sri Lankan residents to their home country. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Urgent medical supplies from catheters to insulin vials and life saving ventilator tubes for infants is part of the consignment sent by Sri Lankan residents to their home country. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Sri Lankan residents in Dubai, India and the UK hold daily video meetings with government officials in Colombo, where the medical needs are detailed. Expatriates then organise supplies and send the shipments home. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Sri Lankan residents in Dubai, India and the UK hold daily video meetings with government officials in Colombo, where the medical needs are detailed. Expatriates then organise supplies and send the shipments home. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • The voluntary overseas effort of Sri Lankans in the UAE and other nations such as India, Australia, Canada, the UK and the US is helping to save lives in their home country. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    The voluntary overseas effort of Sri Lankans in the UAE and other nations such as India, Australia, Canada, the UK and the US is helping to save lives in their home country. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Medical supplies are being sent to Colombo this week and will then be distributed to children's hospitals, and teaching and district hospitals in need across the country. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Medical supplies are being sent to Colombo this week and will then be distributed to children's hospitals, and teaching and district hospitals in need across the country. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • People from the Sri Lankan community have been working for the past few weeks to buy medical supplies, pack them in Dubai warehouses in Ras Al Khor, and fly the cartons to Colombo. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    People from the Sri Lankan community have been working for the past few weeks to buy medical supplies, pack them in Dubai warehouses in Ras Al Khor, and fly the cartons to Colombo. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Colombo's skyline. Sri Lanka is struggling to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history. Reuters
    Colombo's skyline. Sri Lanka is struggling to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history. Reuters
  • A deserted street in Colombo during a curfew in April to prevent protests amid rising costs of food and fuel, and power cuts after record inflation in Sri Lanka. AFP
    A deserted street in Colombo during a curfew in April to prevent protests amid rising costs of food and fuel, and power cuts after record inflation in Sri Lanka. AFP
  • A deserted market area amid a power cut in Kiribathgoda, a suburb of Colombo, in February. AFP
    A deserted market area amid a power cut in Kiribathgoda, a suburb of Colombo, in February. AFP

With love and care: Sri Lankans in UAE send life-saving medical supplies home


Ramola Talwar Badam
  • English
  • Arabic

Life-saving medical supplies are being sent from the UAE and other countries to Sri Lanka by concerned citizens as hospitals run out of essential medicines and the island nation grapples with its worst economic crisis.

Every day Sri Lankan citizens in the UAE, UK and India join online video meetings held by government medical officials that reveal the urgent requirements of hospitals across the country.

The Sri Lankan community overseas then contacts medical suppliers with lists that range from ventilator tubes for newborn babies, syringes, catheters and bags to store donated blood, to insulin vials, chemotherapy and cardiac medication.

These supplies are going to save so many lives
Dr Anver Hamdani,
Sri Lanka Health ministry coordinator

The teams have been working for the past few weeks to purchase supplies, pack these in Dubai warehouses and air freight the cartons to Sri Lanka.

“Expatriates have been a great support to us in this difficult juncture. They have helped bridge the gap with donor activities all over the world,” said Dr Anver Hamdani, recently appointed as Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health co-ordinator for healthcare service.

“If not for this voluntary overseas effort of Sri Lankans coming forward, we would have found it very hard to manage an acute crisis on a day-to-day basis.”

The World Bank has agreed to provide Sri Lanka with $600 million in financial assistance to help meet payments for essential imports, and neighbouring nations such as India, Indonesia and China have also pledged assistance.

But this aid will take time to arrive in hospitals in need of immediate assistance. This prompted the Sri Lankan community overseas to swing into action when they heard requests for help from doctors across the nation’s hospitals.

“These supplies have helped so many institutions. They come and tell us how these supplies are going to save so many lives,” Dr Hamdani told The National from Colombo.

“There is a shortage of medicines that we are trying to overcome by identifying the vital and essential drugs needed for the country.”

He said Sahana, a Sri Lankan welfare association in the UAE, the Narayana Reddy foundation in India and groups in the UK, US and Australia had been a tremendous support.

Once supplies are received in Colombo, they are sent to about 400 hospitals suffering shortages.

Medical supplies packed in a warehouse in Dubai's Ras Al Khor areas will be sent via air cargo to Sri Lanka to hospitals struggling to cope with dangerous shortages in essential medicines. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Medical supplies packed in a warehouse in Dubai's Ras Al Khor areas will be sent via air cargo to Sri Lanka to hospitals struggling to cope with dangerous shortages in essential medicines. Chris Whiteoak / The National

It was a desperate audio recording sent by a Sri Lankan doctor early this month to colleagues that caught the attention of the overseas community.

The doctor said that used endotracheal tubes would need to be sterilised for reuse in the neonatal unit. The tubes connect to ventilators to help infants and children breathe and his dire message triggered a flood of supplies.

Isthiaq Raziq, president of Sahana in the UAE, said the group was also working with Sri Lankans in Australia and Canada who were keen to help.

More than Dh90,000 worth of medical supplies has been sent home.

“The community has come together regardless of any association knowing there is a medical crisis and that Sri Lanka does not have the liquidity to purchase these medications,” he said.

“We have been despatching emergency supplies for the last three weeks. The UAE being very close it’s easier to reach supplies because there are a dozen flights going to Sri Lanka.”

Residents have also carried supplies in their baggage when flying home.

Cartons are being sent as air cargo with the UAE and Sri Lanka flags and tagged with the message: With love and care Sri Lankans in the UAE.

Sri Lanka’s financial crisis sparked protests across the country with record inflation resulting in food and fuel shortages, and power blackouts.

The country normally imports 85 per cent of its medical requirements. The lack of foreign currency reserves meant it ran out of dollars to pay for imports placing the healthcare system in crisis.

Some essential medicines and surgical supplies from India and Indonesia have reached Sri Lanka. But doctors believe it will take at least another month for the medical crisis to ease and the donations pledged to be deployed or made available in Sri Lanka.

Dr Hamdani, who was also in charge of Covid-19 co-ordination, said people could email moh.covid.coordinator@gmail.com for more information about the medical aid that is required.

“Whoever wants to come forward, whoever is willing to help us out, they can reach us through email. We will send all the details, list of drugs, explain the process, the necessary documents and liaise with them,” he said.

BRIEF SCORES

England 353 and 313-8 dec
(B Stokes 112, A Cook 88; M Morkel 3-70, K Rabada 3-85)  
(J Bairstow 63, T Westley 59, J Root 50; K Maharaj 3-50)
South Africa 175 and 252
(T Bavuma 52; T Roland-Jones 5-57, J Anderson 3-25)
(D Elgar 136; M Ali 4-45, T Roland-Jones 3-72)

Result: England won by 239 runs
England lead four-match series 2-1

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

THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic

Power: 169bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Price: Dh54,500

On sale: now

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 582bhp

Torque: 730Nm

Price: Dh649,000

On sale: now  

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm

Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km

Price: from Dh362,500

On sale: now

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clinicy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Prince%20Mohammed%20Bin%20Abdulrahman%2C%20Abdullah%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%20and%20Saud%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Riyadh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2025%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20More%20than%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Middle%20East%20Venture%20Partners%2C%20Gate%20Capital%2C%20Kafou%20Group%20and%20Fadeed%20Investment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

WHEN TO GO:

September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.

WHERE TO STAY:

Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.

ESSENTIALS

The flights 
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
 

The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.

The Uefa Awards winners

Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)

Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League

Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)

Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)

Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona

UAE squad to face Ireland

Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind

Maestro
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%2C%20Carey%20Mulligan%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.

'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdited%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Idries%20Trevathan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hirmer%20Publishers%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Arctic Monkeys

Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino) 

 

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

Key findings
  • Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
  • Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase. 
  • People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”. 
  • Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better. 
  • But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
While you're here
Updated: April 29, 2022, 3:45 AM