ABU DHABI // The President, Sheikh Khalifa, is recovering from a stroke after an operation.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs described his condition as stable.
“The ministry announces that President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan suffered a stroke on Friday morning, January 24,” it said, according to the state news agency Wam.
“He immediately underwent a surgical operation. His health is now stable. May God safeguard him and grant him a quick recovery.”
Social media was flooded with messages from Emiratis and expatriates offering prayers and good wishes for Sheikh Khalifa.
“God preserve President Khalifa from all evil and grant him health and well-being,” said Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on Twitter.
Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Nuaimi, popularly known as the Green Sheikh for his environmental advocacy, tweeted: “May ‘ya Allah’ heal our beloved leader … Sheikh Khalifa.”
Noura Al Kaabi, chief executive of the Abu Dhabi media zone twofour54, tweeted that common to all residents of the UAE was “one love to our Sheikh Khalifa”.
Pablo Kang, the Australian ambassador to the UAE and Qatar, wrote on Twitter: “Thoughts and prayers are with HH President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan – wishing him a full and speedy recovery.”
A resident of the UAE tweeted that Sheikh Khalifa was “stable now, Alhamdulillah” and called for more prayers for the President.
“God bless our dear President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa with a speedy recovery, inshallah,” read another tweet.
Leaders in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt spoke to Mohammed bin Zayed, the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, to enquire about Sheikh Khalifa’s wellbeing and wish him a speedy recovery.
At St Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, Catholic worshippers offered their prayers for the President at two evening services on Saturday.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
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.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
