• The deserted streets of Dubai with the Burj Khalifa in the background during April. EPA
    The deserted streets of Dubai with the Burj Khalifa in the background during April. EPA
  • Authorities in Dubai announced intensified restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles during early April. Pictured, Downtown Dubai. EPA
    Authorities in Dubai announced intensified restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles during early April. Pictured, Downtown Dubai. EPA
  • A road in Dubai is devoid of movement on April 5. AFP
    A road in Dubai is devoid of movement on April 5. AFP
  • Stay Safe Stay Home message on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Stay Safe Stay Home message on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • A man wearing a face mask gazes at the Dubai skyline from a window on April 5, 2020. AFP
    A man wearing a face mask gazes at the Dubai skyline from a window on April 5, 2020. AFP
  • Normally busy roads are left empty in Dubai on April 5. EPA
    Normally busy roads are left empty in Dubai on April 5. EPA
  • Dubai's streets fall silent. EPA
    Dubai's streets fall silent. EPA
  • A traffic restriction message on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    A traffic restriction message on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • The almost empty Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    The almost empty Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • The almost deserted Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. EPA
    The almost deserted Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. EPA
  • An empty car park in the Design District after Dubai imposed new restrictions on travel and shopping due to the coronavirus. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    An empty car park in the Design District after Dubai imposed new restrictions on travel and shopping due to the coronavirus. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • An empty car park in the Design District after Dubai imposed new restrictions on travel and shopping due to the coronavirus. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    An empty car park in the Design District after Dubai imposed new restrictions on travel and shopping due to the coronavirus. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A car park is shut outside Al Barsha Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A car park is shut outside Al Barsha Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • A sign reading in Arabic 'stay at home' is seen on the almost empty streets of Dubai. EPA
    A sign reading in Arabic 'stay at home' is seen on the almost empty streets of Dubai. EPA
  • Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road is deserted. AFP
    Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road is deserted. AFP
  • Two people ride motorcycles on the almost empty streets of Dubai. EPA
    Two people ride motorcycles on the almost empty streets of Dubai. EPA
  • A deserted Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. EPA
    A deserted Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. EPA
  • A person wearing protective face mask during the evening in Al Furjan area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    A person wearing protective face mask during the evening in Al Furjan area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • The Burj Khalifa without any visitors in Downtown Dubai in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    The Burj Khalifa without any visitors in Downtown Dubai in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • An empty road in DIFC area in Dubai on April 6. Pawan Singh / The National
    An empty road in DIFC area in Dubai on April 6. Pawan Singh / The National

Coronavirus: Dubai drivers and passengers to be fined for not wearing a mask


Salam Al Amir
  • English
  • Arabic

Drivers and passengers who fail to wear face masks inside their cars will be fined, Dubai Police said.

Individuals should cover their mouths and noses at all times if they step out of their homes –and this includes those inside a vehicle.

The rule came into effect after Dr Farida Al Hosani, spokeswoman for the country’s health sector, said everyone should wear a mask if they are outside their home, whether they show symptoms or not.

“After Dr Farida’s remarks, we issued a circular on the importance of wearing masks while inside cars as part of the precautionary measures,” said Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of the traffic department at Dubai Police.

“Dubai Police then started warning motorists who were found not wearing masks while driving as a first step, but did not issue the fines at that stage.”

Drivers caught without masks received warnings via text message.

“We started sending out the warnings at first in order to let people know, so they do not claim they weren’t aware of the rule,” Brig Al Mazroui said.

“After that, if any of those who were warned for not wearing the mask inside the car repeated the offence, the actual fine was issued.”

On Monday, Dubai Police said it had issued 2,527 fines to people who breached the stay-at-home orders in the past few days.

The police also issued warnings to 233 people and fined five others who failed to wear masks in public areas or did not keep a safe distance from one another.

Another 204 drivers were warned and one motorist who was carrying more than three passengers was fined.

Residents are urged to use their own family cars, carrying with a maximum of three people, including the driver.

Another 2,076 warnings and eight fines were issued to residents for leaving their homes for non-essential work.

In Dubai, residents must obtain prior permission each time they leave their homes as part of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.

All journeys outside the home, including those to pick up groceries, must be approved in advance.

People must register their planned trips online and describe the reason for their request, say where they will be going and estimate the length of time for which they will be away from home.

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."

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.”

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%20turbo%204-cyl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E298hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E452Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETowing%20capacity%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.4-tonne%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPayload%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4WD%20%E2%80%93%20776kg%3B%20Rear-wheel%20drive%20819kg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrice%3A%20Dh138%2C945%20(XLT)%20Dh193%2C095%20(Wildtrak)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDelivery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20from%20August%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
%3Cp%3E97%25%20of%20Jewish-Americans%20are%20concerned%20about%20the%20rise%20in%20anti-Semitism%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E76%25%20of%20US%20Jewish%20voters%20believe%20Donald%20Trump%20and%20his%20allies%20in%20the%20Republican%20Party%20are%20responsible%20for%20a%20rise%20in%20anti-Semitism%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E74%25%20of%20American%20Jews%20agreed%20that%20%E2%80%9CTrump%20and%20the%20Maga%20movement%20are%20a%20threat%20to%20Jews%20in%20America%22%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

Museum of the Future in numbers
  •  78 metres is the height of the museum
  •  30,000 square metres is its total area
  •  17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
  •  14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
  •  1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior 
  •  7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
  •  2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
  •  100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
  •  Dh145 is the price of a ticket
The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

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

Rating: 4/5

UAE%20Warriors%2033%20Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFeatherweight%20title%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAli%20Al%20Qaisi%20by%20Jesse%20Arnett%20by%20submission%2C%20round%203%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%20title%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EJosh%20Togo%20bt%20Tahir%20Abdullaev%20by%20unanimous%20decision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFlyweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EIago%20Ribeiro%20bt%20Juan%20Puerta%20by%20unanimous%20decision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMiddleweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EYerkin%20Darmen%20bt%20Tyler%20Ray%20by%20TKO%2C%20round%203%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAbdulla%20Al%20Bousheiri%20bt%20John%20Adajar%20by%20submission%2C%20round%201%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECatchweight%20232lb%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAsylzhan%20Bakhytzhanuly%20bt%20Hasan%20Yousefi%20by%20submission%2C%20round%202%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECatchweight%20176lb%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAlin%20Chirila%20bt%20Silas%20Robson%20by%20KO%2C%20round%201%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECatchweight%20176lb%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EArvin%20Chan%20bt%20Abdi%20Farah%20by%20TKO%2C%20round%201%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELightweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EOle-Jorgen%20Johnsen%20bt%20Nart%20Abida%20by%20TKO%2C%20round%201%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBantamweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EOtar%20Tanzilov%20bt%20Eduardo%20Dinis%20by%20TKO%2C%20round%203%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStrawweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EColine%20Biron%20bt%20Aysun%20Erge%20via%20submission%2C%20round%202%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESoslan%20Margiev%20bt%20Mathieu%20Rakotondrazanany%20by%20unanimous%20decision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBantamweight%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EBakhromjon%20Ruziev%20bt%20Younes%20Chemali%20by%20majority%20decision%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

Engine: 5.7-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 362hp

Torque: 530Nm

Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)

Rafael Nadal's record at the MWTC

2009 Finalist

2010 Champion

Jan 2011 Champion

Dec 2011 Semi-finalist

Dec 2012 Did not play

Dec 2013 Semi-finalist

2015 Semi-finalist

Jan 2016 Champion

Dec 2016 Champion

2017 Did not play