Ahmad Al Shamsi (Ajman) says his question about an amendment to the child custody law for non-Emirati mothers has been raised at least four times over the past few months. The concerned minister has failed to show up. Lee Hoagland / The National
Ahmad Al Shamsi (Ajman) says his question about an amendment to the child custody law for non-Emirati mothers has been raised at least four times over the past few months. The concerned minister has fShow more

UAE ministers’ no-show annoys FNC members



ABU DHABI // Four ministers of state failed to appear for the Federal National Council session on Wednesday.

Members of the council said they were unhappy with the ministers’ absence, arguing that there would be no time in future sessions to discuss the topics at hand.

Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for FNC Affairs and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, was due to attend to discuss Etisalat’s sponsorship of Barcelona Football Club and a new policy to curb domestic abuse.

Hamad Al Rahoomi (Dubai), who planned to ask why the telecommunication company was sponsoring the Spanish team, said he was unhappy with the ministers’ actions.

“There are people waiting for a reply. Next session, the same issues will occur,” he said.

In a letter to the council, Dr Gargash apologised for not being able to attend.

However, regarding the policy on domestic violence, Dr Gargash said the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Justice were the proper authorities to discuss the policy.

He also approved all recommendations provided to him by the council regarding the sponsorship of Barcelona.

Mohammed Al Murr (Dubai), Speaker of the FNC, said the minister could not attend as he was on an overseas diplomatic mission.

Sultan Al Badi, the Minister of Justice, also did not appear as expected.

Mr Al Badi was to be questioned by Ahmad Al Shamsi (Ajman) about amending an existing law to include child custody for non-Emirati mothers.

“This is the fourth or fifth time that I have requested the minister over a period of months and he does not appear,” Mr Al Shamsi said. “According to the policies, the minister concerned must give an answer within two weeks. He also failed to attend the last session.”

Mr Al Murr said the minister was meant to attend the session on Tuesday, which was postponed to Wednesday.

Sultan Al Shamsi (Ajman) was scheduled to ask Mr Al Badi about bonuses for public notaries.

Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister of Education and chairman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, was due to be questioned by Musabeh Al Ketbi (Sharjah) on the possibility of making the last 10 days of Ramadan a public holiday.

In a written statement, Mr Al Hammadi said he was unable to attend the session because of other meetings.

He stated the authority would study the proposal and would discuss the issue with the authorities concerned.

The Minister of Health, Abdulrahman Al Owais, also did not attend the session as planned. Mr Al Owais was to be questioned by Aisha Al Yammahi (Fujairah) on procedures for cleaning hospitals.

Ms Al Yammahi was provided a detailed report on the procedures by the minister.

aalkhoori@thenational.ae

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SERIES INFO

Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series

All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Test series

1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March

Play starts at 9.30am

T20 series

1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March

TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

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What is Genes in Space?

Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.

It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration. 

The biog

Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren

Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies

Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan

Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India 

 

Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy