It’s been 18 months since I brought Frida home, the two of us wide-eyed as I drove us away from a dog shelter in Al Warsan industrial village unsure exactly what kind of dog owner I was going to be, but certain I was going to give it my very best shot.
As is the case for owners of most stray dogs, I have few concrete facts about Frida’s early days. Vets told me she was between one and two years old when she was found living on a building site in Ajman; she had a ripped ear, was underweight, shy and had definitely had one, if not two, litters of puppies.
Fast forward a year and a half, she is a confident and happy pup, who grew accustomed to sleeping on the sofa impressively quickly, charms strangers when they walk past her and has every family member wrapped around her little paws.
So, it feels fitting that on the week of Valentine’s Day, I am here writing a love letter to my little dog, and rescue dogs in general. I have no hesitation in saying that adopting her was the best decision of my life.
Last week, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, took over the care of Grace, a saluki-cross who had been shot with an air gun. In January, Bubbles Pet Rescue group shared images of Grace on social media, detailing the way she had been mistreated, but they had a happy ending for the pup when the Dubai Crown Prince visited.
Sheikh Hamdan shared a video of meeting Grace on his Instagram Story. "Come here ... you are a good girl," he says as he greets her in a veterinary clinic kennel. She then starts walking and wagging her tail and he says: "You're happy. You're in safe hands now."
The Crown Prince is one of countless international royals with a well-documented affection for dogs. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is known for her collection of corgis, but the family also has a history of rescuing pooches. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is a patron of London’s Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and has re-homed two Jack Russell terriers through the charity, Beth and Bluebell; and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, had rescue dogs, Guy and Bogart, before she married into the royal family. Japan’s Princess Aiko considers her mix-breed dog Yuri as “a younger sister and close friend”, according to an aide.
Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016, was also a vocal dog lover. His favourite pet was said to be Thong Daeng, a puppy who was sent to the palace after the king took an interest in the treatment of Thailand’s street dogs. He loved the dog so much he wrote a biography for her, describing her as "a common dog who is uncommon".
I have not quite got to the stage where I am writing Frida’s biography, but give me a few years and I am sure I will have enough material to give it a try.
Before adopting a dog, I never underestimated the way it would change my life. I knew it was a serious responsibility – in the sense of both time and money. I did, however, underestimate how much I would want my life to change. She is the first consideration when it comes to any travel plans, I can safely say I am more of a homebody than ever before and, when I do go out, I’m happier in a dog-friendly cafe (Social Company in Zabeel House The Greens is a personal favourite, and one of the few places in Dubai that allows dogs inside).
In the past few years, the UAE has become a much more dog-friendly country. Sure, you still can’t walk your pet around Dubai Marina’s Marina Walk, but communities around the Emirates have built dog parks, countless cafes and restaurants allow dogs to sit outside, hotels have started to accommodate pets and Ras Al Khaimah has branded itself as the dog-friendly emirate with its new Ras Al-K9 campaign, which lists the hotels, restaurants, hikes, beaches and parks where dogs are welcome.
In Ras Al Khaimah alone, the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Beach Resort, the BM Beach Resort, Banan Beach Resort and Bear Grylls Explorers Camp all welcome four-legged guests, as does the JA Hatta Fort Hotel in Dubai, which I recently checked out with Frida and her best pal Pepsi, who both adapted to the room service life at great speed.
As I write this, there are countless dogs in the UAE looking for homes. Rescue groups and shelters, including K9 Friends, Bubbles Pet Rescue and Fujairah’s Animals and Us, all work to keep homeless dogs safe, promoting animal welfare across the country. The UAQ Stray Dogs Centre cares for 780 dogs, 15 cats and four donkeys in its shelter houses, made possible by the centre’s staff of 16 and about 100 volunteers, Amirah William, founder of the centre, confirmed. A total of 632 dogs were adopted from the UAQ Stray Dogs Centre last year, she says.
A conversation I had with my very pragmatic dad in the weeks after I adopted Frida went a little bit like this: “You have just made moving back to the UK a lot more expensive,” he said with a sigh. I reminded him that I have no immediate plans to move anywhere and can start a Frida fund to cover any eventual moving costs. “Have you thought about vet costs?” was the next question, to which I reminded him I had considered my canine finances. He then played with her for a few minutes and said, “I suppose it doesn’t matter, you have saved a little soul.”
There is no doubt that if I hadn’t adopted Frida, she would have charmed the next person who came in to meet her – she has the eyes – but I will always be glad that I got there first.
K9 Friends and UAQ Stray Dogs Centre dogs who are currently up for adoption:
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
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9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
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Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Results
ATP Dubai Championships on Monday (x indicates seed):
First round
Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x4) 6-4, 6-1
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x7) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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7pm: Flood Zone
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8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
UAE SQUAD
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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