Author: Mariangela Pinto

Coronavirus: UAE reports 2,959 Covid-19 cases, 1,901 recoveries, 14 deaths The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention on Saturday reported 2,959 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus, along with 1,901 recoveries and 14 deaths. The new cases were detected through 242,159 additional tests. The total number of cases in UAE as of March 6 is 408,236 while total recoveries stand at 391,205. The death toll rises to 1,310. The UAE has conducted over 32 million…

The agreement will result in Anghami becoming the first Arab technology company to list on Nasdaq New York MENA music streaming platform Anghami announced that it is merging with US-based Vistas Media Acquisition Company, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company. The agreement will result in Anghami becoming the first Arab technology company to list on Nasdaq in New York, a statement said. The transaction implies an initial pro-forma enterprise valuation of approximately $220m,…

Hajj 2021: Pilgrims must be vaccinated against Covid-19 Saudi Arabia- The Saudi Ministry of Health has announced that the faithful who want to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage this year will need to prove that they’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19. The statement did not specify whether the Hajj, which traditionally draws some 2 million pilgrims from across the world, would again exclude pilgrims from outside the Kingdom to prevent the contagion. Last year, Saudi officials…

Full list of eligible residents; how to book appointments: All you need to know. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has included new categories of people who can book an appointment for vaccination. Under the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the DHA announced that all valid Dubai resident visa holders aged 40 and above can now register to receive COVID-19 vaccination…

Aid from Dubai to help Sudan deal with Covid crisis The UAE Vice-President has ordered aid flights to transport urgent humanitarian aid and medical supplies from the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Logistics Hub in Dubai to Sudan. Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the International Humanitarian City (IHC) chartered two aircraft to deliver the aid. The IHC…

Dubai launches smart device for home patient monitoring Dubai’s healthcare regulator is exploring the use of an artificial intelligence-powered device for remote patient monitoring. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announced that it would collaborate with Enpy, a local start-up, for the non-invasive medical device. “Enpy’s all-in-one non-invasive medical device is paired with a smartphone/tablet application. It … measures vital signs,” the DHA explained. The machine is an all-in-one “healthcare companion” at home that combines…

UAE jobs alert: Nearly 200% increase in hiring digital freelancers The UAE saw a 197 percent increase in recruiting freelancers in the digital sector in 2020, the World Economic Forum has said. In a report on future jobs’ created due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the body said freelancers contributed to preparing and boosting digital content. These included blogs, podcasts, and videos. The report credited the UAE’s “thriving technical environment that encourages innovation”, and digitalization…

Bahrain approves Johnson and Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine Bahrain’s National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) has authorized the use of Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine for coronavirus the Bahrain News Agency reported on Friday. The Janssen Covid-19 Vaccine will be the fifth vaccine authorized in Bahrain in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 and will be given to those most at risk, suchas the elderly, people with chronic diseases and other groups identified by the Health Ministry.…

Dubai bus crash: 7-year jail term for Omani driver reduced to 1 year A Dubai court on Thursday reduced the seven-year sentence of an Omani bus driver who crashed the vehicle into a low-clearance sign after entering a restricted lane, killing 17 people, including 12 Indians, in 2019. The Dubai Court of Appeal reduced the sentence of the 55-year-old driver to one year in jail and also withdrew his deportation order, the Gulf News reported.…

Indian girl missing in Dubai found safe: Family Dubai: Indian girl Harini Karani, who went missing in Dubai on Thursday morning, was found safe around 11.30pm, according to Gulf News. “She has been found. She is safe,” said Harini Karani’s father Bharat. Her aunt Prerena said Dubai Police helped find her. “She was in the neighbouring area only. She is fine,” she added. Further details are yet to be known. Family and friends of the…

Dubai man abuses teenager inside lift Dubai: The Dubai Court of First Instance has sentenced an Indian man to three months in jail for sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl inside a lift. According to official records, the female student from Comoros Island was in the lift with her two sisters at their residence in Bur Dubai area when the 38-year-old defendant abused her in August last year. “We were stepping outside the lift when he…

UAE-based Hafsa Lodi discusses her new book, ‘Modesty: A Fashion Paradox’ In her new book, “Modesty: A Fashion Paradox,” which was launched at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai last month, UAE-based journalist Hafsa Lodi looks at the causes, controversies, and key players behind the worldwide modest-fashion trend. Drawing on Lodi’s own experiences and her decade-long career in fashion journalism, the book serves as a comprehensive guide to modest fashion as a mainstream…

UAE weather: It’s getting colder as temperatures drop in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and other Emirates. It is raining in parts of Abu Dhabi. The National Center of Meteorology recorded scattered rainfall over the Al Dhafra region in the emirate on Wednesday afternoon. In a weather update, the NCM warned that rainy clouds over some western and internal areas, embeded with some convective clouds and fresh winds will cause blowing dust and sand till…

Hollywood star Steven Seagal on guns, armoured vehicles and making more films Hollywood star, martial artist, musician, Buddhist and Russia’s one-time special envoy to the US, Steven Seagal wears many hats. One you may not have heard of is his role as brand ambassador for UAE-based Streit, a defence company that makes sophisticated armoured vehicles right here in Ras Al Khaimah. Born in the US, the actor gained international fame for roles in the 1980s…

Road closures in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for UAE Tour cycling race The UAE Tour cycling race will get under way next week and motorists should be aware of a string of road closures. Organisers of the elite professional cycling race – which will feature 20 teams and some of the biggest names in the sport – have released details of routes which will be closed for six of the seven stages of the event.…

Expo 2020 Dubai: Falcon Aviation Services, Leonardo to start building rotorcraft terminal Abu Dhabi – Italian-headquartered company Leonardo and Falcon Aviation Services have announced that they have started building the new rotorcraft terminal that will facilitate the mobility to and from the Expo 2020 site in Dubai. The terminal design is based on brand new concept, combining a helipad, exhibition and lounge areas in a single city-based heliport. The terminal will be supporting the…

HALCON Unveils UAE’s First Air Defence Missile ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates– HALCON, a regional leader in the production and supply of precision-guided weapons, today unveiled SkyKnight – the first UAE-designed and manufactured counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) missile system, at the International Defence and Exhibition Conference (IDEX) 2021. EDGE, the parent company of HALCON, has been developing a short-range air defence system, as has Germany-based Rheinmetall AG, which was actively seeking a missile…

The former wife drives her ex-husband’s car, breaks traffic rules 15 times in Abu Dhabi in order to get back at her ex-husband. The Emirati woman assumed she could get away with violations because the car was registered to her ex-husband and this would serve as a form of payback from a bitter divorce. An Abu Dhabi court has ordered a woman to pay for 15 traffic violations that she committed with a car registered…

Saudi Arabia’s former oil minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani dies at 90 Ahmed Zaki Yamani, Saudi Arabia’s powerful oil minister and architect of the Arab world’s drive to control its own energy resources in the 1970s and its subsequent ability to affect oil production, fuel prices, and international affairs, died in London. He was 90. His death was announced on Tuesday by Saudi state television. Yamani helped Saudi Arabia command a dominating presence in the…

UAE, Qatar officials meet in Kuwait to follow up on AlUla Declaration Official delegations from the UAE and Qatar met in Kuwait on Monday – the first meeting between representatives of the two countries after the historic Al Ula Declaration. The declaration restored full ties between Qatar and the Gulf nations in January this year after over three years. The two sides discussed joint mechanisms and procedures to implement the declaration. They underscored the…

UAE-India travel: No quarantine if passengers test negative on arrival, unless told by state Dubai: Passengers whose journey to India originates from the UAE will not have to quarantine themselves if they test negative for COVID-19 on arrival from February 23, unless specified otherwise by the state government concerned, senior Indian officials have confirmed to Gulf News. All international passengers whose flights originate from the Middle East must undergo self-paid molecular tests at the airport…