The tornado in Taif. Screenshot: Arabia Weather SA
The tornado in Taif. Screenshot: Arabia Weather SA
The tornado in Taif. Screenshot: Arabia Weather SA
The tornado in Taif. Screenshot: Arabia Weather SA

Tornado rips through Taif in Saudi Arabia


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A huge sand tornado rolled through Taif in the Makkah province of Saudi Arabia, alarming many residents.

A video on social media showed the moment the tornado tore across a field, lifting stones and rocks in its path.

Saudi resident Salman Al Otaibi put up a tweet showing the damage caused by the tornado on Monday.

Thunderstorms of varying intensity will hit most Saudi regions next week, the kingdom's National Centre of Meteorology said on Sunday.

Moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms, accompanied by over 50kph sandstorms, hail and flash floods are expected in most provinces across the country.

Torrential rain may occur, which will result in low visibility.

The centre called residents to follow its updates through its communication services and media channels, and to heed the instructions of concerned authorities.

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air touching the ground, that is usually attached to the base of a thunderstorm.

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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters

The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.

 Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.

A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.

The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.

The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.

Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.

Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment

But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.

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The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

Updated: March 14, 2023, 7:24 AM`