Read the latest updates on the Hajj pilgrimage here
Saudi Arabia's communications authority has announced the completion of the telecoms systems to serve pilgrims performing Hajj – with big increases in coverage.
The Communications, Space and Technology Commission said that the data consumption in Makkah and the holy sites has hit 4,601 terabytes, the equivalent of 1.89 million hours of 1080p videos.
CST said that the average individual Internet data usage had reached 785MB daily, nearly three times exceeding the international average of data usage per person of 270MB.
The statistics also revealed that the pilgrims' most visited websites were YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook.
More than 6,000 communication towers in Makkah, Madinah, and the holy sites to serve pilgrims, said the CST. This marks an increase of 74 per cent.
The number of 5G towers has been increased by 1,205 per cent to more than 2,900 towers, while the number of than 10,500 WI-FI access points in Makkah, Madinah, and the holy sites – an increase of up to 118 per cent.
The commission said that the infrastructure preparations were doubled for this year’s Hajj to cope with the return of the number of pilgrims to pre-pandemic levels.
Meanwhile, Saudi telecoms company Mobily announced the completion of its preparations to provide digital solutions to Hajj pilgrims through its application of artificial intelligence “digital twin” technology.
This feature will further help identify potential congestion areas and recommend changes in real time, with a live monitoring system 24/7 covering all areas of the holy sites to manage traffic and reduce congestion.
Additionally, the twin technology will contribute to the creation of a virtual model for the network's infrastructure, which will provides tools to test network quality, facilitate maintenance, and troubleshoot errors.
This will make Mobily's job easier in managing integration between networks, as well as its role in operating fifth generation networks and managing the growing demand for data.
Mobily chief executive Salman Al Badran said the company was “able to harness artificial intelligence applications to enhance the performance of the network, which reflects the priority to support concerted efforts to facilitate all avenues for pilgrims”.
The company has improved Hajj network coverage, increasing the coverage of the 5G network by 85 per cent compared to last year, data capacity by about 20 per cent and fibre optic coverage by 120 per cent.
Honeymoonish
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The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
CREW
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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.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus
To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.
The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.
SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.
But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.
