Saudi Arabia will allow international pilgrims to perform Umrah from August 10, state media said on Sunday as the kingdom reopened the Grand Mosque in Makkah to domestic Umrah pilgrims after the Hajj pilgrimage last week.
Authorities restricted access to the mosque to Hajj pilgrims earlier this month as part of precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 during the annual pilgrimage.
People wishing to perform the Umrah pilgrimage must first receive approval to do so and must follow safety guidelines. The pilgrims on Sunday abided by precautionary measures laid down by the General Presidency of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque, the Saudi state news agency said.
Local pilgrims can use the Eatmarna app to book a time slot for Umrah or to offer prayers at the Holy Mosque.
“I went on Eatmarna to book an appointment but they’re booked out for the rest of the month. People booked it within seconds,” says Dina Zidaan, an Egyptian resident of Jeddah.
“I can’t wait to go to the Grand Mosque and offer salah and perform Umrah. As soon as flights reopen that’s the first thing I’m going to do,” said Mubeen Islam, a UAE resident.
More than 500 Umrah service companies and 6,000 foreign Umrah agents will help pilgrims around the world book packages via 30 different websites, said Hani Ali Al-Amiri, member of the National Committee for Hajj and Umrah.
Pilgrims will be able to select their packages online which will entail flight bookings and on-ground services including transportation services, hotel bookings and meals.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah have approved the list of companies that will provide B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) services globally.
Saudi Arabia conducted the Hajj for 60,000 pilgrims this year without registering any cases of the coronavirus, authorities said last week. Participation was restricted to citizens and residents of the kingdom who met the health criteria.
Saudi Minister of Health Dr Tawfiq Al Rabiah said complex planning to maintain social distancing and insisting on vaccination for all pilgrims resulted in a successful Hajj "free from coronavirus and other epidemic diseases".
Normally, about 2.5 million Muslims from around the world travel to Makkah to participate in the pilgrimage.
About three million people entered the Grand Mosque during Ramadan, the authorities said in May.
A team of 4,000 workers sterilises and disinfects the Grand Mosque and its courtyards 10 times a day.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
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Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
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Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Tomorrow 2021
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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