More rain and strong winds are forecast in south-western parts of Saudi Arabia, including Asir, Jazan, Najran, Baha, Makkah and coastal parts of Jeddah.
Residents shared pictures and videos on social media of families rejoicing in the rain as many Saudis continue to travel to the highlands of Abha to escape the soaring summer temperatures in the kingdom's desert regions.
One onlooker in the Makkah region also shared a video of water streaming off a bridge as cars splashed through the standing water.
Many locals shared mountain-top footage of people enjoying picnics in the rugged terrain overlooking Abha city, under cloudy skies.
People also shared pictures of themselves walking "among clouds" on the seven-kilometre Fog Walkway overlooking the Tihama mountains enjoying the rainy and foggy weather.
The National Centre of Meteorology began the second phase of its cloud-seeding programme in the south-western regions of Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
“This is in addition to the operation of the first phase of the programme in the airspaces of Riyadh, Qassim and Hail regions,” Dr Ayman Ghulam, chief executive of NCM and general supervisor of the cloud-seeding programme said.
"The NCM is looking forward to increasing rainfall in the targeted areas to contribute to achieving the goals of national initiatives related to rain and increasing the water level and thus producing a positive impact on the agricultural and tourism sectors in the kingdom," he said.
The cloud-seeding programme aims to contribute to sustainable development, preservation of the environment and searching for ways to develop resources — all goals outlined at the Green Middle East Summit announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last year.
Abdulrahman Al Fadhli, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and chairman of the NCM board of directors, launched the first phase of the cloud-seeding programme in April this year.
Residents in Makkah on Tuesday evening rejoiced as rain fell on the city.
The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques launched the "Umbrella of Mu'tamer" initiative, to help visitors to the mosque stay safe and perform their rituals with ease when it rains.
The presidency will provide umbrellas and services that help visitors to perform their rituals. More than 200 supervisors and 4,000 workers are prepared to deal with the rains at the mosque.
Other efforts include distributing water-pumping equipment inside and outside the Grand Mosque to help speed up the drying process to avoid pilgrims slipping and possibly injuring themselves.
NCM on Tuesday denied rumours that temperatures on Thursday will drop in most regions of Saudi Arabia.
The NCM said that temperatures will remain high in most regions of Saudi Arabia, except for the highlands such as Asir.
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Specs
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Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
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Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
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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.
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
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The specs
The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
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Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
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Winner: Dasan Da, Saeed Al Mazrooei (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
