The Hatta border crossing between the UAE and Oman. Satish Kumar / The National
The Hatta border crossing between the UAE and Oman. Satish Kumar / The National
The Hatta border crossing between the UAE and Oman. Satish Kumar / The National
The Hatta border crossing between the UAE and Oman. Satish Kumar / The National

Oman closes land borders as coronavirus cases rise


Mina Aldroubi
  • English
  • Arabic

Oman is set to close its land borders for a week starting on Monday because coronavirus cases are rapidly increasing, the state news agency said on Sunday.

The restrictions are set to take effect at 6pm on Monday and could be extended.

The decision was made by Oman's coronavirus emergency committee.

"A large number of citizens and residents observe that the public are not adhering to health measures set by the state, for example, by not wearing masks and by holding gatherings with large numbers of people for social events, which has caused the spread of the virus," Oman's Supreme Committee said.

Authorities are concerned about the spread of the new coronavirus variant, of which the country recorded its first case this month.

The mutant strain that emerged in Britain was reported in Oman after a resident arrived from the UK.

Oman has recorded a total of 131,790 infections and 1,512 deaths since the pandemic started last year.

Of those numbers 124,067 have recovered so far.

The country has introduced an immunisation campaign using the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for its population of about 4.2 million.

It gives priority to healthcare workers who are on the front lines,  people over 65 years of age and those with chronic diseases.

The country has so far received about 38,900 doses, Health Minister, Ahmed Al Saidi said as he received his second shot on Sunday.

So far, 24,204 people have received their first dose and second doses will start on Sunday, the Health Ministry said.

Oman approved the vaccine on December 18, 2020.

Authorities have imposed strict health measures such as compulsory face masks and social distancing. Offenders are handed a heavy fine.

Company Profile

Company name: Yeepeey

Started: Soft launch in November, 2020

Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani

Based: Dubai

Industry: E-grocery

Initial investment: $150,000

Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year

Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

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.

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

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