Football star Ronaldinho is in Beirut today.
The Brazilian sportsman, 41, took to Instagram to announce that he was heading to the Lebanese capital on Wednesday.
"Hello friends from Lebanon," he said in a video, which appears to have been filmed in a hotel corridor. "On the 28th [of July] we will be in Lebanon, see you soon!"
It has been reported that Ronaldinho is heading to Beirut to commemorate the victims of the port explosion of August 4, 2020, a devastating blast that caused at least 207 deaths and 7,500 injuries.
As part of what's being called the football star's "in solidarity with Lebanon and the Lebanese" initiative, he is expected to visit the port, where he will lay a wreath for the victims, and visit the Karantina fire bridge and Civil Defence centre.
The Civil Defence has confirmed to The National that Ronaldinho will visit them on Thursday and will meet rescuers from the port explosion.
This will not be the footballer's first trip to Lebanon. In 2017, he was photographed by fans at the nightclub Taiga Beirut.
He's no stranger to the region, as, in May, Ronaldinho received a UAE golden visa, which gives him long-term residency in the Emirates.
Ronaldinho is also not the only celebrity who has visited Lebanon this summer. Last week, actress Lindsay Lohan, who lives in Dubai, was spotted in the town of Hammana.
The Mean Girls star was in town with her Lebanese banker boyfriend Bader Shammas, an assistant vice president at Credit Suisse, and their friends.
The former child star posed for photos with fans after eating at pizzeria, Piazza1140. On her July 17 visit, she was trending at No 1 in Lebanon on Twitter. She did not post any images on her own social media.
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What are the regulations?
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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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.
