Emirates is operating a one-off flight to celebrate the UAE's successful vaccination programmes. Courtesy Emirates
Emirates is operating a one-off flight to celebrate the UAE's successful vaccination programmes. Courtesy Emirates
Emirates is operating a one-off flight to celebrate the UAE's successful vaccination programmes. Courtesy Emirates
Emirates is operating a one-off flight to celebrate the UAE's successful vaccination programmes. Courtesy Emirates

Emirates to operate one-off flight carrying only vaccinated passengers and crew


Selina Denman
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Emirates is planning a special flight that will carry only vaccinated passengers and crew.

To highlight the UAE’s successful vaccination programme, the airline will operate the one-off flight on Saturday, April 10. EK2021 will depart from Dubai International Airport at midday and cruise over various parts of the UAE before returning at 2.30pm.

The flight will also celebrate the airline’s own success in vaccinating its staff, particularly cabin crew and pilots.

More than 85 per cent of the airline's pilots and cabin crew have already received two doses of the vaccine. Courtesy Emirates
More than 85 per cent of the airline's pilots and cabin crew have already received two doses of the vaccine. Courtesy Emirates

Tickets are priced at Dh1,000 for economy and Dh2,000 for business class, and can be purchased from the Emirates contact centre and Emirates sales offices in the UAE, as well as local travel agents.

All proceeds from this special flight will be donated to the Emirates Airline Foundation, a non-profit charity organisation that supports projects around the world aimed at improving the quality of life for disadvantaged children.

All passengers are required to present their passports or Emirates IDs, as well as vaccination certificates. They will be provided with pre-departure rapid Covid-19 testing, free of charge, and must observe physical distancing protocols and wear their masks throughout the journey.

Passengers on EK2021 will have the opportunity to experience Emirates' newest A380 aircraft, which features the airline's new Premium Economy seats, as well as refreshed interiors across all cabin classes. Passengers will also be able to see firsthand the latest measures that have been put in place on the ground at Dubai International, including new biometric and contactless technology that Emirates has recently introduced in check-in areas and boarding gates.

Passengers onboard EK2021 will be able to experience Emirates' new premium economy cabin. Courtesy Emirates
Passengers onboard EK2021 will be able to experience Emirates' new premium economy cabin. Courtesy Emirates

To date, more than eight million vaccine shots have been administered in the UAE, covering more than half of the UAE's population. Meanwhile, more than 35,000 Emirates employees have received their Covid-19 vaccine shot from one of the company's vaccination centres, with more than 85 per cent of the airline's pilots and cabin crew having already received two doses of the vaccine.

FA Cup quarter-final draw

The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March

Sheffield United v Arsenal

Newcastle v Manchester City

Norwich v Derby/Manchester United

Leicester City v Chelsea

RESULT

Chelsea 2

Willian 13'

Ross Barkley 64'

Liverpool 0

THE SPECS

Engine: 4.4-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 523hp

Torque: 750Nm

Price: Dh469,000

Results

4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Emblem Storm, Oisin Murphy (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).

4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Wildman Jack, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill.

5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Matterhorn, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

7.30pm: Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Loxley, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

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.

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed