As malls across the UAE close for two weeks and the country undergoes a vast sterilisation programme as part of ongoing measures to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus, there have been some changes to store opening times.
Supermarkets and some pharmacies within malls will remain open to ensure everyone is able to access essentials, however, some opening times have changed as people have been asked to remain in their homes between the hours of 8pm and 6am until Sunday, April 5.
LuLu Hypermarkets across the UAE have temporarily reduced opening hours in line with the government's ongoing sterilisation drive, which has been extended until Sunday, April 5.
Until then, all its stores will operate on reduced hours, open daily from 8am to 7pm. V Nandakumar, chief communications officer at LuLu Group, said, "Please plan your shopping accordingly and avoid last moment rush so as to maintain social distancing procedures."
Malls will be taking special measures to ensure customers are able to access supermarkets safely, signposting them to the closest entrance and carrying out daily deep cleaning, while some malls have thermal cameras installed.
A spokesperson for Oasis Mall, which has outlets in Dubai and Sharjah, told The National. "In Dubai, a thermal camera has been installed at the mall's main entrance, while the basement parking will be fully functional in both the Dubai and Sharjah locations, to give all visitors quick access to the Carrefour stores as well as the iCare clinic in Oasis Mall Dubai and Life pharmacy in Sharjah."
Carrefour, which has dozens of branches across the UAE, has also ensured customers that it is working closely with suppliers to ensure that stock levels remain high, and prices do not inflate.
"We encourage all our valued customers to shop responsibly and be mindful of others," a spokesperson for the supermarket said. "We have full confidence in our stock and supply chain and we continue to monitor stock levels to ensure we adequately cater to customer needs. We are also working closely with suppliers to ensure that essential products remain at reasonable prices so that our customers don’t experience an increase in their shopping bills."
Carrefour hypermarkets in Dubai and Fujairah will now be open 8am to 8pm, while the chain's smaller supermarkets will remain open at their normal hours.
The statement added that stores would be adding special measures to ensure customers follow social distancing rules, including placing acrylic glass screens at checkout counters and installing signs detailing best social distancing practices.
Here is a handy guide for which supermarkets will be open when:
Dubai
Carrefour, Mall of the Emirates
Daily, 8am-8pm
Carrefour, Ibn Battuta
Daily, 8am-8pm
Carrefour, Sunset Mall
Daily, 8am-midnight
Carrefour, Deira City Centre
Daily, 8am-8pm
Carrefour, Festival City
Saturday to Wednesday, 8am-8pm
Thursday and Friday, 8am-8pm
Carrefour, Oasis Mall
Daily, 8am-midnight
Carrefour, Mirdif City Centre
Daily, 8am-8pm
Carrefour, Me'aisem City Centre
Daily, 8am-8pm
Grandiose, Jumeirah
Daily, 7am-midnight
Grandiose, Marina
Daily, 24 hours
Hyperama, Al Quoz
10am-9pm, Sunday to Wednesday and 10am-10pm Thursday to Saturday
LuLu Hypermarket, Al Barsha
Daily, 8am-7pm (Until Sunday, April 5)
LuLu Hypermarket, Al Qusais
Daily, 8am-7pm (Until Sunday, April 5)
Spinneys, Al Furjan
Daily, 8am-11pm
Spinneys, Dubai Marina
Daily, 7am-11pm
Union Coop, Umm Suqeim
Daily, 24 hours
Waitrose, The Dubai Mall
Daily, 10am-9pm (from Sunday, March 29)
Waitrose, Marina Mall
Daily, 7.45am-11pm
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi Co-op, Abu Dhabi Mall
Daily, 8am-midnight
Abu Dhabi Co-op, Khalidiya
Daily, 24 hours
Abu Dhabi Co-op, Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre
Daily, 9am-11am
Waitrose, The Galleria Al Maryah Island
Daily, 8am-9pm
Carrefour, Airport Road
Sunday to Thursday, 8am-midnight
Friday and Saturday, 9am-midnight
Carrefour, Marina Mall
Daily, 9am-midnight
Carrefour, Yas Mall
Daily, 9am-midnight
Lulu Hypermarket, Al Wahda
Daily, 8am-7pm (Until Sunday, April 5)
Lulu Hypermarket, Khalidiya Mall
Daily, 8am - 7pm (Until Sunday, April 5)
Lulu Hypermarket, Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre
Daily, 8am - 7pm (Until Sunday, April 5)
Lulu Hypermarket, Mushrif Mall
Daily, 8am-7pm (Until Sunday, April 5)
Lulu Hypermarket, World Trade Centre Abu Dhabi
Daily, 8am - 7pm (Until Sunday, April 5)
Organic Foods and Cafe, Nation Towers
Daily, 9am-11pm
Spinneys, World Trade Centre Abu Dhabi
Daily, 7am-11pm
Waitrose, Boutik Mall
Daily, 8am-11pm
Spinneys, Corniche
Daily, 24 hours
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
RECORD%20BREAKER
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20debutant%20for%20Barcelona%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2015%20years%20and%20290%20days%20v%20Real%20Betis%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20La%20Liga%20starter%20in%20the%2021st%20century%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%20years%20and%2038%20days%20v%20Cadiz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20player%20to%20register%20an%20assist%20in%20La%20Liga%20in%20the%2021st%20century%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%20years%20and%2045%20days%20v%20Villarreal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20debutant%20for%20Spain%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2016%20years%20and%2057%20days%20v%20Georgia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20goalscorer%20for%20Spain%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2016%20years%20and%2057%20days%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20player%20to%20score%20in%20a%20Euro%20qualifier%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2016%20years%20and%2057%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
FA CUP FINAL
Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
Fourth Estate
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Other key dates
-
Finals draw: December 2
-
Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
-
Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
-
Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on animal trafficking
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
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
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE%20SWIMMERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESally%20El-Hosaini%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENathalie%20Issa%2C%20Manal%20Issa%2C%20Ahmed%20Malek%20and%20Ali%20Suliman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Abu Dhabi Awards explained:
What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.
Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.
When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.
How do I nominate someone? Through the website.
When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
