Thousands of people across Dubai took to their balconies and open windows tonight to clap and cheer in appreciation of the doctors, nurses and other health care workers who have been putting themselves at risk to keep us all safe amid the coronavirus outbreak.
From India to Italy, this new and uplifting trend has emerged, as people celebrate an audience that is probably too busy to listen.
In Dubai, residents clapped and cheered from the their balconies and some even rattled their pots and pans. The sound reverberated around the city's towers.
Dubai Marina residents were definitely the loudest:
But Bur Dubai joined in too:
It started here on Saturday, March 21, as the skies were alive with booming thunder, bright lightning, rain and hail. Despite the dismal weather, many residents went out onto their balconies to cheer.
Dubai Expat Community Facebook Group then put out a call to get a second round of group applause going at 8pm on Wednesday.
“It’s time for all UAE residents to applaud all doctors and medical staff for their tireless efforts in these critical times," a post shared on social media read. "Let’s be united in showing them our support.”
And unite they did. Here's some more:
There was also a showing in the UAE's capital, with residents of Abu Dhabi's Reem Island showing their support:
It's important to remember that all essential workers deserve support in these times: including the delivery drivers making sure people receive essential items, to people who have been tirelessly cleaning our streets and those working round-the-clock in supermarkets to keep the store shelves stocked (and clean).
As Fakhr-e-Alam, who captured some of the high-rise cheers in Dubai on Wednesday night pointed out, "let's keep doing such heart lifting things to keep everyone motivated."
Many cities across the world are doing the same sort of tributes. Across Europe, those hardest hit by the crisis are taking a minute each evening to come together in gratitude by singing, cheering and applauding. This is happening across Rome, Madrid, Paris, Athens and Amsterdam – to name just a few places.
In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged citizens on Sunday to cheer for medical professionals and municipal staff from their balconies at 5pm as the Janata Curfew was put into effect.
Bollywood celebrities Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone joined in, as did Priyanka Chopra from her house in Los Angeles in a show of solidarity.
The same is happening in Canada, from Victoria to Vancouver, where at 7pm every night the streets of the city's West End neighbourhood comes alive with applause, coinciding with the shift change at nearby St Paul's hospital.
While the call for cheers in the UAE came from a Dubai community, organisers say they hope it will catch on nationwide.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Which products are to be taxed?
To be taxed:
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules
MATCH INFO
Group B
Bayern Munich v Tottenham, midnight (Thursday)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
RESULT
Copa del Rey, semi-final second leg
Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Racecard
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
The National selections
6.30pm: Chaddad
7.05pm: Down On Da Bayou
7.40pm: Mass Media
8.15pm: Rafal
8.50pm: Yulong Warrior
9.25pm: Chiefdom
