Just 12 hours after first laying eyes on a picture of Pepsi, Kiera Doherty was making the hour-long trip to Ajman.
The tiny pup, his pointed ears almost as big as him, needed an urgent place to stay, and Doherty had space to offer him. “He cried and howled the entire way back to Dubai,” she says. “To be honest, I think we were both as surprised as each other to find us both in my living room that afternoon.”
Pepsi’s sudden arrival may have been a bit of a whirlwind, but Doherty had been dreaming of adopting a dog for many years. However, with a full-time job and an apartment with limited outdoor space, the time had never been right.
But as the portfolio director began working from her Dubai home due to coronavirus restrictions, things changed. "Over the past few years, I've followed just about every dog charity there is in the UAE and daydreamed about taking one in," she says. "I live in The Greens and as I watched my neighbours walk their dogs from my balcony, while still in my pyjamas at midday, I realised two things – I was in danger of working full-time from my duvet forever, and also that I now had more time at home than I was ever going to get again. Enough time to give a homeless dog a home, even for a short while."
Taking care of Pepsi was, initially, supposed to be on a short-term basis. The dog Doherty had always envisaged was older, the kind who would happily rest its head in her lap as she settled down for an evening of Netflix. Instead, three-month-old Pepsi brought with him sleepless nights, endless floor mopping, crack-of-dawn walks and the ability to bark through every work phone call.
“Everyone said I would end up keeping him and I was absolutely certain I would not,” she says. “But like all babies, I also got to watch him grow and he has grown so, so quickly. I got to watch his incredible little personality develop, realise how clever he is, let him meet my friends (in a socially distant manner), watch him confidently experience brand new things, and also run behind my legs when he’s a little bit overwhelmed by all the bigger dogs.”
Six weeks after that first drive to Ajman, Doherty signed the adoption papers and the pair went on a walk to celebrate. “I even put jeans on for the occasion,” she jokes.
Like a lot of people, isolation has been tough for Doherty, who lives alone. “Pepsi has given me structure, routine and focus, and makes me laugh and smile daily,” she says. “Without Pepsi I’d almost certainly still be working from home in my PJs, living on Instashop deliveries, bingeing on Netflix, not having seen another human for days on end.”
Doherty is only one of hundreds of people across the UAE who have used this strange and uncertain time to offer a pet a home. For many prospective pet owners, time is what holds them back, but the pandemic has forced us all to slow down, giving us more of it than ever before.
“We hadn’t considered adopting pets before coronavirus; however, a colleague of ours had to move into shared accommodation due to salary cuts and he was unable to take his cats with him,” says Giselle Harding, an events co-ordinator in Dubai. “He asked around, looking for someone to foster but who may be open to adopting them in the case that he can’t have them back. We have both had cats before and felt like it would be an easy transition.”
Although initially taking the cats in to help out a colleague, the animals have ended up being a huge help for Harding, too, acting as a saviour for her relationship and mental health, she says.
“We live in a one-bed apartment and both work from home, so lockdown has been testing. We have only been together for two years and some of that was spent in different countries, so it was pretty intense. “When the cats arrived, it gave us something to focus on and care for other than each other, which lifted the intensity a bit. They are gorgeous cats, albeit demanding, but we both love them. During the workday, when you would normally chat to someone by the coffee machine, we now take a break and play with the cats.”
She can tell when you've had a good or a bad day so it is almost like therapy sometimes
For Rebecca McKillop-Haig, the arrival of her long-awaited puppy just so happened to coincide with the start of mass coronavirus restrictions in Dubai. While it had not been planned, the banker, 29, said she and her husband could not have adopted Caramel at a better time. They had been thinking of buying a puppy, but after seeing how many dogs in the UAE needed rehoming, decided to adopt instead.
“We were basically looking for small to medium dogs,” she says. “We nearly adopted a beagle twice but both times fell through. Then we saw Caramel on Para Dubai and just fell in love! She originally was adopted by another family, but they gave her up again as she is super-energetic and almost like a big dog in a small dog’s body. The foster mom remembered us and called me as soon as she was sure she was ready again to go to a new home.”
Caramel arrived at their Downtown Dubai home at the start of March, and, as she puts it, changed their lives forever as well as giving them a focus outside of work in the mundane day-to-day of life at home during the pandemic.
“She gives us so much love and affection, and she can tell when you’ve had a good or a bad day, so it is almost like therapy sometimes,” she says. “We are so grateful to Kirstin at Para for finding us again and anyone who works for these agencies – it’s amazing what they do.”
The mental health benefits of owning a pet have long been touted. Last year, a study conducted by research organisation Ipsos, on behalf of Boehringer Ingelheim pharmaceutical, sampled three groups of 3,000 people from five countries: healthy owners, owners with health problems, and owners with children suffering from health problems. The findings confirmed what many pet lovers have long suspected: dogs, cats and other pets have a positive impact on health, well-being and happiness.
More than 90 per cent of pet owners surveyed said their pets influence their quality of life, specifically in forming a strong emotional bond that can help them cope with or overcome physical and mental illness.
"Animals are so grateful for their relationship with you. They are thankful that you gave them a home and all that love," Dr Fadi Daoud, a veterinary surgeon at Australian Veterinary Hospital in Abu Dhabi, said in an interview with The National. "So when there is something [wrong], they are more than happy to return it back to you. They connect to you on a high emotional level that's almost unbelievable."
And with pet owners now spending more time with their animals than ever before, that connection is even stronger. Faye Green, a legal secretary in Dubai, has fostered cats on and off for years, but she has never had a connection quite like the one she has with Frankie, the cat she took in during the lockdown period after her previous owner was forced to relocate to the UK.
“Lockdown has been made really fun living with Frankie – she makes me laugh and smile every day,” Green says. “I got her a lion haircut and get messages from my neighbours as she trots around as though she owns the place. I love her so much and she really is the best cat I have ever been around.”
While many people have taken in pets with the view of looking after them temporarily, many have found their way into their owners' hearts for good, as is the case with Doherty, and The National's Liz Cookman, who took in three-year-old cat Soo at the start of lockdown.
“I wasn’t really considering adopting, but I saw a Facebook post about a really fluffy, friendly kitten that had just had surgery and really needed a short-term home while she recovered. I offered to foster her as we are at home most of the time now anyway, so why not be at home with something cute?” she says.
The rescuer instead turned up with an ‘also in need’ three-year-old cat which hid under her sofa for three days. “But despite a few weeks of weeing on my bed and the complete destruction of my furniture, I am completely smitten and don’t think I could give her up again,” she says. “I have taught her to give me her paw and high five – she’s a TikTok star in the making – and she sits on the chair next to me as I work. I love her and her sass.”
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Read more about the coronavirus
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.
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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
