Australia Day is the official national day celebration of Australia and is marked annually on January 26. The day commemorates the establishment of the first European settlement at Port Jackson, now part of Sydney, in 1788.
This year, however, with the nation suffering from the impact of some of its most devastating bushfires yet, UAE venues have turned this into an opportunity to raise funds for charity.
Due to the bushfires, some events have been cancelled or postponed, such as the Australian Business Council Dubai's annual Australia Day Ball, but here's where and how you can still join in on the day.
Zero Gravity, Dubai
A day-to-night bushfire relief event is being held at this Dubai beach club to mark Australia Day. The day begins at 2pm on Sunday, January 26, and punters can expect an Australian-themed barbecue, live music, raffle draws, live and silent auctions, fairground games, face-painting, plus all-day pool and beach access. It is being held in association with Australian Business Council Dubai, The Benton Group, X Dubai and Skydive Dubai. Tickets for adults are Dh100, including the barbecue and two raffle tickets. For children, it's Dh50, with access to the barbecue and one raffle ticket. It's free entry for children under 12 years old. All proceeds from tickets and beverages will be donated to the Australian Bushfire Relief effort via Emirates Red Crescent and the Australian Red Cross.
For more information, click here.
Appaloosa, Abu Dhabi
The sports bar in Marriott Hotel Al Forsan is serving Australian specialities until Sunday. From 6pm to midnight, enjoy classics such as Vegemite and mushrooms on toast, barbecue snags with traditional meats, plus lamingtons. A computer has been set up in the venue, offering guests access to an official fundraising portal, created in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund. Donations can be made towards Wildlife Response, Habitat Restoration and Future Proofing Australia.
For more information, click here.
Bidi Bondi, Dubai
The Australian restaurant on Palm Jumeirah has established a campaign in conjunction with Emirates Nature-WWF and YallaGive, allowing UAE residents a way to support bushfire relief. Customers can donate through the venue's official website and money raised will be transferred directly to the charity, which will use the funds "to care for injured wildlife, and when the fires clear, they will help restore the forest homes of koalas and other animals". As an added bonus, anyone who makes a minimum donation of Dh200 will be rewarded with a voucher for a meal at any Bull & Roo restaurant in Dubai. This includes Bidi Bondi, The Sum of Us, Brunswick Eatery, Bar & Terrace, Tom&Serg and Common Grounds.
For more information, click here.
Emirates, Dubai
If you're travelling this week, it's good to know that the national airline of Dubai is donating 10 per cent of all EmiratesRED sales on flights until Sunday, February 16 to the recovery efforts taking place in communities affected across Australia. Emirates operates 77 flights a week to Australia and, at the moment, the airline is also waiving flight change fees for Australia residents who have been affected by the bushfires. This applies to all residents travelling to or from the country.
For more information, click here.
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.
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
India team for Sri Lanka series
Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
