Lebanese pupil Mohammed Qassem must improvise to cope with the heatwave in his home city of Baalbek, in the Bekaa Valley.
He studies while sitting directly beneath a ceiling fan and sleeps on the floor or on the balcony in an effort to keep cool as temperatures rise.
It is not usually this hot in June, but temperatures this month have already hit 38°C across most of Lebanon’s plains. This is 8°C higher than the average temperature in June last year.
While other parts of the Middle East have recorded hotter weather, people in countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Jordan face challenges when trying to cope with the heat.
Lebanon has faced chronic electricity shortages for decades, with many Lebanese blaming corruption within the ruling elites.
Years of rolling power cuts have left the majority in Lebanon to rely on privately owned generators, an additional but necessary expense in a country gripped by an economic crisis.
“We don’t have air conditioners, but we have a total of four fans,” said Mr Qassem, 18. “One is always in the living room, two are in the bedrooms and one is moved from room to room, depending on demand.”
This arrangement is common in Baalbek, one of Lebanon's most impoverished cities.
“Most of us try to survive by using fans, but there are some people who can’t even afford that,” said Mr Qassem, who will sit his final high school exams this month.
“The only way to study is directly under the fan, otherwise it’s intolerable. Summer nights are usually a little less hot outside so I sleep on the balcony, but that means I get eaten by mosquitoes.
"So, it’s either I sweat on the floor or get attacked by mosquitoes on the balcony. There are no good options in the summer.”
It is not much different in Iraq, where temperatures can soar above 50°C during the peak of the summer. Temperatures are already hovering around the low 40s and it is forecast to hit 47°C in Eid Al Adha.
Despite its rich oil resources, the country also faces widespread power cuts. Iraqis also attribute the electricity shortage to corruption, as well as years of conflict.
“I can’t remember the last time we had a full day of electricity,” said Hassan Salim, a father of three who lives in Baghdad. “With the temperatures rising, it feels like we’re living in an oven. Even at night, it’s hard to sleep because it's too hot and there is no power to run the fans.”
Like many Iraqis, Mr Salim, who works as a taxi driver, relies on privately owned neighbourhood generators to power his home. But the high cost means this is an unsustainable option for the average family.
“We’re spending a significant portion of our income just to a get few hours of electricity and we can’t run all ACs given the limited electricity we buy,” he said.
“Sometimes, we spend the day going back and forth between my house and my parents’ house, but there are times when there is no electricity in either one. When this happens, I put the kids in the car while the AC is on, so they can get some sleep.”
Temperatures in Cairo hit 45°C on Saturday, nearly 10°C higher than the average in June last year. The heat and Eid Al Adha holiday meant the Egyptian capital's usually crowded streets were far quieter.
The heat also prompted the state weather bureau to issue an advisory, urging the elderly and children to stay at home. It advised the public to avoid being out in direct sunlight because of the heat.
In Aswan, the nation's southernmost city, temperatures rose to 48°C on Saturday, significantly above the average in June last year.
The heat has also taken a toll in Jordan. Farmers were forced to turn off tractors this week, the height of the ploughing season.
“It is not just too hot for the drivers, it is too risky to run the tractors’ engines without damaging them in this heat,” said Yasser Al Hemoud, who owns an olive grove.
Temperatures across the kingdom have risen at least 8°C above the average June temperatures in previous years, with the state meteorological department saying it will continue to get hotter over Eid Al Adha.
It hit 40°C on Friday in the usually cooler capital city of Amman, while temperatures in the Red Sea resort city of Aqaba and the Dead Sea region have reached the mid-forties.
The increasing temperatures prompted Jordan's metrological authorities to issue instructions for the public, including a warning to parents to avoid leaving babies in cars alone “even for a short while”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more about the coronavirus
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
