LATEST: UAE and Oman flooding 'up to 40% more intense due to climate change'
Major clean-up operations took place at private schools in Dubai, where auditoriums and classrooms were flooded, false-ceilings collapsed and shades were blown away as the worst storm since records began hit the UAE last week.
Maintenance teams stayed overnight for several days to ensure campuses would be ready to welcome pupils for in-person classes as soon as possible.
While many schools opened doors to pupils for face-to-face classes on Monday, others extended remote learning due to staff and pupils living in areas that remain affected by flooding.
The resilience shown by everyone was incredible
Rebecca Coulter,
principal of Dubai British School Jumeirah Park
Rebecca Coulter, principal of Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, said the school was able to open for face-to-face lessons on Monday despite their auditorium flooding.
“We need some repair work in our auditorium, which was our worst-hit area,” said Ms Coulter.
“We were struggling as the roads around Jumeirah Park were heavily flooded.
“Our facilities and cleaning teams worked tirelessly to remove water from the site and restore the buildings to full working order. The resilience shown by everyone was incredible and we are so thankful to work with such a dedicated and caring team.”
Many private schools decided to take preventive steps to ensure their campuses would be safe.
Preparing for the storm
Rajiv Raghavan, school operations manager at Gems Legacy School with about 6,500 pupils, said he faced a unique challenge as the buildings on site were more than 30 years old.
Before the rain, the maintenance team ensured all windows were bolted, furniture was moved and elevators were switched off.
Vulnerable areas, such as electrical and server rooms, were identified and protected to prevent long-lasting damage.
“There have been a lot of leaks in various places; the shades came down and false ceilings have fallen,” Mr Raghavan said.
“As much as we were prepared, we didn't anticipate the commute would be so difficult for staff. For the first 24 to 48 hours, it was just one team that was continuously there at the school.
“They were the real heroes because they had to work continuously with no breaks and ensure they plugged [leaks] wherever required. In fact, there was even a day when, for probably close to about 14 to 18 hours, even providing them with food became difficult because there was no delivery mechanism functional.”
Overcoming adversity
Dino Varkey, group chief executive of Gems Education, said last week's floods presented unprecedented challenges to the entire country.
“Our support teams at all of our schools across the UAE rose to the occasion magnificently,” he said.
“Their remarkable efforts ensured that the majority of our students could return to their classrooms this week. I commend their outstanding efforts and salute their great work on behalf of our communities throughout the year.”
John Bell, principal at Bloom World Academy, said the rain had caused some leaks but the school managed to avert damage due to action taken by maintenance staff.
“Our school has remained pretty safe. We weren't adversely affected by the weather,” said Mr Bell.
“Our facilities team slept in the school for two days. They stayed in school and slept here to make sure all the leaks were plugged, so we didn't have any areas of damage. Only one small office was damaged.”
Alison Baldwin, manager of school operations for a cluster of Gems Education schools, said that while there had been damage across various areas, most of it was not severe.
“There was a lot of [damaged] ceiling tiles, shades, and leaks. This looks very dramatic but they're actually very quick and easy things to repair. It was a lot of superficial damage,” she said.
“In some schools, we had leaks affecting electrical rooms, meaning that power was lost in some places, especially where Dewa support was required to reinstate the power.”
Ms Baldwin said the lack of electricity meant some faced delays in restarting their maintenance work, while teams struggled to commute to schools due to waterlogging and roads being blocked.
“Now all schools have been opened and are safe to use. There may be some playground resurfacing that might be needed in certain areas, so there will be some work that will take a little bit longer to resolve,” she said.
Heavy rain hits Dubai and Abu Dhabi – in pictures
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Blue%20Beetle
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
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Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
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Second Test: October 10-14, at Maharashtra
Third Test: October 19-23, at Ranchi
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
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Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
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Emirates Red Crescent
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Gulf for Good
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Noor Dubai Foundation
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Champions League quarter-final, first leg
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Charlie Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer
Four stars
