With the sad demise of Peter Hellyer, Wam has lost one of its pillars of strength. Peter’s association with Wam has been long as well as illustrious. Apart from having played a sterling role in establishing Wam English in the late 1970s, he nurtured Wam’s news operations in the language for long decades. Even when he moved on and took up bigger responsibilities in the government, he continued to pay minute attention to Wam and advise us on various matters.
Peter lived a remarkable life and contributed immensely to nation building in the UAE through his scholarly work on the country’s history, environment and archaeology. He came to the UAE from the United Kingdom when this country was in its infancy, became an integral part of the new nation and chose to make it his home. The wise leadership of the country conferred UAE citizenship on him in recognition of his dedication and contributions. He lived and died as a proud Emirati who represented the best of both his country of adoption and country of origin. He never missed an opportunity to cement the cultural ties between the UK and the UAE.
Peter remained passionate about environmental protection and sustainability all his life. He must have relished the delicious apogee of his environmental advocacy as the UAE will be hosting Cop28 this year. That his passing happened exactly in the year when the UAE will host this defining global event is a meaningful coincidence. Peter was deeply involved in all major efforts to protect the UAE’s environment and recorded them for posterity in his writings. Similarly, he told the country’s history from a unique perspective that only an outsider turned insider could have had.
His commitment to protecting the environment went beyond the borders of the UAE and followed such efforts in the wider region. Noteworthy in this context was his close association with UAE-supported attempts at preserving the ecologically delicate environs of Socotra in Yemen.
Salem Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture and Youth, summed up Peter’s legacy succinctly when he expressed his condolences: "Today, we lost Peter Hellyer, a great historian who dedicated 50+ years to the UAE's environmental and archaeological heritage, notably Sir Bani Yas. His devotion to this land will inspire us to preserve our environment, monuments and history. His legacy endures."
My colleagues and I at Wam join the legion of Peter’s friends and admirers in conveying our heart-felt condolences to his family.
Mohamed Jalal Al Rayssi is the Director General of state news agency Wam
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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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
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
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The view from The National
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
