Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, March 27, 2020. A Zomato delivery man on his motorcycle on a nearly empty streets at downtown Abu Dhabi on the first day of the UAE cleaning campaign. Emiratis and residents across the UAE must stay home this weekend while a nationwide cleaning and sterilisation drive is carried out. Victor Besa / The National
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, March 27, 2020. A Zomato delivery man on his motorcycle on a nearly empty streets at downtown Abu Dhabi on the first day of the UAE cleaning campaign. Emiratis and residents across the UAE must stay home this weekend while a nationwide cleaning and sterilisation drive is carried out. Victor Besa / The National
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, March 27, 2020. A Zomato delivery man on his motorcycle on a nearly empty streets at downtown Abu Dhabi on the first day of the UAE cleaning campaign. Emiratis and residents across the UAE must stay home this weekend while a nationwide cleaning and sterilisation drive is carried out. Victor Besa / The National
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, March 27, 2020. A Zomato delivery man on his motorcycle on a nearly empty streets at downtown Abu Dhabi on the first day of the UAE cleaning campaign. Emiratis and res

Coronavirus: let's tip the delivery guys more generously, shall we?


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Let's all please tip delivery staff generously

With reference to Anna Zacharias's story Coronavirus: Dubai's delivery drivers tell of life on the road as they count cost of Covid-19 (April 1): they deserve to get hazard pay. It will help if every person who orders takeaway gives the delivery men a generous tip.

Guerlaine Clemor, Dubai

I want to thank all the delivery personnel for their service and say, please take care of yourselves too.

Veronica Camacho, Abu Dhabi

Tip them well.

Malinda Smalberger, Dubai

Would be nice to increase their salaries too.

Oleg Volkivskyy, Dubai

God bless all, especially those out on the streets. They know that virus is everywhere but they are still on their way to work to earn money. Wishing them good health and safety.

Ravi Roheywal, Abu Dhabi 

It's just an intermission: cinemas will be back

With regard to Chris Newbould's article A world without cinema: are the current theatre closures a sign of things to come? (March 31): No, cinemas (or the pictures, as we call them) have survived through adversity before, even maintaining the spirit of the British people during the Second World War.

Iain Samson, Dubai

Well, life is more than just the cinema. We have a lot to learn in the real world and books are good during these dark times.

Sergio Marquina, Leuven, Belgium

Teachers salaries should not have to take a hit

With regard to Anam Rizvi and Sarwat Nasir's report Coronavirus: schools cut fees but urge parents to help protect teacher salaries (March 31): I don't support a reduction in school fees. Even though students are not going to school, they are still learning at home and teachers are spending a lot of time on e-learning and they deserve the pay.

Aysha Sayed, Dubai

School authorities should think less about profits now. Teachers are working hard. They deserve the full salary, like we all do at the end of the month. But all private schools run on 30-40 per cent profit margins and this should be waived. The stakeholders and owners can survive with less profit easily, without paying from pocket. It is a more humanitarian way than cutting salaries.

Prakash Kumar Singh, Dubai

We are ready to pay the fees but school should compromise. Anyway they don’t need to pay for maintenance. Schools can manage without cutting teachers' salaries.

Ahana Badarudeen, Dubai

No parent would ask for a 100 per cent discount. We ask for 35 to 40 per cent off to help us tide over our problems too. Schools should adjust.

Sammira Mohiadeen, Dubai

As a teacher, working from home, e-learning takes up 12-13 hours a day. And being on call 24/7 is a lot harder than people think. Teachers are doing more than the usual, not to mention that we lost our spring break holiday. We sit at a laptop all day. Not being with our families a lot of us expat teachers here are alone. Being in isolation is difficult for our well-being. A lot of work went into and still goes into e-teaching. Please think.

Kerry O'driscoll, Abu Dhabi

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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

The specs

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm

Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh130,000

On sale: now

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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 specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
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

City's slump

L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1