Masks are still mandatory in mosques. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Masks are still mandatory in mosques. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Masks are still mandatory in mosques. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Masks are still mandatory in mosques. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ramadan 2022: UAE relaxes Covid rules for worshippers


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The UAE has relaxed a series of Covid-19 rules for worshippers ahead of Ramadan.

Prayer times have returned to normal, daily mosque lessons and lectures can resume, and drinking water can be distributed to worshippers once it is bottled, the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (Ncema) said on Wednesday.

The taraweeh prayers — night prayers performed during Ramadan — can now be held in mosques again and during the last 10 nights of Ramadan, tahajjud prayers will also be held from midnight onwards at mosques.

Copies of the Quran can now be provided in mosques again once they are sterilised and women's prayer halls have returned to normal.

Restrictions such as physical distancing were introduced following the outbreak of the pandemic early in 2020. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Restrictions such as physical distancing were introduced following the outbreak of the pandemic early in 2020. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ncema also said worshippers can pray in a straight line again rather than the ziz-zag format introduced during the pandemic, meaning more can attend the mosque.

Certain rules remain, however, such as mandatory wearing of masks indoors and physical distancing of one metre.

No more than 45 minutes is allocated for the tahajjud prayer during the last 10 days of Ramadan, Ncema said.

The authority said it would continually monitor the situation and reserved the right to make changes. This will be the first time since 2020 — when the pandemic swept through the world — that worshippers can enjoy a regular Ramadan with iftar tents also allowed.

During the pandemic, the gap between the call to prayer and the prayer was about 5 to 10 minutes to prevent gatherings. The return to regular times means a degree of normality has resumed.

It also comes as the UAE cautiously emerges from the pandemic with Covid-19 cases declining.

The UAE reported 288 new cases on Wednesday, while the number of active cases in the country has dropped to 21,813.

No deaths have been reported since March 7 and the overall toll is 2,302.

The UAE has carried out more than 147 million tests since the pandemic began.

Mass Covid-19 screening and an extensive vaccination campaign have helped the UAE to bring down infection rates and limit the spread of the virus.

Nearly 24.5 million vaccine doses have been administered and 97.1 per cent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated.

Preparations for Ramadan - in pictures

'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams 
Penguin Randomhouse

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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Padmaavat

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh

3.5/5

Abu Dhabi race card

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6pm Abu Dhabi Championship Listed Dh180,000 1,600m

6.30pm Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m

7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m

7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 2,400m

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog

Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns

Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins

Food of choice: Sushi  

Favourite colour: Orange

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Three tips from La Perle's performers

1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.

2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.

3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.

My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

WHEN TO GO:

September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.

WHERE TO STAY:

Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.

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 five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Profile of Bitex UAE

Date of launch: November 2018

Founder: Monark Modi

Based: Business Bay, Dubai

Sector: Financial services

Size: Eight employees

Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings

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UAE rugby in numbers

5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons

700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams

Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams

Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season

Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Updated: March 31, 2022, 5:30 AM`