Two children were thrilled when they were able to enter the immigration control cabin and stamp their own passports at Dubai International Airport.
Isobel, 9, and her brother Charles, 6, arrived in Dubai on Tuesday, and were curious to know what the passport control officers do behind their desks.
As they were standing beside their parents, a senior officer greeted them and invited them into the immigration check cabin.
Lt Gen Mohammed Al Merri, director general of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, was on an inspection visit when he saw the two children and decided to surprise them.
He told the children about the work of passport control officers and even allowed them to put the entry stamps on their own passports.
“We were returning to Dubai after the summer holiday in the UK when Isobel and Charles received a real treat at the airport. Officers allowed them to stamp their own passports. It was a wonderful experience,” Steve Thomas Williams, the children's father, told The National.
Lt Gen Al Merri explained to Isobel and Charles how the officers check passengers' passports.
“Usually passport control is a high-security area but in Dubai, they broke down the barriers and a senior officer offered a special experience to the children,” said Mr Williams, who is the chief executive of a company in Dubai.
Mr Williams and his wife Claire have lived in Dubai for the past 18 years. Their children were born in the UAE and go to a school in Al Barsha.
“Mr Al Merri explained to them all about passport checks. He was very kind to them and they were happy,” said Mr Williams.
“They replied 'Shukran Jazeelan', which means thank you very much in Arabic.”
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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
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On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
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The specs
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Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Age 32
Country United Kingdom
Grands Prix entered 198
Pole positions 67
Wins 57
Podiums 110
Points 2,423
World Championships 3
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
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Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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- 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
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1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
