Sharjah has launched a financial support scheme to allow Emiratis to claim compensation in the event of property being damaged by adverse weather and natural disasters.
The relief effort is being introduced to safeguard citizens against extreme weather events, such as the deadly flash flooding that struck large parts of the Northern Emirates last year.
Sharjah Social Services Department and the emirate’s Civil Defence Authority will oversee applications for assistance from the public, officials said on Thursday.
The scheme was approved by Sharjah Executive Council last month and has now come into effect.
Afaf Al Marri, the head of Sharjah Social Services Department, said the policy relates only to future weather-related events.
“Past weather-related incidents in the eastern region and in Kalba were addressed and people received financial support,” she said.
The relief plan was introduced following a study examining the impact of heavy rain in the emirate last year, in which many homes were damaged by severe flooding.
Extreme weather response
Sharjah was hit hard when the UAE recorded its heaviest rainfall in 30 years in July 2022.
More than 800 people were rescued and thousands more placed in temporary accommodation in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah after the summer deluge led to widespread flooding.
Many people in Fujairah and Sharjah said it was the worst flooding they had ever seen.
They were surprised by the intensity of the downpour and how swiftly the floodwaters inundated their homes.
“We held meetings to learn from this experience and develop a plan for compensating people for damages,” said Ms Al Marri.
She said people should approach the department to submit claims for financial help if impacted by extreme weather events.
“After this, the civil defence will carry out an assessment of the damages,” she said.
Authorities did not confirm if compensation is given only for damage caused to homes, or if claims can be made for other property such as vehicles.
Crew members from the civil defence will conduct inspection visits to determine the extent of the damage and its causes.
“Standards approved by the civil defence categorise causes into three types: floods and torrents, winds and hurricanes, and earthquakes, each with its own criteria for evaluation,” she said.
Levels of compensation granted will be based on the findings of site inspection reports.
"This initiative represents an organised approach to the compensation process," said Ms Al Marri.
Emiratis affected by last year's torrential rain and flooding received financial support on the directives of Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah.
Each affected family received Dh50,000 to help pay for damages incurred in the flooding.
The UAE has been hit by several days of wet weather with more downpours to come.
Heavy rain started to move across Dubai and the Northern Emirates and into the east of the country on Thursday afternoon.
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Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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Centre Court
Starting at 10am:
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7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
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4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
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Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
