About six months' worth of rain fell across the UAE over the weekend after a major storm swept through most parts of the country.
The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said on Sunday that almost 60mm of rain fell in Dubai, while 78mm – the highest recorded in the country – fell over Khatam Al Shaklah in Abu Dhabi.
In the Fujairah neighbourhood of Al FarFar, 77.4mm of rain fell, while 25.4mm fell in Al Ain, the bureau said.
The UAE's average rainfall is less than 100mm a year.
Our main focus has been rescuing individuals trapped in their homes or vehicles
Brig Sami Al Naqbi,
Sharjah Civil Defence
A clean-up operation was under way on Sunday with the situation slowly returning to normal.
Rain was still forecast in the east and south on Sunday but Ncema, the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, confirmed that the severe weather had ended.
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority also said roads had been drained to clear the flooding, with its buses now operating normally.
Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority, which regulates the emirate's private schools, said on Sunday that some nurseries, schools and universities will be allowed to introduce remote learning on Monday should damage to buildings from the weather be too severe to fix before pupils return.
Hazardous weather
The storm which started on Friday evening, mainly in Abu Dhabi, spread to all areas of the UAE early on Saturday and caused localised flooding.
Many parts of the country saw significant amounts of rain with events cancelled, flights diverted, wadis and beaches shut and several roads partially flooded.
Motorists also faced delays with some roads closed and traffic reduced on inter-emirate motorways on Saturday such as Mohamed bin Zayed Road (E311) due to the intensity of the downpours.
Dubai Police also reported diversions and water accumulation in Amman Street, Aleppo Street, Al Nahda Street, Al Ittihad Street, Al Khawaneej Street, Al Yalayis Street and Al Qudra Street.
Pictures on social media showed flood damage to villas.
In Kalba, Sudanese resident Adbelbasit Hassan said his home was partially flooded after intense rain fell on Friday night and Saturday evening.
“It rained all night on Friday,” said Mr Hassan, who was previously affected by the floods in 2022. “And water came into my house.”
He said authorities had pumped the floodwater away and it had receded by Sunday so he could stay in his home.
“Now it is OK,” he said. “The water has come down.”
Authorities had put an emergency plan in place to mitigate the effects of the storm. NCEMA outlined preparations at a briefing on Thursday.
In Dubai, emergency response teams of about 2,300 people worked around the clock to manage the situation, the emirate’s media office said.
Videos posted to social media by the National Centre of Meteorology showed downpours with waters coursing through rain-swollen wadis and dams.
Other footage on Storm Centre, a popular channel that tracks the country’s weather, showed torrential rain, hail and flooded roads.
Other videos showed a more picturesque aspect of the rain, such as a flowing waterfall in Ras Al Khaimah’s Wadi Ghalila and the desert of Sharjah turning green.
In Sharjah, emergency response teams of about 400 people used 200 tankers, 180 mobile pumps, 50 water collection basins and 20 towing vehicles during the clean-up operation.
The civil defence teams have also been responding to emergencies.
“Our main focus has been rescuing individuals trapped in their homes or vehicles,” Brig Sami Khamis Al Naqbi, director general of the Sharjah Civil Defence Authority, told The National.
“We successfully evacuated several families in collaboration with the Sharjah Social Services Department.”
On Saturday evening, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority said Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road was operating as usual. The emirate's marine transport services were also back to normal.
The latest storm comes about a month after a two-day depression swept across the UAE. Eight years ago to the day, a powerful storm wreaked havoc in parts of the country.
The NCM forecast a chance of rainfall on Sunday for the east and south of the country.
It said temperatures are expected to increase and warned of fog on Monday morning.
Further cloudy weather over islands and coastal areas is forecast later on Monday, with high humidity expected.
The rest of the week is forecast to be more settled.
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
The Freedom Artist
By Ben Okri (Head of Zeus)
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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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.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
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Rating: 3/5
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
