ABU DHABI // Many parents who adopt a child from abroad return to the UAE to find they are not entitled to workplace benefits.
Adoption is a legal grey area, so some employers are reluctant to provide health insurance or school fees for the children.
Employers also cite an Abu Dhabi government human resources policy that extends benefits to biological children only.
"I cannot understand why adopted children are not treated the same as biological children," said Gerlinde Krupp, a Dubai resident from Germany who adopted two children from Ethiopia.
Ms Krupp is self-employed so she did not face the problem, but she knows parents who have.
The difference in treatment may be due to a principle of Sharia. Islam forbids western-style adoption, although fostering an abandoned child is considered highly pious.
An Emirati mother who took in an abandoned baby four years ago said she had no problem getting benefits from her workplace, Dubai Civil Defence.
"I just gave them the passport and one letter from me telling them this is my daughter but not biological," said Amal Shehab, who was matched with her child through Sharjah Social Services.
But Emiratis cannot foster a child from abroad.
"I asked many times from Syria, from any country," Ms Shehab said. "They said no."
Expatriates cannot foster children from the UAE. Instead, many adopt legally from other countries.
"There are no agencies or kinds of official channels," said a British Abu Dhabi resident who adopted two children from Ethiopia. "It really depends on which country you decided to adopt from and which country you're from."
Once parents adopt, they face a mix of policies from employers.
The Abu Dhabi department of civil service extends benefits only to employees' biological children, said Osama Al Masry, a civil service adviser. The department's regulations apply to all Abu Dhabi government agencies.
Some semi-government companies follow the same policy. Etisalat does not offer benefits to adopted children, a spokeswoman said.
But National Bank of Abu Dhabi said it would treat the issue case by case.
"We do not have any specific policies for adopted children," said Ruwaida Shahbal, head of employee relations and policies at the bank.
"However, if we are faced with a situation by an employee who has legally adopted children, then we will approve the same benefits."
The Emirates Foundation, an independent organisation set up by the Abu Dhabi Government, also provides equal benefits for adopted children, said Mohanna Al Muhairi, its chief operations officer.
Employment law in the Dubai International Financial Centre, which is a free zone, also acknowledges adoption.
Women who adopt a child younger than three months old are eligible for the same maternity leave as women who give birth.
The British adoptive mother said her employer gave her no maternity leave. She took unpaid leave and was laid off when she returned to work.
But her husband, who works for a semi-government company, was able to get full benefits for their children.
"We're very lucky," she said. "We get all the benefits that any other kid would, which is really nice, especially with two."
Ms Krupp said she thought it was unfair to place a financial burden on employees who adopted.
"If I were to have biological children they would pay it anyway," she said.
"And there are all sorts of different reasons why you adopt. Some people cannot get children.
"So why should they be in a worse situation?"
vnereim@thenational.ae
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
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Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Notable cricketers and political careers
- India: Kirti Azad, Navjot Sidhu and Gautam Gambhir (rumoured)
- Pakistan: Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi (rumoured)
- Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan (rumoured)
- Bangladesh (Mashrafe Mortaza)
SHAITTAN
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The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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
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THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
MWTC
Tickets start from Dh100 for adults and are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Three-day and travel packages are also available at 20 per cent discount.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
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RESULTS
6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).
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Winner: Moosir, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Longines Equestrian Collection Dh150,000 Maiden 1,600m.
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Winner: Secret Trade, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
Winner:
Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
HWJN
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