Khaled Al Hassan will save dh30,000 from the rent waiver. Courtesy: Khaled Al Hassan
Khaled Al Hassan will save dh30,000 from the rent waiver. Courtesy: Khaled Al Hassan
Khaled Al Hassan will save dh30,000 from the rent waiver. Courtesy: Khaled Al Hassan
Khaled Al Hassan will save dh30,000 from the rent waiver. Courtesy: Khaled Al Hassan

Coronavirus: Three months of house rent waived for 500 families in Dubai and Sharjah


Sarwat Nasir
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More than 500 families across Dubai and Sharjah have had their rent waived for the next three months to help them cope with any financial losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Al Husn Properties waived rent for its residential flats and all its commercial offices, shops, warehouses, parking lands and labour camps.

The company owns 600 units in Dubai and Sharjah, including residential flats in Dubai Marina, Sharjah’s King Faisal Road, Al Wahda Road, Al Qulayaa and Al Nasiriya.

“It is a part of our civic duty to be with the UAE government's efforts to support the society and reduce its burden during the current situation,” said Mustafa Al Husseiny, the company’s general manager.

“The idea behind this initiative is to encourage other property owners to have a humanitarian approach towards the tenants in this time of crisis.”

Dyni Binu, 32, will save about Dh10,000 from the waiver. The Indian resident works for a construction company, which has cut their staff's pay by 50 per cent.

Her husband, who works for a shipping company, has not received his salary yet and they expect further delays.

Dyni Binu has received a 50 per cent salary reduction from her job and the waiver will ease her financial burden. Courtesy: Dyni Binu
Dyni Binu has received a 50 per cent salary reduction from her job and the waiver will ease her financial burden. Courtesy: Dyni Binu

“In this situation it’s very helpful for us and we’ll be saving a lot,” said Ms Binu, who lives in the Al Zen Tower 2 in Sharjah and pays Dh40,000 in rent each year.

“We moved to this building in the beginning of March and we paid a lot during the moving process. We have two children who we had to send to India to live with my parents as we couldn’t afford the additional heavy costs here.”

Khaled Al Hassan, a Palestinian who lives in Al Husn Marina building with his wife, sister and housemaid, pays Dh130,000 annually for a three-bedroom flat and will save Dh30,000 from the waiver.

Mr Hassan, 34, works for a construction company and expects his salary to be delayed this month.

More than 500 families who live in homes by Al Husn Properties will receive a three-month rent waiver. Courtesy: Al Husn Properties
More than 500 families who live in homes by Al Husn Properties will receive a three-month rent waiver. Courtesy: Al Husn Properties

“We are negotiating if [the company] can just reduce salaries for now,” he said.

“So, the landlord waiving off three months-worth of rent is a huge deal and is definitely going to help us. A big thank you to him as he’s always been there for us.”

Mohammad Siddiqui, 44, who lives in Sharjah's Al Muntazah Plaza, pays an annual rent of Dh24,000 for a two-bedroom flat.

With the waiver in place, the Indian citizen will save about Dh6,000.

“I am a graphic designer freelancer and during these difficult times I haven’t been making as much money as I could’ve been making,” said Mr Siddiqui, who lives with his wife and teenage son.

In March, authorities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai suspended evictions to protect tenants unable to pay rent during these uncertain times.

Water waste

In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.

Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.

A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.

The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.

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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
 
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
 
Don’t be afraid to negotiate

It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
 
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
 
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.

Match info

Uefa Champions League Group F

Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)

Australia World Cup squad

Aaron Finch (capt), Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa

FINAL LEADERBOARD

1. Jordan Spieth (USA) 65 69 65 69 - 12-under-par
2. Matt Kuchar (USA) 65 71 66 69 - 9-under
3. Li Haotong (CHN) 69 73 69 63 - 6-under
T4. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 71 68 69 67 - 5-under
T4. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 67 73 67 68 - 5-under
T6. Marc Leishman (AUS) 69 76 66 65 - 4-under
T6. Matthew Southgate (ENG) 72 72 67 65 - 4-under
T6. Brooks Koepka (USA) 65 72 68 71 - 4-under
T6. Branden Grace (RSA) 70 74 62 70 - 4-under
T6. Alexander Noren (SWE)  68 72 69 67 - 4-under

Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder

Started: October 2021

Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Industry: technology, logistics

Investors: A15 and self-funded 

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While you're here
RACE CARD

4pm Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m

4.35pm Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m

5.10pm Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m

5.45pm Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m

6.20pm Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m

6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m

7.30pm Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

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Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

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Disability on screen

Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues

24: Legacy — PTSD;

Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound

Taken and This Is Us — cancer

Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)

Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg

Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety

Switched at Birth — deafness

One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy

Dragons — double amputee

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets