A view of Dubai taken from the Pearl Jumeirah before and during a dust storm. Pawan Singh / The National
A view of Dubai taken from the Pearl Jumeirah before and during a dust storm. Pawan Singh / The National
A view of Dubai taken from the Pearl Jumeirah before and during a dust storm. Pawan Singh / The National
A view of Dubai taken from the Pearl Jumeirah before and during a dust storm. Pawan Singh / The National

Dubai skyline disappears in dust storm


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A dust storm eclipsed Dubai's famous skyline in recent days, with poor conditions forecast to continue.

The National Centre of Meteorology said dust will linger in the air until Sunday.

Dust storms have affected the UAE and much of the Gulf over the past couple of weeks, causing reduced visibility and poor air quality.

The National photographers captured what conditions were like before and after the dust storm. Above, on Tuesday, Dubai's skyline disappears from view from about two kilometres away with a view from Pearl Jumeirah. Below, thick dust blanketed Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque pictured from Wahat Al Karamah.

A map released by the bureau on Wednesday morning showed there would be more hazardous weather conditions because of dust, which is expected to be severe in some areas. The alert is in force until 2pm.

Abu Dhabi Police issued regular alerts on social media this month, calling for motorists to exercise caution on the roads. The force reminded drivers not to take photographs of the hazy weather while behind the wheel.

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran have also been affected by dusty weather. The skies in Kuwait turned orange as a severe sandstorm blanketed the country, forcing airport authorities to suspend all flights on Monday until it cleared.

In Iran, schools and offices closed on Wednesday after another sandstorm blanketed parts of the Iranian capital and other cities, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Iraq is the country worst hit by dust and sandstorms. One person died and thousands were admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties earlier this month.

Worsening weather conditions are expected in the coming days.

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.

• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.

• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.

• For more information visit the library network's website.

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OIL PLEDGE

At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: June 02, 2022, 7:24 PM