Ministers have approved a series of measures to benefit Emirati families, including redundancy payments for unemployed citizens.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said the move was intended “to compensate the insured worker with a cash amount for a limited period in the event of unemployment”.
"The aim is to enhance the competitiveness of the labour market, provide a social umbrella for its workers, and establish a stable work environment for all," Sheikh Mohammed said.
Unemployment support payments were first set out last year when the government embarked on a major drive to get Emiratis into the private sector, where redundancies are more common.
The Cabinet, which met at Abu Dhabi's Qasr Al Watan after the Eid Al Fitr break, further approved housing loans worth Dh11.5 billion for 13,000 Emirati families.
The loans are the latest step in the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme to ensure every citizen can own a family home.
The Cabinet formally approved the next stage of an Emiratisation drive that will ensure Emiratis make up 10 per cent of employees in private sector companies by 2026.
In the next year, companies with more than 50 employees should have a 2 per cent Emirati workforce under the Nafis scheme. This quota will be expanded year on year until 10 per cent is reached.
In September 2021, the government set a target of getting 75,000 Emiratis into private sector jobs instead of government roles. This included plans by the government to supplement private sector salaries, which tend to be lower than the public sector.
The aim is to create more than 12,000 jobs annually for citizens in all economic sectors.
To incentivise private companies, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation will reduce its service fee by 80 per cent, which will help in recruiting and training Emirati citizens.
Starting from January 2023, non-compliant companies will have to pay Dh6,000 a month for every citizen who has not been employed.
The Nafis scheme offers various benefits to Emiratis, including one-year salary support of up to Dh8,000 a month during training, and a monthly stipend of up to Dh5,000 that is paid for up to five years for university graduates.
It also offers a child allowance of Dh800 a child and up to a maximum of Dh3,200 a month to Emirati staff working in the private sector
Naming firms that breach financial rules
Ministers also approved plans to publicly name companies that breach securities and commodities regulations and detail their offences.
“The goal is to raise investment awareness, and protect our financial markets, deter violators and ensure the protection of all investors,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
At present, companies regulated in the Dubai International Financial Centre free zone that breach laws and regulations are commonly named by the Dubai Financial Services Authority and Financial Markets Tribunal.
The Cabinet plan, which was not detailed in full, appears to be an extension of that practice.
In contrast, domestic criminal and civil courts do not publicly set out judgments or name involved parties.
Tackling climate change
In the environmental sector, Sheikh Mohammed said ministers approved the formation of the Emirates Council for Climate Action, led by the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Mariam Al Mheiri.
“The aim is to develop public sector plans to deal with the effects of climate change, adapt to its effects and follow up on the implementation of climate neutrality plans by 2050, which we have announced earlier,” he said.
“We also approved the establishment of the Emirates Council for Environmental and Municipal Work, with the membership of all municipalities in the country and a group of federal ministries, with the aim of exchanging experiences and proposing regulations and legislations that raise the level of municipal work at the federal level.”
Other decisions included merging the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments with the Zakat Fund, and forming a new board to manage the authority.
“We have a great opportunity for the growth of the endowment sector in the country and the development of Zakat resources. The new authority has a great mission to develop this sector,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
UAE pavilion at Floriade Expo 2022
The UAE will have a pavilion at the Floriade Expo 2022 in the Netherlands this year.
The event puts a spotlight on the horticultural world and the role it plays in our daily lives.
“It aims to introduce the country’s efforts to overcome the challenges of elevated temperature and water scarcity and to preserve our biological diversity,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.
It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.
The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications
MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
You may remember …
Robbie Keane (Atletico de Kolkata) The Irish striker is, along with his former Spurs teammate Dimitar Berbatov, the headline figure in this season’s ISL, having joined defending champions ATK. His grand entrance after arrival from Major League Soccer in the US will be delayed by three games, though, due to a knee injury.
Dimitar Berbatov (Kerala Blasters) Word has it that Rene Meulensteen, the Kerala manager, plans to deploy his Bulgarian star in central midfield. The idea of Berbatov as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder, might jar with Spurs and Manchester United supporters, who more likely recall an always-languid, often-lazy striker.
Wes Brown (Kerala Blasters) Revived his playing career last season to help out at Blackburn Rovers, where he was also a coach. Since then, the 23-cap England centre back, who is now 38, has been reunited with the former Manchester United assistant coach Meulensteen, after signing for Kerala.
Andre Bikey (Jamshedpur) The Cameroonian defender is onto the 17th club of a career has taken him to Spain, Portugal, Russia, the UK, Greece, and now India. He is still only 32, so there is plenty of time to add to that tally, too. Scored goals against Liverpool and Chelsea during his time with Reading in England.
Emiliano Alfaro (Pune City) The Uruguayan striker has played for Liverpool – the Montevideo one, rather than the better-known side in England – and Lazio in Italy. He was prolific for a season at Al Wasl in the Arabian Gulf League in 2012/13. He returned for one season with Fujairah, whom he left to join Pune.
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General%20Classification
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
