Motorists had to wait more than two hours at a Covid-19 screening centre in Dubai on Thursday after demand for tests at the facility doubled over the past week.
The drive-through testing centres, managed by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, Seha, have seen a sharp increase in the number of bookings after it was announced that people could only enter Abu Dhabi if they could present a negative Covid-19 test.
On Wednesday, Seha said the facilities would extend their opening hours until 8pm each night, and are now open seven days a week, in an attempt to cope with the extra demand.
“Most of the people we are seeing each day are looking to travel to Abu Dhabi or outside of the country,” said Dr Mohanna Hasan, who is managing the testing centre at Mina Rashed in Dubai.
Most of the people we are seeing each day are looking to travel to Abu Dhabi
“Before the announcement about Abu Dhabi we were seeing about 500 people a day, now we are at full capacity which is 1,200 people.
“Most people just want to get back to work in Abu Dhabi and need the certificate.”
The increased need for testing was further exacerbated by an announcement that all public sector employees must begin working from their offices from Sunday, which has left many people needing the certificate.
A negative coronavirus test, taken within the previous 48 hours, must be presented at the Abu Dhabi border to enter.
The test costs Dh370 and takes little more than a few minutes to undergo, Dr Hasan said.
Testing is free for pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, the disabled and anyone over the age of 50. It is also free for anyone who has come into contact with someone who has the virus and those who are presenting symptoms of Covid-19.
“We are telling patients they will get their results within 48-72 hours and we are doing our very best to get the results back to them as quickly as possible,” he said.
“Even though it’s been a lot busier, we are coping very well as we have a lot of volunteers and outsourced staff.
“While most people want the certificate to be allowed to get to Abu Dhabi, there are also a lot of people who need it to return to their home countries.”
He said the centres were working closely with embassies who were sending through lists of people who needed to be tested before taking a repatriation flight home.
Residents are advised to book in advance even though the centres are taking “walk-ins”.
Among those being tested at the centre on Thursday afternoon was police officer Fahad Mustafa, 37.
“I have not been able to get to Abu Dhabi for more than a week,” he said.
“I need to get this if I want to be able to get back to work.”
Over at the testing centre in City Walk, motorists were waiting in their vehicles for more than two hours to be seen.
The centre’s manager Abdullah Al Tanaiji said there was a good reason for this.
“We have been working with Dubai Police to make it as smooth as possible,” he said.
“Because it’s a built-up area we had to restrict the traffic entering the testing centre to one lane to stop any disruption to the rest of City Walk.”
He said the surge in visitors to the centre was due to most government ministries being based in Abu Dhabi, with Dubai-based employees keen to get back to work.
The mood was relaxed among motorists at City Walk, despite the long queues.
“It is what it is. My appointment was two hours ago and I haven’t been seen yet but I understand the importance of this so I can’t complain,” said Tobias Kagerah, 31, from Germany, who was planning to leave the country for a short business trip.
“It’s given me a chance to catch up with my audiobook if nothing else.”
Another motorist, who asked not to be named, said the long queues did not come as a surprise.
“I expected to be honest and there’s not a lot I can do but be patient,” said the Dubai resident, who said he works in a government department in Abu Dhabi.
“I need it if I want to get to work.”
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West Indies v England ODI series:
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
Fixtures:
1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown
2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown
3rd ODI - February 25, St George's
4th ODI - February 27, St George's
5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet
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- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
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2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
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3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 64,000 (D) 1,600m
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3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,600m
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Winner: Untold Secret, Jose Santiago, Salem bin Ghadayer
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
Stage 3 results
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 4:42:33
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:03
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:30
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:56
General Classification after Stage 3:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 12:30:02
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:35
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb) 0:02:06
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
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Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
SCHEDULE
Thursday, December 6
08.00-15.00 Technical scrutineering
15.00-17.00 Extra free practice
Friday, December 7
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 1
15.30 BRM F1 qualifying
Saturday, December 8
09.10-09.30 F4 free practice
09.40-10.00 F4 time trials
10.15-11.15 F1 free practice
14.00 F4 race 2
15.30 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier
Results
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by 12 runs
Kuwait beat Iran by eight wickets
Oman beat Maldives by 10 wickets
Bahrain beat Qatar by six wickets
Semi-finals
UAE v Qatar
Bahrain v Kuwait
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Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
