Barely five years old, Abu Dhabi's innovative and mandatory health insurance scheme now benefits the overwhelming majority of the emirate.
More than 90 per cent of Emiratis and expatriates living in the capital are covered by some form of health insurance, said Dr Jamal Mohd Al Kaabi, the director of customer care and corporate communications at the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (Haad) - the organisation in charge of implementing the scheme.
The current system replaced one implemented by the General Authority for Health Services in 2006, and watching the scheme grow in stature has been rewarding, said Dr Al Kaabi.
The relatively new scheme requires that employers and individual sponsors provide health insurance to workers and family members, including an employee's wife and up to three children under the age of 18.
"The main thing about the insurance is that we want something to drive the quality of health care. Now we are giving the power to the community. We are giving this card to everyone living in the emirate of Abu Dhabi so they can choose where to go," Dr Al Kaabi said.
"Today, if you are not happy with one hospital, there is nothing to tell you that you have to go to this hospital. You will choose the hospital that is appropriate for you."
With the extra power, the scheme also brings extra choice.
The previous plan covered only government employees. "Today, the health insurance system covers people in private and in public places," Dr Al Kaabi said.
Haad has also introduced several other health insurance schemes, including the Thiqa programme for Emiratis, the Aounak scheme for orphans and those with special needs and the Riaaya card for non-Emirati prisoners.
However, to improve the benefits to residents, the scheme relies on feedback from patients, said Ahmed Mohammed Khalifa Al Kindi, the section head of grievances and appeals.
"We almost achieved most of our goals, but we always want to do the best," Mr Al Kindi said.
In the past year, he said he had seen the number of complaints coming through to his department drop by 75 per cent, from roughly 200 to about 50. "Compare it with the last three years, the number of the complaints has gone down dramatically," he said.
But, Dr Al Kaabi said there was still plenty to be done.
"Since we started the scheme, it has been continuously improving when it comes to benefit schedules, when it comes to adding more benefits, when it comes to reducing exclusions, and when it comes to the network" of hospitals involved.
"Improvement has been going on for the last six years."
The insurance plan has also set a precedent for the rest of the country.
"Each emirate, they need an example, so Abu Dhabi took the lead," Dr Al Kaabi said.
Haad is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in the hopes of introducing a healthcare programme for the other emirates, a project that will require time and patience, he said.
But he added there was no certainty a scheme could be implemented in other emirates.
Dubai, which had originally planned to introduce its own system in 2009, announced last month that the deadline had been moved to 2013.
For Abu Dhabi, the scheme's success will give a boost to the entire country.
"We were talking about [this in] 2005, and now we are six years old, so still there are huge steps that need to be taken in the future and inshallah the Government supports this and we hope we will achieve all of our goals," Dr Al Kaabi said.
"If we have success in Abu Dhabi, this will give more strength to other emirates. They are watching us. Everybody is watching us, here in Abu Dhabi. Whatever we will do, and [if] we succeed with it, people will start implementing it."
zalhassani@thenational.ae
Dubai Women's Tour teams
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
HEADLINE HERE
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The%20specs
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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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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Torque: 1075Nm
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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RESULTS
6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.
8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
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
