Abu Dhabi topped a list of the world's 25 leading cities for their response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The ranking, based on 50 parameters in five categories including health care and the economy, demonstrated the impact of the emirate’s response to the pandemic.
Health authorities implemented mass testing, introduced a comprehensive vaccination programme and offered financial support to businesses, while opening up in safe manner.
Abu Dhabi was followed by Seoul, Sydney, Singapore, Ottawa and Berlin in the report issued by London-based analytics consortium Deep Knowledge Group.
Within weeks of the pandemic breaking out in March 2020, authorities established field hospitals, mass testing centres and screening facilities.
Initiatives prioritised vulnerable groups, included free testing and health checks, the distribution of millions of free meals, the launch of health awareness programmes in many languages and mental health support.
Doctors and researchers collaborated in global efforts to find a vaccine, including leading the world's first Phase III trials of an inactivated viral vaccine.
Logistics have also been important, with the establishment of the Hope Consortium to co-ordinate the delivery of billions of doses of vaccines around the world.
Now tourism chiefs are also ensuring the city is reopening in safe way with the introduction of the green list. Anyone coming from a country on the list does not have to quarantine.
Major exhibitions such as Idex have been staged safely, showing that Abu Dhabi is emerging strongly into the post-coronavirus world.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
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World Mental Health Day
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• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
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Tomorrow 2021
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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