Hundreds of Chinese citizens on visit visas to the UAE will receive their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday.
About 200 have registered for the Sinopharm vaccine at the Safa healthcare centre in Dubai, with inoculations to be administered by the Dubai Health Authority.
Hend Al Ketbi, DHA’s director of nursing for primary healthcare centres, said there was available capacity to vaccinate more than the 200 who had signed up for the opening day of the campaign.
Chinese visitors are the first non-residents to be offered Covid-19 vaccines in the UAE after an agreement was confirmed on Sunday.
Chinese grandmothers carrying toddlers were among dozens to arrive early at the centre on Thursday morning.
Two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine will be provided to Chinese citizens over the age of 16 who are without a residency visa and hold a short-term visa.
'We feel safe'
Yang Chongqi, 61, from Beijing, beamed as she carried her year-old granddaughter into the vaccination room.
Aladdin Essam, her Egyptian son-in-law, said the vaccination was a protective shield for his family.
“You cannot imagine how safe we feel that even Chinese visitors can get the vaccine,” he said.
“This has always felt like a second home. You feel that in any emergency you will be taken care of.”
Ms Chongqi has been in Dubai for the past three months to take care of her grandchild.
I thought it was impossible
Yao Zhang, 30, never thought she would be granted the opportunity to be vaccinated while abroad.
“When holding a visit visa, it’s impossible to get a vaccine in any country. I feel extra happy and proud,” she said.
An office manager in the hospitality sector, Ms Zhang came to Dubai in January with her husband looking for opportunities after being laid off in the US.
A resident of Guangxi in southern China, Ms Zhang said she hoped to go home but it was tough to get a ticket.
She has completed online hospitality training while waiting for a job or a flight home.
“Like this vaccine, there is always hope. I believe there will be opportunities. There is always light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
A show of solidarity
Li Xuhang, China’s consul general in Dubai, said the inoculation drive highlighted the "solidarity between the UAE government, Dubai and the Chinese government”.
“Our aim is to protect overseas Chinese nationals with the support of Dubai,” he said as he visited Chinese citizens receiving the vaccine.
“We highly appreciate the support of UAE and Chinese nationals feel the friendship here.”
The consul general spoke to a group of Chinese tourists waiting for 20 minutes after their vaccination.
“The vaccine is the only way to make people healthy and safe,” he said.
Chinese officials from the consulate were present to assist with translation when people checked in to register for vaccines at the centre.
'We've been waiting for this'
Alice Zhang was among among the first to be vaccinated.
"I'm very excited. I will feel safer," Ms Zhang, 31, told The National before receiving the vaccine.
“I have been waiting for this and hoping to see this process start. Now it is my turn and I feel happy.”
Ms Zhang received a card showing her second dose in three weeks and would not need to register for the next shot.
She arrived in Dubai in November and decided to remain after her flight home was cancelled last year.
Many Chinese citizens on temporary visas extended their stay in the Emirates because of a lack of flights home.
China drastically restricted international flights last year owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
Few flights currently operate from the UAE, driving up the price for a one-way ticket to Shanghai to more than Dh20,000 ($5,445).
Ms Zhang is from Wuhan, where the first Covid-19 cases were reported, and said she followed a strict regime to stay safe during her stay in Dubai.
Some friends on tourist and residency visas in the Emirates tested positive for the disease over the past year and, although they recovered after mild infections, she felt anxious about contracting the illness.
“I was worried throughout because, if I was in China, I could have got the vaccines easily. Wuhan was the first city for the vaccines," she said.
“In Wuhan we have learnt a lot. We were taught by the government to protect ourselves. I wear masks always, wash my hands and take Chinese traditional herb tablets.”
Chinese tourists are required to enter their passport details, Chinese identity card number and their UAE address to register with the consulate or embassy to receive the Sinopharm vaccine.
'Proud' to support Covid-19 fight
Beijing resident Wang Lu Lin, 33, registered for the vaccine and is awaiting an appointment.
She said she was "very proud" to receive the vaccine overseas.
“Thank you homeland," she said.
Ms Wang has been in Dubai since January and is enrolled in English language courses.
She lives with a friend in International City and has been carefully restricting her travel.
Ms Wang, a former journalist, hopes to find a job in Dubai while she improves her language skills.
Many Chinese citizens on temporary visas have taken up study courses and are looking for jobs.
Ms Zhang lives in a hotel apartment in Dubai’s Silicon Oasis and completed a master’s degree online. She is researching options to start a business.
"I came to Dubai looking for business opportunities, but after my flight was cancelled I'm spending time doing research on general trading, real estate and tourism," she said.
“My plan is that I will find a job or find a partner to start a company. I’m hoping to start a business in tourism or real estate.”
Ms Zhang uses her experience in translation and administration to complete online projects for companies.
“The medical system in Dubai is good so my family is not too worried that I am here. Even if I go to a hospital here there are Chinese doctors,” she said.
Strict quarantine rules to enter China deter travellers who worry about their ability to leave the country for work.
New quarantine regulations require all travellers into China to isolate for 14 days before their flight and take antibody and PCR tests before they fly.
Passengers must enter institutional quarantine for two weeks when they land in China.
Once a traveller reaches their final destination, some provinces require 14 to 21 days quarantine in a government centre, hotel or at home.
Emirates and Etihad said they have no flights to China for the next few months.
Flights were suspended based on travel restrictions and government approval, according to information from call centres of both airlines.
Air China showed one weekly flight available to Beijing.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
Results
ATP Dubai Championships on Monday (x indicates seed):
First round
Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x4) 6-4, 6-1
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x7) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ATP RANKINGS (NOVEMBER 4)
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,585 pts ( 1)
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 8,945 (-1)
3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,190
4. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 5,705
5. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5,025
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,000 ( 1)
7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 2,945 (-1)
8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2,670 ( 1)
9. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,540 ( 1)
10. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2,530 ( 3)
11. David Goffin (BEL) 2,335 ( 3)
12. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,290
13. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2,180 (-2)
14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,125 ( 1)
15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,050 ( 13)
16. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,000
17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 1,840 (-9)
18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1,775
19. John Isner (USA) 1,770 (-2)
20. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 1,747 ( 7)
Match info:
Burnley 0
Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')
Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
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The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
More on Quran memorisation:
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
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO:
Second Test
Pakistan v Australia, Tuesday-Saturday, 10am daily at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Entrance is free
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
The%20specs
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SupplyVan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2029%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MRO%20and%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
