Public beaches and malls in Ras Al Khaimah to reopen from Thursday


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Shopping malls and public beaches in Ras Al Khaimah have been permitted to reopen from Thursday as Covid-19 restrictions in the emirate are eased.

Beauty salons and barbershops in the emirate will also resume operations with strict safety measures in place to protect customers from the pandemic.

The Ras Al Khaimah Department of Economic Development has unveiled reopening procedures in line with other emirates that have relaxed stay-home orders and lifted curbs on trade and travel to bolster the economy.

Malls will operate from 10am to 8pm at 30 per cent capacity, but will deny entry to visitors aged above 60 or below 12.

Cinemas, gyms, entertainment venues, common seating areas and prayer rooms within malls will remain closed.

RAK Services Department said people visiting beaches should wear masks and gloves, and keep a minimum distance of two meters from one another.

Gatherings of more than five people will not be allowed, even if they belong to a single family. Smoking, campfire and barbecues will be prohibited on the beaches.

Restaurants have also been told to operate at 30 per cent of their capacity, while tables must be spread apart with only four people allowed on one table.

“To ensure the health and safety of shoppers, the department underlined the importance of running health checks on all cleaning and security staff contracted to work at malls,” the department said.

Visitors must wear protective masks and gloves and are encouraged to bring their own bags.

“Car parks must only be operated at 50 per cent capacity and no more than three people should be allowed in a single-vehicle,” the department said.

Valet parking and car wash services remain suspended while disinfection devices and temperature readers will be installed at entrances.

Covid-19 guidelines being enforced at restaurants, malls and public beaches as they open up in Ras Al Khaimah . Antonie Robertson/The National
Covid-19 guidelines being enforced at restaurants, malls and public beaches as they open up in Ras Al Khaimah . Antonie Robertson/The National

“Those with a fever exceeding 38 degrees will be asked to leave,” the department said.

Regular sterilisation will take place at malls and outlets, with special emphasis on surfaces which shoppers are most likely to touch, such as handrails on escalators.

Shoppers will be encouraged to use credit or debit cards to pay instead of cash and leave elevators for people with special needs. Only two people are allowed into lifts at a time.

“Marks will be placed on escalators and floors to enforce social distancing. All public touchscreens will be disabled, and a team of paramedics will be available at all times,” the department said.

All stores will test their employees for Covid-19 before reopening the malls and staff will be required to wear masks and gloves and change them regularly.

“Their temperature will be checked every day on arrival, while additional checks will be conducted through the day,” the authority said.

Restaurants must disinfect their facilities on a daily basis, including tables and chairs, after every use.

They must introduce single-use utensils and provide hand sanitisers at payment terminals.

Salons are instructed to offer hair and nail services through appointments but must place separators between the chairs and sterilise dressing equipment regularly.

Men's salons can only give haircuts and no other grooming services, including shaving, are permitted.

“Temperature checks will be carried out on customers, while those suffering from cold or flu symptoms will not be allowed to enter," officials said.

Inspectors will verify compliance with the rules before allowing businesses to reopen and there will be follow-up checks to identify the violators, who will face fines or even closure.

Salons and barber shop services were suspended on April 7 while mall closures were announced on March 25.

The movement of people will be restricted in the emirate from 8pm until 6am to facilitate nightly sanitisation campaign.

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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Friday Stuttgart v Cologne (Kick-off 10.30pm UAE)

Saturday RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin (5.30pm)

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Union Berlin v SC Freiburg (5.30pm)

Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (5.30pm)

Sunday Wolfsburg v Arminia (6.30pm)

Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim (9pm)

Bayer Leverkusen v Augsburg (11.30pm)

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

The five pillars of Islam

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4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas

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Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

Rating: 3/5

How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers

Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.

It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.

The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.

Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.

Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.

He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.

AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”

A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.

Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.

Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.

Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.

By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.

Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.

In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”

Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.

She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.

Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.

MATCH INFO

Scotland 59 (Tries: Hastings (2), G Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, Kinghorn, McInally; Cons: Hastings 8)

Russia 0

While you're here
Key facilities
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  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now

Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

Where to apply

Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020

Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.

The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020. 

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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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

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
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To be taxed:

Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category

Not taxed

Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.

Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat