Dubai restricts travellers from South Africa and Nigeria as new strains emerge


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Dubai's authorities will not allow travellers who have been in South Africa or Nigeria to enter the emirate.

In a travel advisory, Emirates Airline said the decision covered any UAE resident, tourist or transit passenger who had been in either country in the past 14 days.

Emirates airline flights to South Africa and Nigeria were already suspended and will remain so until at least March 10.

This latest move came amid increasing concern about the South African variant of coronavirus.

The strain is transmitted from person to person more easily and most of the existing vaccines are less effective against it.

"You will not be able to enter Dubai if you have been in or transited through South Africa or Nigeria in the last 14 days before travelling to Dubai," the carrier said on its website.

"This is not applicable for UAE nationals who are returning to the UAE and members of diplomatic missions.

"Members of diplomatic missions travelling from Nigeria must present a negative Covid‑19 PCR test certificate from one of the authorised laboratories in Nigeria."

Low-cost partner flydubai carried the same advisory on its website.

Less is known about the Nigerian strain that the South African variant.

The strain, known as B.1.525, was first detected in mid-December in Nigeria. It was soon found in cases in the UK, France, and other countries. As of mid-February, researchers from University of Edinburgh had found two cases in Wales and 36 in England in genome samples that dated back to December.

It has not yet been added to the UK's 'variants of concern list' but further study is ongoing.

Dubai has tightened restrictions in recent weeks in a bid to contain the virus, including reducing the capacity of venues such as hotels, cinemas and sports complexes.

Yesterday, the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai announced it had cancelled all permits for Ramadan tents in the emirate this year to prevent large gatherings.

Dubai vaccine roll-out - in pictures

Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Milkman by Anna Burns

Ordinary People by Diana Evans

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Circe by Madeline Miller

The language of diplomacy in 1853

Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)


We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.

Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale

AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

Timeline

1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line

1962
250 GTO is unveiled

1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company

1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens

1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made

1987
F40 launched

1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent

2002
The Enzo model is announced

2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi

2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled

2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives

2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company

2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street

2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary

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Water waste

In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.

Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.

A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.

The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.

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