Latest: Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions begin mass recruitment in boost for jobs market - full guide
Furniture chain THE One, logistics firm DHL and fashion giant Chalhoub Group topped a survey of the best workplaces in the UAE.
The trio were named in a list of the 45 best employers in the Emirates.
Five Hotels, Hilton hotels, and Dubai Police were ranked fourth, fifth and sixth.
Century Financial, retailer Splash, Dubai Police Academy and Abu Dhabi developer Aldar Properties rounded out the top 10.
Our heroes boldly stood by their employees and provided them with the needed mental, physical and financial support
The annual report is compiled by management consultancy Great Place to Work, which runs the survey in 60 countries.
Ibrahim Mougharbel, managing director for the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, said the best employers had managed to strike a balance between "preserving business continuity and maintaining employee well-being" in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Ultimately, protecting businesses also meant protecting employees," he said.
"And protecting employees was not an easy task during a pandemic.
"Our heroes, however, boldly stood by their employees and provided them with the needed mental, physical and financial support."
The survey's authors said top-rated companies focused on morale, training and learning opportunities - and injected some fun into the workplace in what was a difficult time for many.
"Organisations this year also built upon a sense of belonging," they wrote.
"When everything seemed to be at risk, employees were made to feel comfortable with their choices.
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The National's salary guide for 2021
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"The stability that was granted to them throughout the pandemic provided them with the chance to get inspired and grow mentally, as well as physically, while seeking to uphold the success of their work-life/personal-life balance."
Among the top 45 workplaces were many retailers and shopping centre stores – who by and large faced a torrid year of stop-start closures and a shift in consumer habits.
Such companies relied on face-to-face interaction with customers once measures were lifted, keeping employees motivated and positive.
Among the retailers listed was Babyshop, Homebox, Emax, Shoexpress, Homecentre and Centrepoint.
The only medical provider in the top 45 was Saudi German Hospital, at No 45, while the Government of Sharjah's eGov department was among the biggest public sector employers listed, in addition to Dubai Police.
The full list:
1) THE One - retail
2) DHL Express - transport/logistics
3) Chalhoub Group - retail/hospitality
4) Five Hotels - hospitality
5) Hilton - hospitality
6) Dubai Police - social services/govt agency
7) Century Financial - financial services and investments
8) Splash - retail
9) Dubai Police Academy - social services/govt agency
10) Aldar Properties - construction and real estate
11) Cisco - information technology
12) Sara Group - retail
13) Bacardi - consumer goods
14) Leminar Group - industrial services/engineering
15) General Mills - manufacturing and goods
16) Yum! Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell) - F&B
17) Babyshop - retail
18) MSD Pharmaceuticals - biotech and pharma
19) International Beverage and Filling Industries (Star juices) - F&B
20) Homebox - retail
21) Pizza Express - F&B
22) AbbVie Pharmaceuticals - biotech and pharma
23) Emax - retail
24) Max - retail
25) Glander Bunkering - industrial services/ oil & gas
26) Shoexpress - retail
27) Shoemart - retail
28) Apparel Group (Aeropostale, LC Waikiki, Aldo and others) - franchise/retail
29) Westford University College - education
30) Al Dabbagh Group (Gulf General Cooperative Insurance) - financial services and insurance
31) Homecentre - retail
32) SAS UAE - IT
33) Global Food Industries (Al Areesh/Al Ameer) - food products
34) LGT Middle East - private banking
35) Lifestyle - retail
36) Centrepoint - retail
37) Amgen - biotech and pharma
38) ZEE TV - media/television
39) Grohe - bathrooms and kitchens
40) Shoemart - retail
41) Shift Electronics - retail/goods
42) Teleperformance UAE - professional services/outsourcing
43) Government of Sharjah Dept of eGov - social services and govt
44) Servier - biotech and pharma
45) Saudi German Hospitals - healthcare
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
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The specs: 2018 Ford Mustang GT
Price, base / as tested: Dh204,750 / Dh241,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque: 569Nm @ 4,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.3L / 100km
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Overview
What: The Arab Women’s Sports Tournament is a biennial multisport event exclusively for Arab women athletes.
When: From Sunday, February 2, to Wednesday, February 12.
Where: At 13 different centres across Sharjah.
Disciplines: Athletics, archery, basketball, fencing, Karate, table tennis, shooting (rifle and pistol), show jumping and volleyball.
Participating countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Qatar and UAE.
Crime%20Wave
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
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more from Janine di Giovanni
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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.
Duminy's Test career in numbers
Tests 46; Runs 2,103; Best 166; Average 32.85; 100s 6; 50s 8; Wickets 42; Best 4-47
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
