Mariana Agiu, a critical care nurse during the first waves, receives her first Covid-19 vaccine. Courtesy Mariana Agiu
Mariana Agiu, a critical care nurse during the first waves, receives her first Covid-19 vaccine. Courtesy Mariana Agiu
Mariana Agiu, a critical care nurse during the first waves, receives her first Covid-19 vaccine. Courtesy Mariana Agiu
Mariana Agiu, a critical care nurse during the first waves, receives her first Covid-19 vaccine. Courtesy Mariana Agiu

International Women’s Day: Women on the Covid frontline reveal their pride and pain


Layla Maghribi
  • English
  • Arabic

When Mariana Agiu reflected on her time as a hospital critical care nurse at the height of the pandemic’s first wave she had a startling realisation: almost everyone in the room was a woman.

"I understand the reasons why….most of us in this profession are women, from the cleaners, the healthcare systems, nurses, even [half] the doctors are female," explains Ms Agiu to The National. "It was always there, it's just that we never thought about it."

She described her experience on a Covid ward as “very draining”.

“Every day I would work hard thinking, I need to be there, I need to help. We are not enough. There are too many sick people,” she says.

Mariana Agiu at University College London Hospital. Courtesy Mariana Agiu
Mariana Agiu at University College London Hospital. Courtesy Mariana Agiu

Two of her female colleagues ended up in ICU themselves, highlighting the risks they faced particularly at that early stage when little was known about the illness.

As International Women’s Day is marked today, it’s worth reflecting that for the past year, female medics, scientists, health workers and politicians have played a crucial role in the battle against Covid, arguably the first global crisis that has not been a male-dominated affair.

A woman heavy front-line 

Indeed, data produced in the early days of pandemic by economics think-tank, Autonomy, revealed that 2.5m out of 3.2m – or 77 percent – workers in ‘high risk’ jobs in the UK were held by women.

The analysts at Autonomy created a risk factor index by scoring how exposed to infections, and physically close to others, the jobs were. Unsurprisingly, health care workers were the most at risk of all the occupation groups. Within the top ten jobs, the nursing profession had the highest number of women, just over half a million, and 74,100 men.

Nurses have been a crucial asset, particularly during the peaks that overran some hospitals and staff. It was a female British-Filipino nurse, May Parsons, who administered the world's first Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine outside clinical trials to Margaret Keenan, 90. It was also a woman, scientist Elisa Granato, who received the first Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine during trials.

There's a point where you just feel so drained that you're saying I can't cope with this anymore, I'm going to explode, I'm going to have a breakdown and I'm not going to recover. Mariana Agiu.

After the situation calmed down at the end of the first wave Ms Agiu decided to take a long break from clinical work. She now researches treatments for Multiple Sclerosis.

“There's a point where you just feel so drained that you're saying I can't cope with this anymore, I'm going to explode, I'm going to have a breakdown and I'm not going to recover. So when everything finished, I felt intoxicated, I felt like I needed to have space to go away to forget and to breathe.”

Others were shunted to the frontline at the very start of their careers.

For Molly Dineen it was out of the classroom and onto her first ever job as a junior doctor in the middle of a pandemic. Her graduation was fast-tracked a few months so she could join the ranks.

“I think a whirlwind is probably the way to describe it,” she says. “Not only have I been adapting to life as a doctor but I've been adapting to life in the pandemic and having to adapt a lot of the skills that I'd learned in medical school to work in this new way.”

Founder of the HumansofCovid Instagram page, Molly Dineen. Courtesy Molly Dineen
Founder of the HumansofCovid Instagram page, Molly Dineen. Courtesy Molly Dineen

Ms Dineen works in acute medicine and admits to feeling like a “deer in the headlights”.

People really want to share their stories, I think it's really therapeutic for those of us on the frontline to just have a space to share what we're experiencing. Dr Molly Dineen.

“I think it's the intensity of entering work for the first time and I don't have support from friends and family in the same way that I would have done. And I don't have the usual escapes of hobbies and travel and all the things that I usually have as a break. So it's just been very intense. And I think that's probably mentally what's been the biggest challenge. My life has gone from being a university student to suddenly the world of work and nothing else.”

Social media support in dark times 

Without the comfort of friends to turn to, Ms Dineen used her rare free moments to develop with colleagues an Instagram page called Humans of Covid. Inspired by the intimate stories captured in the internationally popular Humans of New York account, Ms Dineen says they wanted to 'use emotion' to encourage the public to follow government guidelines.

She spends her evenings interviewing other front-line workers and putting their stories and pictures on the social media page. She says it helps her and her colleagues process what they’ve been through.

“People really want to share their stories, I think it's really therapeutic for those of us on the frontline to just have a space to share what we're experiencing, and have an outlet to say this was really tough, and this is what I experienced,” says Ms Dineen.

Dorcas Baxter returned to work as an ITU nurse to help with the Covid-19 efforts at the hospital she used to work at. Courtesy Molly Dineen
Dorcas Baxter returned to work as an ITU nurse to help with the Covid-19 efforts at the hospital she used to work at. Courtesy Molly Dineen

Like that of Dorcas Baxter, an intensive care nurse who wrote that she went back to work after a three year career break because “once you’re an ITU nurse you’re always an ITU nurse.” When she finally joined her colleagues during the second wave she found “a lot of unspoken trauma” and “a lot less glory”.

Sarah Blanchard was on the medical frontline for years before the pandemic started. As one of 1,300 female paramedics – 200 fewer than male ones – she is often patients’ first contact. “We’ve had such a high increase in respiratory call intake, whether that be anxiety or chest infections, sepsis or Covid. It’s often almost impossible to tell the difference,” she wrote on the Humans of Covid page.

Sarah Blanchard is a paramedic, often the sick's first point of medical contact. Courtesy Molly Dineen
Sarah Blanchard is a paramedic, often the sick's first point of medical contact. Courtesy Molly Dineen

Her post described visiting an 80-year-old who overdosed on medication while grieving the death of his wife from suspected Covid-19. “We’ve seen a lot of pain, anxiety and suffering from the illness itself, but it’s the elderly being so lonely that hurts the most. Whenever I get called to someone elderly, I spend more time with them, because I know they might not see anyone else for a long time,” she says.

And it was also women who overwhelmingly took care of the country’s most vulnerable in the care homes which employ a whopping 650,000 women.

Ms Dineen says the demographics of engagement with the page seem to correlate with the statistics. “There's been an overwhelming response from women. And I think women really want to be proud and share the stories of their experience of the frontline,” she says. “I think we know how inspirational that can be for not just young women but everyone.

“I think this pandemic has been challenging for women in a particular way. They're trying to home school children often….and then going out on the front line. And it's just accentuating many of the challenges that we maybe already had.”

More responsibility, less pay 

Not only are women more exposed to the direct effects of the virus in the workplace but the indirect effects have been acutely felt by mothers in their home space as well. By and large, it has been women saddled with the bulk of childcare responsibilities. According to an ONS survey last year, women carried out on average two-thirds more childcare duties than men during the first lockdown. For the majority of female frontline healthcare workers there were many anxious months, particularly at the start of the pandemic, when they were separated from their children.

Women have also been crucial behind the scenes. As the pandemic spills into its second year, vaccine programmes have become key to easing lockdowns and reducing hospitalisations.

Melanie Leis, Director of the Big Data and Analytical Unit at the Institute of Global Health Innovations at Imperial College, has been leading a team trying to track different attitudes related to people’s fears around Covid.

They carry out international studies to spot problem areas.

The data they gather is published weekly and helps inform decisions made by organisations such as the World Health Organisation.

She said: “There was a big gap in understanding why people would or would not adhere to guidance. Our research filled that gap. We worked with the WHO who wanted to know why people did or didn’t wear masks.

“Essentially it’s a tool to understanding people’s attitudes and behaviour to the pandemic over the year.

“We are coming up to a year’s worth of data now so we get to see a lot of trends.”

One trend stands out.

“We’ve been asking people how they feel about the Covid-19 vaccine and back in November people were very worried and concerned and saying they wouldn’t take it….and now in the vast majority of countries people are more comfortable and feel less worried about side effects and are actually saying they would regret it if they didn’t take it.

“The government should use that information to target their campaigns around what people are still worried about.”

Data analytics is a typically make environment, but that is also changing.

“I’m lucky to work in a field that is predominantly filled with men but I am lucky enough to be leading this project with another woman - Dr Sarah Jones - and we have tried to make sure that the work we do and people we hear from are wide and diverse.

She said that from the data it’s obvious that women have been disproportionately affected. They suffer higher anxiety and depression levels, for example. “This is something that was the case pre-pandemic but we think that the trend has been kept open in the pandemic,” she said.

Melanie Leis, Director, Big Data and Analytical Unit. Courtesy Melanie Leis
Melanie Leis, Director, Big Data and Analytical Unit. Courtesy Melanie Leis

Women have also been at the forefront of the science wielded to fight the virus. Professor Sarah Gilbert, who led the team that developed the Oxford vaccine was last week awarded a medal by Royal Society of Arts for her efforts. Katalin Kariko pioneered the research behind the mRNA technology used in the first UK approved vaccines. Dr Ozlem Tuerci is one-half of the husband and wife team who founded BioNTech, the company Pfizer partnered with to develop a vaccine.

The government’s recent budget announcement included a 1 per cent hike for NHS workers which is expected to translate into a real-term cut in pay. The Royal College of Nurses branded the proposal “pitiful and bitterly disappointing”.

Women are highly represented in many of the worst-affected industries, including healthcare, hospitality and entertainment, and the UN has already warned that women have been hit harder by worsening economics than men.

Nevertheless, according to a study done by Ipsos MORI and the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London less than one third of the British public think closing the gender pay gap should be a top priority.

Regardless of the progress needed on gender equality, it's clear to the women who spoke to The National they're aware of their value.

“When a family or a patient needs someone to talk to support…woman can cope with that more,” muses Ms Agiu, “This is what I've been observing over the years in the hospital. And I'm not saying men are not good enough because they are in their own way. But when it's about caring being there at the bedside all the time, and being patient and I think women are doing an excellent job.”

Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWest%20Asia%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Bahrain%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%201%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%202%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%20III%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDubai%20Sevens%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Suad%20Amiry%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Pantheon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20304%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Rest

(Because Music)

Results:

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 (PA) | Group 1 US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres

Winner: Goshawke, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)

7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) | Listed $250,000 (D) | 1,600m

Winner: Silva, Oisin Murphy, Pia Brendt

7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) | Conditions $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m

Winner: Golden Jaguar, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash

8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) | Group 3 $200,000 (D) | 1,200m

Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m

Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav

9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m

Winner: Oasis Charm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m

Winner: Escalator, Christopher Hayes, Charlie Fellowes

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mozn%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammed%20Alhussein%2C%20Khaled%20Al%20Ghoneim%2C%20Abdullah%20Alsaeed%20and%20Malik%20Alyousef%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Riyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Shorooq%20Partners%2C%20VentureSouq%2C%20Sukna%20Ventures%20and%20others%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

THE BIO

Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.

Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.

Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.

Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.

 

 

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

FA Cup fifth round draw

Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal 

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

The Disaster Artist

Director: James Franco

Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan

Four stars

Landfill in numbers

• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane

• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming

• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi

• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year

• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away

• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20and%203.6-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20235hp%20and%20310hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E258Nm%20and%20271Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh185%2C100%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo and dual electric motors

Power: 300hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 520Nm at 1,500-3,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.0L/100km

Price: from Dh199,900

On sale: now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results

Catchweight 60kg: Mohammed Al Katheeri (UAE) beat Mostafa El Hamy (EGY) TKO round 3

Light Heavyweight: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) no contest Kevin Oumar (COM) Unintentional knee by Oumer

Catchweight 73kg:  Yazid Chouchane (ALG) beat Ahmad Al Boussairy (KUW) Unanimous decision

Featherweight: Faris Khaleel Asha (JOR) beat Yousef Al Housani (UAE) TKO in round 2 through foot injury

Welterweight: Omar Hussein (JOR) beat Yassin Najid (MAR); Split decision

Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Sallah Eddine Dekhissi (MAR); Round-1 TKO

Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali Musalim (UAE) beat Medhat Hussein (EGY); Triangle choke submission

Welterweight: Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) beat Sofiane Oudina (ALG); Triangle choke Round-1

Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Saleem Al Bakri (JOR); Unanimous decision

Bantamweight: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Nawras Abzakh (JOR); TKO round-2

Catchweight 63kg: Rany Saadeh (PAL) beat Abdel Ali Hariri (MAR); Unanimous decision

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

TCL INFO

Teams:
Punjabi Legends 
Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan

Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17

Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars

Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.

Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.

After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.

Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.

It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.

 

The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter

1. Dubai silk road

2.  A geo-economic map for Dubai

3. First virtual commercial city

4. A central education file for every citizen

5. A doctor to every citizen

6. Free economic and creative zones in universities

7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes

8. Co-operative companies in various sectors

­9: Annual growth in philanthropy

Sun jukebox

Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)

This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.

Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)

The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.

Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)

Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.

Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)

Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.

Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)

An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.

Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)

Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.

Second ODI

England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)

England win by 86 runs

Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley 

Six large-scale objects on show
  • Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
  • The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
  • A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
  • Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
  • A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
  • Torrijos Palace dome

'Skin'

Dir: Guy Nattiv

Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

'The%20Alchemist's%20Euphoria'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kasabian%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EColumbia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai Creek Open in numbers
  • The Dubai Creek Open is the 10th tournament on this year's Mena Tour
  • It is the first of five events before the season-concluding Mena Tour Championship
  • This week's field comprises 120 players, 21 of which are amateurs
  • 15 previous Mena Tour winners are competing at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club  
Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Results

4pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Dirt); 1,400m
Winner: Solar Shower; William Lee (jockey); Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

4.35pm: Handicap; Dh165,000 (D); 2,000m
Winner: Thaaqib; Antonio Fresu; Erwan Charpy.

5.10pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Turf); 1,800m
Winner: Bila Shak; Adrie de Vries; Fawzi Nass

5.45pm: Handicap; Dh175,000 (D); 1,200m
Winner: Beachcomber Bay; Richard Mullen; Satish Seemar

6.20pm: Handicap;​​​​​​​ Dh205,000 (T); 1,800m
Winner: Muzdawaj; Jim Crowley;​​​​​​​ Musabah Al Muhairi

6.55pm: Handicap;​​​​​​​ Dh185,000 (D); 1,600m
Winner: Mazeed; Tadhg O’Shea;​​​​​​​ Satish Seemar

7.30pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,200m
Winner: Riflescope; Tadhg O’Shea;​​​​​​​ Satish Seemar.

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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MATCH INFO

Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)

TV: BeIN Sports

The biog

Age: 59

From: Giza Governorate, Egypt

Family: A daughter, two sons and wife

Favourite tree: Ghaf

Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense 

Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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SPECS

Nissan 370z Nismo

Engine: 3.7-litre V6

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 363hp

Torque: 560Nm

Price: Dh184,500

How to avoid crypto fraud
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