Oman on Friday banned entry to its capital as the number of novel coronavirus cases increased across the Gulf region.
Omani authorities also ordered residents of Muscat to remain in the city as they announced 27 more confirmed infections and one more death from Covid-19. A total of 546 people have contracted Covid-19 in Oman and three have died.
Oman has barred entry to all non-citizens, including expatriates with residency visas, and barred passenger ships from docking as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus which has infected more than 1.7 million people across the world and caused nearly 109,000 deaths.
Other Gulf countries have taken similar measures over the past month, with further restrictions announced as the number cases continued to rise.
On Friday, Saudi Arabia announced a lockdown in several districts of the holy city of Madinah as it announced 364 new cases.
"We took measures to prevent movement and to advise individuals not to leave their homes in the neighbourhoods of Al Sherbat, Bani Dhafar, Qurban, Juma and Bani Khudra starting today," the interior ministry said.
It said the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development would provide those in need with food baskets and other supplies.
New cases took the total number of Covid-19 patients in the kingdom to 4,033, of whom 720 have recovered, the health ministry said. The number of coronavirus-related deaths was 52 as of Sunday.
In Bahrain, the health ministry reported 26 new cases on Friday, bringing the total to 913.
“Out of the 26 new cases eight were contracted abroad and 18 were in contact with previously infected patients in the country,” the ministry said.
The ministry also announced the death of a 63-year-old Bahraini who suffered from health conditions and was among nationals repatriated from Iran.
“The deceased got the necessary treatment and care around the clock by the specialised medical teams,” the ministry said.
By Sunday, the total number of Covid-19 deaths in Bahrain had reached six and 1,040 cases had been recorded.
The health ministry also announced that 11 people had recovered and moved out of the intensive care units over the weekend, taking the total number of recoveries in Bahrain to 555.
Qatar's health ministry 136 new cases and 21 more recoveries on Friday. At least 2,195 people were tested for the virus in 24 hours, it said.
On Sunday, the country's total case count stood at 2,728, with the number of fatalities at six.
Kwuait reported 83 new coronavirus infections on Friday, raising the total infections in the country to 993. By Sunday, that had risen to 1,154.
The country has recorded one death.
Health Minister Sheikh Basil Al Sabah said that 12 patients have recovered, raising the total recoveries to 133.
There were 26 patients in intensive care, 10 of whom were in critical condition.
Kuwaiti authorities have indicated that they may extend the restriction on public movement to curb the spread of the virus.
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
SPECS
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
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If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
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