Author: News Desk

Dubai’s government is freezing all hiring and cutting administrative spending by at least 20 percent across departments as the coronavirus pandemic squeezes state revenue. The emirate’s Department of Finance on Wednesday also ordered a 50 percent reduction in capital spending and a delay to new government construction projects, according to a letter sent to all state departments by Director General Abdulrahman Al Saleh and seen by Bloomberg. A representative for the Department of Finance couldn’t immediately comment. Dubai, the Middle East transport and business hub, is seeking to shore up its finances by cutting spending and raising funds. The deadly…

A Kuwait Army transport plane returned home from China Wednesday, carrying tons of medical equipment and supplies to help the government curb spread of coronavirus, the Ministry of Defense said. This is the seventh army plane as part of repatriation and delivery operations, aimed at providing logistical support for government bodies, the ministry said in a statement. This journey, it added, was in cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Health to provide medical equipment and supplies. Earlier today, Kuwait Ambassador in Beijing Sameeh Hayat said the transport aircraft, which took off from the Chinese city of Guangzhou, was loaded…

UAE takes measures aimed at helping parents cope with the financial impact of global coronavirus pandemic. More educational institutions in the UAE are slashing their fees to accommodate parents’ requests, as they cope with the global pandemic fallout, reported Gulf News. Schools on Thursday announced a 20 per cent reduction in Term 3 school fees to help parents cope with the financial impact of the global shutdown. According to the new relief measures announced, 20 per cent of Term 3 fees (April to June 2020) will be applied as a credit towards Term 1 fees for 2020-2021. Students who leave…

According to Gulf News, an increasing number of retailers, including supermarkets, pharmacies, and clinics in the UAE are introducing anti-microbial barriers to main social distance and prevent the spread of coronavirus at customer interfaces. An anti-microbial shield is a transparent sheet, usually comprising a non-porous surface, which is installed at customer check-out counters or patient consultation points to prevent infections from being transmitted. Nandakumar. V, Chief Communications Officer of the Lulu Group of hypermarkets, told Gulf News, “We started installing these shields across our stores last week to keep both our staff and customers safe. Their safety and health are…

Encouraging youth to assume leadership positions across various fields of development is the main objective for the Kingdom of Bahrain, Youth and Sports Minister Aymen bin Tawfeeq Al Moayyad has said reported Bahrain News Agency. “We aim to employ youth capabilities while maximising and sustaining the impact of their ideas for the present and future. young people have a positive vision, ambition, energy and inspiring ideas for creative solutions that achieve economic and social growth” stated the Minister. The minister made the statement as he participated remotely in the launch of the Arab Youth Center (AYC) in cooperation with the…

The Saudi Ministry of Health has launched a new app aimed at monitoring the conditions of people suspected of having the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), reported the Arab Times. The Tatamman (meaning, rest assured) app will allow individuals who are self-isolating or in quarantine to access up-to-date advice and information on the virus and their health status. Ministry spokesman, Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly, said: “It (the app) is for those who have the symptoms, or recently returned to Saudi Arabia, those who have been in direct contact with a positive case, as well as those currently under home quarantine as instructed…

Encouraging people to spend their preventive isolation period amid the coronavirus outbreak fruitfully, the Ministry of Culture launched a reading contest titled “Reading Marathon”. According to Reuters, the initiative seeks to engage the public, young and old, in an activity that can benefit various segments of the society. All those who want to make the most of the opportunity can participate in an online open-reading contest on diverse topics of interest through sharing their reading experience with quotes on the online platform of the marathon. The portal will receive the readers ’participation in two categories. First is “Little reader,” which…

Indian authorities have identified and sealed dozens of hot spots in the Indian capital and the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state comprising residential districts to check the rising trajectory of new coronavirus infections. The sealing of hot spots came as the number of confirmed cases in India crossed the 5,000 mark, with 166 deaths, according to India’s Health Ministry. Government statements late Wednesday said people would be supplied food, medicines, and other supplies at their doorsteps and they would not be allowed to leave these areas, The Associated Press reported. Authorities also made it compulsory for people to wear face masks…

Last week, Google released a simple and moving ad thanking healthcare workers around the world for combating COVID-19. The company is now continuing that praise by saying thank you to all coronavirus helpers with a series of Google Doodles over the next two weeks. “This week, we’re beginning a series of Doodles to recognize the many people responding to COVID-19 — from doctors and nurses caring for people on the front lines, to teachers and food service workers ensuring essential goods and services are still available,” said Google. This Google Doodles series — usually reserved for multi-week sporting events like…

A new storybook that aims to help children understand and come to terms with COVID-19 has been produced by a collaboration of more than 50 organizations working in the humanitarian sector announced the World Health Organization. With the help of a fantasy creature, Ario, “My Hero is You, How kids can fight COVID-19!” explains how children can protect themselves, their families and friends from coronavirus and how to manage difficult emotions when confronted with a new and rapidly changing reality. The book – aimed primarily at children aged 6-11 years old – is a project of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee…