Life

While everyone across the nation has experienced the COVID-19 pandemic in some form, no one has bared the brunt of it more than those on the frontline.

In order to give back to those who have been on the frontlines battling the pandemic in the UAE, a new office was established in July – the Frontline Heroes Office.
The office has now revealed that more than 80,000 professionals and volunteers have been identified for the new initiative which aims to give back. This will be there to ensure there is support for frontline workers, as well as their families.
Chairman of the Frontline Heroes Office, Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon, explained it was the nation’s duty to recognise the sacrifices the frontline workers have made to help others.
“Our frontline heroes make the choice every day to put their own health and well-being at risk to protect the lives of people across our nation,” he said.
“We owe it to them to recognise their heroic efforts and ensure we are providing our frontline professionals and their families the same level of protection and support they offer us.”
The new office was launched six weeks ago by President Sheikh Khalifa and is set to be a key force in highlighting the incredible work and key roles frontline workers have played during crises and emergencies.
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Six months ago travel came to a blinding halt as coronavirus was officially labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.
Countries shut their borders, flights were cancelled and many were left stranded in foreign countries as a result.

As flights were put on hold, many who had trips planned flocked to get their airfares refunded from airlines – and Dubai’s airline Emirates was no exception.
Half a year after the pandemic engulfed the world in March, Emirates has confirmed it has paid back Dhs5 billion in ticket refunds since then.

In a statement issued by the Dubai-based airline, it was announced that 1.4 million refunds had been processed which they had received up until the end of June – a figure which represents 90 per cent of the refund backlog.

Emirates returns over AED 5 billion (US$ 1.4 billion) to customers in COVID-19 related travel refunds and clears 90% of its refunds backlog, making strong and steady progress on its commitment to complete pending refunds. https://t.co/NVwmW2f0OA pic.twitter.com/YLEUthEAtF
— Emirates Airline (@emirates) September 7, 2020

“We are committed to honouring refunds and are trying our utmost to clear the massive and unprecedented backlog that was caused by the pandemic,” Tim Clark, the airline’s president, said. “Most cases are straightforward, and these we will process quickly.
“But there are cases which will take a bit more time for our customer teams to manually review and complete.”
In the last few months, things have been slowly returning to normal for the airline. As of right now, flights to 80 destinations have recommenced for Emirates, with the latest addition being to Amman, Jordan.
READ: A complete list of the destinations Emirates is currently flying to
In a further sign the airline is recovering, Emirates announced they would be returning staff members’ basic salaries to full pay after having implemented pay cuts.
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After Dubai reopened its borders to tourists on July 7, the emirate has ensured the utmost precautions have been taken to ensure the health and safety of visitors and residents amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back in July a new initiative, ‘Dubai Assured’, was established by Dubai Tourism, the Dubai Economy and the Dubai Municipality.

Establishments including restaurants, bars, retail outlets and tourist attractions receive the Dubai Assured stamp, which is free of charge, upon the confirmation they are following all health and safety guidelines in place.
This stamp – which has a validity of 15 days and can be renewed upon follow-up investigations – is to showcase visually to tourists and guests that safety standards across Dubai are being met.

As #Dubai is ready to open its doors to tourists the Dubai Assured stamp, a virtual identity, has been created. The stamp will be present at hotels, attractions, and restaurants that adhere to all the governments’ health and safety guidelines. https://t.co/TdBPfA6Vxl pic.twitter.com/ECK3btK6B4
— dubaitourism (@dubaitourism) July 19, 2020

According to a new circular by Dubai Media Office, nearly 90 per cent of Dubai’s hotel establishments have received the stamp, while the remainder undergoes the inspection process.
Meanwhile, all leading malls, family entertainment centres and retail outlets at traditional markets have been inspected and received the stamp.
Discussing the success of the initiative, Khalid Saeed Bin Touq, Executive Director, Tourism Activities and Classification Sector, Dubai Tourism, explained has been down to the “effective citywide management of the pandemic under the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai”.
“It also reflects Dubai’s commitment to maintain the highest level of safety preparedness and to reassure travellers that they can expect the same level of safety across all tourism touchpoints in the city,” he continued. “As Dubai Tourism constantly looks at ways to further enhance safety measures, we extend our deepest appreciation to all our industry stakeholders and partners for their collective resolve to ensure the health and safety of our residents and visitors.”
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Any holders of UAE visit or tourist visas have only until September 11 to leave the UAE or change their visa status to avoid heavy fines.
This applies to any visa expired after March 1 who were given a month from August 11 to leave the country fine-free. However, the new deadline is fast approaching which means you either have to book a flight out or update the permit status to visit or employment.

This is the latest announcement from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) and follows the information shared on Twitter almost a month ago, which read.
“The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship extends the grace period for holders of expiring entry permits, starting from 11/8/2020 for a period of one month, with the aim of enabling them to leave the country with exemption from all fines during this period,” the statement from the authority read.

The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, ICA, issued a decision to extend the deadline for holders of expired entry permits and visas from 11th August, 2020, for one month, to enable them to leave the country and exempt them from all resulting fines.#ICA pic.twitter.com/NLrlZSHf91
— Identity and Citizenship- UAE (@ICAUAE) August 10, 2020

According to the UAE government’s official website, fines currently stand at Dhs200 for the first day of overstay and Dhs100 for each consecutive day, as well as a Dhs100 service fee.
Last month, it was confirmed that those with expired residency visas can benefit from an extended grace period which is now in place until November 18.
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One month after the devastating blast took place in Beirut, some of the most popular Arab and international singers are set to come together in a virtual concert to raise money for the Lebanese capital.
Tomorrow, September 8, a whole host of artists will come together on the Arab world’s most popular streaming app, Anghami, to share messages and sign to support Lebanon.

Entitled The Sound of Beirut, spectators and fans will be encouraged to donate to help the city. All donations will go to Global Aid For Lebanon which launched in collaboration with the United Nations’ World Food Programme.

The artists participating include Maya Diab, The Chainsmokers, Craig David, French Montana, Latifa, Massari and more.
Speaking on the fundraiser, Anghami co-founder, Eddy Maroun, explained the concert was to show solidarity with the Lebanese capital in the wake of the tragic event.
“The Sound of Beirut is a message of solidarity and support for our fellow Lebanese who have been affected by the Beirut explosion,” he said.
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